Grapevine Issue 15 Summer/Autumn 2010

The newsletter for GS Systems’ customers

San Carlo picks GS Systemsfor tighter controls The fast growing, award-winning San Carlo Italian restaurant chain has selected a GS Systems EPOS solutionto 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 grossingrestaurants outside of London, San Carlo inManchester’s King Street West. Marcello Distefano, whoruns the business with father Carlo, says weekly takingsrange between £140,000 and £170,000 - making it oneof the busiest places to eat in the UK. San Carlo asked GS Systems to recommend and

implement a solution to give the restaurant managementteam 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 theenormous demands being placed on them. When it isreally busy, which is most of the time, too many mistakeswere being made. Mixing up bills and lost drinks slipswere typical daily occurrences they wanted to eliminate,”says GS Systems managing director and acknowledgedEPOS industry expert, Niels Nielsen. “Inevitably, the knock-on effects were untrustworthy

stock account and stock control statistics and largediscrepancies that could not be explained.” “Our brief was twofold. First, to make sure they had an

EPOS solution in place that was able to handle thepressure of a restaurant when it was at its most intense.Second, to ensure management and floor staff had totalconfidence in the system. This entailed earmarkingseveral days training to give them the necessary skills to

use it under even the most testing conditions.” “At the same time, we’ve being tidying up the back

office so they can exert greater control over the business.Stage one was liquor sales. The next stage is to do thesame with the food operation,” said Niels. “Throughout we’ve adopted a consultative approach,discussing their concerns and focusing on a gradualintroduction of the solution to ensure they enjoy thelong-term benefits. It’s part of our philosophy of

Living Ventures is taking its Gusto restaurantbrand into the homes of customers by offering a home delivery service - with a little help fromGS Systems.By taking advantage of the growth of the take homemarket, Living Ventures is developing a newrevenue stream without incurring huge additionalset up and operational costs.Food is prepared at the appropriate Gusto restaurant whenan order is placed either online or by telephone. Deliveriestake place within half an hour of orders being received.The entire process is run and monitored by the EPOSsolution to ensure ‘At Home with Gusto’ feeds into theexisting stock control and financial head office systems.Having devised and developed the concept and thecustomer offerings, Living Ventures asked GS Systemsto recommend how best to implement the variousprocesses necessary to operate and control take homesales, ordering and stock control.

GROWING GAINS

Continued on page 2

Continued on page 6

GS Systems landsEscape airport winGS Systems has won a prestigious contract tosupply the EPOS solution for the new EscapeVIP lounge in Terminal 1 at ManchesterInternational Airport, one of Europe’s busiestairports catering for over 22 millionpassengers every year.

The father and son team behind the San Carlo success story -Carlo Distefano (left) with son Marcello in their Manchesterrestaurant (pictured top), where weekly takings range between£140,000 and £170,0000.

Two leading hospitality entrepreneurs (Sunday Times FAST TRACK 100 regulars) explain how GS helps expanding businesses

> pages 4 & 5

“Did you honestlythink all EPOSsystems were thesame?”Free booklet inside> page 3

GS helps deliver‘At home with Gusto’

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2News

San Carlo picks GS Systems: continued from page 1

building long-term partnerships and helping growingbusinesses to develop more effectively.” “GS Systems has been a great boost to the way werun the restaurant. We did have problems with bills,which were genuine mistakes. Obviously, we don’twant customers to be disappointed with any aspectof the San Carlo experience. Fortunately, the team atGS Systems has been very understanding and takena very softly, softly stance with us. They’ve not justsold us a system and left us to get on with it,” saidMarcello. “They have been part of the team and ensured asmooth transition from the old to the new system.”Marcello’s and Carlo’s Harnbury Holdings companycurrently has five San Carlo restaurants inBirmingham, Bristol, Liverpool, Leicester andManchester as well as London’s prestigious SignorSassi in Knightsbridge.

www.sancarlo.co.uk

Double espresso win for GS GS Systems has provided the EPOS platforms to helptwo growing coffee shop brands in the north west.Broderick’s Love Coffee, a premium coffee conceptthat has evolved from the well-established ManchesterVending business, currently has two outlets in Manchester’scity centre and international airport with another due toopen 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 hoursa day (4am to 10pm) and we can carry out a largeproportion of our trading before most of us have got outof bed. Therefore it’s essential we have immediate andremote access to sales and stock information about thecurrent state of play at anytime,” said Broderick’sfinancial controller, Guy Harland.

