The increase in mobile apps, contactless payment platforms and near-field communications (NFC) transactions are transforming businesses. More than ever Point of Sale (POS) system integration is critical. When POS integration is done right, it can save a business money and enhance their customer’s experience. When done poorly, it impacts the whole business’s bottomline. Especially, with more businesses depending on curbside and door-to-door delivery services.
POS integration lets retailers, home repair contractors, restaurants, bars, or food delivery services like Uber Eats, Skip the Dishes, DoorDash, and other similar businesses manage purchases, customer orders and other operating tasks.
Essentially, when a customer pays for a product or service at the door, curbside or online the Point of Sale, or POS, is where they make the payment. It’s the point where the transaction is completed. But POS system integration is more than that.
Why the right Point of Sale (POS) system integration matters
Today’s POS systems are more than an electronic cash register. They’ve evolved. They’re cloud based and mobile device enabled. Meaning POS system integration creates a hub for a business’s orders, customer tracking, employee reporting and management.
For small and medium sized businesses (SMBs) a cloud enabled integrated POS system also helps with their back-office accounting systems, contactless payment, credit card and Interac payment processors. Now add to that the right back-end software applications such as a customer relationship (CRM), inventory management, simplifying ordering and delivery systems and synching partnered delivery services. Also, the right POS integration streamlines a business’s operations. Reducing its operating costs.
Any business depending on delivery services, automated processing of customer orders and/or partnering with a third-party delivery service needs proper POS integration. Understanding the software and hardware features for a seamless, always online, POS system is the starting point for effective POS integration. But what does that look like?
Clarity Custom POS Integration Solutions for Delivery Services
Every business with a POS system has different needs depending on the type of goods and services they offer. But they all require the right POS systems integration and support plan.
Let’s look at one example of how the right POS systems integration and support plan can work. Specifically, in the restaurant and food delivery services industry.
Recently, Clarity created a custom POS integration solution for a restaurant. So, they could increase their revenue and expand their customer base.
The restaurant wanted to partner with a food delivery service like Uber Eats, DoorDash or Skip the Dishes. They had two options.
Option 1 – Non-Integrated POS System, using the food delivery partner’s tablet or device. A hands-off direct delivery channel.
- This seems quick and easy, but every food delivery service has their own devices. Meaning the restaurant must manage and monitor multiple tablets.
- The food delivery services’ tablets are all separate standalone devices, and not integrated with the restaurant’s POS.
- Employees need to enter the information manually. Taking the information from the food delivery services’ tablet and inputting it into the restaurant’s POS system. Increasing labour costs.
- Since every food order the restaurant receives through the food delivery service’s tablet needs to be entered manually into their POS, this created additional issues. Such as increasing the likelihood of order errors, confusion between the kitchen and front of house and added to the restaurant’s overhead.
Option 2 – Point of Sale (POS) systems integration. Enabling streamlining and automation of the restaurant’s operations.
- With POS systems integration, a centralized menu management system is created. Removing the need to manage and monitor multiple tablets.
- Seamless food delivery order processing. Giving customers the ability to place their orders via a mobile app and pushing the order through to the restaurant’s own POS.
- Reducing the labour costs associated with entering orders and decreasing order errors and confusion.
- Integration of existing supported POS systems such as back-office accounting systems, CRM and other analytics.
While Option 1 seems easier, the truth is that it costs the restaurant more in the long run. By choosing Option 2, Clarity’s POS systems integration, the restaurant reduced its overhead, increased its revenue and expanded its customer base.
What if a restaurant has their own major POS system, can they create an integrated POS system?
The reality is most restaurants don’t have the technical expertise POS systems integration requires. There are both software and hardware considerations as well as cybersecurity concerns.
While they may have POS support, they may not have the staffing to integrate each food delivery services system into their own integrated POS system. In these cases, a restaurant with their own major POS system needs the help of a third party, like Clarity.
Clarity builds and customizes the POS integration solution between the restaurant’s POS system and the food delivery service’s channel. Ensuring the restaurant’s menu items are synched between both platforms for seamless integration.
If your business uses POS, consider POS systems integration
No matter the size or type of business, any business with a POS system should assess their POS integration options.
While the example above looked at the restaurant industry, consider how POS system integration can lower overhead. Plus, enhance the business’s inventory management, CRM and other back-office operations by simplifying them. And if a business needs to suddenly provide door-to-door delivery or curbside delivery services— they can.
All it takes is the right integration and support plan. Connect with Clarity to learn more about how Clarity can help with POS system integration.