What is an EPoS system?
EPoS, which stands for electronic point of sale, is the combination of hardware and software that allows you to accept payments. POS software accepts payment types such as debit cards, credit cards, mobile payments, cash, online payments, contactless payments, and more.
EPoS software has evolved in recent years. They used to be glorified cash drawers, but now they are full-on sale systems that store customer data, manage inventory, and improve the customer experience. Most POS systems have built-in analytic tools, allowing you to gain more insight into how your business is running.
What should a good POS system do best?
A good EPoS system or PoS system will perform the basic functions very well. A good POS system will accept a wide range of payment types, and provide you with accurate inventory management. It will also integrate seamlessly with the rest of your existing systems, such as your restaurant reservation system or accounting software.
The best POS system nowadays acts more than just a point of sale system. It will aid in customer management, by capturing customer data at the checkout. An EPoS system is more than a restaurant management system. It can serve as the anchor to other technology solutions, such as workforce management, reservations systems, and procurement.
The software of a good POS system can be programmed to integrate with other solutions for streamlined operations and to boost efficiency. For example, if your business is in the hospitality industry, it’s best practice to choose an EPoS system that is compatible with other restaurant and pub technologies.
Smiling waitress wearing an apron using a touchscreen point-of-sale terminal while working in a trendy restaurant
Important EPoS Hardware and Software
Every epos solution is made up of both software and hardware. The POS software fees are generally much more expensive than the POS hardware fees, particularly in modern POS systems.
Hardware
On a basic level, the POS hardware is what lets you accept payments. As previously mentioned, you should make sure it accepts a wide variety of payment options, such as cash, debit cards, and credit cards. The hardware is what the customer can see at the checkout counter.
Your hardware should also be able to print receipts, scan barcodes, and store money in cash drawers. Common hardware devices included in an epos package include the till system/cash drawer, card reader/payment processor/receipt printer, and iPads. An iPad works great for ringing up sales on the go as it acts as a mobile POS system.
Software
The software components of the POS system are the brains of the operation. This is what captures customer information, provides stock control, detailed sales reports, and more. If you run a restaurant and you’re looking for the best system around, it will even have features like nutritional and allergen information on each dish.
What should I look for in an EPoS system?
There are a number of features to look for in a POS system. However, it is important to remember that what you look for should be in line with your business objectives. What might be critically important to one person, may not be so important to another.
When looking to purchase a new POS system, you must know what you want the POS solution to do, and how you want it to perform, along with what POS features are important to you. Here we’ve got a breakdown of all the important key features that you should look for. If you can find one that ticks all or most of these boxes, then you should be happy with your POS provider.
1. An EPoS System with great functionality
Functionality is the core feature that even the best POS system will prioritise. Your POS system must have good functionality. You must know exactly what you want it to do and it should be able to perform to satisfy your needs.
Examples of some common, but important functionalities include managing inventory, fast payment processing, advanced reporting, and accepting a wide variety of payment options.
Some increasingly popular functionalities include its ability to boost customer relationship management, popular dish tracking, and upselling/marketing efforts. It’s also a plus if the EPoS facilitates loyalty programs.
2. An EPoS System that’s easy to use
A good POS is very user-friendly. This is one of the top factors you should look for. It’s not over-complicated and is laid out in a way that suits your business operations. Having a customisable POS system will help achieve this.
All employees should be comfortable using the POS software on a day-to-day basis. It shouldn’t take long to train new employees on how to use the POS software, and using the POS system shouldn’t be a burden on any employee in your business.
3. An EPoS System that has exceptional support
The EPoS provider should have a support team reachable within standard business hours. Knowing there is technical support at your disposal from the EPoS providers gives peace of mind to the business owner and their employees.
It makes business easier when there is customer support available when things go wrong. Customer support should also answer any queries you have about the EPoS system.
4. An EPoS System with great security
It’s important to know your EPoS system is secure. The POS system should have up-to-date security standards to prevent payment fraud. It should also be easy to update, without the need to contact the EPoS vendor.
A great solution is cloud-based, meaning you won’t lose any data if the system temporarily shuts down.
5. An EPoS System with flexibility
As previously mentioned, POS systems should accept multiple payment types. It should accept anything from credit card transactions to cash, contactless payments, and many more. This opens up more sales channels for your business. Having an iPad POS system gives flexibility to employees as it allows them to process payments on the go.
The best POS system isn’t one-dimensional, it should easily process refunds and track sales and inventory accordingly, allowing the entire business to run smoothly.
6. An EPoS System that’s customisable
The point-of-sale system should be fully customisable. This allows you to design it to fit your business needs. For example, retail stores or clothing boutiques may want to group items together as part of a package deal, whereas a restaurant may want to group tables together for larger bookings.
7. An EPoS System that saves time
POS systems should save you time on administrative tasks, such as inventory management. As the point of sale system is integrated with stock and accounts, all the data is stored in one place, so it does these administrative tasks for you.
The POS solution should also save you time on processing payments, making lines move quicker, which is one of the common pain points small business owners have.
8. An EPoS System with interesting bonus features
Bonus features consist of non-essential features that allow your business to operate more efficiently. Examples include loyalty schemes, popular item tracking, and additional information on items. POS systems that facilitate a loyalty program give incentives to customers to return to your business.
9. An EPoS software that offers sales reporting
This feature allows you to track what goods or services are performing well, while also informing you of what goods or services aren’t performing well. For example, in restaurants, its important you have a clear idea of what menu items are performing better than others.
This feature gives an accurate understanding of what you need to consider when creating menus and dishes, in order to drive more sales. POS systems that perform sales reports tend to play a key role in business growth. If your current system doesn’t provide sales reports, it may be time to look at other merchants.
What is Access EPoS?
Access EPoS is our cloud-based EPoS software that gives hospitality operators the technology to drive efficiency and run a more profitable business, as well as provide exceptional guest experiences from one trusted source.
We offer all the key functionalities mentioned in this blog, such as inventory management, as well as bonus features such as customers being able to order and pay at the table. Our easy-to-use epos software integrates with popular apps, such as Apple Pay, Android Pay, Deliveroo, Uber Eats, and more.
Many EPoS systems won’t offer upselling opportunities in order to boost revenue, which is why Access EPoS offers a great return on investment (ROI). Our EPoS system drives your overall business performance.
Why should you choose Access EPoS?
We are unmatched by competitors in the Irish electronic point-of-sale market in areas such as flexibility, reliability, and adaptability. Our EPoS software is easily configured for mobile devices, tablets, quick service, and kiosk-style services.
We allow allergen, dietary, and nutritional information on all dishes and recipes to be accessible at the click of a button, which is something that many EPoS systems don’t offer. Our customers range from small businesses to businesses with multiple stores.
Our EPoS system is packed full of easy-to-use smart functionalities, including clever up-selling tactics, which help boost sales. We also provide promotional and grouping prompts that make serving customers a lot quicker. The EPoS system we provide is essentially a fully customisable, smart functioning EPoS system that makes your business operations run smoothly.
Our bottom line is to help your business save time, save money, and increase efficiency.
Book a free demonstration of the Access Epos system, to see if it’s the right EPoS system for you.