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What to look for in a multi-site management EPoS

Against all odds, the UK's restaurant scene is constantly booming, and branded chains are leading the charge, accounting for over 54% growth in the industry. And while chains undeniably benefit from brand recognition and economies of scale, they also face the complexities of managing multiple locations - maintaining consistency, working efficiently and delivering exceptional customer experiences, to name a few.  

To sustain this success in a challenging economic climate, restaurants, pubs, and bars operators with big ambitions must invest in scalable solutions that can grow alongside them - whether they have two locations or two hundred.  

As a technology provider to the hospitality sector here at Access, we help growing independents and large-scale multi-site operators boost efficiency, make smarter decisions, and keep customers coming back for more, no matter which location they visit. 

One of the first essential steps when moving to a multi-site setup is having a multi-site management EPoS system and, in this article, we'll explain why it's worth investing in it once your business grows beyond its first site.  

Posted 27/05/2024

What is multi-site EPOS management?  

Multi-site EPoS management is centralised control and coordination of multiple restaurant, pub, or bar locations through a single, integrated EPOS system.  

This technology seamlessly connects your venues regardless of their geographical location and allows you to oversee everything - from menu management and inventory tracking to staff scheduling and sales reporting, all in real-time. 

But it's not just about data and analytics. Centralised EPoS helps create a consistent brand experience for your customers (no matter which location they visit), as well as streamline your operations across sites, saving you a substantial amount of time.  

Key benefits of multi-location POS system 

Having one central system to manage all your locations leads to improvements across virtually all your operations, here's how: 

Operational efficiency

  • Centralised management - a centralised POS system lets you control everything from one place - menus, pricing updates, and inventory spreadsheets, saving time and reducing errors. 
  • Real-time visibility - a truly essential feature giving you a view of your entire business with instant access to sales data, inventory levels, and staff performance across all locations. 
  • Improved communication - instead of notifying each of your teams separately, you can keep everyone on the same page with seamless communication between locations, ensuring consistent operations and a unified brand experience. 

Data-driven insights 

  • Comprehensive analytics - one of the biggest benefits is the ability to track key metrics as a whole instead of each individual venue. 
  • Streamlined updates - with a centralised POS, you can instantly adjust cost prices across every branch, saving yourself hours of work and ensuring accurate profit margins. 

Enhanced customer experience 

  • Consistent branding - with a multi-location POS system, you're not just managing multiple sites, but you're building a cohesive brand, so having unified pricing, menu items and seasonal offers across all sites, reinforces your brand identity. 
  • Centralised loyalty programs - a central loyalty database will allow you to run your loyalty schemes across all your branches.  
  • Omnichannel experience - offering your customers the flexibility to order online, through an app, or in-store, with a unified experience that makes it easy for them to engage with your brand wherever they are. 

Additional benefits 

  • Scalability - as your business grows, your POS system should easily scale with you, accommodating new locations and features without disruption. For an expanding hospitality operation, new venues or pop-up sites, POS systems are simply linked together, providing instant access to product and pricing data across the whole business.  
  • Integrations - a multi-location POS system brings everything together, so you can manage your entire business – from sales to staff to online orders – in a single, streamlined platform. 

What are the challenges of multi-site EPoS implementation? 

It's clear there are a lot of benefits to having one central system to manage multiple sites, but as with any big change, there are a few challenges you'll need to prepare yourself and your team for.  

Cost 

The upfront cost of purchasing or leasing the hardware and software for a multi-location EPOS system can be significant, especially for smaller businesses, however, many EPoS providers offer flexible payment options to help you budget for the switch. Before finalising the sale, check if your chosen provider can support you in managing your rollout plan to fit your budget. 

Setup 

  • System configuration - setting up a new EPOS system for multiple locations can be a complex and time-consuming process, as you'll need to transfer or set up all your existing data, such as customer records, sales history, inventory details, and menu items. 
  • Customisation - in some cases, additional customisation might be needed to tailor the system to meet the specific needs of each of your locations. 

Onboarding 

  • Staff training - training staff at all locations on the new system can be a logistical challenge, especially if there are high turnover rates or you don't have training procedures or a learning management system in place.  
  • New procedures - introducing the new EPOS system will also mean a change in some of your procedures and habits, such as cash handling, inventory checks, and customer service across all your locations, so it's important to communicate those changes with everyone in the organisation. 

Installation 

  • Hardware and software testing - setting up new EPoS hardware (e.g., tablets, printers, kitchen display systems) or software will require some time and can cause a potential disruption, so you should account for some time in this process. 
  • Network connectivity - before rolling out the new system, ensure you have reliable internet connectivity at all locations for real-time data synchronisation and seamless operation from day one. 
  • Data security - as you'll be storing a growing amount of sensitive customer and business data, you'll need security measures and protocols in place to protect yourself from breaches and cyberattacks.  

Key features to consider when rolling out a multi-site EPoS 

When choosing a multi-site EPOS system, there are several crucial features to consider to ensure it aligns with your business needs and ambitions. 

First and foremost, look for a system with centralised management, as this feature is essential to control menus, pricing, offers, and inventory across all your locations from a single platform - it will save you time and reduce the amount of work and spreadsheets.  

Real-time data is another must-have, since, when managing (most likely remotely), all your locations, you need instant access to sales figures, inventory levels, and staff performance data.  

Scalability is also key, which is why your chosen EPoS system should be able to grow alongside your business, easily accommodating new locations and features as your needs evolve. 

Your multi-location POS system should seamlessly connect with other essential business systems, such as accounting, payroll, and online ordering platforms, so make sure to check ahead all your current, as well as planned integrations, third-party aggregators, and other systems.  

Finally, don't overlook the importance of robust reporting and analytics capabilities. Your multi-site EPoS system should provide detailed reports on sales, inventory, customer behaviour, and more, giving you a clear understanding of how your business is performing and where improvements can be made.  

In addition to these core features, consider factors like the ease of use for your staff and look for a system that's backed by reliable technical support equipped with security measures to protect your sensitive data.  

How can Access EPoS help your multi-site business? 

Despite potential challenges related to rolling out a system for multiple venues, it's possible to easily implement a multi-location POS system with a trusted and reliable provider, such as Access Hospitality. 

Here's why Access EPoS is the perfect choice for growing independents and large-scale multi-site operators: 

  • Centralised management - control and manage all aspects of your business across all locations from a single platform. 
  • Real-time data & analytics - our intuitive and easy-to-use cloud-based hospitality EPoS system is perfect for multi-site businesses of all sizes and thanks to its robust analytics, you can access all your sales, inventory and other crucial data in real-time, 24/7, from any place.  
  • Scalability & customisation - our system adapts to suit your specific requirements, whether you have multiple brands or different service styles within a single site.  
  • Integrations - no other restaurant EPoS provider can match our 55+ integrations with major delivery, payment, order ahead and delivery, loyalty, engagement and marketing apps. 
  • Improved speed of service - easy to use EPoS system helps you to speed up your service time with greater accuracy while delivering better communications between the front of house, kitchens, and the back office. 
  • Security - our hosted SQL EPoS back office online is a safe and secure cloud-based platform that offers real-time insights across sites. 

Ready to discover a complete solution for all your sites?  

In this article, we’ve looked at the reasons why hospitality operators should consider implementing a scalable EPoS system when managing 1+ sites. Although, as we mentioned above, the transition will require some effort, the benefits of streamlined processes, data-driven insights, and enhanced customer experiences far outweigh the initial investment. 

If you're ready to start your journey towards more efficient operations or would like to learn more, talk to the team today.  

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