As restaurants & hotels navigate the current turbulence, it makes sense to look at the technology foundations the restaurant POS possesses and determine if it is positioned to help the business grow. Regardless of the particulars associated with the business environment, the hospitality industry is resilient and will move forward, providing those moments that matter to its guests. New restaurants will open, established locations will reopen, and hotels will resume as keystones in communities.
With that in mind, we think it is helpful to look at how the requirements of a POS system have changed, and how its ability to scale and grow has increased in importance.
Capabilities such as online ordering, mobile POS, self-service, and loyalty programs are part of the bare minimum to succeed in the current environment and the future. Even prior to the recent health crisis, market forces were driving change and disruption in the industry. 3rd party delivery services, new payment models, and increased comfort with technology were raising guest’s expectations and changing preferences.
- Core Point of Sale
- Menu Management
- Order Entry
- Reporting
- Mobile
- Payment
- Online Ordering
- Loyalty
Related Reading: Contactless Payment Solutions, How Loyalty Programs Extend the Guest Experience, Restaurant Take-out Innovations.
As importantly, the platform needs to scale, both in the number of devices and in the ability to integrate with both operational and administrative systems.
- Labor Management
- Inventory
- Kitchen Automation
- Omnichannel
- Accounting
Related Reading: Know Your Guests and What They Want, Third-Party Delivery POS Integrations.
Finally, for organizations that are already operating at an Enterprise scale or with industry-specific integrations, the POS must have the flexibility to fit into your environment seamlessly.
- Finance
- Campus Management
- Property Management
- Analytics
Related Reading: Insights from the 2020 Hospitality Technology Lodging Study, Migrating Your Hotel Point of Sale, Customer Success Stories.
No matter the current size of your business, plan a foundation that has the architecture and flexibility to grow into your vision without compromise. If you’re looking to start building a foundation or you have an established business planning for growth, take a look at our solutions and reach out, we’d love to help.
