Grapevine 15 by Andrew Field

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GROWING GAINS Two leading hospitality entrepreneurs (Sunday Times FAST TRACK 100 regulars) explain how GS helps expanding businesses > pages 4 & 5

“Did you honestly think all EPOS systems were the same?” Free booklet inside> page 3

Grapevine

Issue 15 Summer/Autumn 2010

The newsletter for GS Systems’ customers

San Carlo picks GS Systems for tighter controls The fast growing, award-winning San Carlo Italian restaurant chain has selected a GS Systems EPOS solution to help give the business tighter controls over its front of house and back office operations. The five-strong estate, owned and managed by Harnbury Holdings, includes one of the highest grossing restaurants outside of London, San Carlo in Manchester’s King Street West. Marcello Distefano, who runs the business with father Carlo, says weekly takings range between £140,000 and £170,000 - making it one of the busiest places to eat in the UK. San Carlo asked GS Systems to recommend and implement a solution to give the restaurant management team tighter operational control throughout the business. “Prior to asking us to get involved, it was clear San Carlo’s existing systems weren’t able to cope with the enormous demands being placed on them. When it is The father and son team behind the San Carlo success story really busy, which is most of the time, too many mistakes Carlo Distefano (left) with son Marcello in their Manchester were being made. Mixing up bills and lost drinks slips restaurant (pictured top), where weekly takings range between were typical daily occurrences they wanted to eliminate,” £140,000 and £170,0000. says GS Systems managing director and acknowledged use it under even the most testing conditions.” “At the same time, we’ve being tidying up the back EPOS industry expert, Niels Nielsen. “Inevitably, the knock-on effects were untrustworthy office so they can exert greater control over the business. stock account and stock control statistics and large Stage one was liquor sales. The next stage is to do the same with the food operation,” said Niels. discrepancies that could not be explained.” “Our brief was twofold. First, to make sure they had an “Throughout we’ve adopted a consultative approach, EPOS solution in place that was able to handle the discussing their concerns and focusing on a gradual pressure of a restaurant when it was at its most intense. introduction of the solution to ensure they enjoy the Second, to ensure management and floor staff had total long-term benefits. It’s part of our philosophy of confidence in the system. This entailed earmarking Continued on page 2 several days training to give them the necessary skills to

GS helps deliver ‘At home with Gusto’ Living Ventures is taking its Gusto restaurant brand into the homes of customers by offering a home delivery service - with a little help from GS Systems. By taking advantage of the growth of the take home market, Living Ventures is developing a new revenue stream without incurring huge additional set up and operational costs. Food is prepared at the appropriate Gusto restaurant when an order is placed either online or by telephone. Deliveries take place within half an hour of orders being received. The entire process is run and monitored by the EPOS solution to ensure ‘At Home with Gusto’ feeds into the existing stock control and financial head office systems. Having devised and developed the concept and the customer offerings, Living Ventures asked GS Systems to recommend how best to implement the various processes necessary to operate and control take home sales, ordering and stock control. Continued on page 6

GS Systems lands Escape airport win GS Systems has won a prestigious contract to supply the EPOS solution for the new Escape VIP lounge in Terminal 1 at Manchester International Airport, one of Europe’s busiest airports catering for over 22 million passengers every year.

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2 News

Double espresso win for GS GS Systems has provided the EPOS platforms to help two growing coffee shop brands in the north west. Broderick’s Love Coffee, a premium coffee concept that has evolved from the well-established Manchester Vending business, currently has two outlets in Manchester’s city centre and international airport with another due to open later this year. GS has provided a full EPOS solution for Broderick’s, including a central management system. “Our Manchester Airport coffee house is open 18 hours a day (4am to 10pm) and we can carry out a large proportion of our trading before most of us have got out of bed. Therefore it’s essential we have immediate and remote access to sales and stock information about the current state of play at anytime,” said Broderick’s financial controller, Guy Harland.

