Choosing a point-of-sale system for your business can seem like a daunting ordeal.
Whether you are choosing one for the opening of your new restaurant, replacing an old and antiquated technology or you are looking to deploy new units across multiple locations, a new POS should be able to help you effectively streamline your operations.
At the same time it should also offer you the ability to integrate with different technologies to provide your customers with the best order and check out guest experience.
We recommend looking for a cloud-based POS for several reasons, here are five things you should consider:
1. Mobility
One of the biggest advantages of working with a cloud-based POS system is the ability to access key business data from anywhere, on any device. As well, look for one that offers an offline mode, allowing you to continue making sales even if the WiFi connection is lost.
2. Security
Look for a POS where onsite servers are not required and no data is maintained on the devices. If a device goes down you do not lose any data, and it is much more difficult to hack into cloud encryption.
3. Integrations
Integrations help you plug and play with technologies so that they can speak to each other offering your business and customers more flexibility. For example, integrating your mobile app or web ordering and delivery into your POS can make your digital operations even more seamless and streamlined. Data is synchronized instantly, keeping your records up to date.
4. Affordability
Cloud-based point of sale systems are hardware independent, you do not need to pay for expensive new equipment. Look for a POS where the software is designed to run on Apple, Android or PC devices. Important to note:
- Look for one that provides a subscription-based pricing model for the software, this is typically more affordable with lower upfront costs.
- Be wary of POS providers that require you to use their payment option. This is typically where high costs can be buried.
5. Scalability
As you grow, most cloud-based POS easily scale alongside you at just the cost of a new license fee for the added locations.
At Smooth, our platform can help streamline your in-store operations and customer experience with our supported POS integration solutions. We will connect your mobile app and/or web ordering to your POS, making your digital operations even more seamless. This will allow you to:
- Streamline operations for both off and on-premise
- Consolidate record keeping; all record keeping can happen in one place so there is no need to worry about reconciliation for digital orders versus in-store orders.
- Maintain a single source of truth; with order validation, we treat your POS system as the single source of truth for pricing and availability at all times.
- Elevate your in-store experience by engaging with your customers and rewarding loyalty with the scan for loyalty* integration
By understanding these five critical factors, you will be in a better position to ask the right questions in order to make the right decision to choose the best POS for your needs that can grow with your restaurant business in the long run.
About Smooth Commerce:
Smooth Commerce is an all-in-one digital commerce and customer marketing platform for restaurants that combines online and mobile ordering, delivery, loyalty, and powerful marketing tools to help you grow your business, while giving you access to your customer data to help grow your restaurant.
If you would like to learn more or talk to a representative from Smooth Commerce about how our platform can help you meet your loyalty goals, contact us at learnmore@smooth.tech.
