Restaurant and Technology in 2017 - Back in the saddle
Since the beginning of the year, many new technologies have been created and have become now part of our everyday life. One of them is called the Internet of Things (IoT) which is the fact that Internet is related to the things and the places of the physical world. It implies the exchange and the sharing of information and data via the Internet network. It is considered to be the next evolution of Internet : the Web 3.0. More than that, there are more and more wearable devices that people are using in order to enhance their technology experience. But what about the experience they get at a restaurant? Does these new technologies can be used in this industry? And more important, can we still considered the customer’s experience despite all of it?
The restaurant industry have been completely redesigned in 2017 from different point of views, as well as all the processes from the booking to the payment mode.
The first one is the kitchen automation which improve the business performance by making the meal’s order process easier and faster. It is possible thanks to ConnectSmart Kitchen or Kitchen iQ for example, which help the cooks organizing their work according to the time preparation and the ingredients needed, on separate screens so that each chef can focus on their specific orders.
Another benefit is about checking in real time the cook time and knowing which dishes are the most cost-effective.
The second one is about the management of the staff, usually practising under pressure with pretty bad working conditions. Technology can be a good way to improve their motivation and enhance their productivity at work. Perkbox for instance provides some benefits to reward the employees which will impact their happiness at work. A better communication and a better control of the staff’s shifts are also good ways to improve the workforce’s management (Planday system). It is all about controlling and empowering the employees.
Last but not least, the third improvement is to manage the operations. Trail, a clever digital tool allowing to organize the administration of the workload and the tasks, has also a positive ecological impact on the use of paper.
The important thing is that nowadays all these technologies are cheaper than they were in the past. And as we are moving forward, more and more companies will use those to be more effective and optimize the service. The overall customer experience will be enhanced if the whole process within a restaurant is improved. The digital customer journey includes seven steps : skipping the queue thanks to an app which allows them to check waiting times and make reservations; getting seated while receiving a text with the available tables; ordering food via the Connectsmart Kitchen platform; preparing orders with an overview of the nutrition information and possible food allergies; the status of the table through automated alerts; the seamless mobile payment according to their spendings habits; and finally reporting the data of the customer (trends, preferences) to improve the future marketing campaigns.
Written by Clémence Duvent & Lauriane Amand
References:
Chomka, S. (Feb 2017). Back in the saddle. Restaurant Magazine - William Reed Business Media.
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