In this day and age, it doesn’t matter what industry you’re in; there’s always available technology to streamline and make your processes efficient. Indeed, technology has continuously been changing the landscape in which we operate our businesses. The restaurant industry is no stranger to this.
The most common example of the utilization of technology in restaurant operations is the fast-food bump bar where food can be prepared using production or an assembly line approach to maximize the efficiency in the division of labor. However, these approaches are not the only technological advancement that’s helping a restaurant’s profitability.
In this article, we examine other ways of how technology is revolutionizing the ways restaurants work.
1. Point of Sale Systems
A point of sale (POS) system such as our Harbortouch POS systems is a computerized system with software and hardware where a sales transaction takes place between a customer and a merchant.
From Apple Pay to cryptocurrency, you can fully integrate any digital methods of payment when technology is applied. But, one of the significant benefits of having technology in your POS is when tax season arrives.
A POS system allows for proper accounting for all the revenue coming into a company; it makes your financial transactions more accurate and allows for financial reports to be generated. Accounting becomes a breeze when it’s fully integrated into your restaurant POS system; you can get better real-time reports and find out how you can improve tactics even on-the-go.
Think about the number of inaccuracies that can be avoided with this particular integration.
2. The Ability to Manage On-The-Go
Forget about standalone software; we’re entering cloud-based operations. Now, you’ll increasingly find that restaurant owners don’t even have to be in their respective establishments to find out what’s going on.
For instance, because of CCTV, you’ll know how much stock is left in your storage and whether an employee of yours is slacking off. Managing a restaurant has never been this easy, even when you find yourself not around.
However, we leave you with the caveat that there’s nothing better than being personally on the floor.
3. Online Ordering
The option for people to order online is always beneficial for both the restaurant owner and the customer – this is where the advent of technology comes in. There are already certain apps that are designed for people to conveniently order their food. In addition to apps, restaurant portals are also integrated into internal order systems to facilitate streamlined operations from the website straight to the kitchen.
Restaurant websites also allow customers to be able to leave feedback, view the menu, and engage with the business.
4. Properly Manage Your Inventory
Wastage is a common problem in restaurants, not because it wastes money in lost inventory, but it also brings into light ethical concerns with food. Inventory management can be integrated into the restaurant management system. For instance, a system tells you when goods will expire and provide statistics on the best times to restock.
Another great thing about inventory management is the ability to assign roles and permissions so you can minimize pilfering – sadly, it’s hard to eliminate it – and save on costs.
Even auxiliary industries to restaurants, such as pest control companies, use tech extensively to create efficiencies and economies of scale. You’ll be surprised at how pest control companies use software to keep track of their inventories and how other suppliers use the same variations of software to make sure stock is delivered on time.
5. Leveraging Software for Better Customer Relations and Sales!
There’s no doubt that increasing sales through software is an easily implemented key performance indication (KPI) in any industry. Implementing the use of Customer Relationship Management (CRM) software in restaurant management can help any restaurateur engage their customers with personalized updates and keep them informed.
However, it’s not just the occasional newsletter that we’re talking about here. CRM can also be utilized to handle customer complaints and suggestions – imagine not having CRM and forgetting to follow up on a claim, that would seriously hurt your restaurant’s reputation.
6. Feedback Systems and Analytics
Feeding in loyalty systems, POS data, statistics on inventory, and customer feedback systems into a centralized software helps restaurateurs make strategic decisions on what to change on the menu, how to minimize wastage, and how to better engage customers.
This leads to more effective marketing practices and efficient handling of resources. Never has running statistical treatments or models on the food business ever been so easy in the course of the food industry.
Conclusion
More technology is coming in from self-order kiosks to handheld tablets that servers use, and we are genuinely on the verge of innovation for the good of everyone. It’s exciting to see what other pieces of technology are going to come through in the future!
Learn More
Harbortouch is the future of restaurant point of sale technology, find out how Harbortouch can benefit your restaurant business by visiting https://www.harbortouchpossoftware.com.
