The expensive feature is the one you assumed existed
A familiar-looking screen can encourage a dangerous assumption: surely the new system does what the old one did. The trouble usually announces itself after the switch, when someone tries to complete a perfectly ordinary task.
Near the end of his conversation with Beck and Chad at RSPA RetailNOW, Vladimir Avakyants of Pecan Solutions describes a customer moving to a kiosk product and expecting functions that were not yet there. The team later worked to deliver them, but the expectation gap had already created pain.
His advice is straightforward: ask the extra question. If a missing function is a deal breaker, finding that out before the move gives both sides options. Finding it afterward gives everyone a problem to solve under pressure.
That moment supplies a useful lens for the whole interview. Choosing restaurant technology requires more than deciding which product category sounds right. It means checking what the particular system does, how it connects and who will support the way a restaurant actually operates.
Start with the operating model
Avakyants describes Pecan as a hybrid restaurant POS, with data held locally and cloud services supporting functions such as reporting and online ordering. That architecture is part of the discussion, but it does not remove the need to examine a particular restaurant’s requirements.
The hosts ask about handhelds, and his answer resists a universal rule. Different dining environments create different expectations about the interaction between guest and server. A device that helps one restaurant turn tables faster may need a different approach in a more formal service setting.
For an operator, that suggests beginning with the intended experience. Where should an order be taken? How should payment happen? What should staff be able to do without leaving a table? A demonstration becomes more valuable when it follows those questions.
For resellers, the operating model also includes the work behind the installation. Avakyants discusses support for payment-focused partners who may not have deep POS expertise. The relevant question is what each party will actually handle, including setup, training and escalation. The interview does not replace a current service agreement.
Know which problems belong with a specialist
Chad asks what a POS company should leave to other providers. Avakyants points to loyalty and inventory, describing the value of integrating with companies that already have experience in those areas.
He discusses Como and an inventory integration involving Orca, with the latter described as work underway during the interview. That distinction matters: an integration being developed is not the same thing as a feature ready for a customer’s installation.
The reasoning behind the choice is broader than either product name. Building every function internally can take time away from the core system. Working with a specialist can bring capabilities to customers sooner, provided the connection and responsibilities are properly established.
A restaurant should still ask what information moves between the systems, what must be configured and who responds when something stops working. A logo on an integration page is an invitation to investigate. It is not a completed acceptance test.
Automation still needs a human decision
Avakyants describes using automation in development while retaining people who check the work. He also discusses interest in analytics and AI ordering, alongside his personal preference for speaking with a server. Those positions are not necessarily contradictory. They concern different moments in the guest experience.
The useful question is where assistance improves the job and where personal interaction is part of the job. An analytical tool can help someone understand sales patterns without determining how a guest should feel at the table.
That brings the conversation back to expectations. Ask what is available now, what remains in development and what the team needs to deliver a successful installation. The extra question can feel small during a sales meeting. After a difficult cutover, it can look like the most important question nobody asked.
