Save Big on Restaurant IT Costs with Syrve’s Streamlining Solution + Free Vendor Analysis Template

Are you tired of feeling like you’re playing whack-a-mole with your restaurant’s IT systems? After the pandemic forced the adoption of various tech solutions, restaurants have found themselves grappling with a complex web of applications, vendors, and pricing plans. The result is an accidental complexity that makes it difficult to manage operations and maintain profitability. This complexity can be frustrating and leave restaurant owners feeling overwhelmed. Fortunately, Syrve’s innovative technology can unify all processes into one platform, eliminating the gaps and disconnects between multiple systems, giving operators complete visibility and control over every detail of their restaurant’s operations.

As the pandemic ravaged the restaurant industry, operators turned to technology to keep their businesses afloat. From online and mobile ordering to food delivery support, restaurants rushed to adopt various tech solutions to respond to the challenges of Covid-19. And now, as inflation and staff shortages hit the industry, many are turning to various cost control apps, such as inventory management, purchasing, recipe management, staff scheduling, and reporting platforms, to maximise profitability. While these apps have their benefits, they also add to the already complex web of restaurant technology, resulting in more disconnected systems and fragmented data. The cost of managing multiple vendors and pricing plans can be a challenge, as can the time and resources required to train staff and integrate each new app into the restaurant’s IT infrastructure. All this complexity can leave restaurant owners feeling like they’re playing a never-ending game of whack-a-mole, trying to keep up with the latest technology and make it all work together seamlessly.

When restaurants go on a SaaS frenzy, it can feel like a financial tsunami hitting them hard. Every software vendor brings along its own integration, training, and support costs, which can quickly spiral out of control.

Dealing with multiple SaaS vendors can be a significant challenge and its not uncommon for businesses to find themselves managing dozens of applications and vendors, each with their own pricing plans, user interfaces, and data formats. Integrating and managing each software can drain valuable resources and take weeks, leaving the restaurant with little to no time for other crucial tasks. Staff training on multiple applications requires additional time and money, and the lack of cohesion between different systems can lead to longer support ticket resolution times, potentially losing customers and eroding profitability. Furthermore, the costs of multiple SaaS subscriptions can quickly add up, putting a strain on a restaurant’s budget and potentially eroding profitability. As such, it is critical for operators to review and consolidate their SaaS vendors to eliminate complexity.

Here’s a basic analysis template that restaurant owners can use to estimate the level of SaaS IT and vendor complexity in their operations and the corresponding costs and returns:

1- List all your current software and hardware systems

This could include your POS system, online ordering platform, inventory management software, employee scheduling software, reservation system, loyalty program software and any other technology tools you use to run your restaurant.

2- Identify any areas of redundancy or overlap in your systems

This could include multiple tools that serve the same function or duplicate data entry.

Example:

• The POS system and the inventory management software both have features for tracking sales data, which can lead to double data entry and confusion.
• The online ordering platform and CRM software both collect customer data, causing duplicate data entry and potential confusion.
• The reservation system and loyalty program software both track customer visits and preferences, causing overlap in functionality.

Additional examples for identifying areas of redundancy or overlap in your systems include:

• Multiple tools that serve the same function, such as using both an inventory management software and a spreadsheet or POS to track inventory.
• Duplicate data entry, such as entering employee schedules in both the employee scheduling software and the POS system.
• Tools that do not integrate with each other, resulting in manual data entry or data transfer between systems.
• Using paper-based systems in addition to digital tools, resulting in duplicated efforts and increased risk of errors.
• Tools that are no longer needed due to changes in your business operations or technology advancements.

3- Evaluate the cost and time spent on maintaining and updating each system

This includes subscription fees, IT support, and time spent training employees.*

Example:

• The POS system has a monthly subscription fee of £150 and requires regular IT support.
• The online ordering platform has a monthly subscription fee of £50 and requires occasional updates to menu items and pricing.
• The CRM software has a monthly subscription fee of £100 and requires regular data entry and upkeep.
• The reservation system has a monthly subscription fee of £75 and requires occasional updates to availability.
• The loyalty program software has a one-time setup fee of £500 and requires occasional updates to rewards and redemption options.

*All-in-one Restaurant Control SaaS vendors like Syrve enable you to consolidate various features into a single platform, along with software fees and support.

4- Determine the impact of each system on your restaurant’s efficiency and profitability

This includes factors such as speed of service, accuracy of orders, and cost savings.

Example:

• The POS system has increased order accuracy by 20%, leading to a decrease in waste and an increase in customer satisfaction.
• The online ordering platform has increased revenue by 10%, allowing customers to easily place orders from their mobile devices.
• The CRM software has increased repeat business by 15%, allowing the restaurant to send targeted promotions and discounts to loyal customers.
• The reservation system has increased table turnover by 25%, allowing the restaurant to accommodate more guests per day.
• The loyalty program software has increased customer retention by 20%, incentivising customers to return and earn rewards.

5- Calculate the ROI for each system

This involves comparing the cost and time spent on each system to the impact it has had on your restaurant’s efficiency and profitability.

Example:

• The POS system has a monthly cost of £150 and has reduced waste by £300 per month, resulting in an ROI of 100%.
• The online ordering platform has a monthly cost of £50 and has increased revenue by £500 per month, resulting in an ROI of 1000%.
• The CRM software has a monthly cost of £100 and has increased revenue by £150 per month, resulting in an ROI of 150%.
• The reservation system has a monthly cost of £75 and has increased revenue by £100 per month, resulting in an ROI of 133%.
• The loyalty program software has a one-time setup cost of £500 and has increased revenue by £200 per month, resulting in an ROI of 40%.

6- Consider consolidating systems

If you have identified areas of overlap or redundancy in your current systems, consider consolidating them into a single platform like Syrve to streamline operations and reduce costs.

Moving forward, to avoid being caught in this financial tsunami, restaurant owners need to carefully evaluate the costs and benefits of adding new SaaS vendors to their IT infrastructure. They should choose vendors that offer flexible, easy-to-use, and scaleable software. By doing so, they can avoid drowning in integration costs, save time, and maintain profitability.

Syrve’s cutting-edge technology has revolutionised the restaurant industry by unifying all processes into one platform, eliminating the gaps and disconnects between multiple systems. This provides operators with complete visibility and control over every detail of their restaurant’s operations in one code base, empowering them to make data-driven decisions in real-time.

For larger or more complex restaurants, maintaining flexibility in their IT systems will require integration with a robust API. However, it is important to keep the number of integrations to a minimum to avoid complexity. It is crucial to future-proof the core of the system and ensure that it can handle any necessary integrations. With Syrve’s open API, integrating with different software systems and tools is much easier, as developers can access and use the API’s functionality without needing to understand the underlying code or architecture.

In today’s complex restaurant industry, having a streamlined and efficient IT infrastructure is critical. One way to simplify your operations and ensure that you are using the right technology tools for your restaurant is by using the analysis template above. By identifying redundancies and evaluating the costs and impact of each system, restaurant owners can make informed decisions about which tools to invest in and which to eliminate. With Syrve’s technology and open API, it’s easier than ever to consolidate systems and eliminate gaps and disconnects between tools. Stop playing whack-a-mole and start simplifying your business today with Syrve.