It’s essential we have immediate and remote access to sales and stock information. “We have a clearly focused plan revolving around high profile premium sites in prime locations. We want to differentiate ourselves from other retailers and coffee shops through our quality and our attention to detail. For instance, our food isn’t delivered in packets from halfway across the country. It’s made fresh, on site by staff trained at culinary school under the watchful and professional direction of manager Eamonn Flaherty. Similarly, our EPOS is equally as important. We want to roll out the same model, the same reports and the same style of operation when we add new outlets to the chain. The head office system provided by GS will be a key to the successful development and growth of our business.”

We want to roll out the same model when we add new outlets to the chain. Viva Coffee & Juice Bar adds a new dimension to the traditional coffee concept, giving customers the opportunity to enjoy a wide range of smoothies, juices, shakes and crushes. The first bar was launched by owner-manager Austin Barcley in Sale, Manchester, with a second opening in Northwich, Cheshire, this summer. Austin plans to add three or four more as the first part of his business plan matures. “I had another coffee house and used an EPOS system from another provider but they could not match the versatility and functionality of the GS Systems solution. Just as important, Niels and his team are open to ideas and helping me develop ways of working to suit me and the business. We’ve developed an accurate weekly business sheet that has been built into the stock control software to suit my way of working and we’re also planning to add loyalty cards in the near future. The input from GS will help us perform a lot better,” said Austin.

Viva owner Austin Barcley discusses what he likes about his GS EPOS solution. Q1: How has the GS EPOS solution improved the Viva customer experience? AB: We can give a much better and more reliable service. For example, we have an automatic meal deal function which matches up the best price for the customer. Previously it was done manually and it was a nightmare when customers complained about missing out on a better price. Staff voiding transactions and starting again was a pain too. We’ve also synchronised the CCTV and the EPOS solution so we can quickly resolve any mistakes over payment. It’s hawkeye for the hospitality industry! Q2: And how has it helped you personally run a better business? AB: I love the remote log-in feature. I can be away from the business, at home or on holiday, and still see what’s going on. Even though I’m not there I am there. I can see if staff are sharing the workload. This will be more important once we open a second Viva in Northwich. I also like the reports and information it gives you. You can trust the data. It’s based on fact. Rather than someone’s opinion. www.loveviva.com

San Carlo picks GS Systems: continued from page 1

building long-term partnerships and helping growing businesses to develop more effectively.” “GS Systems has been a great boost to the way we run the restaurant. We did have problems with bills, which were genuine mistakes. Obviously, we don’t want customers to be disappointed with any aspect of the San Carlo experience. Fortunately, the team at GS Systems has been very understanding and taken a very softly, softly stance with us. They’ve not just sold us a system and left us to get on with it,” said Marcello. “They have been part of the team and ensured a smooth transition from the old to the new system.” Marcello’s and Carlo’s Harnbury Holdings company currently has five San Carlo restaurants in Birmingham, Bristol, Liverpool, Leicester and Manchester as well as London’s prestigious Signor Sassi in Knightsbridge. www.sancarlo.co.uk

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News

Almond serves up new EPOS solution for a better customer experience Almond Family Pubs is using a GS EPOS solution to improve the way it operates and provides a far better customer experience at its carvery pubs. GS Systems has recently installed a new EPOS solution at the Hesketh Tavern in Cheadle Hulme, Cheshire and will be following this up with installations at the Three Bears in Hazel Grove and the Fletchers Arms in Denton. “What attracted us to this system was the capability to use it across multi-sites. Our managers are cross-trained so they can do the kitchen, bar and cellar and we can move them between pubs as the operations are very similar, The only problem was having to learn different EPOS solutions. That will be solved now we’re investing in GS,” said James Almond, who owns the chain with father Doug and sister Vicki. “Back of house, we’ll have access to consistent and comparable data, which will help with our decision making and controlling costs.”

