3 Ways You’re Not Using mPOS Correctly in Your Restaurant
Mobile point of sale (mPOS) offers many benefits to restaurants, including increased table turns and order accuracy. The benefits, however, cannot be maximized unless the mPOS solution is used properly. Here are three common ways restaurants use mPOS incorrectly — and what to do instead.
1. Running an entire restaurant operation with mPOS. It can be a mistake to manage all aspects of your business with an mPOS solution. mPOS runs on a tablet platform, and tablet technology alone is usually not sufficiently powerful to handle all of a restaurant’s data and day-to-day functions.
The best way have the power you need as well as the advantages of mPOS is selecting a POS solution that has fixed terminals as well as mobile options. For example, you could select an all-in-one unit paired with a removable tablet. Your staff can use the tablet to take orders and accept payments at customers’ tables, while the power of the fixed terminal facilitates other applications.
2. Using cloud-based mPOS that relies entirely on a restaurant’s internet connection. The problem here is obvious: If the internet fails, your entire POS system will cease to function. Instead, choose a hybrid cloud solution that hosts data on a local server and syncs with the cloud at preset intervals. If your internet connection is interrupted, you can still use your POS and mPOS for orders and payments, and when the connection is restored, the system will sync. This ensures that you aren’t faced with frustrated customers and lost sales.
3. Jumping into an mPOS purchase before you know if it integrates with other restaurant systems. Restaurant operators sometimes find that their tablet POS system does not properly integrate with other systems, their back-office software and other third-party tools, like labor management, inventory management, and online ordering. A lack of integration between the mPOS system and these solutions can lead to a whole host of problems. For instance, if the mPOS solution does not integrate with the inventory management system, inventory levels may not be adjusted to reflect mPOS transactions, resulting in shortages and other headaches. Likewise, if the mPOS doesn’t integrate with the kitchen display system (KDS), you won’t have the ability to transmit tableside orders to the kitchen.
Rather than grappling with integration issues between mPOS and other solutions, find a system that supports full integration with other restaurant systems. Work with POS providers that can offer integrated solutions and can ensure all your restaurant systems work together.
Adding mPOS capabilities to your restaurant operation is not as simple as buying a tablet and downloading an app. Making a careful, informed mPOS choice will mean you have the functionality you need from the system, as well as business continuity and integration with other restaurant technology. Your POS solutions provider is a great resource to help you ensure your mPOS solution will be a true asset to your business.
