Restaurants, especially smaller establishments, need to make the most of their IT budgets, to remain profitable and competitive. One way to stretch an IT budget is with Software as a Service (SaaS) for your Point of Sale (POS) system.
Instead of buying a physical copy or download of a software version and installing, hosting, and maintaining it, with Software as a Service, you pay a fixed subscription rate to access POS.
SaaS has significant benefits — here are three reasons it’s worth considering.
1. Cost. Buying and maintaining software can carry significant upfront costs and additional unexpected costs down the road when the solutions needs maintenance or upgrades. With SaaS, you have a steady, predictable subscription fee that is much easier on your budget. You also only pay for licenses for what you use. If you decide later to add more terminals or additional modules, you can easily do so for an additional, predictable fee.
2. IT Support. Another way you’ll save money is through the decreased need for in-house IT support. The vendor takes on all responsibility for getting your programs set up and running, and they can usually do so in less time than a traditional installation. The vendor also handles support and maintenance, including updates to ensure that the software is the latest version. SaaS vendors and data center hosts have high levels of security to protect your data, and they provide backups of your data as well. All of these services are included in your normal subscription rate.
3. Easy to Use and Scale. Because Software as a Service is web-based, you can access your applications and work from anywhere, with any connected or mobile device. You can check data in real time and easily perform management functions such as adding menu items or changing prices. SaaS programs are designed for flexible integration with other programs or software you need, such as your enterprise resource planning (ERP), customer relationship management (CRM), or kitchen display system (KDS) applications. And SaaS solutions are scalable — they are ready to grow when you are, often without the need to invest in additional hardware or server capacity.
Software as a Service has been gaining popularity in multiple industries over the last few years, and it’s easy to see why. SaaS offers a range of benefits from lower investment costs and decreased IT burdens to easy access, integration, and scalability. Restaurant owners seeking a POS platform with the latest advantages should consider adopting a SaaS model as an economical and efficient choice.
