QSR December 2022

SmartChain POSSolutions

the ability to export data to external busi ness intelligence tools, a POS should make it easier for operators to transfer data between the tech platforms they use and generate useful insights.” Every brand has unique goals, and the definition of the perfect POS will vary depending on each specific use case. Brands should weigh each POS solution’s capacity to address their operational pain points. Customizable solutions also offer flexibility when needs change. “I would encourage restaurant operators to consider the big picture of their operation, beyond just accepting payments, and evaluate a POS solution on its ability to enable the operator to run their business better,” says Ann Cave for Clover . “The technology needs of a retail store differ from that of a neigh

borhood pizzeria. To that end, business owners should look for platforms that can be tailored to meet their specific needs.” “No two restaurants are the same, and no two years in business are the same,” Lybeer says. “Monthly or quarterly prod uct releases are a great example of a POS provider that understands the importance of consistently offering new features and enhancements to its clients to help them stay agile. An open API is also a powerful way to customize a POS to meet the exact needs of a growing operation, providing built-in innovation and agility.” Other important considerations include both the consumer and employee experience. As consumers and employee expectations for ease of use get higher, their patience wanes. When combined with other frustrations like supply chain delays and staffing shortages, a stream lined user experience can go a long way— for consumers as well as employees. “How user-friendly is the application for new staff to rapidly onboard?” Trendell asks. A streamlined user experience can go a long way—for consumers as well as employees.

“How easy is it to configure upsell and cross-sell prompts? How extensible is the POS to accommodate brand-specific busi ness logic and processes?” “A POS solution should have the capa bility to drive superior consumer and staff experiences by unifying transaction and guest data for a single view of the con sumer that can be used to drive relevant, personalized offers and experiences,” says Jessica Bryant, vice president of marketing for NCR Aloha . In the coming years, POS systems will only continue to innovate, fine-tun ing their capabilities and adding new ones. As operators seek to automate as much as possible to help with labor short ages and improve the employee experi ence, POS solutions will continue growing in power. “Many restaurant concepts have already integrated next-gen automation technologies, and about half of U.S. opera tors expect to deploy automation technol ogy in the next two to three years,” says Rajat Suri, CEO of Presto . “Now is the time to upgrade your POS to improve opera tional efficiency, increase revenue, and stay ahead of the competition.” It’s also important for operators to con sider the longer-term implications of any solution they consider adopting—after all, the impact of the decision could reso nate for many years to come. “When mod ernizing your technology, it’s about more than how POS is defined today,” Bryant says. “It’s about having a tech platform that unlocks new possibilities with a mod ern microservices architecture. The ideal solution powers modern business pro cesses and enables a brand to match pace with consumer expectations using open APIs to create a digital ecosystem unique to the brand.” Ultimately, the goal of any POS system is to support great guest interactions. “All the metrics the restaurant industry uses— table turn times, average tips, revenue per labor hour, return visits—are just ways of measuring human hospitality,” Esten says. “A modern restaurant technology stack allows brands to collect better data and plug in new technologies from the POS or partners to adapt to an environment where change happens faster than before.” SC

Clover

CLOVER

NCR Aloha

NCR ALOHA

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DECEMBER 2022 | SPONSORED SECTION