Uniwell AX3000 and Phoenix in Hyltons Restaurant, Bowness

 

Harmony EPOS Solutions recently installed a new EPOS System in Hyltons Restaurant.

Situated in the heart of Bowness-on-Windermere, Hyltons Restaurant is cosy, informal, family friendly, and popular with both tourists and locals. The owner, Steve Wilson, came to Harmony Epos Solutions when he needed an equipment upgrade, he worked along side our EPOS Sales Manager, Trevor Procter to find the best solution based upon his businesses needs. Steve wanted a system that would be easy to use and adapt, that would withstand the knocks and bangs that happen in a busy restaurant, and would enable his staff to spend more time looking after customers rather than playing around on difficult to use tills.

From this is was decided that Hyltons Restaurant would benefit greatly from the new Uniwell AX3000 and Phoenix software system. In December 2012, it was installed and we recently went back to see how their new system was performing. Here is what Steve Wilson had to say;

“We chose to upgrade our current Uniwell system because my previous Uniwell system had given me 15 relatively trouble free years, and I agreed that a Uniwell non-pc based system, is likely to last twice as long as a computer based touch.”

“Our new Uniwell AX3000 looks like a computer so my staff find it simple to use, and I was performing my own program changes from day 1! I can change the simplest things, such as button sizes, colours and menu changes without referring to a manual; the system can be very easily personalised.”

“I have two Nexus tablet running the Phoenix software, meaning that my staff can take orders at the table. The menu changes that I make on the AX3000 are uploaded to the tablets in seconds with no extra programming required. My plan is to use the two Uniwell touch screens to look after the downstairs restaurant and the Phoenix system on the tablets will look after upstairs which means that my staff won’t have to leave their sections upstairs to place orders, so customer service will be greatly improved as my staff will be readily available for my customer at all times.”

“ Once we are fully up to speed with the Phoneix system we will possible take orders with it downstairs as well. The only tricky task will be educating my customers to order in stages for drinks then food, however this will ensure that my staff will not miss items off the bill, so customers will always get what they ordered and we won’t lose money from the missing items. Overall the Phoenix software will help increase table spend and table turnaround.”

“ We chose to work with Harmony EPOS for our upgrade as they had supplied and maintained out previous system and I have always been happy with their after-sales service and quick response times on the rare occasion that have had a problem.”

Trevor Procter, Harmony EPOS Sales Manager, added “The Uniwell AX3000 and Phoenix system is likely to see many table-service restaurants adapt to wireless ordering because the cost of this system is much less than previous systems- two tablets running Phoenix and a wi-fi accessed point will cost less than £1000 compered to over £4000 for older systems. I think that any table-service establishments using a paper system will accept that they lose money due to products such as coffees, desserts and wines missing from a customers bill- and usually these mistakes are only noticed when it is too late. With this system it is not possible to miss products and the orders will be sent to the kitchen in real-time allowing the waitress to be more available to customers which will increase spend and customer satisfaction.”

Happy New Year

 

Happy New Year! We assume that our customers and suppliers are now either busy back in the office or are putting their feet up after the busy festive rush; either way we hope that you had a successful Christmas period. As the excitement of the holidays wears off, and the food and drink dwindle down, the period of looking ahead begins. Many look ahead at the year by making personal goals and resolutions, many start to plan holidays or activities for the next 12 months. Whether your changes are drastic or none at all you will find yourself reflecting upon 2012 and wondering what 2013 will bring.

Here at Harmony Business, we have have a busy yet tough 2012, as many have in the hospitality industry, but despite this we have found ourselves in a strong position and would like the thank all of our customers and suppliers for their support and assistance, as without you we would not be where we are today. Like everyone, we are unsure of what 2013 will bring, but we have made our resolutions as a company, and have our aims and objective in place so we can tackle whatever the year throws at us.

So Happy New Year to you all, we hope you have a great one and look forward to working with you in 2013.

How “Point of Sale” Became much more than a fancy calculator| The Development of POS

 

We recently found this interesting article on the development and history of the POS- How “Point of Sale” Became much more than a fancy calculator, and thought we would share it with you by recapping the most important and interesting points.

The Beginning

To many a POS has never been more than a fancy calculator; it only ever adds up the cost of all your products and holds money. Yes, over the years it has become sleeker in design and has more flashing lights, but its usage has not changed.