It’s essential we haveimmediate and remote access to sales and stock information.

“We have a clearly focused plan revolving around highprofile premium sites in prime locations. We want todifferentiate ourselves from other retailers and coffeeshops through our quality and our attention to detail. Forinstance, our food isn’t delivered in packets from halfwayacross the country. It’s made fresh, on site by stafftrained at culinary school under the watchful andprofessional direction of manager Eamonn Flaherty.Similarly, our EPOS is equally as important. We want toroll out the same model, the same reports and the samestyle of operation when we add new outlets to the chain.The head office system provided by GS will be a key to thesuccessful 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 thetraditional coffee concept, giving customers theopportunity to enjoy a wide range of smoothies, juices,shakes and crushes. The first bar was launched byowner-manager Austin Barcley in Sale, Manchester, witha second opening in Northwich, Cheshire, this summer.Austin plans to add three or four more as the first partof his business plan matures. “I had another coffee house and used an EPOS systemfrom another provider but they could not match theversatility and functionality of the GS Systems solution.Just as important, Niels and his team are open to ideasand helping me develop ways of working to suit me andthe business. We’ve developed an accurate weeklybusiness sheet that has been built into the stock controlsoftware to suit my way of working and we’re alsoplanning to add loyalty cards in the near future. The inputfrom GS will help us perform a lot better,” said Austin.

Viva owner Austin Barcley discusses what he likesabout his GS EPOS solution.

Q1: How has the GS EPOS solution improved theViva customer experience?

AB: We can give a much better and more reliableservice. For example, we have an automatic mealdeal function which matches up the best pricefor the customer. Previously it was done manuallyand it was a nightmare when customerscomplained about missing out on a better price.Staff voiding transactions and starting again wasa pain too. We’ve also synchronised the CCTVand the EPOS solution so we can quickly resolveany mistakes over payment. It’s hawkeye for thehospitality industry!

Q2: And how has it helped you personally run abetter business?

AB: I love the remote log-in feature. I can be awayfrom the business, at home or on holiday, andstill see what’s going on. Even though I’m notthere I am there. I can see if staff are sharingthe workload. This will be more important oncewe open a second Viva in Northwich. I also likethe reports and information it gives you. You cantrust the data. It’s based on fact. Rather thansomeone’s opinion.

www.loveviva.com

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3News

Angling shop hooks new revenue streamsStapeley Water Gardens’ angling centre is expandingits sales area - without increasing its impressivestock of rods, nets, clothing, shelters and numerousother fishing accessories under one 13,000 sq ft roof.The centre recently commissioned GS Systems toupdate its EPOS system using windows-basedsoftware technology. Part of the solution includedintegrating an online webstore into the system so keyproducts can be sold on the internet. “By offering anonline shopping facility, they’ve opened up anotherrevenue stream at a fraction of the price of what itwould have cost to expand the superstore’s retailarea. Now, new and existing customers will be ableto buy key products online,” said GS project manager,Peter Sawyer.

Almond serves up new EPOS solution fora better customer experienceAlmond Family Pubs is using a GS EPOS solution to improve the way it operates andprovides a far better customer experience at its carvery pubs. GS Systems has recently installed a new EPOS solutionat the Hesketh Tavern in Cheadle Hulme, Cheshire andwill be following this up with installations at the ThreeBears in Hazel Grove and the Fletchers Arms in Denton.“What attracted us to this system was the capability touse it across multi-sites. Our managers arecross-trained so they can do the kitchen, bar and cellarand we can move them between pubs as the operationsare very similar, The only problem was having to learndifferent EPOS solutions. That will be solved now we’reinvesting in GS,” said James Almond, who owns thechain with father Doug and sister Vicki. “Back of house, we’ll have access to consistent andcomparable data, which will help with our decisionmaking and controlling costs.”

