What is an all in one pos system?
A POS, or point of sale system, is a vital part of any retail operation. It allows businesses to track inventory, process sales and keep tabs on customers. A POS system can be as simple as a cash register or as complex as a multi-terminal setup with barcode scanners and credit card processors.
10 Reasons Why An All in One POS System is the Best Choice for Your Business
What is an All in One POS System?
An all-in-one POS system is a complete point of sale solution that combines hardware and software into a single centralized management system. This type of POS system is typically used by businesses that have a high volume of sales, such as restaurants, convenience stores or retail stores. All-in-one POS systems can be customized to meet the specific needs of each business. Apart from sales order management, restaurants can use the POS system for most other operations such as inventory management, customer tracking, loyalty programs, and even marketing efforts.
All-in-one systems are often turnkey solutions that can be set up and used immediately out of the box. Usually, all-in-one POS systems include a touchscreen terminal, receipt printer, cash drawer, barcode scanner, and credit card reader as part of their hardware offerings. Such POS systems can also be integrated with third-party software solutions for accounting and business analytics. A restaurant POS system like this provides you with nearly everything you need to run your business, improving customer service, simplifying operations, and boosting revenue in the bargain.
Let's now dive into some of the benefits of an all-in-one POS system.
Benefit No. 1- Inventory Control
One of the primary benefits of an all-in-one POS system is better Inventory Control. With its built-in inventory management tools, the system saves you time that would be otherwise spent counting inventory stocks manually, and revising them every time fresh supplies come in and stocks are used up for daily operations. The inventory management system works as a centralized system to track your inventory levels, order history, and sales data. It can help you make more informed decisions about what products to stock and when to reorder. With the inventory management system integrated with your POS system, the software will automatically track all your usage data and tally the stocks with orders.
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You can't do better than an all in one POS system. Here's why you need one.
Benefit No. 2- Kitchen Coordination
A POS system also offers hardware tools such as Kitchen Display units that can help run your kitchen like a well-oiled machine. With all of your orders tracked in one place, you can avoid mix-ups and ensure that each dish is prepared to perfection. A POS system can also help to better coordinate your kitchen staff and improve communication between the front and back of the house. Plus, POS systems come equipped with built-in timers that make it easy to keep track of the cooking time and order fulfilment.
Benefit No. 3- Reports and Analytics
One of the many advantages of a POS system is that it can generate valuable insights, reports, and analytics using the sales, purchase, and inventory data of your restaurant business. Managers and owners can use this information to make informed decisions, such as where to allocate resources, how to arrange employee schedules, and what promotions to run. This data can also be used to identify patterns and market trends, such as which items are selling well or which time of day is busiest. With reports and analytics, businesses can optimize their operations to improve Customer Experience and boost profits.
Benefit No. 4- Automated Accounting
Restaurant Accounting is a major factor responsible for the success of a business, and yet it is one of the most demanding and tedious jobs. Done manually, number-crunching to get checks and balances right, not only takes up time, but also leads to inaccuracies. But with POS systems, you can directly integrate your numbers with your choice of accounting software, such as QuickBooks or Xero to manage all your accounting needs. This way, you can also keep tabs on your inventory value at cost, which can help you better manage your finances.
You're looking for a multi-faceted POS system that can run all the vital tasks at your restaurant.
We've narrowed down the 3 best all in one POS systems in the industry to help you make a choice.
Benefit No. 5- Table and Floor Management
Another benefit of having a restaurant POS is that it helps with managing tables and floors. This can be extremely helpful, especially during busy times when you need to make sure everything is running smoothly. With table and floor management, you can see exactly where each table is, how many people are seated at it, and what their order is. This way, you can keep track of everything and make sure that everyone gets their food at the right time.
Benefit No. 6- Online Order Management
If you're thinking of introducing online ordering and doorstep delivery, a restaurant POS will allow you to streamline all orders from one centralized system and keep track of online and offline orders. Be it in-person, dine-in orders, or online orders, the POS software will track each one with the same efficiency. Perhaps the most important benefit is that it can help you save time and money by reducing errors and increasing efficiency.