How wrong these people are. The modern day point-of-sale (POS) is a tightly integrated computer that knows all about your buying history; how often you shop online and what you are likely to buy next week. It is also able to communicate this along the entire length of the stores' supply chain right back to the factory if necessary.

It has certainly came a long way since its introduction in the late 1800’s when it was only used to produce a simple receipt, one copy for the merchant and one for the customer. The first POS devices were wooden boxes, made by carpenters out of rosewood, brass or nickel.

It was in the 1900s that the development of POS systems accelerated. A transaction that once started and ended in the stores was a thing of the past. These days your store knows a lot about you long before you have even entered, thanks to the introduction and popularity of loyalty cards. Computers can work out if you are sick, and how often, the number of people you live with, if you have pets and can even make an educated guess as to your pregnancy status. These facts may be daunting to some of the public, as privacy is obviously a concern and issue, however consumers can choose to opt in or opt out or the data collection process.

 

Today

More and more retailers are aiming to gather and use “big data” to help refine their operations, as this information can prove invaluable when it comes to the supply chain. In an ideal world as soon as a product is taken off the shelves and paid for, a new one is instantly manufactured or shipped to replace it, so now-a-days POS manufacturers have to take into account the supply warehouse and the point of manufacture, rather than designing a machine that only suited the needs of a retailer. Many of the large retailers can dictate that new technology is used by their entire supply chain to help streamline the supply chain and work seamlessly with its own POS system.

The Future

One of the biggest developments recently has been to make the POS mobile. Apple stores championed this by allowing its staff to interact with their customers and finish transactions on the spot; others are now replicating this.

Due to the increasing demand for smartphones and tablets, POS companies are integrating the mobile factor into their manufacturing. Sophisticated POS systems are starting to come with some tablet element that can be detached at a moment notice. This can be seen in our earlier post about AX-3000 and Phoenix handheld ordering software.

Essentially POS manufacturers have acknowledge that is is far easier to take the touch-base skills many people are now learning form an early age- pinch, swipe and scroll- and incorporate them into their own device. Why invent new methods when there once that already exist than the masses know how to use.

It is in fact the User Interface (UI) that is the most important factor in the future of the POS system. Already, pictures and symbols have largely replaced words and letters, making each configuration easier to deploy especially in huge global supply chains. The future of POS systems will become more customer friendly and ever present in our everyday lives.

Embedded EPOS| A Simple Solution

 

Whether you are new to EPoS or have had an EPoS system for some time and are looking for an update; the world of EPoS systems can sometimes be difficult to understand. This is where we can help! At Harmony Business we always look to offer you a range of solutions so that you can assess your options and choose the one that most suits your business and its resources.

You may believe that your business is too small to reap the benefits of a EPoS system, however this is rarely the case. A good EPoS System can save you money, save time, increase productivity and assist in driving your business forward.

At Harmony Business we believe we have the perfect solution for the majority of hospitality businesses. An EPoS system that is tough, reliable, fast, easy to use, and most of all affordable… it may seem like a dream, but the Uniwell AX-3000 delivers all of this and more. The AX-3000 is a non PC based system, which has no hard drive or moving parts, so it can withstand the knocks, bangs and harsh conditions of hospitality and retail…it was built to last twice as long as PC based systems!

The other features that the AX-3000 boasts are;

• Unique hardware design that delivers lightening fast performance year after year without the need for expensive upgrades.
• The user interface can be customised to suit each individual business; simplifying operations and minimizing staff training and cost.
• Instant power on/off, with no wait for the OS to boot up, and no chance of database corruption.
• Secure from virus attacks and hacking.
• Customer records and loyalty features can greatly increase marketing functionality and customer service in your business.

Handheld Ordering with Phoenix

As great as the AX-3000 sounds, for waitress service operations, the magic happens when it is integrated with Phoenix! Phoenix is a handheld application waitress application that runs on Android devices, such as smart phones, tablets etc. Phoenix is designed exclusively for the AX-3000 so that maximum compatibility and stability is offered. The ap is easy to use with features that can be intuitively learnt, so all your staff are able to pick it up quickly (even the biggest technophobe will have no problems adapting to it!)

