How does a kitchen in the cloud help small businesses manage limited staffing?
As restaurants begin to ramp up services post-COVID, many are encountering a unique, yet common, situation. It has been and remains increasingly difficult to recall former employees, as well as attracting new talent. This means that it is highly likely that you, along with many of your peers, are struggling to provide quality service to customers who may or may not understand your predicament.
Fortunately, there are technical-based steps you can take to help your restaurant transition into a new business model. Introducing a point of sale (POS) for cloud kitchen purposes will help you streamline the back end of your production, helping you maintain a high level of service. These features will prove to be valuable even after the staffing crisis ends by powering future growth.
Specific POS functions offer support to your staff
Identifying the cloud-specific POS functions that lend better support to your kitchen staff is fairly easy to establish. Here are some of the most common ones that have proven themselves in terms of usability and ROI:
- Integrated data communication between the kitchen and order elements.
- Cloud-based storage of all data, including transactions and inventory.
- The ability to add cutting-edge kitchen display systems with full POS integration.
- An influx of mobile technology functions drives productivity even with limited personnel.
But the benefits don’t stop with the kitchen. These same features go a long way towards improving the lives and productivity of your servers as well. Servers and kitchen staff will improve the way they remain in sync with each other while maintaining the quality of service your customers are used to, but without sacrificing the mental or physical health of your staff.
Process automation further improves productivity
A key component offered by cloud-based restaurant POS systems is the automation potentials they introduce. Advances and access to the same powerful data analytic tools present you with the same capabilities enjoyed by enterprise-level businesses. These tools offer you the ability to add an extra layer of efficiency into every process, up to and including full automation.
Some examples of how these advanced POS for cloud kitchen operations can lend an automated hand are:
- Updating inventory counts with every order filled.
- Monitoring alerts when items run low, or if the kitchen starts falling behind.
- Staff payroll processing, including tip dispensation and schedule management.
- Auto-tallying of customer bills.
In addition, these tools eliminate time-consuming tasks from staff’s to-do lists. These capabilities will then serve to allow you to stretch your limited staffing without sacrificing the customer experience.
Customers want to help craft their dining experience
This may seem like a counterintuitive statement, but it’s surprisingly true. Your customers want to help you provide the best dining experience possible. Providing them with top-notch, cloud-based options for their experience is a great plan of attack to initiate even when you are fully staffed.
Presenting them with a blend of your dining atmosphere and cloud-based POS technology is made possible through these sophisticated POS tools:
- Online ordering menu for in-house, takeaway or delivery.
- Initiating orders and payments using QR codes at the table.
- Digital receipts.
These three features will quickly gain the notice of customers, new and old, while adding time-saving elements. Servers can be focused on bussing tables, and the kitchen staff will enjoy not having to translate handwritten orders on questionable order pad paper.
Reporting and data offers advanced inventory controls
Inventory controls are a well-known problem area for restaurants – one that has gotten worse with the loss of staff capacity. But the same data and reporting that allow for automation to be added can be readily applied to inventory as well and using the same tools as already mentioned. These give you the ability to implement one of the most effective inventory time savers currently being used: par level.
When using the accuracy and monitoring attributes of a cloud-based POS system, those in the kitchen will be relieved of much of their inventory responsibility. Instead, advanced sales metrics will be deployed to drive a prompt ordering philosophy. This keeps you fully stocked, ensures the maximum taste and freshness of the ingredients, and reduces loss due to product expiration.
Learn more about point of sale options that help to manage staffing, and improve your visibility and accessibility online with U.S. Bank point of sale solution, talech.
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