What is an order management system?
An order management system is a software that manages orders of any type, including e-commerce, restaurant, and retail. The software can track the customer's information to identify patterns and behaviors so the company can make better decisions for future sales. It helps with inventory management and merchandising strategy by analyzing sales performance and adjusting pricing levels accordingly. Order management systems are becoming more prevalent these days, especially in the e-commerce market. As a result, companies get more accurate data about their customers as well as a deeper understanding of how to sell their products. They also manage costs by reducing wasted inventory and ensuring that high-performing products are being made available to customers at all times.
How to Set Up an Omni-channel Order Management System for Your Restaurant
What is Restaurant Order Management?
Restaurants, bars and any foodservice establishment runs on orders, be it from individual customers or other businesses, supply chains and organizations. With technological advancement, sales orders are no longer restricted to brick and mortar stores. As online and dine-in orders come in simultaneously, managers have to keep track of and process all sales orders in real time.
Although seamless order management is often a daunting task for restaurants, the process can be handled with ease in ways that will enhance customer service and help business operations grow.
In the restaurant business, it's essential for an establishment to maintain high quality of service. This can only be done with accurate order tracking, inventory control and timelyorder fulfillment. With these goals in mind, restaurant owners are deploying innovative tech solutions to fulfill a multitude of tasks quickly and effectively.
What's an Omni-channel Order Management System?
In the digital age, restaurants and retail establishments have to provide the same quality of customer service across all their sales channelsbe it online, through third party aggregators or brick and mortar stores. Omni-channel order management tools help restaurant owners with just thatorder management and order fulfillment across sales channels with the same accuracy and expertise.
Omnichannel order management software is a system for restaurants and food outlets to not only manage order processing, but also enhance their customer service. Restaurants can use order management systems for both online and offline sales orders as a ship-to-store service. For better business management and customer service, the management solution also integrates with third party tech solutions used by restaurants, such as inventory management, point of sale and accounting software. With this, the system can serve as an all-in-one restaurant management tool that makes your business more efficient.
An omnichannel order management system helps businesses make sure all sales orders are carefully handled, delivered or picked up without glitches. These cloud based software systems are therefore the best starting point for the effective handling of customers.
You need an order management system that can accurately keep track of all your orders and transactions across touchpoints.
This article shows you how to set up an Omni-channel Order Management System your restaurant can rely on.
Drawbacks of Conventional Order Management Systems
- Conventional order management software that promises to manage orders ship-to-store often leave restaurants and retail stores with loose ends. What about order fulfillment? What if a customer doesn't want the product even after it arrives at the pickup point?
- After orders are placed and once deliveries arrive at the store, a conventional order management system will not address subsequent operational needs.
- There are also limitations in the order fulfillment department. Order management systems often fail to accurately sync multiple channels with pickup and delivery points because of their lack of flexibility.
- Conventional order management software does not support order routing, which involves processing orders for exchange or return once they have been delivered or picked up.
- Some order management systems also fail to integrate with other essential B2B tools needed to operate a restaurant business, such as inventory management software, supply chain management, warehouse management, employee management and customer service.
How Can a POS System Streamline the Order Management Process?
- An order management solution that is integrated with a POS system will have access to all the details of the sales orders in the system. This will help with seamless order fulfillment and on-time delivery.
- An efficient and accurate order management process also improves customer service, which is of utmost importance for any establishment in the hospitality industry. With a seamless order management system, you can reduce the customer wait time, start tableside ordering with mobile POS devices, provide multiple payment solutions and ensure quick service overall.
- An all-in-one restaurant management software like Plum POS by Hubworks ensures you have all the necessary tools you need. From inventory management software, to online ordering and delivery, warehouse management and employee scheduling, the system will integrate all your restaurant management tools. This makes sure the entire operation is streamlined and in sync.
- With a POS system as part of the order management software, wastage is reduced and money saved.
- You can also integrate the system with your employee management and scheduling tools that can assist with operations in the front and back of the house.
How to Choose a POS System for Omni-channel Order Management?
Omnichannel order management systems are built for high volume orders and supplies. You therefore have to choose a POS system that can best address these demands.
- Opt for a POS system that will work equally well on all browsers and devices. The POS system interface must be easy to use and responsive to different types of devices, whether POS terminals or mobile POS systems, or self-service kiosks.
- The POS management system must be able to handle different types of payment gateways, be it digital wallets, credit card or cash.
