What EPoS can do for you - Feature
EPoS suppliers offer a variety of software modules to cover different aspects of the business, with licensees able to pick and choose which programs suit their needs. Additional modules can be easily installed to suit changing business requirements.
One of the biggest suppliers to the pub trade is Alphameric, which offers Caterwide - a web-based operating system linked to a central database with central data storage. This means data can be accessed remotely by internet-enabled laptops, mobile phones etc, as well as from the PC in the outlet.
Caterwide modules that can be loaded cover all elements of running a pub:
l The cash module covers all income and expenditure, from money deposited in a bank, debtors, payroll and petty cash to checking actual trading performance against forecasts and handling overseas currency transactions
l The ordering module is used to place orders and receive confirmation from suppliers. The order remains live until the licensee confirms delivery. The module also handles issues such as part deliveries, goods returned, unacceptable goods and recording details of wastage for stock auditing purposes. It can also be programed to take account of previous trading records, for example, those covering bank holidays, Mother's Day or an event like the FA Cup Final, which could lead to increased sales.
The module will supply a recommended order list that the licensee can accept or modify to suit circumstances or anticipated trade. Alerts can be sent via email or as text messages to a mobile phone to inform operators that orders haven't been placed or stocks are running low
l The "central" module controls the pricing of food and beverages. It allows price modelling of items on the menu and gives GPs for various selling prices. It can be used to monitor events such as food or drinks promotions and their effect on the bottom line. Additionally, changes in the cost of raw materials can be analysed. For example, if the price of lamb has gone up, all items on the menu containing lamb can be analysed to see the effect the price rise has on GP, or the module used to produce new recommended retail prices to keep margins the same
l Another module, MIS, is designed primarily for financial and marketing appraisals and gives data on what product is sold with what, when and by whom. Clare Barber, marketing manager for Alphameric, says it is similar to supermarket systems which analyse products in shoppers' basket to find connections between the products bought. Barber says if purchasing patterns reveal that customers who buy, say, a bottle of Budweiser are more likely to buy a packet of nuts at the same time, this information can be used to run promotions or special deals. "It is a very good way of maximising sales," she says. It can also be used to monitor buying trends at different trading periods or between different outlets
l PALM is the module covering payroll and labour management. Apart from staff wages, it can be used for other functions, such as comparing sales patterns against the number of employees, thereby letting licensees know if they have too many or too few employees on duty at a particular time. Licensees can also schedule the time it should take for a particular operation, such as preparing a meal, so that the appropriate number of employees are on duty. Finally, PALM can produce the "real" hourly cost of an individual member of staff after taking into account items such as National Insurance, pension contributions and annual leave pay entitlement.
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