What Are the Current POS Essentials?
“When considering a POS system for restaurants and hospitality, it’s essential to ensure the system is efficient, effective, and aligned with industry needs,” says Tom Seeker, a seasoned CIO/CTO, most recently at Earl Enterprises. “Key considerations include ease of use, integration, mobility, customization, security, analytics and reporting, support and training, scalability, and cost.”
Skip Kimpel, Principal Consultant, New Business Development, ConStrata Consulting, notes, “There are two trains of thought with POS investments, depending on the size of the organization. Smaller operators seek a ‘boombox’ approach, where key functionalities are built into the system without needing additional third-party products. However, once you add in all the extra options, costs can exceed expectations. The benefit is dealing with a single vendor for any issues. Larger restaurant chains, on the other hand, should prioritize deep integration capabilities with best-of-breed solutions.”
But Kimpel cautions that trust in data and reliable support are non-negotiable. Accurate data is essential for operational decisions, and poor installation or inadequate system mapping often leads to issues. Therefore, investing time in proper setup and continuous support is crucial for maintaining data integrity.
Lee Holman, Lead Retail Analyst, IHL Group, observes, “If I were looking for a new POS software solution, essential features would include microservices architecture for future development, cloud-based infrastructure for seamless updates and scalability, and robust order management and payment processing options.”
Holman also stresses that a POS system must have an intuitive, user-friendly UI, extensive integrations for supply chain, inventory visibility, CRM, promotions, scheduling, analytics, and KDS, as well as support for multiple languages and currencies. In addition, mobile adaptability is crucial for a modern POS system, ensuring it meets the demands of today’s dynamic restaurant environment.
