Restaurant Management ERP

Microsoft Dynamics for Restaurant

Why Does Analytics Play a Huge Role in the Journey of a Restaurant’s CIO?

Restaurants that fear changes cannot make it too far in the competition. The past few years have taught every industry the importance of speed and agility for survival. Restaurant industries are fast-paced, and a little slowdown can end up collapsing massive profit-earning opportunities for them. With unexpected lockdowns, staff shortages, and a lack of ingredients, many restaurants reached the verge of shutting down in the past. Only those with a Unified Restaurant Management System, like Microsoft Dynamics for Restaurant, had enough resources to keep them surviving and innovating new ideas to make a profit even during the most hopeless hours. They could do it with the agile analytics that LS Retail Restaurant Software offers.  There are still many food service businesses that fear changes; they dread the complications that hang around the process, and therefore, choose to work in silos. Little do they realize how many steps it pushes them back and we are not even talking about the uncertain threats they cannot see.   Traditional technology often fails to support agile methods. It is time to introduce a digital transformation into your restaurant and invest in reliable Intelligence technology. As per a study by IDC, companies that focus their digital transformation on intelligence technology boost their productivity, earn 8 times more revenue, and drive twice cost efficiency as compared to a non-digitally transformed restaurant.   How Analytics in Microsoft Dynamics for Restaurant Benefits Your Restaurant Business?  With the latest technology driven by intelligence, it does not demand a team of data scientists to bring market analytics. Microsoft Dynamics for Restaurant is an AI and Intelligence based unified Hospitality Management Solution that provides the following benefits:   Find the Relevant Patterns   Microsoft Dynamics for Restaurant provides detailed insights into your market where you can notice patterns and plan strategies accordingly. You can notice that a particular mall in your downtown location sells more wine than beer. Or people in a certain area look for a particular restaurant during a rainy day. Noticing patterns like these can change the whole game. You will make strategies more consciously keeping such information as the base. Also, with historical consumption patterns, you can predict how much you can sell in the next week.  Optimized Inventory Ordering While Cutting Waste  With agile intelligence, you can record and notice your previous ingredient management pattern and find methods to minimize waste. Maybe you know that from the past few times, your tomato sauce is in excess and ends up in a can. Or you may see that customers are not finishing the red wine and it’s getting wasted. Waste cannot be eliminated but minimized. Microsoft Dynamics for Restaurant helps you do just that. With robust analytics and real-time visibility, you can easily minimize costs and add to your profit margin.   Manage Stock Usage and Distribution   Managing stock and distributing it throughout your chains is not as easy as it sounds. Distributing inventory across different locations needs strategic planning where the response from customers has already been observed. For instance, you can distribute more pork sausages in your Rochester chain where customers choose it for breakfast, and chicken wings in Syracuse for lunch. The vigor of a plan entirely depends upon the accuracy of the information they can access. Microsoft Dynamics for Restaurant fosters robust business intelligence tools such as Power BI. Since the data is stored in a single source of truth, it extracts information from multiple sources and turns them into actionable reports.   Design an Impactful Menu   Have you noticed some dishes on your menu are very costly to make and are not even popular among customers? If they can’t provide you with healthy margins, cut them off from your menu. With deep insights into the customer, you can see how your menu is performing. Study customer feedback and try adding more variations in the most liked meals. You can launch special offers where you may sell free fries with peri-peri chicken wings. Or you may cross-sell dishes as well. Make exciting combinations of different dishes and form a meal. Insights allow exponential opportunities to make good variations in your existing menu.  If you are looking to implement Microsoft Dynamics for Restaurant, you must contact a Microsoft Restaurant ERP Software Implementation Partner. Your partner must have a robust track of accomplishments and robust resources to manage your restaurant needs. Trident is a D365 Gold Implementation Partner and LS Retail Diamond Partner. With 22+ years of experience, we have acquired a massive clientage and maximum customer retention rate. Our team of experts ensures your Restaurant Application keep working with their 24/7 support. Contact us for further information.