We’ve also positioned two terminals on the floor so we can serve customers a lot quicker and a lot more accurately. There are plenty of practical operational benefits to the new EPOS solution too. The Hesketh has added a new Barn dining section to the pub, increasing covers from 80 to 120. However, this new dining section cannot physically be seen by hosting staff at the door. “The host welcoming guests can now see an electronic table plan on the terminal and can send customers through to the Barn or anywhere else in the pub, knowing which tables are free. Because of this, we’re now able to turnaround tables more efficiently,” said James. “We’ve also positioned two terminals on the floor so we can serve customers a lot quicker and a lot more accurately. Instead of handwritten notes that can lead to mistakes and misunderstandings, everything is dispensed through the

Angling shop hooks new revenue streams Stapeley Water Gardens’ angling centre is expanding its sales area - without increasing its impressive stock of rods, nets, clothing, shelters and numerous other fishing accessories under one 13,000 sq ft roof. The centre recently commissioned GS Systems to update its EPOS system using windows-based software technology. Part of the solution included integrating an online webstore into the system so key products can be sold on the internet. “By offering an online shopping facility, they’ve opened up another revenue stream at a fraction of the price of what it would have cost to expand the superstore’s retail area. Now, new and existing customers will be able to buy key products online,” said GS project manager, Peter Sawyer.

system. Drinks and desserts cannot be served until they have gone through the till.” “What’s more, we can alleviate the pressure at the short bar because drink orders for diners are sent through the system. One bar person concentrating solely on drinks can rattle through the tickets a lot faster than you can by taking verbal orders and handling cash and change.” The entire experience at the popular pub has been enhanced by the GS EPOS solution, even as capacity at the Hesketh has increased. The pub used to do 350 meals on a Sunday but can now easily accommodate just over 500.

One bar person concentrating solely on drinks can rattle through the tickets a lot faster than you can by taking verbal orders and handling cash and change. “With the alterations and the new EPOS solution, we have been able to separate bar drinkers from the diners, who don’t have to push past the lads with their pints at the bar to order. It’s a better, female-friendly experience,” says James, who is equally impressed by the impact of the system with staff.

James Almond (top above) is delighted with the new EPOS solution that is helping to provide a better customer experience at the Hesketh Tavern (top left). Now customers, inside or out, can order food and drink without going to the bar.

“Thanks to GS, our staff are happy because they are getting better tips because they’re giving customers a better service. I’m happier because they’re more inclined to upsell using an efficient interface. And the stock takers are happy because we have much better control of our stock.” “Overall, we are able to give customers a high quality eating experience in traditional, comfortable surroundings. However, behind the scenes, we’re very high tech and modern. The kitchen equipment is the best available, similarly with the EPOS.”

ALL EPOS SYSTEMS ARE NOT THE SAME.

HONEST!! GS Systems has published its ‘Did you honestly think all EPOS systems were the same?’booklet. A free copy is enclosed with Grapevine. It highlights the pitfalls of a poor EPOS purchase to help businesses make the right investment decisions as GS Systems managing director Niels Nielsen explains. Q1: Why a brochure called ‘Did you honestly think all EPOS systems were the same?’? NN: Simple really. When we’re chatting to people many relate EPOS horror stories to us. Though each story is different, a common theme is the

misconception that all EPOS systems are the same. They are not Q2: I suppose the brochure is an early warning system? NN: Exactly. We want people to think carefully about their EPOS investment. After all, it’s one of the most important business tools to control costs and increase margins. That’s why the brochure has a series of red flag scenarios. Q3: How do you get hold of a copy? NN: We’re distributing it free with this issue of Grapevine. It’s also available as a download at www.gs-systems.co.uk.

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4 O&A

Growingfaster Living Ventures Restaurants and Felicini have more in common than excellent reputations as high quality, critically-acclaimed hospitality operations. Both are regular visitors to the Sunday Times FAST TRACK 100 (which ranks Britain's 100 fastest-growing private companies on sales growth over three years). And they have long-standing relationships with GS Systems, who has looked after their EPOS requirements from their early beginnings to the current day. Here Living Venture’s Jeremy Roberts (below left) and Felicini’s Ged Lynch (below right) talk about why EPOS and GS Systems are essential for fast growing hospitality businesses.

