How to Consolidate Your Restaurant Management Software

When you're receiving a large number of online orders on top of your standard dine-in traffic, it can be difficult to keep track of every order in your restaurant. This may even result in an order getting lost in the shuffle, buried amid the crunch of incoming requests and operational hustle—especially if your restaurant is operating off multiple platforms with different tablets and kiosks.

Consolidating your restaurant management software with a single platform that combines ordering and payments can be a game-changer for your operations, further boosting your restaurant efficiency, guest service, and your bottom line.

How to find efficiency in your restaurant.

Restaurant management software has exploded over the last decade, and it has undoubtedly played an important role in helping eateries attract new guests, modernize their operations, and perform at a higher level. The sheer volume of different technologies, however, can be dizzying. There are numerous platforms designed for online ordering, delivery, kitchen throughput, and payment. Toss in additional technology for reservations, loyalty, marketing, gift cards, and the like, and the same technologies that have promised to ease operations can end up causing you and your waitstaff more stress in the end.

Leaning on a single platform that brings all of these elements together into a central system erases that complexity and spurs more overall restaurant efficiency. For instance, online orders placed directly on your website, not through a third-party service, can be automatically funneled into your point of sale (POS) system and, subsequently, the kitchen right alongside dine-in orders. No error-prone manual entry is required, and no excess tablets or kiosks clutter your operation. The online orders can even be paced to let guests know the next available time slot so the kitchen doesn't become overwhelmed. This creates a more accurate and streamlined process for getting your food into your guests' hands, whether they're in your dining room, picking up, or waiting for their food to be delivered.

For transactions not completed online, your restaurant staff can then quickly and securely collect payment in various ways, as orders were all placed on a single system. You can accept the payments, even completely contactless, at the table, curbside, or carryout window. As today's restaurant guests prioritize convenience and choice, this level of flexibility is extremely valuable.

Work smarter, not harder.

Most restaurant management software has been carefully designed to support and empower restaurants to reach their potential and run more profitable operations. And yet, juggling multiple platforms can sometimes have the opposite effect.

By having the order, kitchen workflow, and payment all run through a unified platform, you create a smoother experience for your restaurant, guests, and staff. Guests can place orders as they wish, the kitchen can immediately receive those orders and begin fulfillment, and your restaurant can collect payment in numerous ways, matching each guest's need. For your restaurant, there's no toggling back and forth between a tablet and a POS to manually enter an online order or dealing with costly third-party commission fees that squeeze profitability.

A single platform that consolidates your key restaurant processes into one system ensures that the restaurant technology you're using actually works for you and helps your restaurant become a more efficient, profitable, and guest-centric operation.