Challenge
Point-of-Sale System Pain Points
A global eatertainment brand struggled with multiple aspects of its Point-of-Sale and broader technology ecosystems. After their POS vendor suffered a ransomware attack that impacted critical data access for weeks on end, the brand was eager to explore other options.
As a technology-driven concept, this company understood the immense impact selecting the right system would make on employees and customers alike. Given the high degree of complexity in their tech environment—from multiple integrations to packaged and custom proprietary systems—the company enlisted Point B’s expertise to lead a full POS vendor selection process.
An Opportunity for Modernization
Beyond just identifying a new POS vendor, our customer’s system selection process was about finding new ways to modernize their tech stack, standardize and simplify business processes, and streamline operations within their venues. A more stable and secure system would empower their employees to delight guests while supporting the brand’s aggressive growth strategy.
Approach
Our restaurant technology experts identified and strategically partnered with a cross-functional team of senior leaders, bringing collective insights together to assemble a POS transformation steering committee. Through a series of workshops with 20+ stakeholders, the team worked to identify current pain points, strategic goals, and critical success factors, ultimately landing on a list of 18 potential vendors to engage in an RFI.
After reviewing RFI submissions, the team narrowed the list to 4 vendors to include in the RFP process. Our approach for RFP execution included:
Leveraging a proven framework
We apply an evaluation and selection framework focused on 6 key areas:
Proven vendor
Consider the vendor’s reputation, cultural fit, financial stability, and history of success.
Cost
Weigh solution benefits against total costs (setup + ongoing maintenance) and adoption speed.
Technical fit
Prioritize modern architecture, easy integration, and a user-friendly, secure, speedy experience.
Functional fit
Pick a system with the right features for your needs today with room to customize and evolve for the future.
Maintenance & Support
Plan for post-implementation support, including upgrades, security, and integrations.
Implementation risk
Consider risks, how the system will be configured, installed, and used, and the size of the partner market.
- Gathering 500+ functional requirements to ensure system readiness
- Orchestrating in-person venue tours to contextualize customer and employee needs
- Developing 38 use cases and 12 unique personas to prepare for system demonstrations
- Leveraging our expert team to comprehensively benchmark vendor responses
Project Outcomes
As a result of the thoughtful and thorough approach, our customer confidently selected a new POS vendor. In addition, their team was energized to approach the future because of the due diligence, robust technical analysis, and strategic oversight our team provided. Multiple validation sessions and a comprehensive 5-year total cost of ownership model left leaders with best practices for modeling hardware configuration and establishing rollout timelines, putting them on the right path toward implementation.
From an experience standpoint, an executive and member of the steering committee was so pleased by the outcomes that they recommended Point B to an organization embarking on a similar technology transformation. And one of the participating vendors shared that this was the most thorough, easy-to-navigate, and organized RFP process they have ever experienced.
Additional outcomes:
- 60+ leaders engaged in workshops and steering committee conversations
- 8000+ devices at 100+ domestic venues awaiting system implementation
- Streamlined core workflows, paving the way to improve the experience of 45,000+ employees
- Increased confidence in system selection, further enabling leaders to achieve downstream brand growth targets
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