The secret to any restaurant operation success is active management. Monitoring employee performance, offering the highest customer service level, and keeping an accurate inventory are vital steps toward ensuring that your restaurant runs smoothly and turns profitable. However, it’s challenging to keep track of all this information on your own, in addition to establishing a protocol for ringing up customers, tracking sales and inventory, and so on. This is where the benefits of POS come into play. There are various types of POS systems and restaurant POS software to consider, from cloud-based to hybrid systems, depending on your business’s needs.

Whatever system you desire, the top POS system for restaurants can monitor and control most functions of your business, either in-house or remotely. That is why it is so important to invest in a POS system that can provide you and your employees with the technical support required to keep daily operations running smoothly. A manual cash register just isn’t going to get the job done for a busy restaurant. So, here are the top benefits of a restaurant POS system.

Cloud-based operations

Online-based systems allow you to check in with your store (or stores) from virtually anywhere in the world; all you need is an internet connection. A well-equipped POS system can give you the freedom to manage your store remotely whether you are sick at home, on vacation, or have multiple stores to operate. A powerful cloud-based, back-of-house system makes it easy for you to update your product list, update the pricing, setting up new staff clerks, setting system security, and more within a few touches.

Reduction in errors and theft

Since everything is stored on the computer or in the cloud, with every sale, refund, and incoming piece of merchandise automatically recorded, your inventory is far more accurate. No more fixing human errors when it comes to counting and math.

The National Restaurant Association reports 75 percent of all shrinkage in inventory happens due to stealing, with most of the restaurant’s employees stealing. A point-of-sale system helps you track the various transactions on your POS that helps in minimizing theft in your business. You can monitor every time the No Sale button is pressed to pop the cash drawer open, when discounts are given, and how refunds are processed.

Identification of hot-selling items and order at the ingredient level

You can monitor the popularity or lack of each piece of merchandise or menu item in your restaurant. This allows you to place orders far in advance to avoid running out of items as well as allow you to remove any goods that are merely languishing on the shelves.

Restaurant owners have more complex inventory tracking needs than retailers. They don’t have to only worry about a popular dish selling out but the ingredients that go into it. As a result, they need robust and detailed inventory management and tracking, and that is where a POS system comes in. The Top POS System for Restaurants let restaurant owners track menu items at the ingredients level to ensure the chef has enough supplies to make everything on the menu.

Better customer service

A well-designed point of sale system saves your staff time, translating into better customer service and better profit margins. Importantly, POS software that is intuitive ensures your staff can quickly and accurately process orders, which helps with guest management. For instance, it is far quicker for a staff member to punch an order into an iPad than to write one down and peck it into a cash register. For a busy restaurant or bar, as an example, you can print tickets directly to the kitchen or bar printer, speeding up the order delivery.

Time savings

Since daily operations run like clockwork when your restaurant uses a POS system, you’ll have more time for brainstorming or strategizing. You’ll be able to catapult your restaurant to the next level when you take advantage of the built-in features and functions. With everything from employee time management to real-time reporting data, you’ll have more freedom in your business. These types of elements aren’t available in a simple cash register.