POS software, how does it work?
POS software is a digital tool used to manage the sales, purchases and inventory of a shop or business.
It has basic multidisciplinary functions for any company, as it controls key points of the business such as economic management, inventory or sales flows.
In this section we mention POS systems for the hotel and catering industry, explaining their operation in detail. This tool is used for bars, restaurants and/or cafeterias. If you are the owner of a business of this type, then you will be interested in this information.
Elements that make up a hotel and catering POS system
A POS (point of sale) is used to manage a variety of shops, but to do so it must have both hardware and software, i.e. one physical part or hardware and the other non-tangible part which would be the software application in this case.
Hardware
In this category, modular units can be used, i.e. they consist of several parts or devices.
There are also compact hardware, which are designed by a single unit, the basic components would be
Touch screen monitor
The touch screens are very easy to use and comfortable for the user, due to the almost intuitive way of use. They save search time because you are looking directly at the object on the touch screen and there is no need to use the keyboard.
Central Processing Unit (CPU)
The CPU is responsible for providing the power to run the software. Depending on the type of POS software we use, we may need a minimum of RAM, cores, graphics card, etc.
Keyboard
The keyboard should be included, depending on the type of POS software you have and according to special specifications. Think of something ergonomic, comfortable and able to withstand the day-to-day running of your business. Some of these devices can read magnetic strips, which is very useful for card reading.
Printer
At least one printer should be available to generate invoices or tickets, and depending on the category of business, such as food sales, you may have other equipment in the kitchen to view orders in that area and attend to commands more easily.
Thermal printers are recommended, these use heat and thermal paper designed to create receipts. They are more expensive than conventional ones, have good speed and do not make noise.
Optical readers
If we work with QR codes, we will need some kind of specialized reader or adapt, for example, our Smartphone to be able to access the content of these codes. There are numerous applications available that can help us in this task.
Personal Digital Assistant (PDA)
It consists of a portable terminal that has a Wifi connection, it is like having your business in a pocket, it is very useful when you are constantly on the move.
It has all the functions of a computer, including a touch screen, can be connected wirelessly or by cable, and can also be linked to other devices, such as a printer. They are a bit expensive but worth the investment because you optimize the time of attention for your customer.
Money box
This type of box is necessary to keep the money. When selecting the drawer, check its security and robustness.
Display of the POS
It is the device that allows you to interact with the POS software of our business. In it we will see the orders, the stock, the reservations, commands, etc. It can be tactile, which allows us to interact by clicking directly on the screen, or if it is not, we will need to accompany it with a mouse to be able to interact with our hospitality POS software.
Fingerprint reader
Among the control systems for employees is the registration of fingerprints, this allows us, for example, to create various profiles for employees in our POS software and control access for each employee with his or her fingerprint. It is the best, reliable and accurate.
Other peripherals or equipment
Many are the complements that support a POS, among them we can find the scales, which are used to weigh food. Protected keyboards where only authorised personnel can enter, among others.
Software
The TPV software must be adapted to the type of business that corresponds to it. In the case of the hotel and catering business, it can control the orders established by the waiter, have orders from the bar to the table, store the reservations of the guests, control the stock, the employees' timetables, etc.
In the case of a POS that is intended for sales made in other types of shops, it will comply with other specifications.
Remote connection
Connectivity is a factor that gives a lot of value to the point of sale terminal, interacting with the cloud offers benefits for the company, starting because you can do it with mobile devices such as your Smartphone or Tablet, from any location.
Loyalty recognition
A POS software should not only be limited to management within the business, it also allows you to make your customer feel special.
Additional elements
Control of the client's data by means of telephone number, e-mail, to be able to contact them more easily.
Technical support
The companies responsible for the sale of the POS Software is important that they also provide a technical service to the customer while it is being adapted to the whole procedure, can be
- On-site technical service: When an error needs to be solved by a technician in person.
- Remote service: Used to solve faults by making an external connection through channels used for this type of revision. This connection must guarantee the protection of the customer's data.
Learning the POS Software
This type of software, despite being intuitive, must have an instruction phase from the supplier. This must include the teaching of all the specific details for the functions of the manager, administrators and employees.
Such knowledge avoids many failures generated by lack of information.
Operation of the POS software
There are many POS software for the hospitality industry, some of the points that we consider key and that your software must comply with are the following.
Order management
All POS software for the hospitality industry must meet this requirement, as this is the purpose for which they have been created. We must know at all times the existing orders in our business, when they were created, the table to which they have been assigned and the tables that are free to accept new orders.
In turn, we must be able to interact with these orders, i.e. obtain the account for the customer associated with the order, be able to close them so that a new order can be created for the associated table or increase or decrease the associated products.
Automatic commands
It is very useful to have a POS software that allows us, once we receive a new order, to generate a new command in the kitchen that tells us the dishes to be cooked in that order. This will make the workflows more efficient as the notification is instantaneous and the loss of the physical command on paper is avoided.
Booking management
A POS software for the hotel and catering industry that manages the reservations of our establishment can help us to centralise this type of task. We will forget about the passbook and instead it will be stored in the cloud so that it can be consulted by all employees from any location. In this way, double appointments will not be created and we will avoid any possible confusion as everything is synchronised.
Stock control
Inventory control will help us avoid running out of products to cook our dishes, which is of vital importance. A POS software that discounts a product from our stock at the moment a dish is ordered will allow us to know in real time the availability of our menu and act accordingly.
Periodic reports
It is important to know the results of our hotel and catering business, so a POS software that shows us the income generated, the most sold dishes, the arrival times of the guests, etc. It will guide us in the decision making of our business that will help us enormously.
Management of timetables
A POS software that manages in our hotel business the schedules of the employees, registering the entrance and exit and being able to consult any previous day to know which employee worked that day and in which shift can help us a lot. We will be able to plan shifts efficiently or manage the employees' holidays.
Bliscop POS Software
Our POS software meets all the above requirements we ask for a management program, in addition to many others. Discover the many advantages of having the right management software and how it can make your day-to-day life easier, allowing you to dedicate your time to other tasks thanks to the fact that you will work more efficiently.
Discover in the following video the advantages that Bliscop's POS software can offer you.