What’s an F&B POS system ?
"POS" stands for point of sale, the place or time where a sales transaction is completed.
Consequently, a point of sale system is a combination of software and hardware that handles sales transactions.
POS systems simplify essential day-to-day business operations by performing order processing, billing, credit card processing, receipt printing, and more. POS systems today are widely used by both retail and food businesses.
Why not just use a cash register?
Most cash registers don't have the capability of tracking every order and transaction, so you don't get any data or insights for your business except for how much you earned by the end of each sales day. Having records of money coming in and going out also makes it much easier to do your accounting.
With a cash register, staff will have to manually key in prices (some offer price look-ups so the whole menu doesn't have to be memorised) and errors are more common.
Some cash registers have pre-set menu items, but the fixed number then limits your menu. Most cash registers cannot be integrated with NETS or credit card terminals, so you will only be able to accept cash. And these are just the basics.
F&B Point-of Sales
F&B, or restaurant POS systems, are point-of-sale systems that are designed specifically for the food industry.
Most restaurant or cafe POS systems also come with advanced reporting functions that show you how well your dishes are selling, for example. Depending on how sophisticated the analytics are, your point of sales system can help you make informed decisions that improve sales. iCHEF POS has this nifty function that shows you if your discounts are doing more harm than good, eating away your revenue.
Table management
For example, iCHEF POS has table management, which starts at the queue – before customers are even seated in the restaurant. The waiting list can be organised according to waiting time and whether parties have all their guests present. The floor plan with all the tables in the restaurant is displayed so staff know the status of each table and their orders at a glance.
Employee management
Full-service restaurants typically hire more staff than retail stores, and some good F&B point of sales systems have employee management. It encompasses unique employee IDs, collecting attendance records and clock in and clock out times.
F&B outlet Analytics
Most restaurant or cafe POS systems also come with advanced reporting functions that show you how well your dishes are selling, for example. Depending on how sophisticated the analytics are, your point of sales system can help you make informed decisions that improve sales. iCHEF POS has this nifty function that shows you if your discounts are doing more harm than good, eating away your revenue.
More efficient ordering
Modern restaurant point of sales systems allow mobile ordering with iPads or Android tablets, where the waiter is able to take orders at the table and send them immediately to the kitchen. The time saved from not needing to walk to the kitchen to call out the orders and then walking to the cashier to key in the orders lets the waiter focus on better service.
Modifiers
A feature unique to F&B POS systems is pre-set modifiers for each item – such as "less spicy", "no ice" and so on. It is especially useful for our Singaporean staple, zi char restaurants or stalls, which offer dishes in large, medium and small portions.
iCHEF F&B POS THE MOST AWARDED POS DESIGNED
Faster transactions for fast casual (or quick service) restaurants and takeaways
POS systems built for F&B are also designed to be intuitive and streamlined for faster turnover. iCHEF POS has won several design awards for this in particular, and has a "takeout mode" that is tailored for takeaway kiosks.