We’ve also positioned twoterminals on the floor so we canserve customers a lot quicker

and a lot more accurately. There are plenty of practical operational benefits to thenew EPOS solution too. The Hesketh has added a newBarn dining section to the pub, increasing covers from 80to 120. However, this new dining section cannotphysically be seen by hosting staff at the door. “The host welcoming guests can now see an electronictable plan on the terminal and can send customersthrough to the Barn or anywhere else in the pub, knowingwhich tables are free. Because of this, we’re now able toturnaround tables more efficiently,” said James. “We’vealso positioned two terminals on the floor so we can servecustomers a lot quicker and a lot more accurately. Insteadof handwritten notes that can lead to mistakes andmisunderstandings, everything is dispensed through the

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

One bar person concentratingsolely on drinks can rattle through

the tickets a lot faster than youcan by taking verbal orders and

handling cash and change. “With the alterations and the new EPOS solution, wehave been able to separate bar drinkers from the diners,who don’t have to push past the lads with their pints atthe bar to order. It’s a better, female-friendlyexperience,” says James, who is equally impressed bythe impact of the system with staff.

“Thanks to GS, our staff are happy because they are gettingbetter tips because they’re giving customers a betterservice. I’m happier because they’re more inclined to upsellusing an efficient interface. And the stock takers are happybecause we have much better control of our stock.”“Overall, we are able to give customers a high qualityeating experience in traditional, comfortablesurroundings. However, behind the scenes, we’re veryhigh tech and modern. The kitchen equipment is the bestavailable, similarly with the EPOS.”

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

Q1: Why a brochure called ‘Did you honestlythink all EPOS systems were the same?’?

NN: Simple really. When we’re chatting to peoplemany relate EPOS horror stories to us. Thougheach story is different, a common theme is the

ALL EPOS SYSTEMS ARE NOT THE SAME.

GS Systems has published its ‘Did you honestly thinkall EPOS systems were the same?’booklet. A free copyis enclosed with Grapevine. It highlights the pitfalls ofa poor EPOS purchase to help businesses make theright investment decisions as GS Systems managingdirector Niels Nielsen explains.

misconception that all EPOS systems are thesame. They are not

Q2: I suppose the brochure is an early warningsystem?

NN: Exactly. We want people to think carefully abouttheir EPOS investment. After all, it’s one of themost important business tools to control costsand increase margins. That’s why the brochurehas 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 atwww.gs-systems.co.uk.

HONEST!!

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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 theyhave long-standing relationships with GS Systems, who has looked after their EPOS requirements from theirearly 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.

Q1 How long have you been working with GS Systems?

GL: Seven to nine years now. We felt our previousprovider wasn’t giving us value for money.Maintenance was expensive. We wanted a new,more accessible supplier, who could grow oursystem as our business grew. The decision hasproved to be a wise one as our EPOS has beendeveloped to take into account our changing needsand GS has been very prompt when it comes tomaintenance 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 ustrusting the technology. From my point of view, it’svery important to build good relationships, find aconsultancy that is batting for you. As a business,we’re always asking ourselves how can we dothings better with everything we do. That questionapplies to all our businesses, How we can createbrands that offer real value to our customers andexceed their expectations in terms of product,service and ambience. This is achieved by acultural commitment to training and our use oftechnology. Both are integral to our proposition.Customer service and high levels of training aredefinitely points of difference for us.

Q2: And how has your EPOS solution developedwith GS?

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

JR: As a market leader, we embrace and usetechnology to our advantage. We were one of thefirst to use handhelds to give our customers abetter, faster service. We added to our core EPOSsolution as the business grew. So we started offusing EPOS and excel sheets before replacing thelatter with electronic business sheets and polling

We talked throughthe whole idea withGS, identified whatwe needed and theymade sure it allworked, combining a web-based solution and EPOS.

Ged Lynch

The systemidentifies the exacttime when sales are made so we cancompare what ittells us with whatwe’re seeing on the CCTV footagebehind the bar.

Jeremy Roberts

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5Growing businesses

with GS Systems

data to the head office. Last year we undertook amenu engineering exercise using the StockLinkmodule from the EPOS solution. Initially,management and staff were resistant to theprocess but it was important for us to get the rightbalance with our recipes. After we’d finished, wewere able to add 2% to the bottom line.

Q3: How does the system contribute to a growingbusiness?

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

JR: Technology has to be at the forefront of what wedo as a business. We launched a take homeservice for Gusto last year and looked at variousoptions before deciding which one was best todeliver the concept. We talked through the wholeidea with GS, identified what we needed andthey made sure it all worked combining aweb-based solution and EPOS.

