There are key considerations to be made when selecting and implementing a Point of Sale system for a restaurant. The urge to explore new POS system functionality and hardware form factors is not uncommon among restauranteurs looking to cut costs, improve service or generate a little consumer awareness (Liddle, 2009). The lecture this semester from Chapter 13 briefly explained the system selection process. In response, I will focus on these key elements: needs versus wants, ease of use, training, customer support, and scalability.
As we learned in Chapter 13, it rarely makes any business sense to invest and automate any inefficient processes. Therefore, a key consideration is determining the needs versus the wants of particular processes an establishment intends to automate. A well implemented POS system can provide an organization with a new level of control over its operations, increase efficiencies and boost profits (Litcom, 2014). So it is imperative that this initial process involves management, accounting, front-of-house, and back-of-house giving their input to clearly define what the operation needs and perhaps consider a system that can be easily customized to meet everyone’s specific requirements. It is important to select a POS system that is easy to use and learn. Speeding customers through the checkout process keeps them happy, and also ensures employee satisfaction as well, reducing turnover rates. Also, restaurants may [utilize hand-held devices], and electronic invoicing as useful tools to allow fluent communications between [the dining] hall, cuisine, and cash, positively contributing to service quality improvements (Ruiz-Molina, 2014). Therefore, get a thorough demonstration of the [system] before you buy and not how easy or difficult it is to do everyday tasks (Dinerware). Prior to soliciting proposals, develop a short list of potential vendors and look for important system options including: an intuitive touchscreen user interface, good customer support, and the ability to download upgrades instantly and seamlessly as not to interrupt service. Just as essential are streamline training programs that can have employees capable and comfortable with the new system in …show more content…
Properly training the entire operation staff may pose some difficulty to larger food operations, so it may take several sessions to accommodate everyone. However, to make training more seamless, make sure managers and supervisors are very proficient with the system, so they may effectively train other employees and hastily address any issues or concerns they may have. Be sure to encourage employees to mentor one another as part of the training process. Provide them with any additional resources from the vendor, and test their skills to give them an opportunity to gain confidence. Last but not least, properly compensate employees for training time, some may have to come in a bit early or stay late to train. The tradeoff for just compensation is improved customer service, so it would be wise to give employees an …show more content…
Inquire about typical response times during regular business hours and on weekends and holidays, when evaluating the caliber of support (Cegid, 2015). Make sure to investigate how robust their customer support is. It would be imperative to your business that the vendor is available at all hours, seven days a week. Inquire about their availability of live help and their ability to address your issues right away or immediately connect you with someone who can. The best POS system would not be worth implementing if the support provided by the vendor is unreliable, as it would only be a detriment to your
As we learned in Chapter 13, it rarely makes any business sense to invest and automate any inefficient processes. Therefore, a key consideration is determining the needs versus the wants of particular processes an establishment intends to automate. A well implemented POS system can provide an organization with a new level of control over its operations, increase efficiencies and boost profits (Litcom, 2014). So it is imperative that this initial process involves management, accounting, front-of-house, and back-of-house giving their input to clearly define what the operation needs and perhaps consider a system that can be easily customized to meet everyone’s specific requirements. It is important to select a POS system that is easy to use and learn. Speeding customers through the checkout process keeps them happy, and also ensures employee satisfaction as well, reducing turnover rates. Also, restaurants may [utilize hand-held devices], and electronic invoicing as useful tools to allow fluent communications between [the dining] hall, cuisine, and cash, positively contributing to service quality improvements (Ruiz-Molina, 2014). Therefore, get a thorough demonstration of the [system] before you buy and not how easy or difficult it is to do everyday tasks (Dinerware). Prior to soliciting proposals, develop a short list of potential vendors and look for important system options including: an intuitive touchscreen user interface, good customer support, and the ability to download upgrades instantly and seamlessly as not to interrupt service. Just as essential are streamline training programs that can have employees capable and comfortable with the new system in …show more content…
Properly training the entire operation staff may pose some difficulty to larger food operations, so it may take several sessions to accommodate everyone. However, to make training more seamless, make sure managers and supervisors are very proficient with the system, so they may effectively train other employees and hastily address any issues or concerns they may have. Be sure to encourage employees to mentor one another as part of the training process. Provide them with any additional resources from the vendor, and test their skills to give them an opportunity to gain confidence. Last but not least, properly compensate employees for training time, some may have to come in a bit early or stay late to train. The tradeoff for just compensation is improved customer service, so it would be wise to give employees an …show more content…
Inquire about typical response times during regular business hours and on weekends and holidays, when evaluating the caliber of support (Cegid, 2015). Make sure to investigate how robust their customer support is. It would be imperative to your business that the vendor is available at all hours, seven days a week. Inquire about their availability of live help and their ability to address your issues right away or immediately connect you with someone who can. The best POS system would not be worth implementing if the support provided by the vendor is unreliable, as it would only be a detriment to your