No longer just a Screen in your Restaurant: POS goes omni-channel. Are you ready?

"Everything is ambivalent". Covid-19 has changed the way we live. Most restaurants simply could not survive without online ordering: Instead of ringing in @ the restaurant, orders flow from multiple touch-points and channels. Today online channels represent around 30% of revenue - to go and delivery are here to stay and even expand, while dine-in is making a powerful comeback. The right moment to review your technology stack - if you have not done so during the pandemic...

"POS-forward systems" - the point of sale inside the restaurant has now become just one order-entry-point. Now the POS is everywhere, anywhere. The web, in a plethora of delivery apps and other applications - that's where a growing amount of orders is happening, not entered by cashiers and servers - but directly by the empowered consumer.

That is ambivalent as well: it requires restaurant management systems, that can handle this new reality. Almost impossible to handle with a legacy POS: you see a collection of devices in restaurants with older systems. One for each source of business, be it Doordash, Uber Eats, OpenTable, Resy etc. That's of course very error-prone and inefficient.

Now here is an idea that may motivate operators to make a switch now. Modern systems, you know, those that are "omni channel" typically have been designed with a more automated restaurant environment in mind: the big buzzword is automation. While we realize that qualified staff is harder to find, plus getting more expensive at the same time this mantra gains relevance: "what can be automated must be automated." Its an economical truism. If an RMS (Restaurant Management System) can do more to automate more functions of the restaurant management process - the better it is.

After a POS career spanning almost 3 decades I have focused on a 'system oriented' approach. Make any order from any source flow to the production locations, collect payments, flow to back office including inventory depletion, automated ordering (of all supplies) and accounting. While doing that, log and organize relevant customer data to enhance your marketing. And all of the above automated. While this was a "vision thing" until lately, it can now become a reality at any restaurant - if the management has the wisdom to invest into this kind of an approach. Talk to me, if this sounds interesting/ call 480 282 8482 and ask for Bernie.