Australian Hotelier Magazine - March 2008 (Australia)

As the main provider of Point of Sale, Stock Debtors and User Information Systems
in Australia, H&L is in an ideal position to be the catalyst for the streamlining and integration of the various technologies a typical hotel will use. H&L has for some time, been working with a number of partner companies to make a completely integrated hotel a reality meaning  there’ll be less duplication of data, as well as real time information flow between each system.

The first integration took place with the release of our Work Force Management product. This partnership with H&L and Controlling Edge allows employee information to be shared between the two systems, and vital Actual and Forecast Sales data to be used when creating rosters or reviewing wage percentages on a daily basis. Axeze and H&L have also partnered to allow the same RFID device to be used for the POS Clerk Control and the complete venue Access Control.

This system has the added advantages of  being able to make your hotel almost completely keyless. This means if a master key is lost, there are no huge locksmith bills along with the complete flexibility of control, allowing your staff to have tailored access to various parts of the venue. The next stage will be to integrate access control with the Rosters, allowing management to restrict staff access to rostered times.
Restaurant & Caterers Association Magazine – August 2006 (Australia)

According to co-founder Burt Admiraal, H&L’s vision many years ago was to see people standing at tables taking an order straight to the kitchen.

“To fulfil that dream, more than 6 years ago, we started developing our Generation One hand-held technology, when anything else available on the market was chunky, flaky and inconsistent. However one of the big problems with ‘hand-held’ was that the little screen was hard for operators to use. Today we have released Generation 2 as a simple touch screen which is so user-friendly, we can teach people to operate it in under an hour,”  he said.

“We’re not chasing technology, technology is chasing us. We are continually upgrading software but often software is developing faster than the hardware available,” said John Hardy, Director of Product Development.

“We believe that WI-FI technology has evolved dramatically over last 12 months to make a more resilient communication based platform so that our product immediately drops in over the top of it. Hardware and WI-FI communication has caught up with our software and our early vision, giving restaurants flexibility to put POS terminals just about anywhere.

“What H&L has been doing differently for a long time, is end-to-end solutions. In other words we don’t rely on multiple solutions coming from different companies. We provide the hardware, training, software installation and ongoing support 24/7 and best of all, the cost is always coming down.  Right now it’s the lowest it’s ever been, so every restaurant should seriously be considering implementation of an H&L  system. What’s more, hardware is becoming more reliable with less breakdowns so you can afford a couple of pieces of equipment which means you have built-in redundancy at a very low cost,” Mr. Hardy said.

In touch with the hospitality industry 24/7.
H&L is not only constantly in touch with product development, it prides itself in staying in touch with clients. A dedicated team recruited from the hospitality industry, everyone from the principals to the technicians and development team, share the same focus – outstanding client service. Joint finalists in the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Program, Burt and John conduct user group forums over lunch.

“These regular casual get togethers are invaluable for product development. The opportunity to share their visions and dreams and how our business fits with theirs,
gives us insights into what our clients want.

“We’re also very careful with the way we operate overseas, avoiding distribution networks.
By expanding through company owned operations our people have a bigger commitment to the product because they have ownership of it.”

Zenith stamps out the hassles with other loyalty programs.
At H&L customer relationship management comes back to their Zenith global marketing.
Customers can use the card from their favourite outlet to earn and redeem points at multiple venues, rewarding them for their loyalty. On the other hand, businesses can cross-promote with non-competitive retailers without the threat of fraud. Unlike loyalty systems that use stamps and vouchers, operators aren’t making decisions about what can be given away, so Zenith is much more controllable from the owner’s point of view. Also, joining up new customers is easy because the only software required is the internet and H&L’s POS solution.

See how H&L works over a cup of coffee.
It goes without saying that a very strong tool for Australia’s POS market leader is their website. The success of H&L’s website can largely be attributed to the design which features cartoon-style  characters that graphically illustrate the process from POS to stock management.

“We have offices in every capital city with full demo suites displaying all of the different configurations of equipment, so we can walk clients through the total system and all sorts of scenarios, from the dining room to the bottleshop,” Burt explained.

“We’re always happy to organise a full demonstration and encourage clients to join us for a cup of coffee.”

Australia Hotels Association Magazine – April 2006 (Australia) 

With H&L behind the bar it’s a Sinch!
At H&L Australia, because most of our people have been recruited from the hospitality industry, we know the business inside out.   Specialise in making things run smoothly behind the bar. From the principles and our national team of technicians, to our Client Care Department, we understand your needs and what’s needed to take the pressure off.  Like our hand-held Sinch!  But don’t take our word for it, here’s what an impressed client has to say.
     “Sinch! has cut the cost of labour because there’s no walking to the kitchen, bar or touch-screen to deliver orders. The staff are always on the floor and after finishing with a table in their area they can just turn around and look after the next table on the screen. Sinch! is light and easy to carry around. We don’t need aprons – the PDA’s fit into trouser/jeans pockets easily. The memory is fantastic, we can customise a meal and it has time, so it gives us a good idea of how efficient we area. Plus H&L’s back-up is fantastic – we haven’t used it that much because we haven’t needed it, but if you require their help, it’s fast.” 
.........Pomi -Tandoori’s Oven.
     Our handy little Sinch! is just a small part of the proven point of sale system solutions that have made H&L Australia national market leader in our field.
For ultimate control over floor to kitchen communications, our sophisticated Exceed touch screen technology will exceed your expectations. To track productivity of staff and for ultimate security with varying levels of access,
add our clever Promiximity Readers into the mix and you have Australia’s best POS tools at your fingertips.
Pics: Sinch, Exceed Touch Screen, Proximity Reader

Queensland Hotel Review – March 2006 (Australia)

H&L Australia has the power to lead.
Leading developers.
The hospitality industry’s leading point-of-sale systems developer for over 20 years, H&L Australia has a powerful secret – its people. A dedicated team recruited from the hospitality industry, everyone from the principals to the technicians, share the same focus – outstanding client service. With their
sound knowledge of the industry and its unique needs, along with the ability to work under pressure, H&L people deliver – 24/7. A single point of contact ensures reliable, personal service support, complementing the best point-of-sale and stock control solutions for their hotel systems. It’s a powerful blend.

Leading innovators.
First and foremost, H&L are hospitality people but they’re also innovators, constantly on the look out for unique breakthroughs in IT that are best suited to the Australian hospitality industry. Recent WiFi developments for instance include everything from the smallest hand-held POS terminal on the market, to Waiters Stations, IP Cameras and ‘Hot Spots’ which give H&L clients the ability to provide their customers with secure WiFi internet access on either a value-added or chargeable basis - something that in the next couple of years will be the minimum standard. 

Leading Queenslanders.
With more POS options than any other supplier in the market place, it’s no wonder H&L systems are everywhere in Queensland. The Fisherman’s Wharfe, Robina Tavern, Royal George Hotel, Samford Valley Hotel, Beerwa Hotel, Hope Island Tavern and Coolangatta Hotel all know the real power of leading POS.
The next place we’ll be is at The Queensland Hospitality Industry Conference & Expo on May 22 and 23 – so come and feel the power at stand 300 and we’ll show you what keeps H&L Australia market leader in POS solutions.