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Most POS software packages offer
similar functionality and you can safely assume that all major
POS software handles standard customer transactions. POS
software typically displays items and prices in a sale, handles
taxes, returns, voids, payments (including credit card
processing), layaways, and discounts, generates accounting
reports, and tracks inventory. Restaurant POS software allows
you to create checks by diner or table, place special orders,
track orders per server, move diners from the bar to a table,
generate waiting lists, and more. You may want to consider
additional features depending on your business.
- Internet data boards:
Some POS software packages offer an "Internet data board."
Internet data boards provides a snapshot of the day's
business that you can access from anywhere with a Web
connection. For franchises or other businesses with multiple
locations, this can provide significant peace of mind. Other
systems can be set to download daily totals to a central
server.
- Multimanagement:
Businesses with branches in different regions may also find
"multimanagement" useful. Multimanagement allows you to
share some settings but vary others between sites. For
example, you can offer the same menu with different prices
in different locations.
- Frequent diner program
support: Certain
restaurant POS software packages support frequent diner
programs. Frequent diner programs reward visitors with
incentives or discounts. For example, you could use a point
system that works like frequent flyer miles. Associate each
menu item with a point value and allow diners to accumulate
points that they can later exchange for a free dessert,
half-price special, or meal discount. By assigning higher
point values, you can give a boost to high-profit or
low-performing items. You can also market to customers based
on their typical purchase or time of visit.
As
you add features, POS software becomes more complicated and
costly. Most major POS software publishers provide a software
demo on their websites. Many even provide a full working version
of the POS software either as a download or on CD. Using the
software on your own can help you evaluate ease of use and judge
stability. Know what you need POS software to do before
comparing long lists of features. Draw up a list of factors that
make your business unique. What unusual purchasing programs do
you have? Do you offer incentives that require very detailed or
specific tracking? Other questions to ask include:
- Does the POS software
interface with my accounting software? How extensive is that
integration? Does it simply an export of journal entries for
the day or is there a thorough integration of the two
programs?
- How easy is it to make
changes to the POS software programming? You will need to be
able to change prices, items, and employees regularly.
- Does the POS software
credit card processing feature work with my current merchant
account?
- What type of reports can
the POS software produce? Every piece of software will give
you basic reports. Ask for samples so you can compare.
- Does the POS software
support gift card transactions? How thoroughly? Can
cardholders check their balances online?
- Can you make changes to the
POS software programming in advance? For example, can you
create a Christmas menu sometime in October and set it to
automatically take effect December 1?
- Does the POS software
interface with liquor control devices? (LCDs track each pour
of a bottle.)
- Can the POS software
support my special discounts and promotions? Some POS
software may not easily accommodate unusual programs.
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