As great as we think this EPoS system is, you may still be unsure about investing in an EPoS system. If you are, you need to think about the following;

• If you currently have a manual system in place, how often are items missed from the customers bill- costing you money! An EPoS system can stop this from day one.
• If you have to produce periodic sales reports an EPoS system can make this a very quick procedure allowing you more time to concentrate on improving your business.
• How easy is it for you to reprogram your existing system- the AX3000 is straight forward with no need to wait for a service engineer. You can even link to back office software if desired.

You don’t have to take our word for it; we have installed the Uniwell AX-3000 and Phoenix systems into a number of hospitality businesses, so keep your eyes peeled for honest feedback and opinions from the business owners and their staff on the benefits the system provides for businesses such as yours.

We understand that making the transition to a EPoS system or even changing your current system, can be daunting, but overall an EPoS system such as the Uniwell AX-3000 and Phoenix can provide a number of functions that are missing or are very slow in your current system. If you want to increase your efficiency then it is worth while investing in a new EPoS system.

Here at Harmony EPoS Solutions we are here to help you through the transition; from initial contact and query right through to training and on-going support for you and your new EPoS system.

We are currently offering the Uniwell AX3000 at a very competitive price, and the Phoenix Software is free for a limited period only. To find out more about Uniwell AX-3000 and Phoenix, or any of our other EPoS systems, or if you would like a demonstration,  please call Trevor Procter on 015395 66680 or email epos@harmonybusiness.co.uk

It’s Time for TikTap| The Contactless Mobile Loyalty Solution

At Harmony Business we are huge advocates of new technology, but more importantly; innovative technology. This time we are talking about all things EPOS and want to introduce to you the TikTap Smartphone Application. From the people who brought you the successful Orange Wednesdays, comes TikTap; a mobile coupon and voucher redemption capability at point of sales, no card or paper coupons required! This new technology can help drive footfall and increase sales to your business.

Research shows that 33% of UK consumers don’t fully utilise coupons/vouchers and loyalty programmes because they forget to carry the cards or vouchers, and 36% don’t understand their loyalty scheme entitlements. The Tiktap System confronts this by allowing consumers to carry their vouchers on their phone so they are always to hand. This in turn helps you increase offer awareness and voucher redemption in store.

 

How it works

The TikTap Technology enables your local business to gain a brand presence on a huge, national mobile application, available on IOS and Android operating systems.

TikTap offers you the ability to promote local, reliable and sustainable offers to thousands of potential consumers, as consumers can search and find local businesses through the TikTap ap.

All you have to do is issue a coupon/voucher to the customer through the TikTap Smartphone app, these are shared with TikTap users. The consumer will redeem the voucher by simply tapping their Smartphone on the in-store pod, which are attached to your cash till. This completely removes the need for paper vouchers or loyalty cards.

The use of TikTap allows you to embrace mobile marketing in a cost–effective manner, by making use of your existing cash till. It also provides more accurate market research and feedback. Redemption rates are measured accurately, and you are able to collect vital consumer data, without the manual effort.

As a retailer, installing TikTap could not be easier. The pod connects directly to an EPOS/till system via a USB or RS232 cable; there are no expensive software or hardware upgrades required. There is simple online administration which allows retailers to create and activate a range of promotions that are instantly available to customers. The TikTap system is compatible with virtually all tills up to 15 years old; Casio, Sharp, Uniwell, Fidelity, Sam4S and many more.  

How TikTap could save you money and time

 

To find out more about TikTap Systems, please call Trevor Procter on 015395 66680 or email Trevor@HarmonyBusiness.co.uk

Supporting Movember

 It’s that time of year again, where our country gets over run my moustaches. Whether it’s an entertaining fundraising attempt or an excuse for not shaving, the moustache rules in November! This year at Harmony Business we have one willing volunteer who is taking part in Movember; Kevin Beecroft. He says “ Having had a full set for years, I had to shave it all off for Panto, but I decided that Movember would be a good time to grow it back and help a good cause at the same time.”

So with Kevin’s hardworking efforts we are supporting Movember; like he said it’s all for a good cause. We hope that Kevin will be able to raise money and awareness for men’s health, specifically prostate and testicular cancers.



