The restaurant industry has witnessed an explosion in the number of software management tools over the past decade. Restaurant management software has enabled restaurant owners to save time and money through enhanced efficiency and automation.
In this comprehensive guide, we’ll take you through the ins and outs of restaurant management software. You’ll learn how you can take your restaurant business to the next level with this innovative tech.
As the name suggests, restaurant management software is used to oversee various functions within restaurants, cafes, bars, and other food-service establishments. The term itself acts as an umbrella under which multiple functions are nested. These commonly include:
Inventory management
Marketing
CRM and loyalty reward programs
Ordering supplies
Employee management
Recording and processing sales
Tracking and analyzing sales data
While many legacy systems require installation, software products have increasingly become cloud-based. Some systems require specific hardware to run. Others operate off mobile apps that are accessible from your laptop, smartphone, or tablet device.
It’s important to note that not all software solutions handle the same functions. Some systems bill themselves as all-in-one solutions. Others are more specialized and deal with only one or just a few restaurant-management-related tasks.
In this section, we’ll talk about four of the most common benefits of using restaurant management software as a restaurant owner.
Restaurateurs can increase their staff efficiency by streamlining and optimizing common tasks, such as table management. Software systems track key metrics that can help you allocate labor to the highest value-added tasks.
Additionally, many software systems let you automate routine tasks. For example, some point-of-sale (POS) integrations let customers order directly from a kiosk — freeing up front-of-house staff to focus on other work, like delivering food to tables.
In the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, inflation has forced many restaurants to raise the pricing of their menu items. Food costs rose nearly 10% in 2022 alone. Inventory management software systems help restaurants reduce food spoilage and other waste through advanced analytics and just-in-time online ordering.
That’s not the only way that restaurateurs can save. Employee scheduling software lets restaurant owners fine-tune labor costs while automating a time-consuming chore.
Many popular software programs centralize key information and tasks in a single, accessible space. This allows for greater convenience and efficiency. Some tools let you toggle effortlessly between important programs and features, such as your company’s loyalty program, advertising campaigns, and current inventory levels.
The restaurant industry is rife with opportunities for costly human error. Whether someone forgets to place an important order or a busy Saturday shift is understaffed, careless mistakes have the potential to cost you big.
Advanced software systems take care of the day-to-day minutiae of running a business for you. Many programs automatically track sales, orders, and inventory. Automatic restocking reminders can prevent embarrassing shortages, and advanced analytics can help you prevent understaffing or overstaffing.
The following list contains the main categories that restaurant management software commonly falls into. These management solutions deal with both back-office and front-of-house solutions. Keep in mind that many software systems encompass two or more of the following functions.
You can think of a point-of-sale system as being like a cash register, but with added capabilities. This software solution is generally integrated with a touchscreen hardware system like an iPad or Android tablet device.
Oftentimes, these devices also act as payment processing centers. Other common features of restaurant pos systems include:
Contactless payment device integration
Built-in reporting and analytic tools that let you gain access to key metrics
The ability to integrate with other apps for extended functionality. For example, some POS systems are capable of integrating with self-service kiosk apps, providing customers with an added layer of convenience.
CRM software exists to enhance the guest experience by serving as a one-stop shop for all relevant information related to your customer base. CRM systems let you track customer purchasing habits and preferences in one convenient location.
You can store notes regarding past customer interactions, and some CRM systems even let you communicate with customers directly through messaging app integrations.
This software product lets you oversee all of your marketing efforts in one place. You can manage digital advertising campaigns, access key metrics like your cost per click across different ad platforms, and create detailed analytic reports to find out how well your campaigns are doing.
Many systems integrate with third-party social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram, so you can post pictures of your latest dishes and engage with customers directly through a single interface system.
An employee management software system lets you manage every aspect of the employment experience from onboarding to offboarding. Many systems let you automate routine tasks, like creating employee shift schedules.
With some programs, your team members can take their schedules into their own hands by swapping shifts without the need for soliciting help from management first. Advanced analytics lets you hone in on key productivity metrics like absenteeism.
Order management software lets you easily manage your purchase orders and product providers. You can enhance your restaurant operations by automating regular orders, and other routine processes like sending out invoices. This software product also helps restaurant owners keep track of ongoing orders.
A strong restaurant inventory system can help you cut down on monotonous counting-based tasks. These programs keep a running total of the ingredients you have on hand. They can also provide helpful notifications that can alert you to upcoming expiration dates and stock shortages.
Many restaurant management software systems can run from:
An ordinary laptop or desktop computer
A tablet device, such as an iPad or Samsung Galaxy Tab
A smartphone via a mobile app
However, some systems require specialized equipment to run. In addition, some tablet-enabled software systems still require you to purchase a separate card reader. Card readers can vary in pricing, size, and ease of setup.
Some software systems may come with a suggested card reader while others can integrate widely with a variety of devices. Other accouterments include receipt printing machines and locked cash drawers.
Solutions like the Square Kiosk hardware combine multiple functions in one device. Built with kiosks in mind, its VESA mounting lets you use it on a countertop, on the wall, or on a floor stand. It also comes with a built-in chip reader, and a secure screw to keep your iPad safe at all times. Best of all, it’s fully capable of integrating with both the Square POS system and KioskBuddy’s self-service kiosk app.
The best restaurant management software will contain all or most of the following features.
Even the most complete software systems lack certain features. Third-party integrations round out software systems by providing added functionality. Common integrations include social media plug-ins, accounting software, self-service kiosk apps, third-party marketing platforms, menu management systems, and more.
Many restaurant management systems, especially POS systems, are widely shared by restaurant staff. Purchasing a user-friendly system will save your team members a considerable amount of time and energy.
The restaurant industry is known for its notoriously high levels of turnover. A user-friendly POS system will enable your new staff members to hit the ground running. It’ll also reduce costly user errors.
Ideally, you’ll want to manage all of your customer loyalty and outreach functions from a single location. A good CRM system will let you oversee your company’s reward program, set up automated email sequences, and more.
Even the best software systems break down on occasion. Equally common are user-generated issues and general confusion. You can head off the worst issues early on by selecting a software system that comes with a solid customer support team.
Read online reviews to get a feel for the technical acumen and overall helpfulness of this service. You should also take note of their support hours. If your POS system breaks down during your Sunday afternoon lunch rush, you don’t want to be left high and dry.
The restaurant industry is filled with any number of easily automated functions. From routine orders to inventory management, these tedious tasks do more than take up your time. They actively prevent you from fulfilling other equally important work.
The best software systems pore through data to come up with actionable insights. For example, many POS systems track the sales of individual menu items. You can use this information to find out what your most profitable items are and which entrees you should eliminate.
Restaurant management systems let you save time and money by enhancing worker efficiency. They act as a single source of information, and their automated functions help you get work done more easily and accurately.
Multiple tools come under the umbrella of restaurant management systems. These include:
POS systems
CRM software
Marketing management software
Employee management
Order Management Software
Inventory Management Software
You may need to purchase special hardware to support your various software systems. When purchasing a restaurant management system, it’s important to look for a solid user interface and a variety of useful integrations.
Other must-haves include round-the-clock customer service, automations, and real-time reporting.
KioskBuddy is a self-service kiosk app that can integrate with your POS system. Your customers can then place and pay for their orders on their own directly from a tablet.
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