business success blog
29 Mar, Friday
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Employee hand using POS point of sale system on digital tablet looking at restaurant floor plan

A POS system, or point of sale system, is essential for any restaurant business. POS systems can provide a whole host of benefits for a restaurant business, from handling payments to processing takeout orders. If you are just starting your restaurant or are looking for a more streamlined approach to the operation of your business, below we look at the benefits of using a POS system in your restaurant.

Finding The Right POS System

Before we go into the benefits of a POS system, you should know more about POS systems and where to find the right one for your business. Yelp for Restaurants has a handy guide to restaurant POS systems, discussing several systems that suit every style and budget. As each POS system has different benefits and features, it is good to know your options, so you can make an informed decision based on your preferences. Check out this article for further information on finding the right POS system.

Track Your Inventory With Ease

Tracking inventory as a restaurant owner can be difficult, especially when you own a very busy restaurant. One way to make this process easier is with the help of a POS system. Here, you can input your inventory and take stock of all the ingredients and items that you have in the kitchen. When people order things from the menu, this will be taken away from the inventory, so you can keep an eye on food levels and see when things need to be restocked.

This is often found in more advanced POS systems, but if you are already paying for an inventory tracking system, you may as well stop this and have everything you need in one system instead. A POS system can also create weekly inventory reports, which will assist you in taking better control of your inventory and understanding which ingredients sell out fastest. This is cost-effective and reduces the risk of running out of menu options, which could lead to unhappy customers. It also ensures that your food is the freshest it can be, as you learn what foods to buy more and less of.

Start Taking Online Orders

Ordering in has become a very big phenomenon, especially since COVID-19. With more people looking to order food online, your restaurant could do well by taking online food orders. If you already use an online food ordering platform, some POS systems allow you to integrate this, so you can manage everything on one system, rather than several. This reduces the chances of missing an online order too.

A POS system can take payments that will show on one system, making it easier when it comes to taxes and accounts (more on this later). With everything on one platform, all your employees need to do is follow the instructions when an online order comes in, as the POS system does the rest of the work.

Streamline Your Restaurant Floor Management

Managing a busy restaurant floor is no easy task and carrying around a clipboard and paper is not the best tool for the trade anymore. A good POS system will allow all restaurant floor employees to check reservations and see how busy the restaurant is getting. You can also use a POS system and connect it to your online reservation portal so that tables are always updated, leaving less chance of double booking a table. When your restaurant is already busy, this leaves less room for error.

Easier Menu Changes

If you love to change your menu and have different specials every day of the week, a POS system can make it a lot easier to change your menus, especially if you own more than one restaurant. Many modern systems also allow you to control your restaurant POS system from any location. This means you can change your menus from the comfort of your own home, which will automatically synchronize with all your restaurant locations and terminals. There are many benefits to updating your menu regularly, such as being able to follow the latest food trends and reducing food waste, by creating specials that use foods that you are wasting regularly.

Automate Your Accounting

Not many business owners enjoy accounting, which is why any tool that can make this easier is something worth having. As we’ve already mentioned in this post, a POS system can bring many tasks to one place, including accounting. Integrated accounting software is one way to improve your accounting reports and gives you more time to focus on what matters. Most POS systems will connect with accounting software like Xero or QuickBooks, making tax season less of a logistical nightmare.

Manage Employees and Timesheets

Restaurant POS systems can offer everything you need in one place, even the ability to manage your employees and their timesheets. Rather than getting employees to clock in on a separate system or using a paper form for timesheets, you can have everything you need on your POS system. This will reduce the chances of paying your employees incorrectly and will make it easier to manage employee time.

Many POS systems allow your employees to sign in and out at the start and end of the shift, letting you know the hours they have worked, including any overtime. This manages timesheets for you, with less room for error. This is a great system for tracking employee tardiness, as you can see which employees are constantly logging in late. It can be difficult to deal with an employee who is always late but being able to monitor this can benefit you and your business, allowing you to keep track of things even when you are not at the restaurant. Using a POS system can offer your restaurant business many benefits, including automated accounting reports and the ability to start taking online orders, if you don’t already. As a business owner, a system that offers a streamlined approach with many features in the same place can increase productivity and make your job easier, making a POS system well worth the investment.

A digital marketing pioneer with the passion of new technology. Coding websites and creating innovative products is my daily grind. Created an SEO Tool for agencies and small business owners. Writing new content about businesses, entrepreneurs, digital marketing and blockchain is what I love to do! Build and write for the future.

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