While all restaurants have certain basic requirements for their point of sale (POS) systems, such as reliability and good tech support, other “must-haves” will vary according to the type of restaurant you operate. Franchises, for example, have unique needs to consider when choosing a POS solution. The right system can ease several pain points of restaurant franchise management and streamline operations for greater profitability.
1. Web-Based Reporting
When multiple locations are involved, centralized access to all business data is especially important. For the most efficient restaurant franchise management, look for a POS solution that provides web-based or cloud-based reporting. Corporate and location managers should be able to access customizable reports on sales, inventory, labor costs, and more, for a single store or comparing several locations. Your franchise POS system should let you check on individual performance levels or the overall “big picture.” Real-time availability of this data, from anywhere, makes it possible to spot trends, identify problems, and make informed decisions about everything from menu items and pricing to promotional campaigns. Centralized management also lets you apply changes across the board.
2. User-Friendly Interface
New employee training time and cost is one of the headaches of restaurant franchise management, especially since employee turnover tends to be high. Look for a POS system that has an intuitive, easy-to-use interface (preferably one similar to the personal devices your employees are already familiar with). This feature will help reduce the time it takes your staff to learn all of the POS functions, from taking orders and processing payments to utilizing gift-card and loyalty programs. Customers appreciate staff proficiency as well.
3. EMV-Compliant Credit Card Processing
Credit and debit cards that store their data on magnetic stripes are being phased out in favor of EMV (EuroPay, MasterCard, Visa) chip cards. Since 2015, merchants using non-EMV-compliant equipment have been held liable for fraudulent transactions. Franchisors can protect themselves from having to eat the cost of transactions made on counterfeit or stolen cards by making sure their POS solution is EMV-compliant. Your customers will also feel more comfortable knowing you have the most up-to-date and secure payment technology.
4. Scalability
Perhaps one of the most important features for a franchise POS solution is a scalable design and infrastructure. The very nature of a franchise involves expanding and adding locations, so you need a POS system that can grow along with your business. Being able to employ the same system across multiple locations also ensures consistency of experience for employees and customers. You may also want to consider the ability to easily integrate other processes such as mobile POS, self-service, or online ordering, should you decide to implement them in the future.
Focus POS is familiar with the specialized needs of all types of restaurants and hospitality establishments, having worked with them for more than twenty years. Contact us today to discuss the POS solution your restaurant franchise management will benefit from the most.
