The challenges in running businesses like a restaurant are great. You need to be aware of everything from inventory details to customer service. In addition, it is essential to relate well with suppliers and follow the trends that shape the market.
To face these challenges and not go down, technologies offer possibilities that are great allies of the manager. Among them, the restaurant system is an option to automate tasks and have more time to focus on the business.
How is it? Not sure what ERP is and how it can help you manage everything in your business? Calm down, you will learn more about the subject in this text.
What is a restaurant system?
It is an ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning), which, in good Portuguese, is translated into Enterprise Resource Planning. Which, in turn, means ease of processes.
It is software that allows you to easily manage all your business operations, gathering information in a single place. From stock control, through cash flow, to reach your consumer's plate. The management system makes your life easier for you to focus on strategic tasks and be free to better serve your customer.
Automate processes? For what?
Yes, the main advantage of having a restaurant system is to reduce manual activities in your routine. That's not quite it. What an ERP provides is the automation of management processes that are often bureaucratic. And that gives you many advantages.
Error reduction
Manual operations are often the cause of calculation or data filling errors. With a system for restaurants, you standardize repetitive and time-consuming processes.
This ensures more hits in cash flow reports, for example. And when you cut down on errors, you cut down on rework — saving, of course, time.
Improved productivity
The biggest advantage of an ERP, probably, is the centralization of information that involves your company. This feature allows the manager to monitor everything that happens, whether it is the entry of new food into stock or the closing of the cashier at the end of the day.
The other users of the system gain as well. In just a few clicks, it is possible to generate reports, update information and better serve the consumer.
You "get rid", so to speak, of tasks that would take a long time and are free to align the service of the waiters, the cashier, reanalyses the menu and can relate better with those who frequent your business. In other words, the entire team becomes more productive.
Investment optimization
With the success of a good report and better time to analyse business results, you can study the best investments to be made.
That's because a system for a restaurant must offer a financial monitoring tool that analyses from the checkout to the dishes that give the most return — those that are cost-effective.
At these times, you understand when is the best time to hire employees, renovate the kitchen or open a franchise too.
What ERP for restaurants needs to serve me?
For you to have all these benefits (and more) in your company, the chosen system must have good features. Some may be basic, but they will earn you big!
Management of tables and commands
If there's something you can't give up, it's the quality of services offered to your customer. This means that you need to have a tool that controls the attendance of the tables and commands.
This is also a sensitive part of the restaurant manager's life. That's because it's pretty annoying when something goes wrong at the table: wrong orders or incorrect accounts.
In addition to avoiding failures, you can also streamline the order: the moment someone places it, the waiter can confirm with the kitchen using an application on his cell phone or a desktop.
Inventory control
Here he is again. Remember when you read about the stock here? Yes, you need to remember it when analysing the market options for a restaurant system.
In this case, you need to pay attention to the form that the software offers. If it has the customization for your needs, it will often vary by the segment of the restaurant.
As each bar has different dishes, customers and scenarios, stock management needs to adapt to your context, right?
Cash flow
As every good entrepreneur knows, cash flow is at the heart of the business. This is where everything that keeps your company alive comes out: working capital. Therefore, the restaurant system you are looking for must provide the best tools to generate and control your cash.
Integration with delivery services
Today, technology allows for the most diverse types of comfort for users. And being able to have the food you offer in your restaurant in the comfort of your own home is one of them. There is no shortage of applications that do the work of taking an order and delivering it to the user.
And you can't ignore the power these apps have over a person's decision-making. Therefore, when choosing the best platform, remember that it must allow integration with these devices, which makes life easier for you and the customer.
Good interface
You are choosing to have management software for your company to make your life easier. It's no use having a confusing system, which is not intuitive and practical in the users' routine, right?! So, consider whether the user experience is simple, as you can't waste time looking for features.
Specialized service
Well, truth be told: implementing an ERP can be a big shock to your team at first. Even after getting used to the use, the contracted company must provide technical support and training. And, throughout the contract, they must be available for urgent care as well.