Q4: What are its benefits?

JR: There are two sides to the technology coin. Wehave to achieve the right balance between usingtechnology without taking the human element outof the service. We offer a fast service throughusing EPOS but it must still be a quality service.The great thing with Niels and GS is they shareour belief in big ideas. Our core system feeds

information to us, information that we can useand develop upon and take as our own but it’sthe new ideas that are important to ensure westill maintain our edge.

GL: It works for everyone in the business. At the endof each month, I have a full picture of how we’reperforming. The great thing is managers and staffpersonalise it to suit their own needs. Forinstance, the system identifies the exact timewhen sales are made so we can compare what ittells us with what we’re seeing on the CCTVfootage behind the bar. If it’s a soda water beingentered into the terminal and we’re watching alager being served we can deal with the problem.Theft is an issue and one that can cost a businesshundreds of pounds a week. Our secret is to nipit 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’ Proactivityloyalty solution to co-ordinate promotions andmarketing activity through the EPOS system.Using a central database will help us becomemore serious about promotional activity.

JR: The EPOS solution will develop as our propositiondoes. We are expanding into online reservations ina big way at the moment and using promotionsto support our marketing effort but these need tobe controlled. Linking them to our EPOS enablesus to track the level of promotions we areundertaking and to control their effect on thebottom line.

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

If you want to discuss any of the ideas highlightedby Jeremy and Ged simply contact Dawn Chapmanat GS Systems to arrange an appointment with oneof our consultants. Telephone 0800 655 6095 oremail d.chapman@gs-systems.co.uk.

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6 Development

A Needs Analysis Audit canimprove margins right now Systems consultant Paul Kalinowski (right) had afinancial services background before joining GS Systemsand knows all about the economic arguments for makinga business investment. He regularly carries out NeedsAnalysis Audits with prospective and existing clients tosee if their existing EPOS provision is satisfying therequirements of the business.

With a Needs Analysis Audit (NAA) we want to helpyou identify areas where you are losing margin orwasting cash and resources unnecessarily. Oncewe’ve spotted these weaknesses or loopholes, wecan suggest the best ways to eliminate leaks andlosses, spillage and pilfering. Our recommendations,properly implemented, will always make a differenceto your bottom-line profits and give you a far betterreturn on your investment.A NAA takes about sixty minutes at your premises. Thisis a serious process and is one that should not be takenlightly. 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 atleast £3 in extra sales to replace it.

Lose £20 and it’s an extra £60worth of sales just to break even.

My advice during an NAA is have an open mind. My jobis not to criticise, merely to point out where cash may behemorrhaging out of the business and the best ways tostop it. And we also point out there’s no need to worryabout feeling foolish if we end up highlighting areaswhere money is being lost. The weaknesses we spot arecommon to a lot of businesses, although it takesexperience and knowledge to spot the signs. We’ve beeninvolved with cash and stock management for a longtime and know the business inside out.

The weaknesses we spot arecommon to a lot of businesses,although it takes experience and

knowledge to spot the signs.When we do our systematic step-by-step walk-throughyour front-of-house and back-office operations, we’ll beobjectively interrogating a business structure. What’syour approach to wastage? How do you account forwastage when calculating gross profit? How do you treatlost handwritten or illegible drinks and food order slips?Do you know how many you lose during a week, a monthor a quarter? More importantly, do you know the cost ofthe lost slips? What about stock control? Can youaccount for every bottle of wine in a case? Are staff

under-ringing orders to encourage bigger tips forthemselves or are they handing out free drinks to theirfriends at your expense? Are you reconciling purchasedelivery invoices with pre-agreed deals or passing themunchecked?Individually the amounts involved with a lost drinks slipor two or three bottles of wine going AWOL might notappear to be a big deal in relation to the daily take butviewed cumulatively it can amount to thousands ofpounds a year, money better reinvested in the businessor taken out to reward you for your efforts.Drilling down through your business, the NAA will alsoembrace staffing levels and your own involvement withthe business on a day-to-day basis. Do you over or under staff sessions? Are your best sellers distractedfrom selling? Are your staff geared towards ensuring your customers enjoy the best guest experience ? And what about you? How many hours a week do youspend creating reports, inputting information intospreadsheets, predicting future trends and salespatterns? Wouldn’t you want to shorten your workingweek, if you could?How much are your overall losses? Whatever they are,either as a percentage of your turnover or a five or sixfigure lump sum, they are losses your business does notneed to experience. Thankfully a GS Systems NAA willchange the way your business operates and improveyour profitability.If you want to book a Needs Analysis Audit, call DawnChapman on 0800 655 6095 today or emaild.chapman@gs-systems.co.uk.

