How to choose a POS-system for a cafe or a coffee shop

Do you want to run a successful establishment? Save your time and avoid frustration in accounting and management by using POS terminals for the employees’ work places. They make management  of the cafeteria much easier, help to make decisions and contribute in increasing employees’ productivity. Find out how to choose a POS system for a cafe and a coffee shop, and how to outrun your competitors at the start line.

POS (point of sale) system is an automated retail system which typically includes a cash register. It allows to organize and simplify day-to-day business operations for the merchants and customers.

Front-office — face-to-face with the customer

Front-office is the basic part of the POS system. It generally includes various functionalities and data necessary to provide effective service to customers. It usually consists of two subsystems:

1. Center – it represents a system block. This is a control computer being adjusted for sales purposes. A touch screen monitor or wireless display is connected to it. If you choose a wireless display, a programmable POS-keyboard (30-90 keys) should be used.
2. Hardware — a barcode scanner, weighing scales, fiscal register, cash drawer, customer indicator (monitor), bank terminal.
3. POS-terminal  — cash register, storehouse, client database 

Unique features of the POS-terminals

1. High reliability and performance
2. All components are compatible with each other
3. Repairing and service maintenance within the shortest possible time frame.

POS-terminal offers a high bandwidth and thereby allows avoiding slow lines and maximizing establishment’s profit.

Large terminals are used for the large restaurants with high customer traffic. Small establishments – cafés, coffee shops, bars, bistro or street food outlets – would rather choose more compact devices, like a mobile terminal.

POS-software and back-office

POS-software installed in the POS system enables automating and connecting:

1. Front-office — cash register, bar counter, waiter’s terminal
2. Back-office — storehouse, accounting, HR department, marketing department, establishment’s administration.

The terminal’s and Administration panel’s interface is a shared boundary across which the POS-software exchanges information.  This is an ongoing process that is executed through the cloud server.

You can integrate any software you like with your POS system. Focus on the software that will be comprehensive for you and for your employees, and, what is more important, will perfectly execute tasks of quick accounting and detailed reporting.

The mobile sales accounting software enables to view each employee’s performance. Hence, the administrator will be able to draw the right conclusions and develop an efficient system of staff motivation. Besides, the automated recording of employees’ actions will prevent from misuses and therefore from losses.

What else is important when you are choosing a POS software?

1. Long and reliable data storage providing the differentiation of access rights. Just a business owner and his trustees have rights to access to data. He can define the access level to data taking into account the employee’s responsibilities.
2. Simple to learn. The software should be comprehensible and a pleasure to use. The initial learning should not take more than 15 minutes, and the integral one – not more than 1 day.
3. Order’s processing in a shortest time. Once you’ve input the initial data, the POS software executed the major part of actions by itself. As to the operations, they are mostly executed in just a few clicks.
4. Possibility to quickly modify data on price, dish’s ingredients, to remove a dish from the menu or to add it back.
5. Built-in loyalty programs — discount, bonus, special offers and promotions.

And it would be great if the software provides some additional possibilities to encourage guests:

• Useful options — personal discounts, a credit sale, availability to add personal wishes and preferences of each guest
• Integration with other applications — mobile loyalty applications, mobile payments, bonus system without cards

Now that you’ve learned the basics for what to be on the lookout for a POS software, evaluate its possibilities by using free trials. If everything feels simple and easy to accomplish, pick up the most appropriate tariff for your establishment and buy the subscription.  

Eventually… 

… a well chosen POS system helps to outrun the competitors at the start line as it focuses on speed, efficiency and security. Taken together, all this improves customer loyalty. Besides, your staff team will make fewer mistakes, learn faster to correct them and do all their possible to make guests feel comfortable. Being integrated with the electronic menu and mobile loyalty applications, the system increases the establishment attendance rate in 3-4 times monthly.