We talked through the whole idea with GS, identified what we needed and they made sure it all worked, combining a web-based solution and EPOS.

How long have you been working with GS Systems?

GL:

Seven to nine years now. We felt our previous provider wasn’t giving us value for money. Maintenance was expensive. We wanted a new, more accessible supplier, who could grow our system as our business grew. The decision has proved to be a wise one as our EPOS has been developed to take into account our changing needs and GS has been very prompt when it comes to maintenance and looking after our business needs.

JR:

Ten or so years. From opening The Living Room, back in 1999, it was a gradual process of us trusting the technology. From my point of view, it’s very important to build good relationships, find a consultancy that is batting for you. As a business, we’re always asking ourselves how can we do things better with everything we do. That question applies to all our businesses, How we can create brands that offer real value to our customers and exceed their expectations in terms of product, service and ambience. This is achieved by a cultural commitment to training and our use of technology. Both are integral to our proposition. Customer service and high levels of training are definitely points of difference for us.

Q2:

And how has your EPOS solution developed with GS?

GL:

Originally we had EPOS for individual restaurants, which was great for tracking sales but we needed more. With our third venue we needed a head office solution for greater business control. Since it’s been installed, it’s become integral to us, tracks everything. Without it....don’t ask.

JR:

As a market leader, we embrace and use technology to our advantage. We were one of the first to use handhelds to give our customers a better, faster service. We added to our core EPOS solution as the business grew. So we started off using EPOS and excel sheets before replacing the latter with electronic business sheets and polling

Jeremy Roberts

The system identifies the exact time when sales are made so we can compare what it tells us with what we’re seeing on the CCTV footage behind the bar. Ged Lynch

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Growing businesses

with GS Systems

data to the head office. Last year we undertook a menu engineering exercise using the StockLink module from the EPOS solution. Initially, management and staff were resistant to the process but it was important for us to get the right balance with our recipes. After we’d finished, we were able to add 2% to the bottom line. Q3:

How does the system contribute to a growing business?

GL:

It’s a major influence on the entire Felicini chain. Stock control, weekly and monthly business sheets, predictive forecasting, comparing like-on-like sales, seasonal sales, seeing where opportunities lie. We rely on what the system tells us.

JR:

Technology has to be at the forefront of what we do as a business. We launched a take home service for Gusto last year and looked at various options before deciding which one was best to deliver the concept. We talked through the whole idea with GS, identified what we needed and they made sure it all worked combining a web-based solution and EPOS.

Q4:

What are its benefits?

JR:

There are two sides to the technology coin. We have to achieve the right balance between using technology without taking the human element out of the service. We offer a fast service through using EPOS but it must still be a quality service. The great thing with Niels and GS is they share our belief in big ideas. Our core system feeds

information to us, information that we can use and develop upon and take as our own but it’s the new ideas that are important to ensure we still maintain our edge. GL: It works for everyone in the business. At the end of each month, I have a full picture of how we’re performing. The great thing is managers and staff personalise it to suit their own needs. For instance, the system identifies the exact time when sales are made so we can compare what it tells us with what we’re seeing on the CCTV footage behind the bar. If it’s a soda water being entered into the terminal and we’re watching a lager being served we can deal with the problem. Theft is an issue and one that can cost a business hundreds of pounds a week. Our secret is to nip it in the bud so it doesn’t get a chance to escalate. Q5:

How do you see it developing in future?

GL:: Our next step is to use GS Systems’ Proactivity loyalty solution to co-ordinate promotions and marketing activity through the EPOS system. Using a central database will help us become more serious about promotional activity. JR:

The EPOS solution will develop as our proposition does. We are expanding into online reservations in a big way at the moment and using promotions to support our marketing effort but these need to be controlled. Linking them to our EPOS enables us to track the level of promotions we are undertaking and to control their effect on the bottom line.

Both Gusto (above left) and Felicini (top right and above) are regulars in the Sunday Times FAST TRACK 100.

