29-11-07 Flexible EPoS solutions for Sheffield University's diverse business

When Sheffield University needed a complete EPoS solution to manage their entire hospitality operation there were a number of key factors they needed to take into account. Obviously for a busy university campus it was essential that the system was flexible, reliable and able to cope with the huge volumes of sales generated during peak periods, but the EPoS terminals also had to be quick-to-learn and easy-to-use because of the high turnover of part-time staff who would be operating the terminals.

After considering a number of different EPoS systems it was clear that only Zonal had the system and the experience to deliver the solution they needed for their pubs, bars, restaurants, coffee bar, salad bar, fast food outlet, cafe, clubs and music venues. Indeed 22,000 students at the University of Sheffield are spoilt for choice when they want somewhere to eat, drink or be entertained.

All the outlets bar the Fox and Duck pub are based on the central campus and together they make an annual turnover of almost £5 million per year. Because all the outlets are managed by the student’s union all of the profits are ploughed back into the university to provide additional facilities and services for the students.

Bar Development Manager Graeme Wood is responsible for overseeing the operation of the various outlets and works with an experienced team of managers to ensure the outlets perform to their maximum potential.

Graeme was formerly a training manager for the Tom Cobleigh pub chain and it is this experience that led him to understand “the importance of the information that a quality EPoS solution can provide in the day-to-day running of a business as well as the overall benefit to a business.”

Graeme continued “With a turnover approaching £5 million, it is key that managers have the best tools to make the right decisions in terms of ordering, stock control, security and analysing information.” Graeme “looked at a number of different EPoS systems and [concluded that] it was obvious that Zonal could deliver exactly what we wanted for the pubs, bars, restaurants and clubs operated at Sheffield University.”

Ease of use was one of the biggest benefits of Zonal’s EPoS system – of the 290 staff employed, 250 are part time. These part time staff need to be up-to-speed quickly if sales are to be maximised and “our staff found Zonal’s EPoS terminals easy-to-use and one of the great advantages is their speed, resulting in better service for our customers.”

Zonal designed a system for Graeme that would provide all the control and management reporting that was needed to manage the campus effectively. 40 terminals, backed up by kitchen printers for all food ordering, ensure that communication in each sales area is as fast and accurate as possible. Graeme said: “The EPoS system ensures that both I and each individual manager can see exactly which items are and which items are not selling and this assists us in planning for the future. Zonal provides an extremely detailed reporting function that “enables us to see the whole picture from the restaurant to the pub and nightclub to fast food outlet” and the drill-down feature allows Graeme to see as much or as little information as is necessary complete his business analysis.

Zonal’s unparalleled stock control system ensures the highest security and the facility to change prices in line with promotional activity is essential to maximising our revenue earning potential. In fact, “with all profits going back to the student union itself, it is vital that we are as profitable as we can be, and Zonal’s EPoS assists us greatly in this.” After all when your customers are also beneficiaries of the profit you make, it is to everyone’s advantage to be as efficient and profitable as possible!