POS systems have been around a long time, but the advent of cloud-based systems has rocketed them into a new universe of capabilities. Today’s cloud platforms go far beyond POS. Whereas in the past the POS was the center of your operation, today’s cloud POS platforms, what we like to call a restaurant management platform, have capabilities that are far beyond legacy restaurant POS solutions. 

Today’s cloud POS restaurant management platforms help manage virtually every aspect of your enterprise from front of house to kitchen, inventory, recipes, schedules, staff timekeeping, waitlists, reservations, employee communications, manager coordination, customer interaction, digital everything, customer loyalty, marketing, and more.

What is Restaurant Cloud POS?

With traditional client-server POS systems, restaurants have devices for taking orders and processing payments, typically the monolithic terminals you see at the counter, host stand, or bar top. These operations talked to a POS server, essentially a big computer sitting in a back room. Then there was some kind of network — wires and networking gear such as routers/switches — that carried and managed the traffic flow between the POS terminals and the POS server.

 

Cloud POS eliminates the need for a server and moves traffic flow to someone else’s data center. What we end up with is something much simpler, like this: Devices running apps that are connected to cloud computing. Simplicity lowers cost but unlike other alternatives, with cloud there are few compromises. You get performance, scaling and security.

Typically, the network is wireless, so there isn’t a need to connect everything with wires. But wait. It gets easier! Those expensive data centers with servers and networking and redundancy are no longer necessary either, replaced by the provider’s data center in the cloud.

Five Advantages of Restaurant Cloud POS for Multi-Unit Restaurants

Cloud-based POS for restaurants provides tangible advantages in cost, simplicity, flexibility, and function. They completely change the acquisition and maintenance model, and so much more.

Avoid or Reduce Data Center Costs

CIOs / CTOs and others who budget for and manage IT resources are all too familiar with the cost of acquiring, managing, and maintaining infrastructure to support both corporate and store operations. In-store, client-server POS and other systems require hands on to patch, update, and troubleshoot. Stacks of hardware and oodles of software licenses required for the POS lab and for operating the business don’t have to be an ongoing budget siphon.

Because some of these systems are mission-critical, you may have redundant data  centers in case one goes down and of course you need high cost people with knowledge and expertise to support every aspect of the overall “network bundle.” Cha-ching. More cost.

Cloud POS and other cloud restaurant systems avoid many of these costs because they are borne by the cloud technology provider.

Avoid Up-front Capex and Per Terminal Fees

Cloud POS eliminates the need for a server and moves traffic flow to someone else’s data center. What we end up with is something much simpler, like this: Devices running apps that are connected to cloud computing.

Simplicity lowers cost but unlike other alternatives, with cloud there are few compromises. You get performance, scaling and security.

Typically, the network is wireless, so there isn’t a need to connect everything with wires. But wait. It gets easier! Those expensive data centers with servers and networking and redundancy are no longer necessary either, replaced by the provider’s data center in the cloud.

You Don’t Start Paying Until Stores Start Using

With legacy client-server POS, you start paying as soon as the ink is dry on the contract. With Xenial Cloud POS, we won’t charge you until you start using the software to take orders and payment. It’s that simple.

Gain Visibility Beyond the Four Walls

As you know, data is the currency of success. By design, cloud technology makes it easy to access important metrics even when you’re not onsite. This also gives a multi-unit restaurant operator and/or corporate visibility into important metrics across multiple locations, seamlessly, from a centralized reporting portal.

Benefit from More (and Better) Integrations

Because they’re developed using modern programming languages and practices, Cloud Restaurant POS systems can natively and more easily integrate with other systems used to serve guests (such as third party ordering) and manage the restaurant such as staff scheduling.

Having more and simpler native connections and integrations makes it easier to serve today’s guests in the way they want to be served. It also tends to lower overhead IT costs and reduce finger-pointing. 

The Value Of A Stable POS Partner

The company behind the product can be equally important among your cloud POS decision factors. Although a richly featured cloud POS can be developed much more rapidly than an equally feature-rich client-server POS, developing a full-featured cloud POS still takes considerable commitment in terms of resources and finances.

Companies that are stable and profitable, like Xenial, A Global Payments Company, can endure the considerable expense of developing and sustaining a cloud POS development project, not to mention the expense and time involved in marketing it. If you are considering cloud providers, be sure to ask questions about the tenure and financial backing of the companies you are considering.

Ready to Consider Cloud POS?

A modern Cloud POS restaurant management platform can launch a restaurant to new heights of success, saving you tons of money and turning trends and customer insights into sales and competitive advantage.

Please contact us today.