April 9, 2018
Tevalis Talking Tech: Point of Sale & Kitchen Management Solution9th March 2018 | Restaurant Magazine FeatureThis month in our Talking Tech series, we’re focusing on the Point of Sale and Kitchen Management solutions within Tevalis’s Ecosystem.
Tevalis has never believed in ‘off the shelf’ software products as they don’t tend to fulfil operators’ requirements in many modern Epos business requirements. Hence from the moment the business was founded in 2005, our systems have been developed through client consultation, and that’s certainly true of our Point of Sale (PoS) software solution.
Point of SalePart of the On-Premises layer – incorporating bespoke software which sits on Tevalis’s high performing touchscreen tills and self service kiosks – of our technology Ecosystem, the features within the Pos was partially developed in collaboration with Hix Restaurants.Tevalis sales director James Humble, explains:
“Running through features and functionalities of the PoS collaboratively with the Hix team back 10 years ago enabled us to enhance how they operate. Our team developed solutions to meet their requirements from a functionality perspective and from there, we began developing industry specific solutions through client consultation to achieve a bespoke system for operators everywhere.”And the PoS continues to evolve as our teams add specific features to the FoH software as required by clients.
One such example is the newly developed Tevalis Service Board, created for the Michelin Starred Black Swan at Oldstead, by working with James and Tommy Banks, we were able to build new Epos technology which enables restaurants to track the status of courses across their service. Perfect for fine dining restaurants offering many courses.Another extra function introduced to the PoS, in response to a request by Ambiente Tapas restaurants, was the option to incorporate countdown timers. These timers can be attached to dishes, which then count down and send to the kitchen to reflect traditional tapas service. The benefits are huge to this style of business, freeing up staff to serve customers and not spend many hours sending courses to be prepared.
Last but certainly not least, another development for Hix Restaurants, which was the introduction of a daily brief – a pop-up box for each user to read the first time they log in for the day on the PoS.
Kitchen Management SolutionAlso part of the On Premises layer of the Tevalis Ecosystem is the Kitchen Management System (KMS), which is one of the most advanced on the market and operates seamlessly with the point of sale.
First released in 2015 – again through client consultation – it offers the ability for tickets to be sent directly from the point-of-sale through to the KMS on a touchscreen rather than a kitchen printer.
Last year, the system was further enhanced thanks to the formation of a technology partnership with Jamie’s Italian.
Humble explains:
“Part of what the Jamie’s sites needed moving forward was a comprehensive kitchen management system which met their full requirements, including various ticket views and layouts. This gave us ammunition to develop our KMS further, to enhance the functionality and make it a core solution of our On-Premises layer in the Tevalis Ecosystem.”Our particular focus since our discussions with Jamie’s Italian, has been on advancing the layouts in the KMS to meet the requirements of various types of kitchen set ups. In result, giving operators the option to use other visual layouts rather than a standard ticket view. For example, item linear views for tapas style restaurants to manage the orders by item, as well as consolidated item and consolidated view.
In fact, the whole configuration in the KMS can now be customised to suit how each individual kitchen team wishes to operate. Now, Tevalis clients have full ability to customise text, colours and size, as well as benefit from timers and alerts which can be used coherently to ensure the team are alerted for various stages of a ticket.We’re talking Point-of-Sale and KMS.Sales Director, James Humble.Why do you think the point of sale in itself has become such an integral part of hospitality led venues?
The point of sale no longer serves its purpose as just a traditional sales data entry anymore, it has been developed over time to now become a comprehensive tool which enhances a business in many ways.
With quick ordering functions, integrated payments and booking systems alongside bespoke functionalities and much more, the team can experience multiple benefits such as increased efficiency and customer satisfaction through faster speed of service.
Alongside that, the back office on the point of sale has become so advanced that operators can control any aspect from user permissions, the visual details through our Epos Designer and the active features and functionalities. Combined with a seamless integration with business intelligence tools, the point of sale in itself has very much become an essential part of any hospitality led business and will continue to do so.
What should operators be looking out for when searching for a new point of sale system and why?
When operators are searching for an EPoS system, we’d advise them to ensure they invest into a business which has the capacity to adapt to their changing and expanding requirements in the years to come as the business grows. Therefore, choosing an EPoS provider who develops their own range of software solutions in-house is the best route.
This means operators can have access to a large suite of technology which has been developed through client consultation, as well as the chosen provider having the ability to develop bespoke solutions specifically for businesses if required. The end result is that operators will get the longevity and adaptability they need from their technology.
Do you believe Kitchen Management Systems are going to be a key solution in the near future?
With more restaurants wanting to innovate with their technology solutions, we’re starting to see many operators from various sectors within the hospitality industry, implementing the Kitchen Management System into their business.
This is mainly due to the array of benefits it provides over traditional kitchen printers, such as improved efficiency, enhanced communication, increased organisation and full customisation in every aspect. We know that working in the hospitality industry can be very fast paced and therefore, teams across a variety of sectors are looking to make the best decisions possible to assist them in a variety of areas. Therefore, there’s no surprise that the KMS is becoming an in-demand solution and therefore a core On-Premises solution.