Digitization has completely changed the way people order food. According to a recent survey by National Restaurant Association, it was found that 60% of the working people in the United States of America order delivery at least once a week.

Given the statistics, it won't be wrong to say that investing in a robust online ordering software for restaurants has now become a necessity than an option. While POS systems are transforming into customer data hubs with information business owners can leverage to create a personalized customer experience, track inventory in real-time as well as create better employee engagement, online ordering, on the other hand, is something all restaurants owners need to take into consideration if they want to be profitable.

In a recent study of 385 restaurant businesses where POS systems and the needs of business was in focus, it was found that 37% of restaurant owners were considering replacing their standard POS software because they wanted more robust functionality – the one that can be integrated seamlessly with their website for online ordering and other modern capabilities.

These restaurant owners also agreed that working with a POS vendor that lets them integrate a variety of capabilities, such as online ordering, made it easier for them to place "perfect" orders at all times.

Companies that specialize in online ordering typically provide better support, more robust development roadmaps and efficient market timelines for online ordering features than most POS ordering options. This is because online ordering is not the primary business of a POS supplier. But when online (and mobile) ordering software is integrated with POS systems, restaurants achieve singularity between their online ordering system and POS software.

Combining POS and online ordering software creates a powerful tool for restaurants,  delivering a wide range of benefits to a variety of restaurant types.

Strengthening Product Offering

One of the biggest challenges to a smooth POS integration with other technologies is connecting disparate systems. Getting different systems to sync with one another takes both time and financial investment for both the parties involved. A great end-to-end dining experience is more than just order entry and transmission. It’s also about enabling kitchen efficiency, better intelligence, effective customer-facing side, and more sophisticated loyalty programs. None of this functionality exists in a typical POS.

Having a POS software with customer-driven functionality ranging from CRM, loyalty, to online ordering, accounting, mobile wallet, and pay-at-the-table, has better chances of getting picked by the business owner than the one with little flexibility.

Our experience has shown that POS providers embracing high-value intellectual property with partnering vendors overall see higher and more frequent sales.

Why a POS Software should offer both?

Not all POS software have flexible APIs or integration specs. If a restaurant owner wants to integrate a third party online and mobile ordering software and the system does not support the integration, then it can slow things down because a custom integration will have to be built to fit the needs of the business. The best solution for restaurants in this scenario is to find a POS supplier that can meet all their needs under one roof.

Using both could mean new customers order directly from them - something that restaurant owners have been missing before and that will in return generate higher revenues for them, says Bharti Batra, Co-founder Restolabs.

Restaurant owners clearly understand the magnitude of being where their customers are and optimizing their communication levels on multiple channels—and they’re searching for a robust software solution that can meet their demand.

Now that you know what integrating a robust online ordering software can do for your POS business, it’s time to take the next step. Restolabs online and mobile ordering solutions, paired with a restaurant’s POS software makes for a robust and efficient system for restaurants to manage their operations. Check out our Reseller Program here.