Views: 0 Author: Site Editor Publish Time: 2024-11-08 Origin: Site
In the catering industry, POS (Point of Sale) systems have long transcended the single role of traditional "cash register tools" and evolved into a core hub connecting end-to-end processes such as ordering, payment collection, inventory management, membership management, and data analysis. Their functions permeate key links including improving front-of-house service efficiency, optimizing back-of-house collaboration, and supporting restaurant operation decisions. The specific roles can be expanded from the following dimensions:
The front-of-house is the core scenario for customer-restaurant interaction. By integrating functions, POS terminals directly shorten the service chain, reduce customer waiting time, and optimize the consumption experience:
Support for waitstaff to use mobile POS terminals (e.g., ordering tablets) to take orders directly at the table, eliminating the need to write orders manually and then input them at a fixed checkout counter—avoiding "missed orders or wrong orders";
Integration with QR code ordering systems: Customers can scan the table QR code to place orders independently, and the orders are automatically synced to the main POS system and then real-time transmitted to the back-of-house. This reduces manual intervention and is especially suitable for high-frequency ordering scenarios such as fast food and casual dining;
Support for "custom requirement tagging": Special requests like "less spicy, more vinegar, separate packaging" can be directly selected on the POS ordering interface and synced to the back-of-house along with the order, minimizing communication errors.
Coverage of full-channel payment methods: In addition to cash and bank cards, it can directly connect to mobile payment platforms such as WeChat Pay, Alipay, and UnionPay Cloud Pay. Customers can complete payments by scanning a code or presenting a payment QR code, eliminating the need to wait for change;
Support for "combined payments": For example, partial payment via stored-value cards and partial via WeChat Pay. The POS system can automatically split the amount and complete the deduction;
Quick processing of refunds/supplementary orders: If a customer needs a refund due to taste dissatisfaction or order errors, waitstaff can quickly retrieve the order record in the POS system and complete the refund after permission verification, avoiding cumbersome procedures.
Integration of membership information: The POS system can connect to the restaurant’s membership database. When a customer makes a purchase, their identity can be identified via phone number or membership QR code, automatically retrieving membership level, points balance, and exclusive discounts (e.g., birthday benefits, full-reduction coupons) without additional verification;
Real-time points accumulation and benefit redemption: After completing a purchase, the POS system automatically calculates and adds membership points. Points can be directly used to deduct the current consumption or redeem dishes, increasing customers’ willingness to repurchase;
Implementation of marketing activities: Activities such as "¥20 off for spending ¥100" or "50% off for the second item" can have preset rules in the POS system. When customers meet the conditions, discounts are automatically triggered without manual calculation, ensuring accurate execution of activities.
The collaboration efficiency between the "front-of-house and back-of-house" in the catering industry directly affects food preparation speed. POS terminals serve as an "information bridge" between the two through real-time order synchronization:
Connection to back-of-house printers/display systems: After the front-of-house places an order, the POS system automatically distributes the order to printers at corresponding stations based on dish types (e.g., hot dishes, cold dishes, beverages)—for example, hot dish orders to the hot kitchen and beverage orders to the bar—or displays them on back-of-house electronic screens, avoiding "delays from manual order delivery";
Real-time synchronization of order status: After the back-of-house completes food preparation, the status can be marked as "served" via the back-of-house terminal. The status is then synced back to the front-of-house POS system and the customer’s QR code ordering interface (e.g., showing "Food in preparation/Served"), reducing repeated customer inquiries.
If a dish needs to be "out of stock" due to exhausted ingredients, the back-of-house or front-of-house can quickly mark the dish as "unavailable" in the POS system. At this point, the dish will be hidden simultaneously on the QR code ordering interface and the waitstaff’s ordering interface, avoiding the embarrassment of customers finding out the dish is unavailable after ordering and reducing order cancellations caused by temporary ingredient shortages.
POS terminals are not only "transaction recording tools" but also enable data accumulation to provide operational references for restaurant owners or managers, solving the pain point of "decision-making based on experience":
Managers can view core data such as daily/monthly revenue, order volume, average transaction value, and proportion of payment methods (e.g., 90% mobile payment) in real time through the POS backend (or mobile management APP), without manual bill verification, to quickly grasp the store’s operating status.
For bestselling dishes, optimize the supply chain to ensure sufficient ingredients or launch "set meal combinations" to increase the average transaction value;
For slow-moving dishes, consider removing them from the menu or adjusting the taste to reduce ingredient backlogs and waste.
The POS system automatically counts the sales ranking of each dish (e.g., "signature grilled fish" sold 500 servings monthly, "cold fungus salad" sold 50 servings monthly), helping managers identify "bestselling dishes" and "slow-moving dishes":
Some catering POS systems can connect to inventory management modules: Each time a dish is sold, the system automatically deducts the inventory of corresponding ingredients (e.g., selling 1 hamburger deducts 1 slice of bread and 1 beef patty). When the inventory of a certain ingredient is below the threshold, the system automatically sends a restock reminder to avoid "stockouts";
Combining ingredient procurement costs and dish selling prices, the POS system can calculate the gross profit of a single dish, helping managers adjust pricing (e.g., appropriately increasing the price of dishes with low gross profit or reducing costs by optimizing ingredient procurement).
It can count the order volume and revenue responsible for each waitstaff/cashier, serving as a basis for performance evaluation;
Support for multi-store data aggregation: If the restaurant has chain stores, managers can view the operating data of all stores through the POS headquarters backend, compare differences in average transaction value and sales per square meter across stores, and formulate targeted optimization strategies.
Connection to electronic invoice systems: After customers complete payment, they can apply for electronic invoices by scanning a code on the POS interface. The system automatically generates invoices and sends them to the customer’s email/WeChat, avoiding problems such as "error-prone manual invoices" and "customers forgetting to take invoices" while meeting tax compliance requirements.
Every transaction leaves a detailed record in the POS system (including order time, amount, payment method, and operator). If a customer complains about "not receiving a consumption certificate" or "duplicate deductions," the transaction record can be quickly retrieved for verification, reducing the risk of disputes;
Some POS systems support "permission grading" (e.g., cashiers do not have refund approval authority and require store manager authorization), preventing irregular operations by internal staff (e.g., unauthorized refunds, embezzling cash).