If you want to discuss any of the ideas highlighted by Jeremy and Ged simply contact Dawn Chapman at GS Systems to arrange an appointment with one of our consultants. Telephone 0800 655 6095 or email d.chapman@gs-systems.co.uk.

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6 Development A Needs Analysis Audit can improve margins right now

At Home with Gusto: continued from page 1

Systems consultant Paul Kalinowski (right) had a financial services background before joining GS Systems and knows all about the economic arguments for making a business investment. He regularly carries out Needs Analysis Audits with prospective and existing clients to see if their existing EPOS provision is satisfying the requirements of the business. With a Needs Analysis Audit (NAA) we want to help you identify areas where you are losing margin or wasting cash and resources unnecessarily. Once we’ve spotted these weaknesses or loopholes, we can suggest the best ways to eliminate leaks and losses, spillage and pilfering. Our recommendations, properly implemented, will always make a difference to your bottom-line profits and give you a far better return on your investment. A NAA takes about sixty minutes at your premises. This is a serious process and is one that should not be taken lightly. After all, a lost pound needs to generate at least £3 in extra sales to replace it. Lose £20 and it’s an extra £60 worth of sales just to break even.

A lost pound needs to generate at least £3 in extra sales to replace it. Lose £20 and it’s an extra £60 worth of sales just to break even. My advice during an NAA is have an open mind. My job is not to criticise, merely to point out where cash may be hemorrhaging out of the business and the best ways to stop it. And we also point out there’s no need to worry about feeling foolish if we end up highlighting areas where money is being lost. The weaknesses we spot are common to a lot of businesses, although it takes experience and knowledge to spot the signs. We’ve been involved with cash and stock management for a long time and know the business inside out.

The weaknesses we spot are common to a lot of businesses, although it takes experience and knowledge to spot the signs. When we do our systematic step-by-step walk-through your front-of-house and back-office operations, we’ll be objectively interrogating a business structure. What’s your approach to wastage? How do you account for wastage when calculating gross profit? How do you treat lost handwritten or illegible drinks and food order slips? Do you know how many you lose during a week, a month or a quarter? More importantly, do you know the cost of the lost slips? What about stock control? Can you account for every bottle of wine in a case? Are staff

Running a simple staff performance league table allows waiters and waitresses to see how they are performing during a session and encourages them to sell more and improve the overall customer experience.

under-ringing orders to encourage bigger tips for themselves or are they handing out free drinks to their friends at your expense? Are you reconciling purchase delivery invoices with pre-agreed deals or passing them unchecked? Individually the amounts involved with a lost drinks slip or two or three bottles of wine going AWOL might not appear to be a big deal in relation to the daily take but viewed cumulatively it can amount to thousands of pounds a year, money better reinvested in the business or taken out to reward you for your efforts. Drilling down through your business, the NAA will also embrace staffing levels and your own involvement with the business on a day-to-day basis. Do you over or under staff sessions? Are your best sellers distracted from selling? Are your staff geared towards ensuring your customers enjoy the best guest experience ? And what about you? How many hours a week do you spend creating reports, inputting information into spreadsheets, predicting future trends and sales patterns? Wouldn’t you want to shorten your working week, if you could? How much are your overall losses? Whatever they are, either as a percentage of your turnover or a five or six figure lump sum, they are losses your business does not need to experience. Thankfully a GS Systems NAA will change the way your business operates and improve your profitability. If you want to book a Needs Analysis Audit, call Dawn Chapman on 0800 655 6095 today or email d.chapman@gs-systems.co.uk.

Ordering online is really easy from a) entering your postcode to find the restaurant nearest to you b) ordering your food and c) checking out and paying for it.