Why Does Analytics Play a Huge Role in the Journey of a Restaurant’s CIO? Read More »

Restaurant Application

Happy Staff Is the Secret Ingredient for High-Profit Businesses  

One of the main problems facing the hospitality sector right now is high staff turnover. The National Restaurant Association’s most recent State of the Restaurant Industry Report found that 78% of restaurant owners claimed they didn’t have enough workers to meet customer demand and 75% indicated they were more than 10% understaffed. In addition to lowering the restaurant’s average level of service, a high staff turnover rate increases the costs associated with finding, hiring, and training new workers. Although there are many other factors contributing to this issue, including a high proportion of students employed in the sector and high levels of seasonality, it is also true that many business owners in the sector might be doing more to retain talent. There are many ways to retain your staff. The most basic thing you can do is employ an agile Restaurant Application.  Hospitality Management Software like LS Retail Restaurant Management System provides a unified platform consisting of robust tools and centralized data. It impacts the productivity of your staff and adds to the smoothness of your operations.    Here are five suggestions to assist you in keeping your restaurant’s personnel motivated to work there.  5 Ways to Keep Your Staff Happy  Teamwork Plays an important role in maintaining a healthy flow of operations in a business environment. Given below are some tips to keep your staff happy and motivated.   Built Team Spirit from Top to Bottom   Having a team spirit is very important to avoid unnecessary mistakes, bottlenecks, and disputes. If your staff doesn’t feel happy with where they are right now, they will probably switch to a better environment. There are a lot of steps you can take to improve the situation like organizing a team spirit day where your staff plays fun games, enhancing team spirit, and most importantly, getting to know each other better.  Or you can organize a trip for everyone to do some activities together. Or celebrate a milestone achieved by the employees. You can either throw a party or at least cut a cake to cherish their success.  Before adding a new dish to the menu, you can ask them to taste it first and ask for their opinion about the same. There are many ways you can boost their team spirit.   Reinforce Employees with Modern Restaurant Application   If you believe that not upgrading the outdated Restaurant Application will save you money, you are gravely mistaken. Nothing is more annoying than trying to do a task quickly and to a high standard while using broken instruments. An antiquated point-of-sale system that gets stuck or creates tickets slowly may reduce table turns while also irritating guests who are in a rush. An ancient fryer that the kitchen crew can’t rely on may wreck the lunch rush. Invest money in the newest Point of Sale System and constantly check with your employees to see if any of the tools they are using, both in the front and in the back of the house, are insufficient or outdated. Just keep in mind that any money you spend on a Restaurant Application to assist your staff—such as a Restaurant POS System that can swiftly take orders at the table—should be considered an investment in enhancing the quality of your customer service.  Appreciate them for a good job  Studies have shown that people are more driven at work when they feel valued and appreciated. Teams with the highest levels of engagement experienced 59% less turnover, according to a recent survey from an organization that has earned the Great Place to Work  certification. Constructive feedback makes employees happier, more motivated, and more willing to put in the extra effort. Many workers genuinely believe that having a sense of value at work is more effective than getting money! You can also save their progress in your Restaurant Application where you can even manage their talent and assign them jobs as per their interests. Furthermore, there are numerous ways to express your appreciation to your staff:  Consistently express your appreciation to your team for a job well done, such as when a hectic shift has gone very well, when sales targets have been met, or when a worker has handled a challenging issue with professionalism.  Thanks are important. Has a waiter agreed to a last-minute shift change to meet the demands of your company? Did anyone forgo a break to assist in the rush? Be sure to recognize their effort and express your gratitude for going above and above.  Give them room and time to unwind. Establish a break room with a coffee maker, complimentary light snacks, and a water dispenser so that your team can recharge and rest before heading back to work. This will make them more motivated and at ease.  Provide Ongoing Training   Make sure to instruct new employees on your company’s values, rules, and policies. There should be no end to the training. Even though the onboarding process is crucial, you shouldn’t let your employees’ education end there. Give your employees access to professional development opportunities; they’ll feel appreciated as part of the team, understand that you care about their development, and, as a bonus, they’ll bring new skills to your company. Nine out of ten restaurant managers, according to NRA data, began their careers as entry-level employees; therefore, investing in the professional development of your staff is an investment in the long-term success of your company.   Furthermore, training is even more important for existing employees if there is a new update in your Restaurant Application. Thus, keep them updated with the latest technology.  Allow Your Staff to Officially Communicate Via a Common Channel   Professional boundaries and morale can be easily destroyed by unclear communication and misconceptions. Why does he constantly get overtime assignments? I requested a vacation two weeks in advance, so why did she get time off when she only requested it yesterday? By putting in place systems that allow for direct, open communication between staff and management, you can reduce the likelihood of complaints

Happy Staff Is the Secret Ingredient for High-Profit Businesses   Read More »

