Recent installments of this blog have focused on the addition of different software modules to retail and restaurant point of sale systems to bolster their capabilities. But forward-thinking vendors like pcAmerica aren’t stopping there.

If you’re like most retailers and restaurant operators, labor scheduling ranks among your least favorite tasks. Slotting staff members into shifts can be extremely time-consuming, and confirming just how many employees are slated to work a particular shift and the roles to which they’ve been assigned often necessitates a significant effort as well.

Retailers with fuel pumps have long utilized one point of sale system for pump-related transactions and another for transactions pertaining to other inventory, such as food and grocery items sold in their adjacent convenience stores or similar establishments. However, a much better alternative is now available in the form of solutions that handle fuel sales and other transactions from the same point of sale system.

While standalone meal ordering solutions are readily available in the marketplace, a trend toward applications that integrate the online ordering function with restaurant point of sale applications is quickly emerging.

Okay, so you’re sold on the benefits of implementing online ordering in your restaurant. Now it’s time to select from among the many solutions available in the marketplace. But don’t let your excitement about the potential advantages to be gleaned from offering customers the opportunity to place orders via a Web site force you into making a rash software purchasing decision.

Chances are, you’ve heard quite a lot in recent months about online ordering solutions. Maybe you’ve even used them yourself to get takeout or a delivery from another restaurant. And now, it’s time to seriously consider implementing such an application for your own operation.