Thankfully the theatre community is nothing if not resilient and many theatres have rallied with some creative thinking to keep the curtain raised with everything from live-streaming productions via Zoom to releasing past production material via YouTube. Of course, this hasn’t made up for the inevitable loss in revenue but thanks to the government furlough scheme, grants and charitable donations many of our great theatrical institutions have been able to continue, waiting for the time they can safely re-open.
Luxury of time
There is one positive thing the pandemic has given theatres and that is time. Time to really consider your operations and where you can streamline and improve your processes to safeguard your staff and give the best possible experience to your loyal patrons when they return.
5 key areas where EPoS tech can help
A key area of your operation is the EPoS technology behind your ticketing, F&B and merchandising. It is here where significant cost and time-efficiencies can be found through a thorough evaluation of your current EPoS system and its functionalities. Here are 5 areas where you can benefit from an EPoS overhaul:
1. Integrations
Where you are using a variety of key software solutions, a huge time-saver can be an open platform EPoS system that allows full integration with third-party software. It simplifies your processes with one login and links up all your data to provide a single customer view. Knowing not only what productions your patrons are seeing but also their food, drink and merchandising preferences can unlock valuable data that you can convert into effective personalised marketing.
An open platform EPoS can integrate with a variety of key theatre software across ticketing, reservations, customer engagement and accounting. These include:
Spektrix: pointOne EPoS is the only POS fully integrated with this ticket booking platform. Our integration allows Spektrix member functions to be linked to the tills (such as discounts/ price bands and complimentary items) plus pre-order drink options.
Tessitura: pointOne EPoS is only one of a few POS integrated with the Tessitura ticket booking platform. Our integration allows for various features, such as member functions and table booking/reservations to pull through to the POS terminals.
MyVisit: This customer engagement software which is also integrated with Spektrix allows the theatre/venue to communicate directly with the customer post-sale. pointOne is the only POS integrated with MyVisit and allows for pre-order, interval drinks and in-seat ordering.
Crowd Engage: Another customer engagement integration that integrates with the pointOne EPoS platform only and offers pre-order, interval drinks and in-seat ordering.
ResDiary: For theatres/venues with restaurant space, this table booking platform is fully integrated with pointOne EPoS and allows table management, online bookings, pre-orders and payments.
2. Interval Ordering App
This option gives theatre operators a dedicated and fully branded Interval ordering app. The use of these dedicated apps in the QSR and takeaway restaurant sector has proved crucial for navigating social distancing rules throughout the pandemic and now are firmly adopted as a means of pre-ordering for customers.
An established and convenient way for customers to save time and pre-order their interval drinks, it will continue to be an essential offering in the post-pandemic world. Unlike some mobile ordering apps, the web-based pointOne interval ordering app requires no customer download or login and means your staff can focus 100% on order fulfilment and providing exemplary customer service.
3. Stock Control
With multiple cost centres across your F&B and merchandising, it’s important to invest in a flexible and secure enterprise stock control solution that can handle these diverse requirements effortlessly.
By automating your stock control either with third-party software such as Fourth, Procure Wizard, Market Man or Kitchen Cut or if available, your POS supplier solution, you will make valuable time-saving, ensure zero wastage, optimise your menu management and gain vital stock reporting.
The pointOne Stock Control module is available to all pointOne customers and provides a multi-department enterprise stock solution, particularly for multi-bar/restaurant venues such as the WMC. If you wish to retain your third-party solution, our open platform POS has full integrations with all of the above suppliers.
4. Reporting & Analytics
Multi-department reporting is a fundamental requirement to maximise your multi-cost centres and all robust EPoS platforms should offer this integrated software. The pointOne reporting solution is purpose-built for theatres and allows full integration with financial software such as Xero and Sage. It is a remote reporting suite which gives full flexibility to access all data off-site and has strict permission levels to ensure complete security of confidential data.
In addition to offering granular reporting and stock optimisation, the module can also provide remote workforce management such as rotas, hours worked and associated costs in real-time. This allows you to have optimum staff levels in the right place based wholly on informed forecasting.
5. Mobile EPoS
One term we have been more than familiar with during the pandemic has been “pivoting” and the need for the hospitality industry to be resourceful and flexible all in a very short space of time. Thankfully your EPoS systems can support this need to adapt quickly and so creating pop-up theatre productions, concessions and merchandising are all possible with Mobile EPoS tablets.
This enables full and integrated POS features anywhere in the venue so no data is siloed but instead captured just like your fixed till terminals. In addition to a roaming POS, you can also attach a base which will then allow the portable terminal to become a semi-permanent till with cash drawer, printer and PDQ integration to give complete flexibility.
Hopefully, by reviewing and improving these key operational areas in relation to your EPoS system, you will unlock significant time and cost-savings and put your theatre in the best possible shape to face the enviable challenges that 2021 will pose head-on.
If you need any more detailed advice on the above or have any specific questions for our theatre EPoS specialists then please get in touch.
