The media and entertainment industry is going through a difficult phase as the whole world continues to battle the COVID-19 outbreak. In view of the pandemic, cinema and multiplex operations remain suspended in many countries for an indefinite period. While a majority of media houses have turned to the OTT platform, the fate of cinemas seems vague at the moment. Cinema owners, on the other hand, are already preparing for the post-pandemic world and formulating revival strategies to mitigate losses.
It turns out that many countries recently allowed cinemas and theatres to run while adhering to new policies put in place to maintain social distancing. That said, it is an opportune time for cinema companies to future-proof their business by developing an ERP system to centrally manage different operations and services. For instance, developing an online booking system would be a good option since we cannot rely on physical box offices anymore.
In this post, we shed light on the importance of custom ERP development for cinemas franchises, theatres, and multiplexes. At the same time, we outline the most crucial business functions in cinemas that require maximum ERP focus.
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Cinema Management System
Cinema management software is going to be crucial for cinema franchises as well as single-screen theatres in the post-pandemic world. It comes in handy for cinema owners who want to gain complete control over their business and centrally manage everything. However, there is not a one-size-fits-all solution for all cinema franchises as business needs vary considerably for cinema owners. Therefore, most business owners in this domain opt for custom ERP development for cinema franchises. The most common features in a custom-built cinema management system are as follows:
– Stock/inventory management
– Show schedule management
– Transaction and payment processing
– Food order management
– Promotion and marketing
A cinema management system directly integrates with other software modules and primarily with the POS software to provide centralized access to all business data.
Mobile App For e-Ticketing
The COVID-19 pandemic brought significant changes to customers’ shopping patterns and buying habits. We saw increasing demand for online shopping and contactless payments as more people followed COVID-appropriate behavior. As for cinemas, e-ticketing is going to be the new norm to avoid physical contact in these pandemic-stricken times. Despite the decreasing COVID-19 caseloads in many countries, people would be more comfortable with online ticket bookings rather than queuing up in front of the box office. It is, therefore, advisable to develop a customer-facing mobile app that allows customers to buy e-tickets, book seats, view show timings, order snacks, and more.
POS Software
Despite the increasing popularity of e-ticketing, it is essential to have point of sale (POS) systems installed at the cinemas. While a majority of customers will book their tickets online, you still need a POS software to process food orders and offline tickets if required. Nevertheless, it is critical to ensure that your POS terminal and its software support all contactless payment methods. Also, the POS software must be fully integrated with other modules as well as the mobile app for better control.
Software For Self-service Kiosks
To avoid crowding at the box office or ticket counters, cinemas can also have self-service kiosks installed inside their premises. It is quite evident that customers are more comfortable getting their tickets from kiosks rather than purchasing them at the counter. Besides, it provides a fast and simple way to get your tickets via an intuitive and user-friendly interface. The kiosk software is directly linked to the POS system so the cinemas never lose track of any booking. Therefore, while opting for custom ERP development for cinemas, you must check if your technology partner renders kiosk-POS integration support.
Also Read: Contactless POS System Development For Retail and eCommerce
Showtime Analytics
Showtime analytics help cinema franchises to better understand their customers and optimize their marketing strategies accordingly. Using analytics solutions makes it possible to collect statistical data about the likes and preferences of cinema-goers. The data can be filtered based on customers’ age and gender and could be used to select commercials that are most likely to engage them. Such commercials and trailers are played just before the movie begins. We can also integrate showtime analytics solutions with AI-based face detectors to analyze customers’ emotions during a film. Based on this data, the cinema owners can take important decisions about the films they would like to screen going forward.
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Conclusion
In today’s digital era, technology powers all major industries and the cinema business is not an exception. Gone are the days when people would queue up in front of the box office or ticket counter. Custom ERP development for cinema franchises rendered a more convenient option to facilitate online bookings and centrally manage everything. However, it is critical to choose the right ERP solution and a trusted technology partner to extract maximum benefits from custom ERP development for cinemas.
At Oodles, we provide end-to-end ERP application development services to address the industry-specific needs of our customers. We have successfully established ourselves as a prominent ERP development company with a proven track record in custom ERP development. Our seasoned developers specialize in custom ERP development for cinemas, theatres, and multiplexes to streamline operations and enhance productivity. We have successfully completed several large-scale ERP projects for enterprises belonging to all major industries. For project-related queries, you can reach out to us at [email protected].
