QSR December 2022

SmartChain POSSolutions

Lightspeed

average over the same period. At the same time, food costs are pacing ahead of infla tion. “When adjusting for inflation, this means margins for restaurants are going down,” says Sara Basdeo, communications specialist for Lightspeed. These challenges obviously add up. “From labor shortages to shrinking mar gins to the explosion of ordering, payment, and delivery choices, restaurants are fac ing and embracing the tough realities of today’s operating environment,” says Jessica Bryant, vice president of marketing for NCR Aloha . How are restaurant brands manag ing increased complexity and doing more with less in today’s environment? And most importantly, how are they continu ing to exceed customer expectations and turn a profit? The right technology, implemented properly, can help save time and money. “Point-of-sale solutions can help restaurant operators address these challenges by pro viding an all-in-one system that simplifies the day-to-day operations of a restaurant, streamlines back-office tasks via the POS platform, and ultimately helps the busi ness owner operate more efficiently,” says Ann Cave for Clover . Contemporary POS solutions go beyond the traditional systems for recording trans actions to cover every facet of restaurant operations—front and back of house. They can automate time-consuming or menial tasks, and they can minimize the likeli hood of human error. “If we look across the globe, Asia faced the same challenges much earlier than we have and found automation technology to be an exceptional solution,” says Rajat Suri, CEO of Presto . “Next-gen automation technology has become more prevalent for POS and related solutions as operators realize they can reduce costs and optimize their labor efficiency.” In the front of house, POS platforms are now designed to support restaurant staff with repetitive tasks like taking orders. “Handheld POS devices and QR-code powered mobile order-and-pay reduce wait times and increase the efficiency of front-of-house staff by making it easier for guests to order on their own terms,” says Kelly Esten, senior vice president and gen

LIGHTSPEED

eral manager of enterprise at Toast . This is a win for customers, who are now accustomed to having more con trol over their ordering experience from start to finish. Granting access to more options for ordering creates more oppor tunities to drive customer loyalty, and smart POS systems can manage all of this for staff. “It may seem obvious, but one way today’s POS solutions are helping res taurants maximize resources is by simply

making it easier for customers to order,” says David Werner, vice president of prod uct marketing at HungerRush . “With the right POS, restaurants can receive orders from all digital channels and third parties, routed seamlessly to the kitchen.” Where the supply chain is concerned, a modern POS system can account for 86-ed items in real time, triggering adjustments across all digital menus—including third party listings—so customers can’t pur

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DECEMBER 2022 | SPONSORED SECTION