When a simple thing goes wrong with your POS, it can set in motion a chain reaction of anger, blame, and dissatisfaction. And that’s just your Front of House team – nevermind your customers.

Keeping deadweight technology around is bad for all concerned. If your POS system isn’t performing the way it should, then it’s time to ditch it. But you need to make that call before something goes very wrong.

When it’s time to examine your current hardware and assess whether or not you need to upgrade, ask yourself these few questions.

How Outdated is Obsolete?

The reason you bought your POS solution was to make things easier for your staff. There are some great systems out there, but technology has this annoying habit of changing rapidly, so that super-efficient system you bought five years ago is probably now the POS equivalent of a steam locomotive – quaint, but wholly ineffective for day-to-day usage.

But age aside, how user-friendly is your POS? It may be easier to keep on an older system in good working order if all your employees are comfortable using it. But things change, and restaurant workers can be a transient bunch. If you hire a new team full of young people, the last thing they want is to feel like they’ve gone back in time during onboarding.

In short, comfort and familiarity should not get in the way of using intuitive, advanced technology, especially if your staff is open to taking some time to learn.

What’s the Difference Between Wants and Needs?

When you’re considering new tech, start by considering what you actually need. What features would make your Front of House team’s work easier?

For example, is the card reader reliant on a dial up service? No-one wants to waste time waiting for archaic payment systems to fire up. If that’s one of their biggest issues, consider finding a more reliable solution, like one that works with WiFi and 4G.

Is your team wasting time running back and forth from the countertop POS systems and their tables? There are lots of mobile and tablet-friendly software solutions out there that can do everything—from messaging waiting customers when their table’s ready, to allowing them to pay when they’re good to go.

Ready’s one example of a technology solution that gives diners the freedom and convenience to pay on their own terms, while giving servers more time to focus on delivering great service – without having to prepare yet another tech fail apology.

Ultimately, an aging POS system can often be a single point of failure capable of disrupting an entire service, which can have a disastrous impact on your business. But, by giving your diners and staff a simple tool to handle the small-but-important functions, you can satisfy all parties.

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