“We had a distinct advantage as Living Ventures is a long-standing client so we already knew the way they thought and operated and the standards they wanted to reach with ‘At Home with Gusto’.” “Working closely with the senior development team, we evaluated and sourced an end-to-end ready-made system to sit with our core EPOS solution and added additional functionality and value, giving it greater stability and numerous extra benefits,” said Niels Nielsen, GS Systems managing director. “In essence, Living Ventures has added another outlet to the chain, although this is a virtual store as everything is based around web ordering. The solution has a wide variety of functionality ranging from wireless chip ‘n’ pin payments, text marketing and data collection to printing print labels, flagging items for sale to those over 18 and automatically selecting the ‘best meal’ deal for the customer,” he said. “Our goal is to replicate the quality and freshness of our restaurants at home and GS has helped us achieve this by enabling us to control the ordering process and payments and tie-in the entire operation with our existing systems,” said Jeremy Roberts, Living Ventures co-founder and commercial director.

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Software

FIVE ways to do business better The true flexibility and versatility of a GS EPOS solution extends far beyond simply handling transactions and stock movements. Here we look at the five key areas where EPOS makes a genuine difference to managing and operating a hospitality or retail business.

CCTV integration is an eye-opener CCTV is a far more effective deterrent and prosecution tool when interfaced with a GS EPOS solution. Your camera overlooking your bar or shop takes on a new intelligence. You not only see someone handing over three pints at the bar but can also reconcile what they’ve rung into the terminal to ensure sure they match. And as data from the EPOS system is electronically and digitally recorded, you can do a quick search on any transaction. For example, voids or sales of a brand. The system produces dates and times of all transactions and a double click shows the video transaction taking place. Linking EPOS and CCTV is key to good stock control and identifying the causes of problems.

Poor or non-existent stock control can cost a business hundreds or thousands of pounds a month. You might know you’re losing money or stock somewhere but spotting the areas of weakness can be a nightmare. Are staff stealing, is an error from suppliers going unnoticed or are you or your managers not tracking and entering complimentary drinks? At GS Systems, we recommend implementing regular in-house stock control procedures so any errors or stock issues can be identified and remedied immediately. Daily checks can complement the manager’s weekly stock check. A daily check doesn’t need to be comprehensive audit each time but can be lines checks on certain products one day and another set the next. This disciplined, methodical approach, coupled with regular external audits, gives you a clearer picture about stock levels - and allows you to proactively put a stop to losses.

Good stock control stops nightmares

Web ordering adds new sales stream With internet use expanding at a dramatic rate, there’s never been a better time to think about ways of taking advantage of all the latest technologies in order to grow retail and hospitality businesses. GS can help in lots of ways from integrated web ordering to web-based table reservations systems to linking up with hotel booking systems with sites like laterooms.com. Web-based customer loyalty programmes - like our clever Proactivity module - also improve business at minimal additional cost, adding to revenue streams. Whatever the web goal, our integration skills reduce duplication and simplify the workflow, saving time, costs and effort.

No more ‘lost’ customer deposits

Countdown feature good for guests The EPOS countdown feature from GS is a very simple but graphic real time device designed to tell staff what’s available from the kitchen at any point in time. This clever device not only improves the efficiency of the restaurant but also enhances the overall guest experience. No more disappointing customers with the news that they cannot have what they want. The feature is easy to use. At the start of service, the chef enters the number of portions for the session and the EPOS solution will automatically count them down as they are sold in real time, simultaneously updating all the terminals. No more asking for orders that cannot be fulfilled - and a kitchen that’s a lot less stressed.

Reconciling deposits for table reservations particularly at Xmas - can be a potential nightmare - especially if they are done manually. Fortunately, the GS hospitality suite allows you to take a deposit and record and store information about the guest at the same time. The information can be recalled from the system at anytime by either receipt number, name or date redemption. The deposit will automatically be deducted from the final bill. This deposit function simplifies the whole process and gives you full accountability - and ensures deposits are never ‘lost’ at the expense of the customer.

