Sponsored by Restaurant ePOS
party integrations that are proving particularly popular with restaurant operators include staff scheduling and inventory management. Planday, for example, is an employee schedul-
ing programme that streamlines and optimises building schedules. By integrating it into Light- speed, a restaurateur using Lightspeed EPoS can start monitoring labour costs in real time. Zonal has a similar integration with labour management tool S4Labour, of which the Bath Pub Company is seeing the benefits. The management team can see labour costs versus sales on an hourly basis, and Zonal’s attendance module, which also integrates with S4, means the chain’s employees no longer have to clock in manually. Another popular integration among Light-
speed customers is MarketMan, a cloud-based inventory system between buyers and their sup- pliers that manages procurement and supply. Operators can instantly pull up menu items, prices and sales data to track inventory, with data updated on an hourly basis. Integration is as simple as entering a Lightspeed API user- name and password into a MarketMan account.
loyalty rewards, staff rota planning and menu development, based on solid analytics.” Again, Bath Pub Company is a case in point. “The level of detailed data we are able to access through Zonal’s EPoS is second to none. We have been able to drill down and identify every- thing, from mistakes being made by staff that were costing the business to the success – or not – of promotions,” explains Cussens. “The reporting has given our managers a level of accountability and responsibility they didn’t have previously, and they have responded well to the opportunity and insight they now have at their fingertips.”
THIRD-PARTY TIME
When operators are selecting third-party systems to integrate with EPoS, the focus should always be on what the restaurant needs, Saunderson advises. That said, third-
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“We have been able to turn tables quicker, increase sales with slicker service and reduce waste through cutting
down on mistakes” Joe Cussens, Bath Pub Company
THE YEAR AHEAD Chapman says that while the process to cre- ate and generate an order won’t change, the software is set to becoming increasingly sophisticated so it can manage various types of online ordering and payment. “As we cater for the mobile-first generation, speed and convenience are driving the change,” he explains. “For example, we are seeing a growth in operators introducing self-ordering through mobile, kiosk and pay-at-table solutions, as these interactive, self-service approaches to order and settling a bill are proving popular with consum- ers who have an appetite for convenience and for whom speed of service is a priority.” He also predicts that the trend towards collecting data from order platforms beyond the bricks and mortar of the restaurant will gain momentum as delivery and click and collect continue to grow in popularity. Meanwhile, payment processing will con- tinue to improve, ensuring the latest security standards for online ordering, predicts Slatter. “Online ordering will operate consistently, around the clock and with quicker process- ing times,” he says. “Equally important, consumers will have the assurance that the online ordering technologies they use leverage the latest security protocols.” He also believes we will see more real-world
suggestive selling through the use of artificial intelligence – such as chatbots – that make recommendations or accommodate customer preferences such as vegetarian diets. Social channel integrations – and the increased consumer engagement they’re likely to result in – will be another area to watch. But the most important shift Saunderson sees happening in the next 12 months is in operators’ mindsets. “It will become more apparent that picking your EPoS isn’t just about picking a system to handle your trans- actions; restaurateurs will be picking systems that will contribute to their growth,” he says. “It’s an investment in their future.”
Technology Prospectus 2020 | 41
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