QSR December 2022

SmartChain POSSolutions

Powerful POS Practices What does it mean to have an ideal POS system?

T he ways that consumers interact with restaurants have changed dras tically in recent years. Consumers want their restaurant experiences to be even more convenient and fast, and they want simple, intuitive digital order ing. According to The NPD Group, digital ordering rose 117 percent from February 2020 through February 2022. Over the same period, delivery and drive-thru orders also grew while carry-out orders slightly declined. The study found that convenience was the key—and in today’s world, tech and convenience are linked. As operators adjust to consumers’ new demands, many are taking a second

look at the capabilities of their existing POS systems and considering upgrades. During COVID-19-related lockdowns, some operators added one-off solutions to their POS systems to satisfy consumers’ rapidly shifting concerns around ordering and picking up food in a safe, contactless manner. More than two years on, how “Investing in the right technology stack is perhapsmoremission critical than ever before.”

ever, these quick fixes may not be playing nicely with other parts of the business— and operators may discover they need more holistic, connected answers. “One of the biggest themes I hope res taurateurs take from this is that invest ing in the right technology stack for their business is perhaps more mission-critical than ever before,” says Chris Lybeer, chief strategy officer of Revel Systems . “In order to avoid fragmented operations, opera tors need those solutions to fully integrate with their POS.” Today’s advanced POS solutions are extensions of a brand’s staff. With sophis ticated integrations, they can help with line-busting, omnichannel strategies, sup port for contactless payments, drive-thru services, inventory management, and data management, as well as other critical res taurant operations. Operators relying on legacy POS solu tions rather than upgrading may find the power to integrate and automate oper ations is out of their grasp. They risk increasing staff frustrations and even los ing tech-savvy customers. “The problem with legacy POS solutions is they create ‘vendor spaghetti,’” says Savneet Singh, CEO of PAR Technology . “These outdated systems create nightmares for restaurant operators, turning a front-of-house station into an array of poorly managed cables and devices—ultimately increasing down time and decreasing the brand’s speed of service, order accuracy, and most impor tantly, overall customer satisfaction.” In fact, integrations are changing the definition of POS. “Restaurants shouldn’t limit themselves by the POS systems of the past—today’s systems can help grow your business across the board, with more insight, more understanding, and more

Revel Systems

REVEL SYSTEMS

50

DECEMBER 2022 | SPONSORED SECTION