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Revel Systems | January 20, 2021 |
As we collectively settle into the new year, we’re excited to feature another example of one of the trailblazers helping to push Revel and our technology forward.
Our most recent spotlight featured Wajih, an enterprise sales engineer responsible for helping prospective clients determine if Revel is a fit for their multi-location operations. Our next “People POS” spotlight features Paton. He’s a solution architect who often works in tandem with Revel’s sales engineering team to help company decision makers vet Revel’s platform.
After spending over 17 years managing and consulting quick service restaurants, Paton made the switch to a different type of client-facing role when he joined Revel’s professional services team. Read on to learn how Paton leverages his first hand industry experience, making him a valuable asset to prospective and current clients alike.
As a solution architect within Revel’s professional services organization, Paton works with prospective clients—alongside sales engineers like Wajih—to help gauge their current hardware footprint and desired technology framework. He then helps determine how Revel’s platform could fit into their restaurant or retail environments. As a natural extension of his role, this often means he’s with clients on-site during the first few days of their implementation to help ensure a smooth start with the new platform.
During the implementation stage, Paton admits that it’s a lot more work than just plugging in hardware and turning on iPads. This is where his years of restaurant management experience shine. Beyond turning the system on, Paton works to anticipate what an operator may need based on their previous setup, and explores how they can optimize outdated processes using Revel’s technology.
“You have to remember that switching POS platforms creates an entirely new flow for their kitchen and back of house staff. It’s important to really teach employees and management how to use the new technology to fit their unique specifications. That’s what initially sold them on the solution,” Paton explains.
Another key part of successful implementations includes ensuring that clients’ setup is replicable and scalable. Paton explains that he’s not only trying to help a client roll out successfully in one location, but wants them to find success with Revel across future locations. For multi-unit and enterprise operations, Revel’s ability to scale is a critical factor in the decision-making process.
Similar to many roles at Revel, Paton spent a significant part of his work week travelling to client locations prior to COVID-19. When the global pandemic suspended on-site travel, the professional services team was forced to pivot and determine how they could keep client implementation timelines on schedule without being there in person.
“We came together as a team and had to figure out how to roll out large-scale clients remotely. I felt lucky to have my team to lean on when it came to getting coverage on remote installs,” Paton explains. “We’ve relied on entirely new communication tools at times, including Facetime and even Facebook chat. Against all odds, we’ve made it work, and we appreciate how accommodating clients have been along the way.”
Whether onsite or through a video conferencing call, Paton and his team’s mission remains the same: empower Revel clients with the technology they need to operate and grow their businesses successfully.
With five and half years of Revel experience under his belt, Paton has had the chance to play an integral role in implementing some of Revel’s biggest, most complex clients.
“One of my favorite projects that I’ve worked on was located inside the Pentagon. I loved that project because it was a group project—we had team members from all over the country fly in to work on it and we worked together very seamlessly. It was also a difficult project,” Paton recalls. “All cellular and wifi services are blocked upon entering the Pentagon, so we had to get creative.”
The project was a success thanks in large part to teamwork, and is just a singular example of the collaboration that goes on between members of Revel’s professional services organization.
Paton’s passion towards helping clients and deepening his understanding of Revel’s product stretches far beyond his tenure at Revel. It’s the result of a career devoted to serving the restaurant industry, and he continues to remain enthusiastic about the work he’s doing.
“What excites me about working at Revel is the same thing that made me passionate about working in the restaurant industry. I’m not just working with people who are doing a job. I’m working with people who are genuinely excited about what they’re doing,” Paton explains. “Revel employees are excited to show you the next big thing they’re working on, whether it’s a new product, hardware enhancement, or client they’re onboarding. That’s fun to be around.”
Whether reacting to evolving industry trends or a pandemic, Revel’s ability to pivot as the market changes is a key differentiator when compared to legacy solutions. That nimbleness translates to the success of our clients, and in Paton’s opinion, Revel often wins over competitors because as a company “we’re not stuck in our ways.”
The COVID-19 virus shifted consumer demands seemingly overnight, forcing many businesses to rethink their technology infrastructure. Many looked to cloud-based point of sale (POS) solutions like Revel to help them keep up with the digital consumer journey.
“We’ve seen a lot of growth with larger customers and big quick service restaurant (QSR) brands over the last few years. Some jump to a new POS because they’ve experienced a breach, and we get to provide them with a very secure solution,” Paton says. “And some are jumping over because they see the wave of the future.”
Being part of the wave of the future keeps Paton energized in his current role; he has the chance to empower clients with a flexible POS solution customized to fit their exact needs. When he leaves a client site, he knows he’s equipped them with the technology they need to succeed and grow.
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