News
Operators upgrade POS systems instead of replacing
March 29, 2006
With today's tight budgets, it may not make financial sense for operators to invest in a new POS system. That was the case for Chris Nonnemaker, a franchise operator for Papa's Pizza To Go. Nonnemaker was having problems with his older POS model but couldn't afford purchasing an entirely new system. So he upgraded the software.
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Now Nonnemaker can effectively monitor sales and payroll. "With our newer POS set up, we saved a lot of money associated with labor," he said. "I can schedule long term and see if I'm running too high of a payroll. That saves me precious money as the cost of labor continues to escalate."
Essentially, Nonnemaker's old POS system was constantly crashing because it had little memory. The older version also had few features that could manage time and money. Revention POS Solution installed the Microsoft SQL Server and a Dell Optiplex GX520, both of which gave Nonnemaker immediate access to critical information. According to Forrester Research, the Microsoft SQL Server 2005 is the top software for production reporting and analysis services.
"That's a very important quality to have in a POS because some software will only work with Windows XP and not the older Windows versions," said Laura Gaudin, Revention marketing manager. "And a lot of times nobody will help you unless you have XP professional."
"The way my system is set up now, all I need to do is take an order and the POS gives me the customer's buying history and we can upsell whatever they bought last time," Nonnemaker said. "Prior to getting the upgrade, I didn't even know my average ticket. Now, I know it's 17 to 18 dollars."
According to the National Research Association, Nonnemaker made the right move by upgrading software. In its annual forecast, the NRA predicted franchise owners will integrate more technology into operations with the goal of boosting efficiency and productivity as well as enhancing the customer experience.
Revention officials said 40 percent of their business is replacing competitor's products.
"When we look at a store, we tell our potential clients not to change your business to accommodate your POS, but let your POS accommodate you," Gaudin said. "For QSRs, our focus is to increase speed of service and that usually means we upgrade older software. There are a lot of systems that have been out there for a long time."
Quality service
As with any type of technology, there's room for unexpected error. Shortly after the installation of his new equipment, Nonnemaker noticed an item kept coming up as non taxable.
"Whenever you get a new POS, there's always some tweaking that needs to be done after the fact," he said.
Nonnemaker said Revention fixed the problem immediately.
"They got online and accessed my system and fixed it as we spoke," he said. "Their 24-hour tech support has been great."
ChickenProfessional ServicesCoffee/Bakery/DonutMexicanSoftwareBurger/Steak/BBQItalian/PizzaFranchisingOperationsFood & Beverage
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