EPOS Installation

We are able to assist in all aspects of installation, from designing and project managing your build through to training and spending the first evening with your staff as an extra resource behind the bar. Stages of the installation of your EPOS system are listed below:

When is the right time to think about EPOS installation?

If you are working to a deadline for a launch night or refurbishment, it's easy to leave it too late to buy your EPOS software systems, the same as it's easy to buy them months in advance when you have no storage space and they're liable to get damaged whilst the building work goes ahead.

For a project based installation like this, Hospitality Tills recommend being installed and ready to go seven to ten days before your opening night. If you don't already have structured cabling in place, it's a good idea to get your electrician or data cabler to lay the wires in advance - it's always better to have wires concealed as opposed to having visable cabling. We are happy to discuss cabling requirements dependent on your exact needs.

If you are looking to finance your Epos System, then we can work with you to source a deal suitable to your budget; meaning that this is one less issue you need to concern yourself with.

We know that your Epos system is just one of a thousand things you need in place before the doors open, and we try to be as flexible as possible. Our engineers take total ownership of the EPOS solution and will act as liaison between your Project Manager and all our team to ensure that the installation goes as a smooth as possible.

We will ensure we have as much of your data as possible loaded on to the system. We will soak test your tills with your configuration file loaded for as long as possible using non technical users. All of this is done in our London offices, before finally re-packaging your Epos terminals and bringing them to site to install on a day of your choosing.

For customers in a hurry to install their EPOS, most of the process is the same; the key difference being in timings - we would usually recommend installing the systems overnight and carrying out the associated Epos system training the following day.

Finding space for your EPOS:

The first question to ask when looking at a new system would usually be the simplest to answer, but is very often the issue principally overlooked - "where is the system going to go?".

Hospitality Tills can obtain many different tills of different sizes and specifications to ensure you find one that matches your needs - mixing and matching if necessary to ensure your club, pub or restaurant does not look out of sorts. We can also discuss the advantages of both embedding the systems in to your bar, or having them free-standing depending on your needs.

If additional work is required, we are able to work with a selection of carpenters, electricians and data cablers who all have experience in the licensed trade, understanding the essential cleanliness, discretion and reliability that is needed more than any other industry.

Linking your EPOS tills:

Once you have decided which solution is going to suit your needs, the next step is usually to discuss and arrange how the EPOS units are going to communicate with each other - there are three options available to connect your systems across the site which are dependent on the hardware solution that you choose:

Propriatory cabling:

The first option, although limited, is to run bespoke "daisy chains" from till to till with them terminating in your back office. This uses propriatory cabling and often results in a slower response from the till and lack of compatibilty should you decide to upgrade your network at a later date.

Structured cabling:

This option has been around for some time now and uses the industry standard Category 5 network cabling solution. This involves a small "hub" being placed in a central location and the EPOS terminals being connect through a standard patch lead and a socket which will need to be placed in the bar area around the location of each till.

The cabling system can easily be used for other solutions such as VoIP phones and digital telephone exchanges relatively easily. It could also be used for putting "net stations" in place for your customers use. This solution is economical, although can involve drilling and trunking, which can be seen as unsightly in some more traditional pubs. A typical site can be cabled up within a day. We use a specialist partner firm for all your structured cabling requirements.

Wireless Networking:

This option is similar to the structured cabling option, only without the cabling. The option uses a radio frequency hub that transmits a signal to a small card inserted in each till unit. The network remains secure as a unique "encryption key" is used; meaning only the server and machines that have been told the key will be able to access your information.

This solution can be installed much quicker than structured cabling and does not require any modifications to your venue. Wireless networking can also be used in combination with structured cabling.

Outgoing network:

Once you have decided upon the cabling you need to use, you need to decide if you need to open a secure connection to the outside world. We recommend at least ADSL broadband for this, and also recommend that we install a hardware firewall on site to protect you from hacking attempts.

Broadband:

We recommend all our clients have a broadband connection, which can be supplied if required by our partners at a competitive rate. The broadband forms part of your network of tills and allows our support engineers to "dial in" to your EPOS systems to resolve issues, along with allowing you to carry out remote backup of your data, and also pass information to a central office.

ISDN:

ISDN is a middle range network solution. Although it is slower than broadband, it can still be used to support your site and upload your data in the same way as broadband.

Dial-up:

This connection is ideal as a back-up measure, but due to its speed limitations we do not reccomend it as a main connection solution.

Data Configuration:

Before your systems are delivered to site, our engineer will usually request a copy of your price list and stock list, along with a copy of your recent invoices in order to key your products in to the EPOS system's database and stock control system. This is usually a manual process and can take our team up to a couple of days to complete. This will be dependent on the range of products that you sell.

Hardware Installation:

The next stage is to install your hardware in your venue. We will book a slot to install the systems at a time that is most convenient to you. Dependent on the systems and the software solution you have chosen, this can take up to two days to complete. We can schedule this installation to occur overnight if you would prefer to ensure your business can stay open.

The installation will include setting up the EPOS system, cash drawers and printers and back office, then configuring your system's settings and user defaults . Features that you do not intend to use can be turned off at this point on some solutions.

EPOS System Training:

Once your systems are installed in the venue, we would ask you have as many of your staff available as possible to attend a training session on how to use the systems. This will show the basics of the software, such as keying orders, how to respond to messages on the screen, and how to find products in a hurry. Supervisors and Managers, along with any personnel that you intend to use as in house trainers will be shown more detail on using the advanced features. This training can be repeated at any time in the event that you suffer staffing issues. Click to find out more on Epos System Training .

For more information on installation, or to enquire about pricing, please call us on 0870 170 5091, email us on info@hospitalitytills.co.uk, or complete the contact us enquiry form.