Articles
Reducing human error through POS design
2019-01-30
The Food and Beverage industry can be a great industry to operate in. However, with a seemingly endless number of opportunities to make your mark, there's still plenty that can go wrong with regards to the management of your restaurant/F&B business.
Like many other industries, there’s human error. Miscommunication, loss of records, inefficiency and wasted cash leaks (among other things) can all be part and parcel of being in the food business (but they don't have to be).
A well-designed POS system can help curb most instances of human error, delivering you from the constant worry of mishaps that can really take a toll on your business. From managing your inventory and handling employees to taking orders and controlling cash flow, POS systems that are designed well can offer convenience, increase service precision and ultimately boost customer satisfaction.
Here are a few ways in which a POS system that seamlessly fits with your setup can make your life a whole lot easier.
POS systems can help you keep track of things
The frequency/number of cash and credit transactions that occur in a restaurant on any given day can soar to astronomical heights. This can make things pretty hectic and leave very little room for human error. A well-designed POS system can be more than just an advanced cash register. It can help you easily track activity and present you with an easy-to-digest, well-organised report of all the transactions for the day as well as an up-to-date inventory list.
Many cloud-based POS systems have been designed for time efficiency. Due to a more reliable architecture, a cloud-based system can leverage speed and capabilities for advanced data storage so you don't have to worry about losing valuable information.
In addition, POS systems should function as accurate and efficient tools for processing credit cards and payments that are made. Interconnectivity between a POS interface and payment gateways can help reinforce this.
You can save money in the long run
You could say that human error is inevitable when tasks are performed manually but when every mistake equates to money you’re missing out on, these small hiccups can add up throughout the year and make quite a dent in your finances.
While a POS system can cost you money all the same, it may be able to compensate for this by removing small margins of error that were present before, leading to money saved each year.
In the long run, it can be better to fix a minor issue that could potentially ripple overtime and cause considerable detriment to your business. If a POS design allows for transparent inventory solutions that involve employees accessing a centralised system before taking inventory, business owners can easily track miscalculations and ensure more accurate ordering.
It can show you where you went wrong
With so much going on during operation hours, it can be hard to stay focused on every aspect of management at all times. However, not being on the ball can lead to unexpected losses. Did somebody skip something? Is there a hidden issue on the inventory side? It can really take a whole lot of unnecessary time to pinpoint where you went wrong.
POS systems can help you understand when and where the loss occurred and let you rework parts of your operations that need improvement. Ultimately, they can help you avoid risks such as inventory waste or losses caused by human error.
By keeping tabs on inventory movement and cash flow, a well-designed POS can help you monitor every step of a product’s lifecycle all the way from supply to the customer’s purchase.
It can offer unparalleled speed
Let’s face it, human beings can be super slow, especially when compared to the rapid productivity that machines are capable of. If nothing else, a sturdy POS system can offer unparalleled speed, cranking up production rates and retaining a smooth influx of orders so you get to worry less about the efficiency of your operations and focus more on managing the business.
Seamless system design should be made up of many variables, including the ability to maintain responsiveness across the many devices involved in your restaurant’s operations. An interface could snap automatically to horizontal or vertical alignments, leverage on midpoints and essentially minimise/eliminate wasted movements on your part, letting you (and your employees) work that much faster.
A flexible POS design should also have layout options that suit your restaurant. If, for instance, you don't have seating arrangements, the system can go straight to the order screen without an option for table layouts, helping you minimise the steps involved in ordering and increasing general efficiency as well as speed in your operations.
A well-designed POS system can fine-tune a restaurant’s business operations but while technology has nearly ruled out the element of human error, pay attention to the details.
When impeccable design meets well-executed processes, you could have a recipe for success!
At Egulen POS, you can choose from three different types of POS systems: myRestaurant, myCafe and myKiosk. We support multi-outlet, self-order and more.