Investing in a new EPOS software solution is a significant undertaking both in terms of time and money. It is easy to make mistakes when choosing a restaurant EPOS software.
When considering the implementation of a restaurant EPOS software system to streamline your restaurant’s operations, selecting the right one is obviously crucial. The POS system you opt for will serve as the engine of your operation ensuring efficiency and streamlining operations.
Given its significance, it’s imperative to avoid errors during the purchase process, as a poor choice could result in being saddled with an ineffective system that offers no benefit and will leave you out of pocket. Below are the five most common mistakes made by purchasers of POS systems.
1. Buying the cheapest EPOS
The saying is “buy cheap, buy twice”. You certainly don’t want to be buying a restaurant EPOS twice – it needs to be a carefully thought-out and balanced decision. Unlike the worst restaurant pos systems, a great EPOS for restaurant will generate a return on investment from day one.
You may find a cheap restaurant EPOS system that does the basics, but you need to carefully weigh up whether it will give you the functionality you need – not just today but in the future.
Also, look into the hidden costs – the basic EPOS for restaurant software may be “cheap’ but if you need to pay extra to unlock features then it is a false economy and it can quickly start to add up and even surpass the more expensive solution.
With a fully-fledged EPOS software for restaurant, you will get more than just order processing and you will get additional features such as stock control, multi-site reporting, guest management and handheld ordering.
2. Choosing the wrong supplier
A trustworthy supplier ensures a dependable EPOS system for restaurant. Therefore, investigate potential EPOS system for restaurant suppliers before deciding.
Key questions to pose to your prospective EPOS supplier might encompass:
What is the duration of the company’s operation in the industry?
• What is the scale of the company? How many staff members are dedicated to support the EPOS systems for restaurants?
• What does the after-care service consist of? Is it phone based? Is there an actual human you can speak to?
• What can they provide in terms of client references? Are they successful businesses and can you speak to them for an unbiased view?
• Do they offer any value addition? Can they offer unbiased consultancy, and do they offer the full solution such as hardware and integrated software?
• What do their support contracts cover? Are there any hidden charges?
• Do they offer any training sessions or guidance materials for the product?
3. Overlooking future needs
An EPOS system becomes a repository for a vast array of your business information, making it crucial to choose a solution that won’t require replacement in just a few short years.
Therefore, it’s advisable to seek a solution that not only resolves your current challenges but also aligns with your future needs. Begin with a forward-looking strategy, outlining your objectives for the next five years (or more!), prioritizing your requirements, and ensuring that your plan is in harmony with your financial resources.
A cloud-based solution offers scalability as and when you need it – simply increase user licenses as your business grows and you open more sites. With a monthly licensing model, you can keep track of your investment while also ensuring that your software is fully up to date with all the latest features. New functionality is updated automatically – you never get left behind. With minimal implementation required and working on iPad/Android tablets the initial investment of time and money is very affordable.
4. Expecting a one-size-fits-all system
Every sector comes with its distinct demands, and each enterprise has its specific needs as well.
Discovering an EPOS that fulfills all your criteria right off the bat can be challenging. Therefore, aiming for a system that meets roughly 95% of your needs, with the option for customisation to cover the remaining aspects, is a practical approach.
Look for a solution which integrates online ordering, mobile payment apps, kitchen automation and loyalty programmes to manage all the key aspects of your operation.
5. Insufficient Training and Support
You may be tempted to cut costs on training and support. Resist this temptation at all costs.
It is a vital investment in your business to ensure that your staff get the most and best training they can. Learning from product experts means they will get exposure to the best practices that will ensure you get the best from your investment and will increase your staff’s efficiency in using the system.
Great after-care is vitally important. Look for a solution that covers all your opening shifts – having to pay per call outside covered hours can prove much more costly than investing in an annual support contract!
What NFS Technology offers
As a leading supplier NFS Technology offers:
Award-winning training and support – available 24/7, 365 days a year. Your support calls will be answered by a real human – not a chat bot. With their extensive IT expertise and hospitality experience you can rely on them to answer any questions promptly and knowledgeably.
Our helpdesk team is comprised of industry experts. Our training plans are designed so that you and your teams get the maximum return on your investment.
You will also be assigned a dedicated account manager to support you and guide you post-installation. We are supplier agnostic so we will only give advice and recommend solutions that align with your long-term business goals.
A long-term partnership – we have been supplying solutions for nearly thirty years and we work with many leading bar and restaurant operators from award-winning independents to large international chains. Our client references speak for themselves.
Check out this success story to discover how our solution is driving growth at the leading bar operator BrewDog.
Best of breed solutions – we provide best of breed solutions managing all aspects of our clients’ operation encompassing order processing, kitchen automation, enterprise management reporting, guest management, handheld ordering, stock control and labour management. And much more!
For group operators we offer enterprise solutions custom built to enable them to manage their whole estate from one powerful dashboard enabling them to make impactful decisions even on the fly.
Integration with leading partner solutions – we work with a carefully selected partner network. One size does not fit all so integration is a great way of delivering the solution that will truly meet your needs.
NFS solutions are designed to integrate seamlessly with loyalty programmes, kitchen display systems, mobile ordering apps, digital signage and online ordering to digitally transform your operation and provide an ecosystem that is future proof.
Conclusion
Choosing the right solution for your restaurant needs to be a considered choice – one that cannot be made on cost alone.
As we have shown, there are several factors to consider – from scalability to support to integration capabilities. You need to evaluate whether your supplier is going to be a long-term partner who can offer the best solutions that will help your business grow – today and into the future.
Contact us today to see how we can digitally transform your business.
