Whether you want to increase the profitability of a single restaurant
or coordinate the operations of an entire chain, a point-of-sale (POS)
application can help you meet your goals… if you select the tools best
suited to your circumstances.
Frankly, there are a bewildering variety of options available. And many
competing providers make similar claims. To help restaurateurs make
wise choices, TrashTech has tapped its 5+ years of industry
experience to create a POS guideline. With these ten key points in mind,
you’ll be able to look beyond the product menu to see an applications real ingredients and satisfy your hunger for true performance.
1. Set your business objectives
What is your main goal in utilizing a POS system? Increase sales, understand your customers or controlling your costs?
2. Expect reliability
Support and reliability is very improtant when making this decision. If your system goes down you cannot operate your business or accept cash flow.
3. Demand security of your customer's information
Do not tarnish your brand! Look at the Target breach and how that effected their business. Bye bye CEO!
4. Post-sale service and support
Is this a free service?
5. Understand cost of ownership
How does the vendor charge for maintenance, software updates and upgrades.
6. Does it allow for integration?
Would you like to receive online orders and track your payroll etc. Can this system run a loyalty program? Does it have a loyalty program built in.
7. Customizable reporting
Every business is different so make sure the reporting tool lines up with the data points you need to manage the business.
8. Get room to grow
Make sure there is a path to more features and functionalities. You maybe one location today and 20 in 3 years, features like multi-unit reporting can help you grow faster.
9. Keep it simple
Make it easy for your employees to do their day-to-day operation. There must be a friendly and easy to use interface.
10. Plan for the future
Ask your sales rep about any changes in laws and policies. You would not want to buy a POS system on Windows XP to have it be not supported any longer my Microsoft.
