10 Tips for a Better Back Office

Studies of software users often reveal that most are taking advantage of only a small fraction of the application is potential. But a few power users go well beyond that, learning to really get their money is worth -- not only exploiting the functionality of what they've purchased, but implementing it in innovative ways. To discover what power users are doing to get the most out their back-office systems, HT went looking for their secrets for success, here is what we found: 

1.  Align with operations: Get an operations person to work with the IT staff, suggests Terry Winningham, manager of POS for Frischis Restaurants, a casual-dining MenuLink (www.menulinkinc.com) customer. "We don't do anything unless operations says okay," says Winningham. That not only ensures the back-office system is store-ready, it also gives the system an insider's stamp of approval. 

2.  Build a working relationship: Buying a back-office application doesn't end a process, it begins it. Select software not just for features, but for who backs it up, suggests Joseph Essa, managing partner, operations, for Wolfgang Puck Fine Dining. Puck uses Eatec (www.eatec.com) in its back office. Excellent developer support from Eatec "helps me and my group get the most out of the product," he says. "Every month we come up with something we'd like it to do and they're able to find a way to do it."

3.  Ask the hard questions: All the functionality in the world isn't going to help your operation when you have a problem and can't find anyone to help you, warns Alex Alcanter, controller at Fatburgers. "Ask them what kind of support am I going to get? What are the support hours? If there is a glitch in the system, will the vendor be there when the chips are down?" he asks. These are key questions to resolve before implementation. Although Alcanter liked the system from e-Restaurant Services (www.erestaurantservices.com), Fatburgers first made sure that it was happy with the details about the service agreement before signing.

4.  Ensure flexibility: Make the software accommodate the business, not the other way around. Managers at Frischis used to have to wait to close after every employee finished up and punched out. Frischis deployed the back-office system in order to allow managers to start paperwork before staff punches out. 

5.  Don't overburden: Find tools that help store management do their jobs better without burdening them. "If you want them to do something, somewhere else you've got to take something away," suggests Frischis Winningham. Give them only the tasks and reports that are absolutely required and no more.  

6.  Use software to educate employees: Regard your back-office deployment not just as an automating processes, but also as an opportunity to take your business up a notch. "The cultural changes that come along with such a system are good for a company," says John Gigliotti, manager of IT at Pat & Oscars restaurants, a 21-unit MenuLink user. "It is the business lessons that people learn along the way that really make the difference." 

7.  Use the software to instill corporate rules: During training, "we document how to use the system in accordance with our policies and procedures," says Sheri Albrecht, controller at Al Copeland Investments, which uses back-office software from Compeat (www.compeat.com) at its restaurants. "This process gives the users real examples of how the software should be used with our business."

8.  Train carefully: The introduction of software to its users is a critical stage. "Getting buy-in can be the most challenging part of implementing a back-office software," says Gigliotti. "Training is not just the "where to click". Training is the all encompassing, who, what, where, when, why, and what does it mean to me." It's important to create realistic goals for managers, include a facility for measuring performance and set incentives for meeting goals, he adds. But for many reluctant personalities, sometimes thatis not enough, he concedes. "In some cases and on some levels, using a computer to control these expenses is a tell, not a sell."

9.  Automate error prone tasks: AmeriKing, a 300-plus unit Burger King franchise selected Microsoft Great Plains (www.greatplains.com) in large part for its ability to automate the tedious process of manually inputting complex invoices. Many of AmeriKing vendors provide a single invoice with an enormous number of line items. In the past, tens of thousands of entries had to be made every month. Now, accountants can press a single button to automatically update the system. 

10.  Consider hosting centrally: House the back-office accounting program on a server at the corporate office, making it accessible by both store and corporate personnel. "We have found this extremely beneficial," says Albrecht, at Al Copeland Investments. "The units can immediately see any entries that corporate accounting makes and vice versa. This eliminates double entry mistakes and P&L day surprises. The units are now compiling more accurate P&L estimates because of this technology. Additionally, P&L reconciliations are easier than ever."

Perhaps the most important tip for back-office system users, however, is not even listed above. Restaurant operators that are considered power users are not necessarily those that pursued extra training from the developer or those who have been using the application forever. Rather, power users do their homework before the purchase and during the implementation. And, learning does not stop after the roll out. Innovative users continuously seek more from their back-office software and from the software developer. 

To share your tips for back-office success, drop HT an e-mail at [email protected]