5 Guaranteed Business Suggestions 90% Restaurants Underlook but the Top 10% Don’t 

Restaurant Businesses are thriving around the world. However, only a certain percentage of them make it to the top. Have you wondered why? What different do they do to reach that level? How did a once-newborn business reach the pinnacle? Of course, the quality of food matters, but is that it? Is it enough for a restaurant to touch the sky? No. Their strategies, Restaurant Management Software, business environment, the attitude of staff, etc. are all that make a difference.   The hospitality industry has been among us for several decades and is expected to stick around and grow. Therefore, there are exponential opportunities for a restaurant to grow. You just need to know where you are lacking and what these top 10% of restaurants do that you don’t. Study their journey and implement whatever you can in your business.   This blog is all about the top 5 factors you underlook but can boost your business and make you one of the top 10% of restaurants making the most money.   Get a Suitable Restaurant Management Software   This is the most obvious and basic thing that successful businesses do but many businesses overlook it. To save a few bucks, several restaurants choose to work in silos which adds to their complexities instead. They do not realize how much of their potential is at stake if they work on disparate systems instead of Restaurant Management Software. It is recommended to choose a unified Restaurant Application that provides all the basic and advanced necessities on the same platform. Make sure your Hospitality Management System uses the same data center, so you don’t spend hours finding the relevant data. A unified system can do wonders for your business. Restaurants such as Hard Rock Cafe, KFC, Haldiram’s, Tokyo Sushi, etc. use a unified Restaurant Management Software called LS Retail, an extension to Microsoft Dynamics 365.   Investing in the Latest Technology  Implementing the latest technology is one of the most common things the top ten percent of successful businesses always consider. Since they must manage many tasks while cutting costs, they prefer automation. They installed a Restaurant Management System which updates automatically where no maintenance and upgrade is required by the team. Instead, everything is managed by a third-party service provider. For instance, KFC has implemented LS Retail which is a unified Restaurant Management Software providing a set of tools customized to target their needs. The upgrade and maintenance are managed by the implementation partner and the data security is taken care of by Microsoft Itself. Being hosted on Microsoft Cloud Azure, they do not have to worry about viruses, threats, and malware.   Contactless ordering and Billing  The contactless trend increased during COVID which encouraged contactless technology such as Point of Sale Software. Businesses such as Haldiram’s (with a net worth of $100 million) offer faster and more accurate services using this Restaurant Management Software. A POS is not just limited to taking orders and bills, but also managing their inventory, purchasing and supplier management, and managing customer loyalty. Many businesses don’t realize it, but it can help them in the long run, just like Haldiram’s.   Getting Accurate Insights   This is one of the most undervalued aspects of most businesses, but enterprises make full use of it. They rely on analytics tools such as Power BI, which collects customer interactions from all the touchpoints to turn them into actionable reports. These reports help them to make master strategies such as loyalty programs, deals, offers, coupons, changes in restaurant policies, etc. These insights also help in connecting with the customers emotionally; when you remind them what they ordered last time and how much they appreciated their feedback, the customer feels being cared for. This is when it becomes a great opportunity for restaurants to drive the most reliable promotion tactic i.e., word of mouth by their customer.   Empowering Staff with Devices   It is no shock that the hospitality industry faces the highest employee turnover rates. A successful business retains its staff and keeps them motivated. Giving them handheld devices connected with your Restaurant Management Software will save a lot of their time and keep them motivated. They can work to their full capacity and will have enough energy to greet each customer with enthusiasm.   There is a reason why some restaurants make it to the top 10% and the rest don’t. They just don’t ignore the underlooked aspects of the business. They get the best technology in their reach, utilize their data, avoid silos, invest in the right Restaurant Management Software, and so on.   Successful businesses such as KFC, Barbeque Nation, and GO Grill use Microsoft Restaurant ERP Software, which is also known as LS Retail. If you wish to implement LS Retail Software Solution, Contact Trident Information Systems, a Diamond LS Retail Partner and Gold D365 Partner.   

