Consider this a postscript to my previous article on Tech in Foodservice: Boon or Bane?. Just as I closed the article, I came across this informative feature from QSR magazine Tech Takeaways: What to Prioritize. For those who are still ambivalent or undecided about investing in technology for their food operation, perhaps this can help steer your decision in the right direction.
Techno Bites
“In an enlightening independent study, NCR Silver took a closer look at the technology operators find the most crucial in their stores, and where they’re running into problems. With 35 percent of operators reporting they are more dependent on tech now than they were only a year ago, industry professionals across the board are looking closely at how technology directly impacts a restaurant’s bottom line.”
With today’s connected and digitally savvy market, it is not surprising that technology has made a positive impact on foodservice operations. The downside though, points to major capital investment and maintenance of these tools.
“Operators report seeing that technology has a direct impact on increased revenue, increased efficiency, and increased customer-brand connectivity. The longer story, though, is more nuanced: 83 percent of respondents said the costs of maintaining or upgrading technology was a major obstacle, and more than half stated they lack the staff to manage IT upgrades.”
What To Prioritize
Running any restaurant involves multiple tasks on a daily basis. The last thing needed is a technology tool that would actually take more time integrating into the system and training users.
According to the article, “amidst the overwhelming options for products and solutions, operators should have one particular goal in mind: Finding solutions that are straightforward and offer support to increase productivity with minimal requirements for training and upkeep. ‘Operators should embrace technology that gives them time,’ NCR’s General Manager Chris Poelma says. ‘Embrace mobility. With the right provider, it can be very empowering—it gives businesses more time to bring in more customers and make it easier, and I think technology has gotten that right.’”
I remember talking to New Leaf Ventures a while back about technology usage in the foodservice sector. The company is a cloud-based business solutions provider, with technology partners that include PayrollHero and TradeGecko.
Both are cloud-based systems. PayrollHero is a timekeeping and scheduling system that incorporates IOS-based facial recognition attendance system for employees. This means we do away with punch clocks and its accompanying manual reconciliation. Employees clock in and out through pictures and facial recognition, removing the possibility of subterfuge. (It reminds me of the levels of security found in those spy capers and Mission Impossible movies.) The best news for the accounting department would be the collated reports on the employee’s attendance. In this case, the technology offers employees a more efficient system, alongside more productive work hours for everyone involved.
TradeGecko is an inventory management software, that monitors inventory for stock levels, order updates, creates data reports for forecasting, and purchase orders and sales invoice. Traditionally, someone in the restaurant is assigned to do opening and closing daily inventories. With TradeGecko, the software eases this procedure by integrating the inventory and ordering function to sales. Again, what makes it work is that it does not present a complicated system and the end result is a streamlined operation.
Technology investment should translate to an advantageous edge in doing business for both front and back of house operations. Startup entrepreneurs may prioritize other expenditures, but it might be worthwhile exploring how these tools can help “rethink” standard operating procedures. In the case of the software mentioned, the benefits presented for larger operations with multiple locations can be enormous. Imagine having to track employee attendance for 50 outlets via the traditional punch clock, collating the data, then preparing summarized reports twice a month. And compare it to a simplified attendance check, with data summarized. Manpower hours which have been devoted to the former can now be shifted to more productive efforts elsewhere.
Tech Support
Another major factor when considering technology investments would lie in a straightforward service, support and training programs offered. “Operators are still looking for tech solutions that come with a little guidance to ease training and optimize usage. According to the study, the No. 1 thing operators are looking for—and the number one thing tech solutions should provide—is 24-hour, simple, relevant technology support so that operators can integrate efforts in a way that increases efficiency, not confusion.”
Social Media Context
As we have discovered, the social media platform is a great way to communicate your brand and interact with customers. But even though it requires minimal know-how and capital investment, it does require vigilance and a plan.
“We had several questions around social media, and as an operator, many of your patrons embrace these social media and ratings sites, even if you don’t,” Poelma adds. “A big opportunity in the market is for operators to be responsive and get up-to-speed on the social media market.”
The article continues that as one solution, “operators and managers could implement software to notify them when certain keywords are posted on their social media sites, allowing them to respond quickly to any customer concerns and manage their brand’s online image effectively.”
The food operation’s quick response to customer’s comments and concerns communicates its priorities when it comes to their needs. Some companies have dedicated social media managers, who are responsible for creating a social media marketing plan, optimizing it online, and responding to non-critical comments.
Balancing Act
“As operators work to find the balance between the new efficiencies and costs that technology brings, more options are becoming available for simple, integrated solutions with straightforward service and support, giving operators hope that today’s mixed-bag of offerings will soon be filled with nothing but advantageous solutions for a growing industry. To best utilize the flood of new technology in the business, restaurants can look not only for internal improvements to increase returns from tech investments, but also toward products and companies that focus on tailored, personalized, around-the-clock service.”
Photos from Adobe, TradeGecko, and PayrollHero