Have you ever completed a custom cake order only to find a sticky note on the back of your paper form that alters the order? Or perhaps even worse, you’ve found a sticky note, but no one can remember which order it goes with. If you’re still taking bakery orders by hand, this might not be a stretch.
Whether you’re looking to invest in a point of sales (POS) system for the first time or want a system that isn’t so clunky, here’s what you should be looking for in a bakery POS.
Inventory Management
Your POS system should be more than a virtual representation of a cash register. What good does it do if your bakery POS is managing your orders, but not your inventory?
Look for a system that automatically reduces on-hand levels of finished goods as items are sold through the system.
Discounts
Not only should a bakery POS be able to handle discounts and coupons, but you should have total control over the settings. There will likely be options to include pre-entered discounts like those you’d offer to veterans or students but look for the ability to create coupons exactly the way you want them.
A solid bakery POS should allow you to choose if you’d like customers to save a:
- Dollar amount off
- Percent off entire ticket
- Percent off a single item
Similarly, you should be able to set redemption parameters based on online or in-store, use at a particular location, or spend a minimum amount of money. Set active dates and time periods so customers can only use them during a specific window of time.
Gift and Loyalty
A solid customer loyalty program can help drive customers to your store while cultivating a new loyal consumer base. So you’ll want to ensure that your bakery POS system includes the ability to assign points based on product, visits, or dollar amounts spent.
Learn more about creating customer loyalty programs.
Useful, Efficient Integrations
If your bakery’s POS integrates with your accounting system, you can cut down on the number of times you need to transfer the same information over to a different application. This can be especially helpful if you have more than one bakery location.
It’s even better if you can find one that integrates with an email marketing tool so you can sync email addresses and ensure that your contact list is always up-to-date.
Designed with Bakeries in Mind
There are plenty of mediocre POS systems out there that will do in a pinch, but you’re likely to get the most for your money from a system that was designed for bakeries. With a POS system designed specifically for bakeries, you can be sure that it offers all the features your bakery needs, all in one system.
You won’t have to find workarounds to ensure that your bakery items are charged and recorded correctly. There wouldn’t be any need to duplicate your efforts over separate applications for sales, inventory, and accounting.
If you’re looking for a bakery POS system that does everything we talked about and more, look no further. BakeSmart offers a POS system that uses touch screens with a highly customizable and easy-to-use interface, allowing bakeries to complete transactions with any type of customer in seconds. With BakeSmart, you really can do everything you need to do. You get full control to ensure that your sales transactions are easy and efficient.
BakeSmart can help you manage more than just your point of sales; we can give your entire operation a leg up.
