Today’s
Technology and Operational Excellence.
It is well
known that operational excellence in the Hospitality industry has become the
Holy Grail of restaurants worldwide, as fast paced environments force
businesses to run more efficiently. And, one of the most important aspects of
streamlining business processes is to work with innovative technology and manage
costs. As a result, most restaurant operators have implemented point-of-sale
systems in order to increase staff customer, staff satisfaction and increased revenue.
The good news
today is that technology has taken a significant leap and modern solutions are
giving unprecedented power and control to Hospitality Operators and IT staff. The
result of today’s technology is enormous cost savings due to end user ownership
and customization. Modern technology also empowers employees and has a direct
impact on the guest experience and, ultimately, on the organization's revenue
and operations. Data available today is
transformed into actionable information that management can utilize to make important
and strategic operational decisions.
System Consultants,
or IT staff keeps the office and its myriad applications and systems running
smoothly. Again, the cost savings can have a significant impact on an organization
and keep the company ahead of the competition.
There are many
fundamental issues with older technology, but the most outstanding problem is
working with a POS system that is a challenge to control or to gain accurate
information. Patchwork integration
requires constant attention. Proprietary
software and hardware platforms are difficult to manage without considerable
support from the vendor, who may be reluctant to grant authority or divulge
details for fear of compromising system reliability (and service revenue). The challenge for the typical IT staff is
working with an external organization to maintain and integrate and manage the critical
controls necessary for success.
The next issue
facing older system technology is Payment compliance and consumer privacy laws
place new demands on all of your systems, especially with POS. Computers installed on the restaurant floor
are accessible to the public and necessarily handle sensitive payment and
personal customer data. Restaurants need
to be prepared at any time for an audit. Today’s systems need to be secure and
under control.
The next
generation of POS systems will provide a variety of solutions to these
problems. Here’s what to look for:
Windows Certifications
Products that are certified for Windows Vista are tested for compliance
with Windows Security best practices. These applications will participate in the security environment designed
and maintained by your IT staff. Windows-compliant
installers allow you to control software updates with off-the-shelf management
tools. As an added security measure,
software publisher’s digital signatures ensure that the executable code is not compromised.
Secure, standards-based data storage
The next generation of applications store data in enterprise-class database
engines such as SQL Server and minimize the amount of data that is stored and
maintained on POS workstations. Many
current applications store data on each POS workstation in case the primary
database fails. This multiplies the
overhead to manage and secure the data at each workstation. Modern systems leverage the power and
reliability of SQL to provide fast, reliable, and secure data storage that can
be managed by your staff. In addition,
the same SQL server installation will provide data storage for multiple
applications such as POS, accounting, office applications, and even web
presence.
Open Architecture
This term has traditionally meant hardware flexibility.Modern applications extend the term to
encompass flexibility in deployment, customization, and data integration. In the 21st Century, open
architecture means that your IT staff can take full control of the POS system. Instead of guarding information to protect
revenue, the next generation of companies will welcome integration with other
systems and facilitate the process with open programming APIs, convenient access
mechanisms like Web Services, and understandable data models.
Your business
is under mounting pressure to differentiate and innovate. POS systems are the key to delivering timely
information to your business managers. You need flexibility and control to deliver fresh and compelling offers
to your customers.
In the very
near future, you will be empowered to take full control over your entire POS
system. You will have the power to
control costs associated with POS hardware, software, and support. You will own the security and compliance
picture from end to end. Powerful
off-the-shelf data analysis and sharing tools such as Microsoft Office and
Sharepoint will enable your information to move throughout your organization to
drive innovation and growth. The time to
start planning is now.