Looking for an IT platform for your QSR? Here are a few tips

A good hospitality IT platform can help overcome old and emerging challenges.

Technology is changing the hospitality industry, and nowhere is this more apparent than in quick-service restaurants (QSRs). QSRs, especially in Australia, are under pressure to provide faster service and improve customer experience, while also reducing costs. To meet these challenges, many QSRs are turning to hospitality IT platforms.

A hospitality IT platform can do wonders for a QSR. It can help to streamline operations, improve efficiency and provide real-time insights into the business. But with so many options on the market, it can be hard to know which platform is right for your business.

Platforms vary in terms of features, functionality, price and support. In Australia, one platform is emerging as a clear leader in the space: Redcat.

Redcat brands itself as an all-around platform for QSRs and a specialist provider of an integrated end-to-end hospitality management system. The company is quickly gaining a reputation for its tech-savvy platform, which is designed to help QSRs streamline operations, improve customer experience and boost profits.

So, what should QSRs look for in a hospitality IT platform? Based on a conversation with Redcat, here are five key features to consider:

1. Ease of use

The platform should be easy to use, so that your staff can quickly adapt to it. It should have a user-friendly interface and be intuitive at the same time. Features should be easy to find, and the platform should be easy to navigate.

Redcat's hospitality IT platform is a homegrown product, developed with the user in mind. From ordering to payments, every aspect of the platform is designed to be user-friendly. For example, the Redcat platform lets you manage your menus, transactions, delivery, and production from a single interface.

2. Flexibility

When looking for a platform, look for one that should be able to scale as your business grows and change as your business changes. In an extremely dynamic industry like hospitality, a platform that is inflexible will only serve to hinder your business.

Redcat's platform is highly configurable and can be easily tailored to your specific needs. QSRs can use the platform to manage their business in a way that suits them. For example, they can choose which partners they want to integrate with, and what functionalities they want to use.

3. Integration

In a highly competitive market, it's important to be able to integrate with best-of-breed solutions. This way, you can offer your customers a seamless experience and a wide range of options. For multi-site QSRs, it's also important to have a platform that can be integrated with your existing systems as well as across multiple locations.

Redcat's platform is designed to be highly integrated. The company has a growing list of integrations with best-of-breed solutions, such as accounting, rostering, reservations, delivery, and customer relationship management (CRM) systems. 

Grill'd, a leading QSR in Australia, chose Redcat's platform because of its seamless integration with their existing point-of-sale system. The integration saved time and money, and Grill'd was able to keep using the data they already had.

4. Reporting and analytics

The platform should provide reporting and analytics capabilities. This will give you insights into your business and help you make decisions about how to improve it.

Redcat's platform comes with a business intelligence dashboard, which bubble tea franchise Chatime has been excited about. The dashboard gives Chatime franchisees real-time insights into their businesses. This way, they can make informed decisions about promotions, pricing, and product offerings.

5. Customer support

Local support is important, so make sure the platform you choose has a team that can help you with any issues you may have.

According to Redcat, they discovered that QSRs need customer support that understands the local market. This is why they set up a local support team in Australia, to provide assistance to their customers here.

Final thoughts

Competitive pressure, changing customer expectations and the need to reduce costs are just some of the challenges QSRs face. A hospitality IT platform can help to overcome these challenges, but with so many options on the market, it can be hard to know which one is right for your business.

When choosing a platform, look for one that is easy to use, flexible and can be easily integrated with other solutions. Redcat's platform ticks all of these boxes, and more. Contact Redcat today to find out how their platform can help your QSR run more smoothly.