Change Management and Your Point of Sale

Changes: Turn and Face the Strange

To borrow from David Bowie’s iconic song, Changes, times of transition can feel strange and uncomfortable. Change can even be downright scary, especially when it comes to your point of sale (POS). But if you want to stay on top of industry trends — ghost kitchens, anyone? — offer the best customer experience, and ensure your POS is as cost and resource-effective as possible, it may be time to embrace some change. 

I sat down with Antonia Guerrero, one of Revel’s experienced enterprise project managers, to find out why so many businesses are making the switch from legacy systems to cloud-based ones, and how they can do so successfully. 

Here’s a look at our full conversation on best practices for change management and your POS:

Q&A with Antonia

Q: There seems to be an upward trend of big, multi-site enterprise companies moving from legacy to cloud-based POS systems. Why do you think this is? 

A: Legacy systems have built-in structures that don’t allow for much flexibility when business goals and processes need to be changed or redirected. Cloud-based systems, on the other hand, allow businesses to shift and grow easily — in any direction — due to their mobile structure (which allows for remote software updates), and application programming interface (API), which supports innovation and new functionality.   

For example, if you realize online ordering is a strong driver of sales for your business, a cloud-based system will allow you to integrate with a third-party online ordering system that suits your needs perfectly. In today’s customer-focused business, a big part of finding the perfect POS is about finding the perfect partners. 

It’s vital for restaurants and retailers to be prepared for the ever-changing customer experience. A huge part of a good customer experience is offering them what they want, when they want it. Revel Integrated — Revel’s program for POS integration partners — allows that to happen. 

Also, cloud-based systems are much more cost and resource-effective than legacy systems. The amount of hours and money it takes to maintain a legacy POS can be harmful to a company’s bottom line. Cloud-based systems offer free version updates that happen automatically and don’t require costly, on-site implementations. 

Q: What is your biggest piece of advice for businesses making a POS switch?

A: Think of a POS switch as a people project rather than a technology project. The biggest success factor when switching platforms is how your organization is — or isn’t — prepared for the change. In addition to training your frontline employees, you also have to consider the rest of your organization, such as those who handle accounting, reporting, inventory, and training materials. 

It’s important to make sure every team member knows and understands why the company is making the switch, who’s going to be impacted, how they will be involved, and what the company will look like when the change is complete. 

Q: What are some common hurdles people experience when going through a POS switch, and what are some ways those hurdles can be avoided? 

A: The biggest mistake people make when switching is not planning for the learning curve, especially when multiple people and departments are involved. 

If businesses underestimate the amount of time and effort it will take to really implement a successful transformation, this can cause a slew of issues. One of the key things to think about when adding new software or a new integration is to realize it will be happening on top of daily job duties. To ease the burden, make sure to plan for the amount of time, attention, and resources the change will require.

The best way to avoid this hurdle is to use all the resources that the new system offers. For instance, support sites, in-app guides, and when available, professional services can help alleviate the challenges of switching systems. 

Q: What are the biggest benefits of switching from a legacy to a cloud-based POS system?  

A: The biggest benefit of a cloud-based system is its ability to grow with your business. Cloud solutions with an open API component allow you to prepare for the future of your company by ensuring you can offer an evolving customer experience. 

By design, cloud-based systems are more streamlined and easier to use than their legacy counterparts. They also give you the option to add new channels to your system at any time. 

For example, voice ordering, drone ordering, and ghost kitchens are recent trends that have popped up in the world of customer ordering. It’s nearly impossible to predict what the next craze will be, but you can equip yourself with a system that can quickly and easily integrate with the latest solutions available in the industry.  

Learn more about Revel’s Cloud-Based Platform

If life sounds better in the cloud after Antonia’s insights in this Q&A session, request a demo today for details on how Revel’s cloud-based POS solution could be the right fit for your business.