5 Guaranteed Business Suggestions 90% Restaurants Underlook but the Top 10% Don’t  Read More »

Restaurant Application

Boost Restaurant Sales Performance in 7 Steps

With the rapid evolution in the hospitality industry, one can either match the pace or fall behind in the competition. Many implement a Restaurant Application, and many employ a couple of them. The global health crisis has dealt hospitality one of the greatest challenges of all time. Unfortunately, some restaurants might never reopen, and the survivors find themselves in a different market environment. Dividing tables and plexiglass screens, mandatory masks, and gloves. Sanitizer stations and temperature checks have become commonalities among all restaurants now.   Reopening restaurants is a baby step toward getting back to normal. The customers are also trying to adapt to this antipodal dining experience. New laws abiding is mounting pressure on restaurants to comply with sanitary requirements and provide the best dining experience at the same time.   Through this blog’s medium, we are sharing the top 7 steps to increase sales performance. For instance, having effective and visible hygiene routines, proactively protecting staff and customers, helping to enforce social distancing, and so on. If you feel hooked so far, read it further.   #1 Off-Premises Dining Using a Restaurant Application  Nothing is better than enjoying food from your home’s comfort. This trend has driven the recent years. In 2018, according to some researchers, home deliveries contributed 59% of restaurant sales. However, the stakes have changed since this pandemic has accelerated the trend.   Restaurants that branched out to home delivery services are the ones that could successfully survive the pandemic. It made sense to keep the home delivery services running, even after reopening all the restaurants. There could be some customers who might feel uneasy when it comes to dining in. Provide off-premises dining operations and manage them with Restaurant Application.  #2 Enforce Social Distancing   Screens, Booths, table dividers, private rooms, taped-off tables and seats, and clear floor markings have become the new yardsticks. Restaurants establish efforts in enforcing social distancing. A Vision Quality Analysis can also help you monitor social distancing implementation.   Some restaurants have even adopted crazy hacks such as placing mannequins on alternate seats and encouraging customers to wear big hats. Although these attempts might lighten up the environment, social distancing is something you cannot take casually. While makeshift booths and plexiglass might affect your restaurant ambiance, customers are getting accustomed to the changes at least for the short to medium term. You can employ Restaurant POS Software that promotes contactless ordering and payment. LS Retail is one of the latest Restaurant Application which provides distance-friendly features to the customer.  #3 Introduce New Menus   Restaurants are being smarter by introducing new menus and pop-ups to their customers. Rescheduling their tactics and opening up to more viable options to reach as many customers as possible will generate sales as well as retain jobs. Dine-in is not something customers require these days.   Using a Restaurant Application can do the market analysis on your behalf. It is better to understand market situations as well as customers to make strategies easily.  #4 Enforce Contactless Ordering and Payment   Consistent restaurant reforms in payment methods drive contactless payments. The widespread adoption of PIN, chip, and contactless payment terminals has made transaction recording easier for restaurants. Apart from this, they obtain convenience, safety, and speed. Restaurant Management Software can make this easier.  For instance, in McDonald’s, contactless payment terminals are established in all their chains, combined with protective panels on counters and drive-through services. Kiosks remain limited, with table tents, screens, and keypads being sanitized after each use.   Restaurants are holding on to this opportunity and moving to Restaurant POS Solution to support contactless payments, invisible payments, and digital wallets. Those leading the way, pick a comprehensive payment and management Restaurant Application that keeps them going with ongoing market dynamics with ease.         #5 Loyalty Programs   Nothing draws customers more than loyalty programs. Read your customers through their transactional history and preferences. Carefully designed offers meals and discounts for individuals or a classified set of customers. Encouraging deliveries is the best way to comply with the social distancing rules. Boost sales on certain days or for certain hours through happy hours using Business Intelligence and effective strategies. Allow coupons and points that they could redeem whenever they make their next purchase from your restaurant.    Loyalty programs specifically designed for an individual or a group make them feel special and valued. Taking care of their preference and addressing them as their special customers reflects warmth and positivity that drives them back to your business.   #6 Automate Kitchen Operations   While restaurants are taking enough measures to protect their customers, it becomes a greater challenge to safeguard their kitchen staff. Restaurants are coping with this challenge by trailing smaller staff teams and staggered shifts. Regular health monitoring before entering the kitchen, constant kitchen sanitization, and social distance monitoring is doing the job. Some technical solutions are equally contributing with a tool called Kitchen Display Systems (KDS).   A KDS displays orders from the Restaurant POS straight to the kitchen screen, this helps enhance communication while ensuring minimum contact between the front office and the back-office staff. This Restaurant Application also helps to streamline kitchen operations by displaying the accurate preparation order automatically.   #7 Ensure Visible and Effective hygiene Routines  Hygiene has already been the topmost priority in the Hospitality Industry, and this pandemic has accelerated the requirement threefold. Most businesses already comply with strict hygiene regulations such as reminding staff to wash their hands regularly, sanitizing maximum tough areas, and allowing a day off to weaker or ill staff. No matter how strict your hygiene process is, this is high time to communicate your hygiene policies with the customers.   If you want your diners to show up once again, you may transpire your hygiene policies straight and assure your seriousness towards their safety. Some restaurants are even stepping up and disinfecting cutlery right before their meals in front of them.   Revolutionization in the restaurant industry has imposed the need for a Unified Restaurant Application, LS Retail is at the top of the list. Trident Information System is

Boost Restaurant Sales Performance in 7 Steps Read More »

