Cam Northway of North Bondi restaurant and bar Rocker lists four must-have technologies for restaurateurs.
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Utilise an effective online booking system
An easy to navigate online booking system is a must-have for your hospitality business. A good system will offer an online booking platform that can integrate with your website and your restaurant’s existing technology. Not only do these programs help customers make bookings, they also offer other useful features for restaurant owners. For example, Dimmi has the ability to generate reports that show you if a booking is not completed and if the customer does not complete their booking. The report will also inform you where the booking process broke down. You can see if potential customers looked at your menu and decided not to book or if the booking was not completed because a table was unavailable at the time they wanted to come in.
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Take your HR online
Introducing workforce management software is imperative to cutting down on the amount of time spent in the back office away from staff and customers. Workforce management software improves staff communication by assigning tasks and providing notifications as soon as those tasks are complete. It also permits staff to log in and manage their own profiles, upload their availability to guarantee ease in rostering and access their payslips. Software such as Deputy assists with payroll accuracy because every staff member can only clock into their shift when they’re on the premises. It will also send an alert to the manager if a staff member is late for their shift. This might sound a bit strict, but it is a fair system and it will help management be as efficient as possible in ensuring HR compliance and workforce productivity.
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Use a powerful point-of-sale system
An efficient point-of-sale system is an absolute must for a hospitality business. Systems such as Revel can give you a daily breakdown of your highest- and lowest-selling items as well as staff costs vs food costs vs money in from patrons, which is a great planning tool for rostering. Embracing this type of software means that you no longer need a bookkeeper to run daily or weekly P&Ls as you can easily do it yourself. It removes any guesswork and ensures a more efficient operation.
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Streamline your accounting
It is vital your software integrates with an accounting program such as Xero. Paperless solutions including Receipt Bank are the easiest way to enter suppliers’ data into an accounting program. Using accounting software allows suppliers to directly send their invoices through so they don’t get lost and can be processed on time. Accounting software reduces the amount of time and money spent on documentation and manual labour, which means more time on the floor to ensure your customers enjoy a premium experience.
Northway is the co-owner of 2018 Good Food Guide chef’s hat restaurant and bar, Rocker at North Bondi as well as the founder and managing director of Sweet&Chilli Australia, NZ and LA.