If you are new to Movember, like we are, you may be wondering what it is all about. It began in 2003 amongst friends in a pub in Australia. The goal was to create a campaign promoting the growth of the moustache along with like-minded people and have fun along the way. It is all about real men, talking about real issues and changing the face of men’s health, one moustache at a time. Movember fever has since spread across the globe and now takes place in 21 countries, with the UK being one of the biggest supporters and contributors to the charity.

The Moustache is seen as being the ribbon for men’s health. The men who sport a moustache for Movember have become walking talking billboards for raising awareness and funds for the often ignored issues of men’s health. After all, occurrences of prostate cancer in men are comparable to the rate of breast cancer in women. In fact 1 in 9 men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer in the UK- one man is diagnosed every 15 minutes.

In 2011, over 254,000 volunteers raised over £22 million in the UK, towards the global total of £79.3 million. Hopefully this years totals are even bigger and whether Kevin raises £5 or £100 we are proud to support him and his efforts. With all the money raised going direct to programmes run by Movember, Prostate Cancer UK and the Institute of Cancer Research we know his efforts and our donations will support those currently undergoing treatment, and help preserve the future generation of men.

So if you see Kevin around when he is servicing or repairing your equipment, help his fundraising by slipping him a couple of pounds. Or you can donate online here.

We will keep you all up to date with his moustache growth on our Facebook and Twitter pages, and we hope that you donate to Prostate and Testicular Cancers.

Are you taking part in Movember this year?  Let us know by commenting below, we would love to see other willing moustache growers.

If you don’t have Adande supporting your business… why not?

Here at Harmony Business we are advocates for products that are of the highest quality, eco friendly, and are innovatively designed, and the Adande Refrigerated Drawer demonstrates each of these features perfectly.

Because of this we would like to tell you more about the Adande Refrigerated Drawers that we offer. Many have heard of this company and their range, but are still uncertain of the benefits it could bring to their kitchen, so allow us to explain why we believe in Adande. 

 

Adande Refrigerated Drawers were designed after pleas from chefs to provide fridges and freezers that would hold temperature. The problem of cold air falling out on each door opening leads to food spoiling and being thrown out- a very expensive hobby for any caterer! This is where the Adande Refrigerated Drawers have excelled, all their products are built around the same award winning technology- the patent protected insulated Adande drawer. Adande offer the best temperature control, and are designed for health, hygiene and ease of cleaning. 

 

We could go on about how many awards Adande have won, and all the other sales information, but what really matters is what impact Adande Refrigeration Drawers will have on your kitchen and business. 

 

Adande allows your chefs to deliver complete flexibility in handling refrigerated food and they increase your foods shelf life. No longer do your chefs have to waste time running between the refrigerator and their prep bench, they will have everything they need to hand. With Adande’s expansive range of refrigerated units, there is a unit to fit into any kitchen. You can choose from single drawer chef-base units, two-drawer workstation and counters, to the new Compact and Saladette models. Overall an Adande refrigerated system within your kitchen will significantly improve productivity, save operational costs and increase your profit. 

 

Don’t take our or even Adande’s word for it; There are now Adande drawers in a wide variety of kitchens and retail outlets including fine dining, pubs, restaurants, hotels, colleges, butchers and international fast food chains. Take a look below at a range of case studies from a variety of chefs who have all converted to Adande.

 

So there you have it, we hope we have introduced you to a new concept in refrigeration, and if you already knew about Adande, we hope to have further informed you of the benefits of their range. 

 

Do you already have Adande drawers in your kitchen? Comment below and let us know your experiences.

 

If you want further information, check out our Web shop. Feel free to browse or shop the range, or give us a call on 015395 66680.

New Product| Electrolux Ecostore Refrigeration Cabinets

We are very pleased to be able to offer our customers a new range of Electrolux refrigeration cabinets. Billed as being the new generation in refrigeration cabinets, the Ecostore range is said to offer greater capacity and are 65 per cent more efficient at consuming energy than equivalent products available.

Your refrigerator is your most important appliance as preserving food is the core element of every kitchen. It runs continually, 24/7, 365 days a year, therefore it is vital that you choose the right appliance for you. This is where an Ecostore model comes in; designed to deliver everything that you need from a new generation of professional refrigerators: outstanding efficiency, performance and capacity.

