When you run a hospitality business, your point of sale (POS) system can have a major impact on your customer – and employee – experience. The best POS systems will cater to the unique requirements of your business and support a quick and easy sale process. However, with so many POS software options available, how do you pick the right one for you and your business?
Choosing the right POS features
In Perth, POS systems come in a range of shapes and sizes. Some are feature packed and designed for high-turnover takeaway stores and busy bars and nightclubs. Others are more simplistic and support a range of basic café and coffee shop functions.
The best POS system for your business will depend on how you do what you do. It should suit the scope of your operations and support how you want to interact with your customers. It should also take into account your future plans and be able to grow with you.
In addition to payment processing and sales tracking, most POS software will offer a range of other features. These could help with everything from invoicing and inventory, to team management and customer marketing. As such, to choose the best POS system, you need to understand what you want it to be able to do.
Things to consider when designing your hospitality POS system
Generally speaking, when designing a POS system, you get what you pay for. The more features and customisation you require, the more it will cost – both to set up and ongoing. As such, you should think about your requirements when it comes to:
Payment methods: The most basic function of a POS is the processing of customer payments. As such, your system needs to support the main payment methods your customers use.
Hardware: In addition to POS software, you will also need to consider the physical tools you require. This could include fixed ordering and payment hardware, mobile screens, printing systems, and even a traditional lockable cash draw.
Additional services: Do you want to manage your stock levels through your POS? How about your invoicing? Or even your staffing?
Reporting: One of the biggest benefits of a well-designed POS is the insight it can give you into customer buying habits. If this is important to you, you will need to choose a POS software with advanced data analysis and reporting capabilities.
You should also consider the ongoing cost of your proposed POS system and make sure it suits your business. For example, some providers will charge a percentage of each sale for payment processing, whereas others will charge a flat fee per transaction. For this, the best payment structure for your business will depend on your average sale values and volumes.
The best POS system for cafés
As cafés tend to be fast-paced environments, café POS systems need to be designed for volume and speed. The checkout process needs to be as quick as possible, and it’s best to be able to accept a wide range of cards. Depending on how you run the place, you may also need your café POS system to include:
Order management (including printing) if food and drinks are made to order.
Mobile ordering and payment if you offer table service.
Basic inventory management functionality if you want to be able to control stock levels.
Restaurant POS system requirements
In many ways, the perfect restaurant POS system is similar to what a café requires. It needs to support ordering and quick payment, and mobility is often important. However, the more structured nature of a restaurant usually means that transaction volumes are lower and transaction values are higher.
When designing a restaurant POS, order management and connectivity with the kitchen is usually more important. As is being able to easily update or adjust the menu, particularly if it changes regularly. Additional functionality, like built in tipping and advanced reporting can help keep your staff happy and your business profitable.
Designing other types of hospitality POS systems
In a bar or nightclub, POS is all about speed. Of all hospitality POS systems, it should be the quickest and easiest to use. Often the mobility of hardware is less important, but additional customer relationship management functionality (e.g., membership programs) is critical.
Similarly, the best POS system for takeaway and fast-food businesses is designed to handle large volumes, quickly. They are usually highly integrated solutions, with multiple pieces of order display and printing hardware helping coordinate simultaneous fulfilment. They also tend to be highly scalable and can be easily adapted to suit operations across multiple locations.
Need help designing a POS system for your hospitality business?
As a leading provider of POS systems in Perth, 21st Century are experts in designing fit for purpose solutions. Our experienced team have helped a wide variety of hospitality businesses and understand the unique challenges of the industry.
For more information on our services and how they could help your business, give us a call.