Do I Really Need a Point of Sale for My Restaurant?

The right Restaurant Point of Sale System (called “POS” for short) will have an incredible difference on results. Your operation will be more efficient, the owner will feel he/she is in far better control, and problems will be quickly identified and rectified. As each of these occur, owners watch their profits rise. Many restaurant owners are tempted to use a simple cash register rather than a restaurant POS system. Perhaps this makes sense in the smallest of restaurants where the owner is always present. Most restaurants, however, will benefit greatly from having a Restaurant Point of Sale System.

The benefits of using a Restaurant POS are quite easy to identify. If fact, it is generally fairly easy to calculate an exact bottom-line impact for most all of these benefits:

Be Quick. A POS system can speed up your process so you keep up with the hustle and bustle of your sales. You only have short windows to maximize your profits.
Be Accurate. Reduce the margin of error in both the front-of-house and back-of-house via computerization.
Be Flexible. Allow your customers menu flexibility. Consistently up-charge customers for menu changes they demand.
Enforce employee policies. Manage employee clock-in/clock-outs, food/beverage discounts, and tip reporting.
Hold your kitchen responsible for meeting your food cost goals. Run reports on food sales against your food costs.
Achieve sales goals. Establish this through a marketing program that includes a loyalty program, e-mail blast, and gift cards.
Hold your bar responsible for meeting your beverage cost goals. Run reports on alcohol sales against your inventory to uncover any shrinkage.
Increase your sales channels. Use POS to divide and manage sales through tables, take-out (walk or phone in), and online.
Have time to breathe. Let POS securely and accurately track sales, employee hours, and money so you can focus on more critical functions of the restaurant like marketing or yourself.

The up-front price of a POS system can seem a bit high. But when you think in terms of the cost of the POS over time and consider the amount of money it is saving you (by reducing shrinkage, freeing up your time, increasing sales, etc.), you can begin to appreciate the value and realize that the POS is paying for itself. This is your return on investment.

As you look for the right Point of Sale for your business, keep an eye on features that are appropriate for your type of service. Some Point of Sale systems are designed for only one type of service while others are flexible enough to handle quick tabs, complex/multi-course table service, as well as take-out and drive-thru. Make sure you get what you need.

Source: http://id.berita.yahoo.com/teknologi/