Build a Better POS Through Partnerships

By Matthew Iknoian
The use of specialized technology applications within the hospitality industry is nothing new, but the recent evolution of web-friendly applications has made it easier for channel partners to seamlessly integrate third-party add-ons to enhance the functionality of their clients’ current POS. Historically, the primary function of a POS system was to support day-to-day restaurant operations by helping establishments perform basic tasks such as checking out customers, inventory management and customer marketing. However, today’s competitive environment demands that channel partners offer POS solutions that have the flexibility to evolve and provide added functionality that improves the operational efficiency and profitability of their customers business.

As software-as-a-service application use increases in the retail and hospitality markets, the integration of third-party applications has also become more prevalent. By developing strategic partnerships with other application providers, resellers and independent software vendors can eliminate countless hours spent developing or integrating applications outside the scope of their core solution while enhancing the value of the solutions they provide. By providing consulting advice that empowers customers’ operational efficiency and profitability, channel partners can solidify their role as a trusted business advisor to their client base.

Here are a few applications that POS providers can leverage to improve their customers operations:

Scheduling: With labor being one of the biggest cost centers for hospitality businesses, online employee scheduling applications are rapidly gaining popularity. As establishments struggle to find reliable labor, they are turning to solutions that help them schedule, control and optimize labor. With the capability to easily communicate messages and schedules via e-mail and text message to employees, management eliminates the need to call employees for scheduling changes or to find a replacement for a shift. Scheduling applications can also calculate labor dollars and help schedulers avoid overtime, lowering costs for the operation. Scheduling applications can integrate with POS systems, or can be an embedded application within a company portal, providing seamless access along side other applications used by the organization.
 
Theft Control Monitoring: Help your customers more effectively manage their liquor inventory. Liquor inventory control solutions enable businesses to monitor pour levels via sensors placed on each bottle. These applications provide real-time data directly to the POS system, helping management correlate sales to actual output dispensed. This application integrates with the POS system easily, providing a bar or restaurant owner with real-time control and visibility over one of the biggest potential inventory category loss leaders.

Inventory Costing: In restaurant management, cost control is a critical aspect of a successful business. Too often restaurants fail because they can’t effectively track how much each plate of food costs. By using inventory pricing applications that integrate with their POS system, owners can track ingredient costs for each of their dishes and price them accordingly, while the software also helps to determine the most efficient pricing and sourcing for ingredient acquisition. Sales figures can now be matched to the actual cost of the food prepared and combined with revenue dollars to provide the owner with the exact profit generated by the products sold.

Today’s savvy channel companies are embracing change and leveraging partnerships as a means to close deals and create more stickiness with current customers. These channel partners are also reaping rewards by offering add-on solutions that improve their profitability and cement their role as trusted business advisor.