Are you still using excel sheets or a simple point of sale (POS) system to record your orders and keep track of revenue as a restaurant business? Whether you’re choosing a restaurant software solution for the first time or looking to upgrade, we’ve written a guide so you can make the best informed decision.
What is a restaurant management software?
A restaurant management software refers to a unified platform which helps you to organize and manage back-end operations of your food and beverage (F&B) business. Restaurant management software can help you through their POS system where you can record orders and payments. Some may also include the option of inventory management, reservation management, data analytics and more.
Benefits of a restaurant management software
Improve time and resource efficiency
One of the biggest benefits with opting for a restaurant management solution is its ability to enhance efficiency. With automation, repetitive tasks can be carries out without human interference and done almost instantaneously. This frees up employees time to carry out other tasks such as managing of ingredients, equipment’s and other business processes.
Reduce human error
No matter how meticulous or well trained an employee is, the reality is that human errors still happen. This may be in the form of inputting a wrong order in, keying in the wrong amount into a system, overlooking or simply making a typing error. By using a restaurant management solution, human error can be significantly reduced or even eliminated.
Increase revenue and profit
By opting to automate many tasks that can be done with the help of a restaurant management software, this means that there’s less need for staff to work overtime. In some cases, you may even be able to operate with less employees, while still maintaining efficiency and productivity. By having these data in your system, you’ll be able to make better decisions on the amount of ingredients to order based on demand, when to order it and allowing the restaurant to respond swiftly.
Types of restaurant management software
While comprehensive, all-in-one solutions do exist, choosing the right type of software based on your business needs and features required is a more efficient use of your business resources. You’ll get your problem areas solved, while not having to spend unnecessarily on features you don’t use.
Point of sale systems
This are systems which are used to process payments from customers. While this may sound simple enough, managers can use this data to track sales, manage inventory and identify trends of which items are most popular on the menu.
Order management software
This software helps keep orders that come in in place – whether this is from dine-in customers or those opting for delivery or takeaway options. These softwares also include key information such as the table number, home address, status of order as well as the total price of the order placed. Additionally, order management softwares allow for orders to be gathered from a variety of sources such as the restaurant’s website and also third party platforms.
Reservation software
If you’re managing a popular restaurant, you may want to invest in this system to help you manage and track reservations in real time. This means that customers will only be able to book when there are spaces available. This also allows for restaurant managers to manage waiting lists and walk-in customers better as well.
Employee management software
A restaurant’s employees form the heart and soul of the restaurant and managing the workforce is one of the most important responsibilities for the restaurant manager. This is why an employee management software can allow for managers to manage work schedules while providing employees with a platform to check their shifts and if necessary request for changes. This allows for leave, sick days and holidays to be tracked along with the employees payroll.
Marketing and loyalty software
This one can be beneficial for attracting and retaining customers. Through a marketing and loyalty management software, you can encourage repeat business while rewarding frequent customers to build lasting relationships.
Embracing technology for your restaurant
While it is essential to have good food to attract customers to your restaurant, it is equally important to be able to keep up to date with technology to help run your business more efficiently. This will enable you to not only save costs but also maximise profits through making educated decisions. Consider Oddle.me for your restaurant management software solution.
