Key Takeaways
Restaurant management tools are the software and systems that help run day-to-day operations, from scheduling staff to tracking labor to running payroll.
- Restaurant management tools helps operators save time, cut labor costs, and keep teams aligned across shifts
- Core tools include POS systems and those used for scheduling, time clocking, payroll, inventory management, online ordering, team communication, and manager logbooks
- The best tools integrate with each other and are built specifically for restaurants
- Start with your biggest pain point and add tools as you grow
The role of a restaurant manager is always in motion. There’s always something else to get done, a new fire to put out, new fixes to make. All of that on top of the everyday tasks from scheduling to payroll to reporting can catch up to you.
That’s where the right tools come in. They take repeat work off your plate, give you visibility across shifts, and help you stay ahead of labor costs.
These tools can help you and start spending more of your time doing what you love and growing your business for the future. Here are seven restaurant management tools to make you more productive:
Restaurant task management software
The best way to keep your restaurant running smoothly is by making checklists for all of those little things. From cleaning flat tops to refilling sanitizers, day-to-day can’t get lost in the shuffle. Paper checklists work for one-offs. But they have to be printed off every day. And the laminate and dry-erase method just get messy.
That’s where task management software comes in. It’s a great way to streamline your tasks with separate checklists for roles and shifts. It allows you to track performance over time. Not sure if something got done earlier in the week? Task management software can maintain historical data of tasks completed.
Today, thousands of restaurant pros use 7shifts task management app to keep their restaurant safe. For example, a sanitization checklist may include:
- Sanitize food prep surfaces
- Doors and light switches
- POS and phones
Manager log books
No more information getting lost in the text and email shuffle, no more sticky notes all over your POS. Even if it’s just a shared cloud document (like Google Docs), a centralized place for your managers to exchange information is vital. It cuts down on the confusion, allows managers to prepare on their own time, and holds your team accountable for the wins and losses. Here are just a few items that a manager logbook may contain:
- Customer complaints that need to be addressed
- Sales and Labor Reports
- Employee notes
- Top moving items or ones that need a push
With 7shifts Manager Log Book, you’ll also be able to:
- Keep a pulse on your team’s engagement
- Monitor shift feedback scores & identify ways to improve operations
- Easily publish daily summaries to your team
- Stay on top of operations with the Manager Log Book, your central place to track & store the goings-on in your restaurant
Restaurant employee scheduling software
Say goodbye to making spreadsheets every single week, or month, and constantly changing them. No more paper schedules up on the board with scribbles that get sent around through text messages. Not only are pen-and-paper or spreadsheet schedules costly when it comes to your time—they are useless when it comes to data.
Employee scheduling software helps you build schedules faster, update them without confusion, and control labor costs based on your actual sales. With cloud-based scheduling tools, you can make schedules simply, edit them as you need, and track your labor over time to make smarter decisions.
Why should you use employee scheduling software?
- Saves managers hours every week on scheduling
- Gives employees a way to view schedules, swap shifts, and request time off on their phones
- Syncs with your POS to forecast labor needs based on sales data
- Helps you stay compliant with regional labor laws
Restaurant employee communication tools
When it comes to keeping your team in-sync, texting and phone calls get the job done. But the constantly moving and shifting nature of the restaurant industry deserves a dedicated and agile tool. Having a secure, workplace communication tool has the benefits of:
- Instant schedule sharing
- Team-wide announcements with read receipts
- Streamlined communication that doesn’t get lost in the shuffle with group messaging based on shifts, location, or department
- A more engaged, connected team
- Direct alerts for missing punches
- An easier way to request time off, for any reason
Time clocking
Remember when we used to use actual paper cards and physical punches? Time clocking software is a must-have tool for your restaurant. It helps streamline the process for employees to clock in and out for shifts and their breaks. It also allows easier sync with your payroll to cut down on time calculating hours worked.
Restaurant time clocking software can also help prevent early clock-ins (saving you on labor). Compliance? Not a problem with enforced break times and shift lengths. Time clocking software can also help with overtime calculations and keeping secure records of all employees and their hours worked, in case of an audit.
Payroll and tip management
Using payroll software is a great alternative to hiring a payroll specialist or agency to manage your restaurant’s payroll. Doing it the old-school pen-and-paper way can be messy and prone to error. Payroll software helps you pay your team accurately, accounting for wages, overtime, deductions, and tips.
Features to look for in payroll software include:
- Automatic wage and overtime calculations
- Tip pooling and distribution management
- Tax witholdings and compliance
- Direct deposit for employees
- Integration with your scheduling and time clocking software
When you use 7shifts Payroll in tandem with our scheduling and time clocking app, you have everything you need to manage your team in one place. You cut errors, save time, and avoid upsetting staff with incorrect calculations.
Labor management reporting
Employee scheduling software has the benefit of streamlining your schedule and saving you time. But its most powerful benefit is through labor management reporting. When synced with your sales data, labor management reporting tools can give you top-level insights across your business. Here are just a few of the types of reports you can pull:
- Compare your sales with your labor costs to control labor costs
- Worked hours and wages to see where your labor dollars are going
- Track time & attendance to find your most reliable employees
- Variance reports that compare actual vs. projected labor hours
Other Restaurant Technology Resources
7shifts Staff
7shifts Staff
7shifts team of writers and experts in the hospitality industry.