Benefit No. 7- Employee Management
POS software also comes with employee management features, which include employee scheduling, attendance tracking, and payroll management tools. This is crucial for restaurants, as it allows managers to keep track of staff movement, and tells them who is working when, and the hours they are scheduled to work. Additionally, most POS systems also allow managers to clock employees in and out, as well as track their tips. This information can be used to help optimize staffing levels, and ensure that everyone is fairly compensated.
Benefit No. 8- Payment Options
A restaurant POS system can offer customers multiple payment options. With traditional methods of taking orders and accepting payments, you are limited to cash and check only. However, with a POS system, you can easily add credit and debit card payments, gift card payments, and digital payment methods such as Google Pay and Apple Pay to the list. This not only makes it more convenient for your customers, but also allows you to process more transactions in a shorter period of time.
Benefit No. 9- Real Time Updates
A restaurant POS system provides real-time updates on what's happening with your business. This is crucial information that can help you make decisions such as resource allocation, business optimization, and cost reduction. For example, when you see that a particular menu item is selling well, you can adjust your production accordingly. If you discover that a certain employee shift is moving slower than usual, you can adjust staffing levels. Having this information at your fingertips gives you a huge advantage and help you run your business effectively.
Benefit No. 10- Marketing
There are many benefits to a restaurant POS system, but there's one benefit that's not quite as popular as the rest. This is its ability of a POS system to help with restaurant marketing. Marketing expenses can be one of the biggest line items in a restaurant budget, so any way to save on marketing is a huge advantage. And since most restaurant POS systems come with built-in loyalty programs and customer data tracking, they can be a valuable tool for saving on marketing costs, while still reaching your target market. Some POS systems can also be used for email marketing, push sales, and mobile marketing campaigns, where you can use your customer data to your benefit.
Top 3 All in One POS Systems for Restaurants
Here are some of the best restaurant POS systems on the market-
Plum POS
Plum POS is an all-in-one restaurant management and POS system offered by Hubworks. It offers tools that allow restaurants to efficiently manage various functions of their operation, such as payment processing, inventory management, employee scheduling, order management, attendance tracking, and supply chain management too. Plum POS is a cloud-based POS software that works to streamline operations and improve their efficiency. It works for all restaurant formats, be it quick-service or full-service establishments. The POS software provides real-time updates on inventory usage and tracking, staff movement, low stock alerts, and order fulfilment. You can easily integrate this POS system with other third-party software solutions for your accounting and business analytics.
Plum POS also has a range of hardware that includes POS stations, mobile POS, receipt printers, barcode scanners, and card readersall these further improve the efficiency of restaurant management. While mobile POS devices afford restaurant staff great mobility, POS stations and contactless payment devices help speed up operations, leading to better customer satisfaction and higher sales turnover.
Toast POS
Toast POS is a cloud-based POS system designed for restaurants and foodservice businesses. The features offered by Toast POS include payment processing, online ordering, customer loyalty programs, inventory management and analytics tools. Toast POS has all the key restaurant management tools that businesses can use to centrally manage multiple outlets. With this POS software solution, you can access all your customer and business data on your phone, no matter where you are. Toast POS systems integrate with third-party software as well, assisting restaurants with key operations such accounting, auditing, and even supply chain management. Toast also has a range of hardware offerings that include POS stations, handheld devices, and receipt printers that restaurants can use to optimize business management.
Upserve POS
The Upserve restaurant management system is an all-in-one POS system that supports inventory management, order management, invoicing, employee management, and online ordering. Upserve also additionally provides businesses with marketing tools to improve sales and revenue. You can improve your customer relations as well, with tools such as gift cards and customer loyalty programs. And if you need additional table management and menu optimization tools too, you can trust Upserve to provide you with these.
You've always thought a POS system can do no more than process payments.
You're wrong. The modern POS system can do so much more.