- Find a POS system that will process all online, offline and third party orders with equal ease. It should also be able to handle a high volume of order supplies you will be handling with an omnichannel order management system.
- The POS system should be able to process takeaway, pickup, delivery and tableside ordering with the same level of efficiency and accuracy.
- Look for a POS system that is not only cloud based but has an offline mode as well, to provide customers with uninterrupted services.
- The POS system must also be able to provide easy to understand, real time reports on sales, inventory, revenue, and so on.
You’ve launched a new restaurant and you’re trying to figure out how to manage your orders across channels.
You need an order management system that can process orders across all of your touchpoints. This article will show you how to set one up.
5 Best POS Systems that Ace Order Management
The best order management software for your restaurant business will depend on the kind of needs you wish to meet with the system. There are a number of integrated tools, features that this software comes with, but you need to choose wisely, keeping in mind your specific needs, budget and business outlook.
Here's a list of the five best POS systems for order management in the restaurant business-
1. Plum POS- Plum Point of Sale is a simple, all-in-one restaurant management solution that can help streamline your business and ensure customer satisfaction. Apart from order management, Plum POS features all the essential tools needed to run a restaurant, including inventory management software, employee scheduling, workforce management, online ordering, and so on. Be it a single storefront or a restaurant chain across multiple locations, Plum POS can adapt to your business scale with ease. Plum can also integrate with other tools you may be using for your business, like accounting software.
The Plum mobile app will keep you constantly updated with real time sales reports, inventory tracking, customer feedback and also social media updates. Moreover, Plum offers a bunch of hardware devices such as POS terminals, mobile POS and self-service kiosks to optimize your operations. Plum's POS system is simple, easy to use and has been designed especially for the foodservice industry.
2. Toast POS- Toast POS is another highly rated restaurant management and POS system software that offers tools like mobile app ordering, online ordering, takeout, delivery, contactless payments and also loyalty programs for better customer service. Toast POS offers a secure cloud based restaurant management system that gives restaurant owners an overview of their operations with their reporting and analytics tools. With this, the restaurant management will have a better understanding of expenses, sales and revenue. The Toast POS system also offers tools to streamline payroll and inventory management.
3. Square for Restaurants- This cloud based solution is particularly designed for restaurants and can handle operations of all scale. From menu management to floor management, order management, and payment processing, the integrated Square software will meet all needs. Square also helps restaurants design an e-commerce platform to handle online ordering, delivery and order pickups. Square for Restaurants also includes discount management, remote device management, real time order tracking, inventory tracking and multi-device data synchronization. Moreover, Square also provides insightful reports into sales orders, revenue, kitchen performance, staff performance and payments.
4. Upserve- Upserve by Lightspeed is a POS system that works on both Android and iOS systems. It's a robust, all-in-one restaurant management solution that takes care of online ordering, inventory management, contactless payments and sales analytics. This software is easy to use, saves time and promises to help boost revenue. With tools such as shift notes, tip adjustments, check-splitting and workforce management, Upserve also assists in employee management. Moreover, with the 'Upserve Live' feature, restaurant owners and managers can track sales, guest counts, bestselling menu items and other trends in real time.
5. TouchBistro- TouchBistro is another popular point of sale system and integrated restaurant management software that gives you all the tools you need to run a business. From inventory management to contactless payment solutions, self-service kiosks and kitchen display systems, TouchBistro offers a range of management solutions for restaurants to streamline their operations. TouchBistro also supports online ordering, loyalty programs and gift cards for restaurants to offer better customer service. Apart from the various products it offers, the software also integrates with third party systems.
Order Management FAQs
Q1. What is buffer stock in an order management system?
A- In an order management system, buffer stock is referred to the safety inventory levels a restaurant or retail business wishes to maintain for odd days. In such a system, once the stock levels go below the buffer stock, that inventory would not be counted as "available for e-commerce orders".
Q2- Why is it important to have third party integrations?
A- Most order management systems offer third party integrations because restaurants and retail businesses run on a number of tech tools. Each business has its own tech stack that runs the entire operation. It is absolutely essential for a restaurant to have its order management system and point of sale system working in sync with its other software for a seamless and hassle-free user experience. Otherwise, managers will have to manually transfer data from one software to another, which will consume time and effort.
Managing all your orders across multiple touch-points is a complex, time-consuming process.
What you need is an order management system that can process orders quickly and efficiently across the board. Here’s how to set one up . . .