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Viewpoint

Issue 15 Summer/Autumn 2010

EPOS helps combat tough trading conditions EPOS implemented effectively can have an immediate impact on the financial wellbeing and morale of a business, which is really important in the current economic climate. For instance, one of our key golden rules is account for everything - and I mean absolutely everything - that you sell or dispense. Whether it’s food or drink, it should be sold and recorded through your EPOS solution. Even if it’s a complimentary drink to thank a customer for their business at the end of a meal or minor wastage, ensure staff input every single transaction. That way you can account for all your stock - knowing it can only be removed if it’s been sold.

You’ll be amazed at the number of people who don’t use software properly. A Gunter/Amazon survey revealed that 57% of people who buy software never use it. By cutting out unmonitored wastage and freebies, you’ll notice an improvement to the bottom line through pre-dispensing - and a better guest experience. It’s equally important to make sure you use ALL your EPOS tools. You’ll be amazed at the number of people who don’t use software properly. A Gunter/Amazon survey revealed that 57% of people who buy software never use it while 94% never read the software users manual. Here’s a great example of why it makes a difference. A full recipe cost audit for a client using the GS hospitality suite revealed wide ranging portion control variances which is great for filling up customers' stomachs free of charge but not so good for the bottom-line. Thanks to our audit, the client was able to make a massive saving on food costs - and add an impressive and very welcome 3% extra to the profit margin. A welcome boost at anytime but even more so today. In another instance, our delivery/order validation module enabled clients to crosscheck suppliers prices with pre-agreed rates. This simple process virtually eliminates deliberate or accidental overcharging. One chain discovered they were losing on average £25 per week per site -a sum which soon mounts up when you have to make £50 to £75 through sales to compensate. These two great examples highlight the contribution EPOS makes to a business beyond processing sales. There are numerous other ways too. Like enhancing customer satisfaction using handheld mobile terminals. They speed up ordering as staff can move amongst

tables without returning to their workstations. The more time they spend with customers, the greater the upsell opportunities. Customers benefit because they not only receive their food faster but there is less chance of a mistake when an order is inputted directly into a terminal rather than written down and transcribed several minutes later.

GS Systems managing director Niels Nielsen is one of the EPOS industry’s most experienced and innovative experts, working closely with many leading hospitality and retail independents and multiples such as Alma De Cuba, Bar & Grill, Cheshire County Council, Gusto, Felicini restaurants, High Peak Borough Council, Hydes Brewery, Living Ventures, Lowry Arts Centre, Max Spielmann, Residence, Salford City Council, San Carlo, Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council and Timpson.

Fast, secure and efficient, it combines customer profile databases with email, text, mailmerge and communications. EPOS can also give you measurable competitive advantages through online customer loyalty programmes and webstore opportunities. They complement one another perfectly and can be easily operated and managed through an EPOS solution. Our own inhouse Proactivity software is a flexible and versatile loyalty and customer relationship web-based solution, designed for a wide variety of different applications in any retail or hospitality environment. Fast, secure and efficient, it combines customer profile databases with email, text, mobile and mail-merge communications. Used as part of a focused marketing campaign, it can target existing and potential customers to encourage increased footfall, boost turnover and raise profits.

A recent full recipe cost audit was able to make dramatic savings - and add 3% extra to the bottom line.

EPOS can also give you measurable competitive advantages through online loyalty programmes and webstore opportunities. The great thing about Proactivity specifically, and webstores in general, is they cost is a lot less than traditional marketing methods like advertising or direct mailshots. There’s hardly any wastage, they are far quicker than other forms of advertising and they encourage immediate uptake. These are just a few examples of how EPOS can help you beat the recessionary blues. There’s plenty more. Just ask. We’re always happy to talk.

GS Systems, 119/121 Buxton Road, Stockport, Cheshire SK2 6LR Tel: 0800 655 6095 Fax: 0161 419 6207 E-mail: sales@gs-systems.co.uk www.gs-systems.co.uk

Using handheld mobile terminals speeds up ordering and as staff can move amongst tables without returning to their workstations.

We hope you’ve enjoyed reading this issue of Grapevine. You can keep uptodate with our world of EPOS by visiting and registering your details at www.gs-systems.co.uk.