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  • Essay / Technology System Options in Restaurants - 795

    When opening a new restaurant, it is important to consider technology options that will provide a competitive advantage, increase profits, and operate efficiently for the establishment. The three systems commonly purchased for restaurants are inventory systems, point-of-sale systems, and reservation management systems. All these systems should be researched and compared on their functionality so that the most appropriate technologies can be implemented in the daily activities of the restaurant. An inventory management system would be a great asset to any restaurant. Being able to track inventory is very important to ensure items are used and food costs remain low. Having an inventory management system will help organize and track inventory status, variances and valuation. Inventory status is determined by the number of items in stock. Although this can be tracked physically, having a system is more efficient and reduces the risk of theft and misuse. Inventory can also be combined with a point-of-sale system, so that when the product is purchased, it automatically tracks new stock levels. Inventory change tracking “refers to the differences between the physical count of an item and the balance maintained by the perpetual inventory system” (Kasavana 2011). Discrepancies between these counts can indicate control issues and allow you to find the source and resolve the problem as quickly as possible. An inventory system can also help track product valuation. Knowing what to use first and when it was purchased is important to keeping waste to a minimum. An inventory system like When-to-Manage tracks food costs, manages menu recipes, and makes order and supplier management easier. When to manage 'is... middle of paper ... you need to monitor a variety of operations and add interfaces such as inventory management and reservations as you go. Starting with the most affordable programs can help restaurants immediately increase efficiency and profits, while adding a competitive advantage. As the business grows, the restaurant can purchase more programs to implement into the system they already have. Works Cited Kasavana, M. (2011). Managing technology in the hospitality industry. (6th ed.). American Institute of Hotel and Lodging Education. Lansing, Michigan.WTM. (2013). Inventory management. Retrieved from: http://www.whentomanage.com/products/inventory-management/NCR. (2013). Hospitality. Point of sale software for restaurants. Retrieved from: http://www.ncr.com/products/restaurantSeat Me. (2013). Revolutionary restaurant management. Retrieved from: https://www.seatme.com/features/