Commentary

7 ways to streamline foodservice operations

By incorporating the right technology into their day-to-day operations, restaurants can increase productivity and end up with more satisfied customers.

June 10, 2019

Editor's Note: An earlier version of this article ran in Fast Casual, a sister publication of Food Truck Operator.

By Saleem Khatri, CEO of Lavu

When it comes to running your foodservice operation on a daily basis, certain challenges can crop up: running out of ingredients, customers with complicated payment requests, staff members calling in sick, and more. You're probably asking yourself how you can mitigate these issues but coming up short.

In truth, these issues can make or break your daily operations, and if you don't find a way to streamline them, things can only get more complicated from there. That's why it's important to take technology into account, and pay attention to how it has been evolving in the restaurant industry.

In this article, we'll take a look at the following must-know technological features to streamline your daily operations:

1. Robust POS system.
2. Payment processing.
3. Inventory management.
4. Scheduling software.
5. Reporting capabilities.
6. Optimized ordering.
7. Layout customization.

By incorporating the right technology into your day-to-day operations, you can not only reduce the frequency of these issues but increase productivity and have more satisfied customers.

Ready to take a look at these must-haves? Let's dive in.

1. Robust POS system

If you want to streamline operations, it's important that you invest in a robust, cloud-based point-of-sale system.

As opposed to a legacy system, which is based around a central kiosk and needs to be installed by a specialist, a cloud-based system is configured from a tablet and stores all of your data in the cloud. This system also offers more functionality than a legacy POS system.

The benefits of using such a POS system include:

Integration. This type of system should integrate with other types of software, such as accounting software, kitchen management software, and online ordering platforms.
Increased efficiency. Easily take orders, update your menu in real-time, and generate reports, all of which will be discussed in further detail later.
Investing in iPad POS systems, for instance, makes it easy to take orders and process payments tableside. Take a look at the system you have in place and decide if it's providing all the functionality you need. If not, keep reading!

2. Payment processing

Payment processing comes with a few caveats. You want it to be secure, but you also want it to be convenient (for both your staff and your customers!). In order to meet both of those demands, your POS system should offer simple payment functionalities.

For instance, you should be able to:

Split the bill for any size group.
Accommodate customers in a group who want to tip differently.
Keep your customers' payment information private and protected.

Be sure you use a payment processor that is PCI-compliant, which is a security standard for organizations that handle branded credit cards. By keeping your customers' information secure, you reduce the risk of data breaches, which can be detrimental to your restaurant's reputation.

Then, by using a POS system that allows you to accommodate several payment scenarios, you can easily run transactions and make the process easy for both your staff and customers. Don't settle for one over the other!

3. Inventory management

One of the biggest advantages of using robust POS software is the functionality that allows you to do inventory management. With inventory management, you can track all sorts of metrics that can help your day-to-day operations run smoothly.

For instance, by using POS software to track inventory, you can:

Link inventory to your menu. Update your inventory in real-time as items are ordered and modifiers are selected.
Track the ingredients you're running low on. If you know you're running low on a particular ingredient, your staff can easily access that information and alert customers when that ingredient is no longer available.
Track your most popular items. Adjust your purchase orders to include greater quantities of your most popular items (essentially, the items that are depleted the fastest each day). This helps you stay ahead of the game and stocked up on what you need.
Adequate inventory management is key to streamlining your operations. By staying organized and on top of your stock, you can ensure that you have the ingredients you need and track the items as they are depleted.

4. Scheduling software

Management duties are one of the most demanding aspects of working in the foodservice industry. Managers need to oversee both front-of-the-house and back-of-the-house operations, respond to customer feedback, and work on scheduling.

When it comes to scheduling employees, however, the process can take longer than anticipated, especially when shifts need to be switched around. For that reason, look for a POS system that offers a solution for employee management and scheduling.

Helpful features to look out for include:

Scheduling. Allow your manager to easily schedule shifts in the POS system's interface.
Clocking in and out. Let your staff members clock in and out using the POS system. Make sure they're trained on how to efficiently use the system, as well.
Trading shifts. Allow staff members to trade shifts with each other directly in the system, rather than needing to go through a manager to get approval. This saves time and lets the manager focus on other tasks.

By using a POS system with efficient scheduling software, you'll be on your way to streamlining your restaurant's processes and allowing your staff to focus more on what matters: the food and your customers.

5. Reporting capabilities

It's great to focus on payment processing, inventory and scheduling, but you can't forget the revenue you're bringing in and how to account for that. That's why it's important to think about how you want to generate reports.

For example, you can create reports regarding:

Sales.
Ingredients.
Other custom reports.

Find a POS system that allows you to download detailed reports however you need them. You should also be able to check real-time sales from wherever you are for greater efficiency, so look for a system that can be accessed via mobile.

Foodservice management can be a daunting task, but with the right software, you can account for everything you need.

6. Optimized ordering

If you're looking to further streamline your operations, look no further than the foundation of your daily process: order-taking. With a robust POS system, you can simplify this process.

Some of the best features of your POS system allow you to:

Learn customer preferences. Maintain a customer database to access order history and contact information. Keep track of names, email addresses and phone numbers to build long-lasting customer relationships.
Make fewer errors. Easily take orders and get prompted by modifiers to ask the right questions, such as how a burger should be cooked.
Take online orders. Let customers place orders online via their own account. Use software that can integrate into your website and POS system and save time on entering customer orders into the system. However, be sure that this online interface is intuitive and user friendly. Otherwise, you run the risk of shopping cart abandonment, which you can learn more about here.
Update your menu in real-time. Incorporate happy hours and seasonal menus into your system, for instance, and you'll be ready to change your menu right when you need to.

A robust POS system is essential because it can allow you to optimize your ordering process with the above features. By making the investment, you'll be well on your way to making your process easier on everyone!

7. Layout customization

One of the nice perks of having a comprehensive POS system is that you can customize your layout in the software. Configure it to reflect the layout of your restaurant. Though this might seem like an obvious point, there are actually several advantages of having this feature. For instance, you can:

Track open tables.
Track orders from start to finish.
Track each table's payment status

By staying on top of what's going on in the front-of-the-house, you'll get customers in and out the door in a timely manner, but also offer them an experience that proves efficient and enjoyable. Reduce errors and increase customer satisfaction as you go.