Restaurant operators are increasingly looking at EPoS as an investment in their future, rather than as a system that can simply process payments. Elly Earls finds out what the possibilities are for EPoS in the next 12 months
Sponsor’s comment: Lightspeed
Restaurant ePOS
Customers are at the core of your business—and so is your point of sale. EPoS technology is integral
in staying ahead of the curve in an ever-changing industry. It can improve productivity, increase revenue and personalise the guest experience. Do you wish you could
remember all of your guests’ preferences? They wish you could, too. Personalisation has become an expectation in this industry and customer profiles in your EPoS can help your business earn that extra star. Your EPoS not only
personalises your guests’ experience, it also helps monitor your daily operations with built- in reports. From ordering based on demand to strategically scheduling staff, getting to know your business better helps you make better business decisions. Technology is no longer
a luxury, it’s a necessity. From implementing a loyalty programme to managing staff, your EPoS helps you communicate with guests and employees, reinforcing your brand every step of the way.
38 | Technology Prospectus 2020 T
OF ITS TIME AHEAD
he definition of an electronic point of sale or EPoS system has been expanding over recent years, but never more mark- edly as in the past 12 months. Whereas once a till was simply a means for operators to take payments and process transactions, EPoS has now become the beating heart of a restaurant. The most advanced systems on the market can facilitate more efficient tableside order- ing and faster service, safer and quicker pay- ments and self-service, whether that’s via an order-and-pay app or a kiosk. They can also expand the reach of a restaurant beyond the bricks and mortar of the venue with the likes of click and collect and delivery.
In addition, integrations between these various systems allow immense amounts of data to flow easily into analytics dashboards, giving operators more information than ever before on how their customers behave. Not only can this be used to enable more efficient pur- chasing and better staff scheduling, it can also feed into personalised marketing and loyalty programmes that are much more likely to res- onate with diners and keep them coming back. But the real beauty of the latest integrated
systems, says Lee Saunderson, the UK sales manager for EPoS provider Lightspeed, is flex- ibility. “Your choice of EPoS shouldn’t limit you – it should be flexible enough to serve your restaurant as it grows, and a vast ecosystem of complementing solutions enables that,” he says. Zonal’s sales director Tim Chapman agrees. “Whether it’s reservations and table manage- ment, tableside ordering for faster service, safer and quicker payments or integrating food delivery and click and collect, [a good EPoS system] should have the plug-ins built in. “A best in class EPoS offers operators flexibil- ity so they can easily access new applications when they are ready to take on that next oppor- tunity. This is applicable to growing brands as well as national, established operators.”
WHAT YOU WANT, WHEN YOU WANT One of the most important ways a good EPoS system can benefit a restaurant is by providing diners with the flexibility on how they order. The areas Chapman has seen grow most in the past 12 months are mobile ordering via order and pay apps, click and collect, delivery and in-venue kiosk ordering. “Through EPoS these multi-channel offerings are managed seamlessly, so that customers receive a first-class experience, however and wherever they have placed their order,” he says. James Slatter, managing director for EMEA
at EPoS provider Agilysys, has also seen rapid growth in the use of guest-facing and self- service technologies: “Self-service EPoS makes it easier for customers to browse menus, whether on their mobile phone or at an in-store kiosk. Browsing without the pressure of a waiting cashier or server not only helps customers feel more comfortable, but they’re also inclined to add extra items,” he says.
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