Hey What's Going on with YOUR POS System? Part 3

System Lag

I have a “vested interest” in the hospitality industry and I am also a patron.  I really enjoy going out to socialize, get a great cocktail, and have a well-prepared meal.  Sometimes I tell people that I’m in the business.  Other times I just sit back relax and watch.  I learn a lot by watching when I am in an establishment.  Quite often, when my evening is done I will head out with several pages of notes that I have taken regarding what I have heard while I was there.  This is one way I keep the ideas flowing about how I can improve 2Touch and make my customers and business partners happier.

More and more people have told me stories about lag.  It does not matter which role you play in the business if you are in hospitality you use a POS system.  For a Point of Sales system lag is a real problem.  Having your POS run slowly on a Friday is just plain wrong!  Your system has to keep going but when it is busy glitches can cause transaction loss, data entry errors and more.  Your POS needs to be responsive no matter how busy, no matter the function.  Here is a story that I found very compelling:

A system “glitches”  when a server is entering an order for a table of 10. Another server decided to help by unplugging the terminal, counting to 20 and then plugging the system back in.  What the helpful server didn’t realize was that the workstation that was being used was a primary station.  By disconnecting the power source with no backup, they were actually losing information.  Once back on line some of the evenings work was gone and yes the server had to re- enter the order.  A solution like this does not solve the issue. It just creates more problems. Think about what this busy establishment had to do to remedy the situation!

Lag is a symptom of a bigger problem.  Just as people need to exercise to stay in shape your hardware needs to go through processes to stay updated, correct computing errors and run your maintenance processes now and then to keep it running at optimum speed.  If you don’t maintain the hardware through a maintenance program routine then your system will eventually run slower.

At 2TouchPOS we advise our customers,  our partners;  to keep their system maintained, updated and software current.  Our system works best with all upgrades and “system fixes” in place and our tech team support ensures a concise system operating on the appropriately maintained hardware.

Some additional tactics can be employed, to ensure that your POS system is running efficiently whether you use 2TouchPOS or not.

• Locally installed systems, don’t rely completely on Wi-Fi; so there are no outage issues. Cloud systems operate in Wi-Fi so if you use one make sure it is a good connection. Check it often and update as often as you need to.
• To avoid lag in your POS system use good hardware. Cheap and old hardware will run slower and break down more often.  It is suggested to operate 2TouchPOS using Windows 7 and newer. A current system offers updated operating speeds, additional space and options to consider to maintain optimum operating results.
• Last thing: make sure you are updating your POS system regularly!  Old POS systems run much, much slower than newer POS systems.  Update the hardware and run the most current software version to solve any lag issues.
  Remember having your POS system appear as if it is running slowly does not necessarily mean that you have bad software.  Everyone wants to blame the software! Don’t do that!!  It could mean that you need to look at how you maintain your hardware and how efficiently your network is operating.  There are several things to consider when your establishment experiences lag however, through the implementation of some simple processes you don’t have to continue dealing with it.
  2TouchPOS offers options to our customers and partners for keeping their software and hardware current.  We have technical support plans in place to help you to stay current and eliminate lag.  If you experience lag we can talk about it, let us help you eliminate your slow and “glitchey” system;  contact us.