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Why Streamlined Point-of-Sale Communication is About to Fuel a Restaurant Revolution
The restaurants of the future will be driven by data.
It’s not a particularly bold statement. Analytics hold the key to advancement in most industries and sectors around the world, and those selling hospitality in all forms are certainly at the top of the list. But, restaurants are in a unique position to leverage this new insight, and use it to drive more streamlined sales.
And, it’s all driven through the point of sale (POS), the central nervous system for all modern restaurants.
Consumers have no doubt already noticed the growing shift toward automation. Applications tied to virtually every element of dining out are improving the experience. From the apps that make a restaurant reservation with the tap of a few buttons on a phone, to transportation and ridesharing apps that simplify the process of getting to a restaurant and the multitudes of delivery apps that bring a meal directly to a doorstep, technology already gives diners more flexibility than ever before. But, apps—and the technology behind them—can also provide incredible new insights into restaurant operations and create customer service efficiencies in a more streamlined and profitable way. They can increase customer satisfaction and provide advanced solutions to better manage their business.
The problem is: they can’t create a seamless experience on their own. In order to close that gap, communication between the restaurant, the app, and the customer is critical.
That’s where POS comes in.
App surges, often caused by the same ebb and flow seen in a restaurant’s brick and mortar location, can lead to kitchen demands so high that backups occur and customer service is impacted. Balance is vital, and without the kitchen delivering information to providers on order status, customers are left in the dark as they become increasingly impatient and agitated.
Improved communication can help solve this problem, and critical new advances in POS analytics have already made it possible. But, in most cases, the various pieces of technology needed to achieve that improvement seamlessly operate independently, limiting the role data can play in streamlining operations. By enabling a restaurant’s point-of-sale system to speak with other pieces of technology, restaurants can better control a diner’s experience—both in-restaurant and through delivery.
Armed with real-time analytics, restaurant owners and operators can engage customers quickly and solve problems more responsively. By connecting POS systems, apps and ordering systems with each other, access to data is now possible in real time—no longer just in hindsight. But, very few of the systems are designed to integrate with each other smoothly. That’s where the concept of a universal access point—known as an application program interface, or API—comes in. By utilizing a single connection point for all of the technology powering a restaurant’s operation, operators can ensure a seamless experience.
This is the future of dining: endless and exciting possibilities when all elements of the future dining experience are interconnected.
Consider this example in the near future, you decide to order food for delivery with a new restaurant you have never been to before. Based on what you typically like to order at other restaurants, suggestions are made from other diners who enjoy similar dishes as you do. Once you receive that order, link it to your loyalty account in order to award points for the meal. Afterwards, an offer might be sent thanking you for your patronage and inviting you in for a free glass of wine. Once you have finished, use your mobile pay at the table app, redeem the points you earned during your delivery order and apply them as a credit for your meal. If you enjoyed your free glass of wine, how about a bottle delivered to your home for later after a long day in the office? Lastly, this wine company, as a thank you, would like to buy you a safe ride home sent to your mobile device as soon as the check is paid.
The entire experience is streamlined and improved for the customer – and for the restaurant a seamless experience that brings new revenue stream opportunities – because of the interconnectivity of communication between systems using the POS as an anchor point. Open APIs make it all possible today, and the ability to build new platforms for the future is virtually limitless.
In single solution systems, glitches, no matter how small, can cause delays for every single customer awaiting their meal. Activating multiple access points through a universal API like Omnivore provides streamlined, real time analytics that help systems anticipate and prevent problems before they happen and to quickly solve them if they ever do.
Major POS systems across the spectrum are working to quickly create these new options for their customers. Those who embrace this new tool stand to be rewarded through streamlined operations that will help ensure a stronger bottom line profit in the future.
Mike Wior:
Mike is an industry leader with cloud solutions, technology and business initiatives. Working with Fortune 500 companies, he has had career successes at Wells Fargo Bank and on company-critical consulting projects including Adobe, Geospatial Intelligence Agency, Google, and Intel. He serves as a board member and advisor for several up-and-coming restaurant technology companies.
ABOUT OMNIVORE:
Revolutionizing the worlds of hospitality and retail, Omnivore connects a retailer’s point-of-sale (POS) with new technologies, driving engagement through the full lifecycle of the consumer experience. Omnivore’s cloud-based platform enables a single integration through their API, seamlessly facilitating the connections to POS systems now and into the future. The platform helps restaurants discover apps for payment, reservations, delivery, loyalty, analytics and more to connect with millions of consumers around the world. Omnivore enables access to real-time, quality consumer level point of purchase intelligence. Located in the San Francisco Bay area, Omnivore is a privately held company. For more information, please visit omnivore.io
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