Key Features
Efficiency- Electrolux claim that businesses who use their new Ecostore cabinets will potentially be able to cut energy costs, as the range uses 65 per cent less energy than standard cabinets. This increase in efficiency can mean that you can save up to £580 a year (freezer) and up to £290 a year (refrigerator) in running costs.
Performance- Ecostore cabinets are equipped with Optiflow, an air circulation system which alters dependant upon the amount of food stored within. Other features include touchscreen controls with pre-set levels of temperature or humidity to match the requirements of the food that is stored. These all help ensure the best cooking results.
Capacity- Electrolux Ecostore cabinets provide, on average, 50 litres more available space, compared to equivalent cabinets in the marker. Exceptional sturdiness is guaranteed by internal and external full AIS 304 stainless steel construction.

Here at Harmony Business we are always excited when we have access to a new, innovative product that will make our customers businesses more efficient, effective and enjoyable. This range of refrigeration cabinets definitely excites us, and thanks to our great relationship with Electrolux we are able to offer this range at a very competitive price. Not only is our price competitive we are one of the few businesses who are selling this range on a webshop, where you are able to purchase your products with no quibble and at great ease, at any time of the day. 

To find out more information about this new range, visit the Electrolux website here

Shop the entire range on our Webshop, or give us a call on 015395 66680 to hear more about what we could offer you.

Gas Safety Week| Take care, be Gas Safe

We are pleased to announce that we are supporting Gas Safety Week, taking place 10^th – 16^th September 2012.

During this week we are calling upon our customers, past, present and future to take care and be gas safe. To mark the week Harmony Business will be sharing our top tips on how to be Gas safe.

Gas Safety Week is co-ordinated by Gas Safe Register, the official list of gas engineers who are legally allowed to work on gas appliances. Gas Safety Week aims to raise awareness of gas safety and the importance of taking care of your gas appliances. It is a national campaign with events, advertising and PR taking place across the country to help keep the nation Gas Safe. 

Here at Harmony Business, we believe that Gas Safety Week gives us the perfect opportunity to put gas safety at the top of everyone’s priority list. Making sure gas appliances are safe to use could save lives, so we work very closely alongside our customers and suppliers to ensure safety is the primary concern. By working alongside Gas Safe Register we aim to educate people on the real risks unsafe gas work poses and help people to stay gas safe. 

Last year alone 18 people died and a further 399 were hospitalised because of preventable gas related incidents. So by following the below top tips, you can make sure you are not risking the safety of your business, customers and staff.

• Make sure only a Gas Safe registered engineer works on their gas appliances. Illegal gas fitters can put their life at risk
• Always check the engineer's Gas Safe Register ID card
• Make sure gas appliances have a regular service and a gas safety check every 12 months
• Look out for warning signs that their gas appliances aren’t working correctly e.g. lazy yellow or orange flames instead of crisp blue ones, black marks on or around the appliance and too much condensation in the room
• Know the signs and symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning – headaches, dizziness, breathlessness, nausea, collapse and loss of consciousness
• Install an audible carbon monoxide alarm
• Call the gas emergency number on 0800 111 999 if they smell gas

If you need any assistance or advice, please call us on 015395 66680, or ask one of our engineers when they are next at your premises.

Welcome| Let us introduce ourselves

We are Harmony Business, a specialist in catering equipment, laundry equipment and EPoS systems, from the North West. 

We have decided to start blogging (again) as we would like to share with you all our latest news, as well as the news and views from the market that catch our eye. However more importantly, we would like you to get to know us better; the people behind the company. Hopefully through reading this blog you will be able to gain a better view of what makes us tick and what drives us.

Harmony Business adverts from over the years

 

So firstly, how about a little history; Harmony Business & Technology has been established since 1983. Since then we have continually grown and gained invaluable experience in the design and installation of professional kitchens; the supply and servicing of commercial catering equipment; and the supply, servicing and support of cash registers and Epos systems. 

Over the past 30 years we have built strong links with large manufacturers including Electrolux and Parry, as well as smaller more specialist manufacturers. By working alongside only the best manufacturers we have built our reputation by proving first class service and support to all our customers, from all kinds of businesses. 

So now you have a little taster of who we are and what we do, I think we can start blogging on the more interesting things. However if you want any additional information check out our website- www.HarmonyBusiness.co.uk