6 Strategies to Boost Restaurant Profit in the Current Scenario

Being hit by COVID 19, we all have been on different levels. Our financial, mental, and physical health have been tested. Everything shut down for months during the lockdown including restaurants. However, as everything unlocks, everything is getting back on track slowly but steadily. Restaurants have become more cautious of their health and put safety as their priority by wearing masks, maintaining social distance, and so on. With the help of Hospitality Software like LS Retail ERP, many restaurants can successfully cope with the agonizing unpredictability in society.  These practices have affected industries like hospitality which is centered around human-to-human contact. Through this blog’s medium let us discuss various methods to boost your restaurant business in the current scenarios.   #1 Upgrade Your Business to Cloud Hospitality Software and Pay Per Use   Upgrading your business to the cloud and paying just for the services you use can save you a ton of money. Just get a reliable Hospitality Software like LS Retail Hospitality Software itself and get the services you need. It is hosted on and by Microsoft Azure which ensures bank-level security. Get custom-made services as per your business requirements and pay only for what services your restaurant requires such as Mobile POS, Real-time data reports, and Customer Behavior analysis via Power BI. If you wish to centrally manage your restaurant business, you can do that too. Backed up by a reliable Implementation Partner, you can easily train your staff to use these services and let them handle any technical issues you might end up crossing paths with.  You no longer have to take up services your business doesn’t need just because they are ‘included’ in the package. For instance, if you wish to adopt the LS Retail POS but want to manage accounts in Silos, you are free to make customizations like that.   #2 Hold Events and Workshops  Events and workshops are one of the most underrated ways to boost your restaurant business. You can either tie up with different workshops or organize your own. It entirely depends upon your strategy and budget. You can boost your reach in both cases. Some examples are the bacon festival in California and the pizza fest in Italy. You can also organize something like this. Such events offer a golden opportunity to flaunt your delicacies and draw more customers. Make sure you have the relevant Hospitality Software to successfully handle the situation.  #3 Enlist yourself with different Food Delivery Platforms  Online food ordering is a boom these days, you might find yourself falling aback if you do not use online platforms to boost your customer reach. Being integrated into multiple channels can make communication with the customer more complex. It is advisable to implement Online Food Ordering Software for simplifying convenience, developing connections, and handling customer grievances.  #4 Promote your Business Using Virtual Media   Customers are attracted to what they see. Use this psychological fact to draw more of them. All you have to do is click some nice pictures of your food, enhance them a bit more and post them online. Apart from this, there are plenty of food bloggers who are monitoring socially active restaurants. They might either click pictures or use your clicked pickers for their food blogging. This will do a free promotion for you. Another technique is to create videos, having pandemics in effect, people have become even more health-conscious. You can post a video on your social media platform showing step-by-step how your cooking is complying with all the safety measures.   #5 Strategize your Loyalty Programs  Loyalty programs draw customers as honey draws bees to itself. Hit a home run with smarter loyalty programs. You can analyze your customer behavior and spending pattern, especially with cloud Hospitality Software. Ask them to enroll in your loyalty programs such as providing a 10% discount to customers who take up to 3 years of their membership. Or you can offer free beverages to customers who take up to 1 year of membership. Provide them coupons, rewards, and discounts when they revisit your restaurant.  Apart from this, you can also offer gift vouchers to your customers during the festive season. In this case, restaurants that run a buffet system get the maximum profit. They can offer a second meal free, a free buffet dinner for a couple, and so on. These strategies not only boost sales but also retain customers.   We recommend avoiding physical loyalty cards and going cashless with electronic loyalty membership cards. And managing your loyalty programs cannot even get on your nerves if you have been involved in this service in your Pay Per Use Model. Use CRM Software for Hospitality Industry to get your work done most efficiently.  #6 Adopt Cloud Kitchen   Cloud kitchens or ghost kitchens are in trend. This pandemic has boosted the trend to another level. Since it is a licensed cooking structure without a dine-in option available to prepare delivery-based food.   It is the best cost-saving strategy as you do not have maintenance and operational costs. Additionally, you can create a cloud kitchen by collaborating with other restaurants. It is recommended to get a unified Cloud Kitchen Management Solution designed for the cloud kitchen to make your management even easier. LS Retail has been voted as the best Hospitality Software for Cloud kitchens so far.  Final Words   We have mentioned the top 8 strategies to boost your restaurant business in this challenging era, you can seek technical assistance and upgrade your business to the cloud. The best part is you do not even have to buy a full-fledged package since Pay Per Use is available these days. Microsoft provides just the Hospitality Software. Trident Information Systems has been one of the Gold Partners of Microsoft and LS Retail Diamond Partners and has served various brands since then. For further queries or a demo contact us.  

6 Strategies to Boost Restaurant Profit in the Current Scenario Read More »