Guide to Restaurant POS Software News and Trends

Keep your restaurant POS systems up-to-date

By Denise Brown

Action Steps for Selecting Restaurant POS Systems
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Track what's new with restaurant software by reading buyer's guides

While these guides may have a spin on them for whichever restaurant point of sale company writes them, they still provide plenty of good information about what is new in the restaurant POS industry. And if you can find an independent buyer's guide to help keep you current, you'll have several new trends to follow.

I recommend: POSGuys.com offers a complete listing of restaurant POS systems and add-ons available for purchase. Ivertech has good information about the things you need to look for in restaurant point of sale systems. Use this information to help you follow restaurant POS software news and trends.

Find information about news and trends in articles about restaurant POS systems

You can find newsletters with guides or you can find back issues. Either way, articles on restaurant POS software and restaurant POS software providers are a good way to keep track of news and trends in the POS industry.

I recommend: Strategic Technologies has a number of articles on its website to help you with your restaurant POS software. They also offer a free newsletter. You can find an entire library of articles about POS systems for restaurants and other businesses on the International Point of Sale website.

Read blogs to stay current on restaurant POS software news and trends

While many blogs on this subject are part of a restaurant POS software website, others are available on IT websites. Most blogs offer RSS feeds so you can receive updates on the information as it becomes available.

I recommend: Mdtcs Blogs features information about Amigo POS software for restaurants. Even if your restaurant point of sale solutions are from a different restaurant POS software provider, you can still find news and trends on restaurant software applications. TechRepublic has information about restaurant point of sale software, as well as providers of restaurant POS software, to help you track restaurant POS software news and trends.

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  As you track restaurant POS software news and trends, be sure to also track peripherals for restaurant software. Your software is only as good as the equipment you use.

Guide to Restaurant POS Systems

Speed up sales and streamline operations with restaurant point of sale systems

By Frances Sharpe, freelance writer/editor

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Quick-service restaurant POS systems

In the quick-service industry, time is of the essence, which makes a restaurant POS system a must-have. Quick-service eateries can get by with the most basic restaurant POS software, with which orders taken in the front are automatically printed out in the back where food is being assembled.

I recommend: POSNation offers quick-service restaurant point of sale systems whether you need one station or more than five stations. Restaurant Manager is also designed with quick service in mind. For more restaurant point of sale systems suppliers, check out Business.com.

Table-service restaurant POS software and systems

More sophisticated restaurant point of sale software lets you enter your own menu and seating arrangements and helps you communicate orders to the kitchen and bar, track reservations and seating and handle payments. Upscale dining establishments often need restaurant POS systems stations in multiple locations, including the hostess station, the server station, the bar and the kitchen. Pumped-up restaurant POS software allows servers to alert the kitchen when it’s time to start the next course.

I recommend: Download a demo of Aldelo Pro for Restaurants or of Maitre’D POS, which offers specialized solutions for table service restaurants, quick-service restaurants and bars. Also scan the directory of restaurant software providers at Business.com.

Restaurant POS systems for bars and nightclubs

If you’re in the bar/nightclub business, invest in restaurant POS software that offers reports on pour activity, including number of pours from a specific bottle, brand or price category, as well as overpours, costs per pour and more.

I recommend: Check Business.com for vendors, including POSNation, which offers a restaurant POS system designed specifically for bars and nightclubs.

POS restaurant software and systems for pizza and delivery joints

In the fast-paced delivery field, getting pizzas and other takeout foods to diners on time is crucial. POS restaurant software can speed up the order-taking process and provide real-time driver dispatch and routing.

I recommend: MicroWorks, RestaurantPOS.com and Nurol.com offer restaurant point of sale software and systems designed specifically for pizza and delivery shops.

Handheld restaurant POS systems

Speed up order taking and improve communication and customer service even more with handheld restaurant point of sale systems. Handheld systems allow wait staff to spend more time at the table rather than at a POS station and allow managers and owners to access the POS system from anywhere in the restaurant.

