Most businesses will use some form of a point of sale system, even if this is just at the cash register. But a point of sale system can do so much more for certain businesses. Restaurants can benefit from a specialised system that removes human error and provides an unbeatable level of efficiency. Restaurant point of sale systems (POS) work best with a multipronged approach.

The Order

Serving staff take orders on tablets or smartphones. Smartphones are best as they can simply be slipped back into a pocket. A basic model will suffice since it's intended use is only for taking orders, meaning all it needs to do is to support the necessary app. The restaurant POS provider will have given you access to this app. This app has been configured to display your restaurant's entire menu, and the server simply taps the screen to select the chosen dishes.There is also a note taking facility, where the server can manually input any special requests, additions or exclusions, or any special dietary notes. The order is then confirmed.

The Order Ticket

Once confirmation has taken place, the app sends the order to the POS receipt printer in the kitchen. It's automatically printed, where it becomes the order ticket and is pinned in the appropriate place. There is no need to decipher handwriting, and all the information (including the time the order was received) is immediately evident. It helps to remove any human error, which is particularly helpful in a busy kitchen.

Payment

When the meal has been finished, the initial electronic order can be recalled at the cash register for payment.

Stock Management

Some restaurant POS systems also have a stock management facility. It registers how much of a certain ingredient is used and cross references this with how much of the ingredient is on hand. You can receive a warning when you might be running low on something.

New Menu

It's also handy if you're considering reconfiguring your menu. At a glance, you can see how many times each dish was ordered over a chosen time period. This allows you to identify less popular dishes that could perhaps be removed and replaced.

While a restaurant POS system represents an investment, it can be a worthwhile one. It allows for a far more efficient level of operations, resulting in a better experience for your customers (as well as making life easier for you and your staff).

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