For many retailers and restaurant operators, there’s no question that spending extra money on unnecessary technology and features is simply not an option. However, in most, if not all cases, back-office POS solutions don’t usually fall into the “unnecessary technology” category because of the significant benefits they offer. Let’s take a look at three of these benefits.
1. Operational/customer service improvements and time savings: Implementing a back-office POS solution enhances operational efficiencies and saves time by freeing up a front-of-house POS terminal that would otherwise need to be pressed into service for administrative tasks. Store employees or restaurant servers can process customer transactions and, in the case of foodservice operations, input orders for transmission to the kitchen without interruption—while you and/or your managers perform a variety of functions elsewhere in your establishment. The scope of functions that can be performed using a back-office POS solution is seemingly endless. It includes—but is not limited to—tracking critical information pertaining to sales, performance, and inventory; generating reports; and reviewing your audit log. In fact, if a piece of information exists somewhere in your front-office POS, it can be accessed with no difficulty through your back-office POS technology
Moreover, because a back-office POS enables non-POS-related matters to be handled from a separate terminal and prevents even one POS terminal from being preempted, customers need not waste time in longer lines or experience longer waits for their food. This leads to better customer service and, in turn, increased customer satisfaction and loyalty.
2. Additional privacy for management: No retailer or restaurant operator shares all the details of an establishment with all employees—especially now, when seemingly every day brings news of data breaches at retail entities and other companies throughout the U.S. There will always be a portion of sensitive company data that you simply don’t want staff members to see. With a back-office POS solution in your technology toolbox, you can work with this sensitive information in a private area, away from employees’ view. The risk of inadvertently giving customers a peek at such data because you were reviewing it in an open area (in other words, the front of the store) is also eliminated.
3. The ability to reap the benefits of cloud-based service: With a back-office POS solution, you can enjoy all of the advantages afforded by a cloud-based POS platform. Such a solution gives retailers and restaurateurs the flexibility to view all of their operations’ pertinent data not only from all mobile devices, including smartphones, tablets, and other rugged handheld units, but also from any location with an Internet connection. You’ll be able to better manage and control your store or restaurant by keeping close tabs on mission-critical data, including sales information, inventory counts, labor use percentages, productivity reports, and more. Do you have multiple stores or restaurants? You’ll also be able to take advantage of the ease of managing information from multiple stores by automatically transferring data from each location to a central site at the end of the day, allowing you to review sales, labor, and inventory information for any store.
The benefits of front-of-the-store POS for retailers and restaurants cannot be underestimated. Nonetheless, the advantages afforded by back-office POS solutions cannot be ignored. Retailers and restaurant operators alike would do well to invest their technology dollars in such solutions.