I recommend: Write-On Handheld relies on handwriting recognition, making it very easy for wait staff to enter orders. MicroWorks also offers a version of a handheld device to be used with its restaurant POS systems.

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Analyze your restaurant software sales reports to determine which items are most popular and which are most profitable.
• •  Download inventory reports from your restaurant POS system to make sure you always have the right ingredients on hand.
• •  Use your restaurant POS restaurant software to generate employee reports that can help reduce overstaffing and understaffing.

Guide to Making the Most of Restaurant POS Software

Discover ways to get more out of your restaurant POS software

By Denise Brown

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Learn all you can about your restaurant POS software

Take time to learn all there is to know about your restaurant's POS software and get thoroughly familiar with its capabilities. Just learning the basics of a complex system can help you make the most of it.

I recommend: Inborne Technology System offers restaurant POS software through its dealers or via a CD. You can also find a number of training options to help with your restaurant point of sale program at NuRol. It also offers training for the hardware setup of your restaurant POS system.

Read information available online for restaurant point of sale systems

Even if the information you find is from different restaurant POS software providers than the one you use, you can find tips that can help you get more out of your system. While you may not be using the restaurant POS software provider featured in an article, most systems operate similarly.

I recommend: Strategic Technologies offers an informative article on “How to Get the MOST Out of Your POS Software and Maximize Profits.” Many of these tips can soon have you making the most of restaurant POS software for your business. As you browse through the operating manual of the restaurant point of sale software from SMS Enterprises, you can see many ways to get more from your POS software for restaurants.

Add the appropriate peripherals for your restaurant point of sale software

If you have money invested in restaurant POS software, then you want it to be as efficient as possible. Get the equipment you need to make sure your restaurant point of sale software does what you need it to do.

I recommend: Dell offers a number of add-ons to make your restaurant software more efficient. You can read the comparison chart provided by All Things POS for the different peripherals available for restaurant POS systems. Scroll to the lower portion of the page to find the chart, but don’t miss any of the other tips for making the most of restaurant POS software on the page.

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Your restaurant POS software is only as good as the equipment that runs it. Make sure your computers have adequate speed to complete transactions and reports for you in a timely manner. Also remember to back up all your information at a separate secure location daily.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Central office reporting

Central office reporting refers to a function of restaurant POS software that reports inventories and financial statistics to the home office. This is most commonly used in chain restaurants so that the franchise headquarters and franchise locations can stay in sync.

I recommend: Visit the website for Point of Success. This is a manufacturer of restaurant POS software and has a comprehensive page explaining central office reporting.

Table diagram

A table diagram is found in virtually all restaurant POS software systems for any cafe style or fine dining restaurant. The diagram exhibits all of the tables in the restaurant, as well as the number of patrons at each of those tables. Many table diagrams interact with a touch screen.

I recommend: Visit PC America for further information about the functionality of table diagrams found within restaurant POS software.

Time and attendance

The time and attendance feature refers to an application within the software that calculates when employees are working and how much they are selling. Employees log into the software using a code and the time and attendance feature keeps track of their sales. More advanced applications also track tips and prepare tax forms.

I recommend: Maitre'D POS makes restaurant solution software and has a detailed page describing time and attendance.

Inventory control

Inventory control refers to an application that tracks shipments. Inventory control is imperative to the success of a restaurant so that they can keep their food margins monitored.

I recommend: Visit VIP Solutions for further information on inventory control.

Integrated ordering system

An integrated ordering system is an application within restaurant POS software that allows customers to place orders through Internet ordering, phone ordering, kiosk ordering or ordering at any other location. The order is sent to both the cashier and the kitchen so that the food may be prepared.

I recommend: Speedline Solutions has further information about integrated ordering systems.

Sales report

A sales report refers to a calculation over a period of time that determines the gross sales of the restaurant. All restaurant POS software programs have some form of this application. The more in-depth applications track trends, popular items and customer favorites.

I recommend: Visit the website for Sixth Sense POS for further information about the use of sales reporting within restaurant POS software.