You know you need one, but you aren’t quite sure what you need it to do. To help you choose the best restaurant management software for you, keep reading for the eight features that it needs to have.
1. Point-of-Sale
First and foremost, you want your restaurant management system to have secure point-of-sale technology that operates both online and offline. This is essential so that you can continue serving customers even when you are not connected to the internet. Moreover, look for a system that automatically syncs all your sales data to the Cloud once your internet is back.
Additionally, this technology must provide you with total control of your cash flow, administration of tills with permission access, activity monitoring, and integrations that satisfy your requirements. This will help you to see how well each employee is doing and enable you to compare performance over different periods.
2. Employee Timesheet
Employee timesheets are crucial for improving staff productivity and reducing customer complaints. Ensure you are taking charge of your workforce by opting for a restaurant management system with shift monitoring and employee performance insights. This will help you automatically track hours worked and make data-driven decisions on needed staff. Additionally, it will allow you to examine staff performance and select suitable employees for specific times and departments.
Moreover, through the employee timesheet, you will be able to designate varying permission levels to employees based on their tasks and positions. These permission levels can easily be added, removed, and edited when necessary.
3. Waiter Digital Menu
Having a digital menu is becoming more common as more restaurants realize the benefits. Undoubtedly, digital menus grab customer’s attention (and taste buds), particularly if you opt to add vibrant images to all the food and drink offerings. The design options are limitless when it comes to digital menus; you can customize the menu with rotating promotional offers, as well as content that creates a deeper connection with the diners.
A digital menu also makes it easier for customers to add modifications to their orders, and you can easily update the listings based on seasonal changes (or stock) without any hassle or extra costs. Plus, opting to utilize a paperless menu is better for the environment. These changes or modifications are updated in real-time, allowing you to dodge any errors or food wastage. Then, when an order is made using the digital menu, it is automatically sent to the Kitchen Display System and POS Cashier.
4. Inventory Management
You need a restaurant inventory management system that monitors inventory levels and ensures you never lose track of your stock. The best inventory management tracks inventory levels from items right down to ingredients. And, they do it all in real-time, producing day-to-day, weekly, and monthly consumption reports. With these tools, you never have to worry about running out of essential items; instead, you can take control by setting alerts that notify you as soon as you are running low.
What is more, you won’t have to wonder where items went. An inventory management tool will include in the reports how the stock was used. Stay updated by recording expiry dates and keeping track of damaged goods and wasted food. Plus, you can virtually observe warehouse stock levels and product transfers between branches, so no ingredient is left behind.
5. Call Center Management
By having call center management capabilities, you are giving customers another option for ordering at your restaurant. This, in turn, will accelerate your sales and expand your brand. You will be able to accept phone orders with multiple payment methods while also storing customers’ past order details to improve the speed of service and learn their menu favorites.
No matter how someone orders from your menu, you want a restaurant management system that compiles all the information so that you can stay informed thanks to valuable sales reports. These reports will give you greater insight into what items are your best sellers and which should be removed from the menu.
6. Kitchen Display System
An advanced kitchen display system is essential for ensuring direct communication among chefs, waiters, and cashiers. This will be facilitated through the use of tools that update orders in real-time. The beauty of a robust kitchen display system is that it guarantees correct orders as they will each be sent directly to kitchen staff to evade delays and errors. Orders will be accurate and will automatically sync across your establishment for enhanced efficiency.
What is more, this system enables you to go paperless and to eliminate food wastage as any changes made to orders will immediately appear on the kitchen display system. Many eateries find that syncing order information in this way helps to accelerate work-flow.
7. Table Management
Unfortunately, too many restaurants struggle with increasing table turnaround time and customer satisfaction, which is why it is crucial to have the right table management tools. It will help you provide flawless service as the host can quickly assign guests to the appropriate tables with respect to the size of the party and their specific requirements. The visual layout of each table on the restaurant floor (that they see through the table management tool) makes it easier for them.
Moreover, the host can continue to provide quality to guests throughout the evening thanks to table timers that report how long customers have been seated. This information is vital for accurately approximating waiting times for the next customers.
8. Smart Analytics and Reports
The right restaurant management software will provide you with smart analytics and reports that can be accessed on the go. This is invaluable when it comes to getting real-time data on sales, inventory, operations, and branch performance. You will be able to access reports from any location, allowing you to manage your restaurant and branches when you are on the move. Now, you can have total control of your business, no matter where you are that particular day.
Look for a restaurant management system that offers advanced reports that enable you to analyze your business deeper. For example, these advanced reports may include tracking sales per hour and day and then comparing those numbers with other branches.
Do you use a restaurant management system? If so, does it have all these features? If not, what do you use instead? Which of these features do you think are most essential in a dining establishment? Let us know your thoughts and any relevant insights in the comments below!
AUTHOR BIO
Ahmad Alzaini is the co-founder and CEO of Foodics, a fast-growing foodtech startup. A businessman by nature, Alzaini is an app aficionado, developing businesses in Saudi Arabia within several industries. Today, Foodics has extended to new markets across the MENA region, processing over 1 billion transactions, and offering the latest technology in POS and restaurant management.