“We had a distinct advantage as Living Ventures is along-standing client so we already knew the way theythought and operated and the standards they wanted toreach with ‘At Home with Gusto’.”“Working closely with the senior development team, weevaluated and sourced an end-to-end ready-madesystem to sit with our core EPOS solution and addedadditional functionality and value, giving it greaterstability and numerous extra benefits,” said NielsNielsen, GS Systems managing director.“In essence, Living Ventures has added another outletto the chain, although this is a virtual store as everythingis based around web ordering. The solution has a widevariety of functionality ranging from wireless chip ‘n’ pinpayments, text marketing and data collection to printingprint labels, flagging items for sale to those over 18 andautomatically selecting the ‘best meal’ deal for thecustomer,” he said.“Our goal is to replicate the quality and freshness ofour restaurants at home and GS has helped us achievethis by enabling us to control the ordering process andpayments and tie-in the entire operation with ourexisting systems,” said Jeremy Roberts, Living Venturesco-founder and commercial director.

At Home with Gusto: continued from page 1

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

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

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7Software

CCTV is a far more effective deterrent and prosecutiontool when interfaced with a GS EPOS solution. Yourcamera overlooking your bar or shop takes on a newintelligence. You not only see someone handing overthree pints at the bar but can also reconcile what they’verung into the terminal to ensure sure they match. Andas data from the EPOS system is electronically anddigitally recorded, you can do a quick search on anytransaction. For example, voids orsales of a brand. The systemproduces dates and times of alltransactions and a double clickshows the video transaction takingplace. Linking EPOS and CCTV iskey to good stock control andidentifying the causes of problems.

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 depositand record and store information about the guest atthe same time. The information can be recalledfrom the system at anytime by either receiptnumber, name or date redemption. The deposit willautomatically be deducted from the final bill. Thisdeposit function simplifies the whole process andgives you full accountability - and ensures depositsare never ‘lost’ at the expense of the customer.

The EPOS countdown feature from GS is a very simplebut graphic real time device designed to tell staff what’savailable from the kitchen at any point in time. Thisclever device not only improves the efficiency of therestaurant but also enhances the overall guestexperience. No more disappointing customers with thenews that they cannot have what they want. The featureis easy to use. At the start of service, the chef enters thenumber of portions for the session and the EPOS solutionwill automatically count them down as they are sold inreal time, simultaneously updating all the terminals. Nomore asking for orders that cannot be fulfilled - and akitchen that’s a lot less stressed.

Poor or non-existent stock control can cost a businesshundreds or thousands of pounds a month. You mightknow you’re losing money or stock somewhere butspotting the areas of weakness can be a nightmare.Are staff stealing, is an error from suppliers goingunnoticed or are you or your managers not trackingand entering complimentary drinks? At GS Systems,we recommend implementing regular in-housestock control procedures so any errors or stockissues can be identified and remediedimmediately. Daily checks can complement themanager’s weekly stock check. A daily checkdoesn’t need to be comprehensive audit eachtime but can be lines checks on certainproducts one day and another set the next.This disciplined, methodical approach, coupledwith regular external audits, gives you a clearerpicture about stock levels - and allows you toproactively put a stop to losses.

FIVE ways to do business better

Countdown feature good for guests

No more ‘lost’customer deposits

CCTV integrationis an eye-opener

Good stockcontrol stopsnightmares

The true flexibility and versatility of a GS EPOS solution extends far beyond simply handling transactionsand 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.

With internet use expanding at a dramatic rate,there’s never been a better time to think about waysof taking advantage of all the latest technologies inorder to grow retail and hospitality businesses. GScan help in lots of ways from integrated web orderingto web-based table reservations systems to linkingup with hotel booking systems with sites likelaterooms.com. Web-based customer loyaltyprogrammes - like our clever Proactivity module - alsoimprove business at minimal additional cost, addingto revenue streams. Whatever the web goal, ourintegration skills reduce duplication and simplify theworkflow, saving time, costs and effort.

