The term POS is very commonly used but do we really understand the broad range of services it can do to businesses? 

Do you really understand the impact a reliable POS system can have on the overall performance of your business?

First of all, what is a POS?

The POS is the place where the consumer executes the payment for the goods and services he is getting whether in person or online. 

POS software is used by all kinds of businesses so depending on the nature of your operations, you choose the POS system that best suits you.

Of course, POS software is much more than this last step of the purchasing process especially in restaurants where different types use POS as the base for their operations flow.

Bottom line, what can POS softwares do to your business?

Faster orders and transactions 

If we want to talk specifically about restaurants that involve the front of the house and the kitchen’s staff, imagine the waiter has to write down the orders and then goes to the kitchen to pass it to the chefs. 

What if the customer changes one of his selections?

 The waiter has to go back to the kitchen and replace the order after correcting it. 

When using a modern restaurant POS with all the needed features, the waiters usually punch the orders in the system that go directly to the kitchen where the chefs print out the orders and work on preparing them respectively.

All details such as which platter to go first or how the chefs should start preparing the food depending on their temperature is figured out automatically. 

All transactions are smooth and orders are registered with a reduced chance of order errors. 

Manage your floor in a real time fashion

With an integrated reservation system that connects to your POS, you can easily manage your floor and your POS stations placement and you can draw a customized floor plan. 

It also gives you information about newly seated customers and customers who ordered their bills by alerting waiters. 

This floor plan and table management gives wait time estimates and updates the table status so the waiters can manage their guests for their optimal satisfaction.

Decrease employee theft

Employee theft at restaurants is accountable for 75% of inventory shortage according to the National Restaurant Association and it comes in different forms. 

The POS software tracks all the orders and usually any add-ons have to be entered in the system.

The POS software also restricts certain employees from performing certain tasks like a discount or a void item that usually requires the interference of a higher ranking employee like the manager on duty.

Paired with smart hardware like smart cash drawers that are connected to the POS, the restaurant POS prevents employees from stealing because each transaction is recorded. 

Same thing goes for retail where every transaction is recorded whether when the customers pay for their purchases or when these purchases are automatically taken out from the inventory. 

Create customized marketing campaigns 

When you get a POS software for your business, it may seem that creating marketing campaigns is the last thing you worry about.  

But, the POS loyalty programs and the customer database that you collected help you to better know your clients. 

So you have enough information about your clients’ preferences and needs whenever you decide to reward them. 

Depending on this information, you can now build your marketing strategy that responds to their needs.

This information gives you insights on which offer is more likely to appeal to them and which online platform they prefer for example as a communication tool. 

Incorporated accounting software 

When choosing your POS software provider, you need to look for an accounting software that is incorporated with the management software and that manages all your finances giving you updated figures about sales data, labor reports, inventory costs and much more.

Whether you are operating as a single or multi-branch and regardless of the size of your business, the accounting software organizes and manages your business from a single source.

Track employee performance 

With a modern POS, you can easily identify the sales made by each waiter and the voids made in addition to the time they spend serving their tables.

With the POS reports, you can spot who is accountable for specific mistakes and the appropriate course of action depending on the frequency of the mistake.

Identifying the performance flaws, you can decide whether you need to set your employees for training or you need to replace some of the staff.

Modern POS software is what you need to upgrade your business and run your venue successfully and if you’re not using your software to run these incorporated features then it’s time to reconsider your decision and invest in a reliable POS.