Web ordering adds new sales stream

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8Viewpoint

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

EPOS helps combattough trading conditions

For instance, one of our key golden rules is account foreverything - and I mean absolutely everything - that yousell or dispense. Whether it’s food or drink, it should besold and recorded through your EPOS solution. Even ifit’s a complimentary drink to thank a customer for theirbusiness at the end of a meal or minor wastage, ensurestaff input every single transaction. That way you canaccount for all your stock - knowing it can only beremoved if it’s been sold.

You’ll be amazed at the number ofpeople who don’t use software

properly. A Gunter/Amazon surveyrevealed that 57% of people who

buy software never use it.By cutting out unmonitored wastage and freebies, you’llnotice an improvement to the bottom line throughpre-dispensing - and a better guest experience.It’s equally important to make sure you use ALL yourEPOS tools. You’ll be amazed at the number ofpeople who don’t use software properly. AGunter/Amazon survey revealed that 57% of peoplewho buy software never use it while 94% never readthe software users manual.Here’s a great example of why it makes a difference. Afull recipe cost audit for a client using the GS hospitalitysuite revealed wide ranging portion control variances -which is great for filling up customers' stomachs free ofcharge but not so good for the bottom-line. Thanks toour audit, the client was able to make a massive savingon food costs - and add an impressive and very welcome3% extra to the profit margin. A welcome boost atanytime but even more so today.In another instance, our delivery/order validation moduleenabled clients to crosscheck suppliers prices withpre-agreed rates. This simple process virtuallyeliminates deliberate or accidental overcharging. Onechain discovered they were losing on average £25 perweek per site -a sum which soon mounts up when youhave to make £50 to £75 through sales to compensate.These two great examples highlight the contributionEPOS makes to a business beyond processing sales.There are numerous other ways too. Like enhancingcustomer 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 greaterthe upsell opportunities. Customers benefit becausethey not only receive their food faster but there is lesschance of a mistake when an order is inputted directlyinto a terminal rather than written down andtranscribed several minutes later.

Fast, secure and efficient, itcombines customer profiledatabases with email, text,

mailmerge and communications.EPOS can also give you measurable competitiveadvantages through online customer loyaltyprogrammes and webstore opportunities. Theycomplement one another perfectly and can beeasily operated and managed through an EPOSsolution.Our own inhouse Proactivity software is a flexible andversatile loyalty and customer relationship web-basedsolution, designed for a wide variety of differentapplications in any retail or hospitality environment.Fast, secure and efficient, it combines customer profiledatabases with email, text, mobile and mail-mergecommunications. Used as part of a focused marketing campaign, it can target existing and potential customers to encourage increased footfall, boost turnover andraise profits.

EPOS can also give youmeasurable competitive

advantages through onlineloyalty programmes andwebstore opportunities.

The great thing about Proactivity specifically, andwebstores in general, is they cost is a lot less thantraditional marketing methods like advertising ordirect mailshots. There’s hardly any wastage, theyare far quicker than other forms of advertising andthey encourage immediate uptake.These are just a few examples of how EPOS can helpyou beat the recessionary blues. There’s plenty more.Just ask. We’re always happy to talk.

EPOS implemented effectively can have an immediate impact on the financialwellbeing and morale of a business, which is really important in the currenteconomic climate.

GS Systems managingdirector Niels Nielsen isone of the EPOSindustry’s mostexperienced andinnovative experts,working closely withmany leadinghospitality and retailindependents andmultiples such as Alma De Cuba, Bar & Grill,Cheshire County Council, Gusto, Felicini restaurants,High Peak Borough Council, Hydes Brewery, LivingVentures, Lowry Arts Centre, Max Spielmann,Residence, Salford City Council, San Carlo, StockportMetropolitan Borough Council and Timpson.

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

We hope you’ve enjoyed reading this issue ofGrapevine. You can keep uptodate with ourworld of EPOS by visiting and registering yourdetails at www.gs-systems.co.uk.

Issue 15 Summer/Autumn 2010

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

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