TECH-ENABLED OPTIONS IN RESTAURANTS
While technology is a major tool for business innovation, the restaurant field has long been reluctant to embrace it. But, time seems to be changing finally. Nowadays, a lot of restaurants are looking to offer tech-enabled options. Furthermore, based on a research, most US restaurant IT decision-makers plan on investing in technology to boost the operational efficiency. Restaurant owners plan to invest in restaurant technology to boost efficiency in their processes. More than half of them said that they are doing it to enhance customer engagement. Other restaurant owners invest in technology to increase the productivity of their employees. Some invest in technology to keep up with the competition and others, in order to keep up with franchise expectations.
Nevertheless, some owners and managers face challenges due to the cost of upgrades, security risks associated with technology, and the expense of maintaining the technology. The growing pressure to meet the rising customer expectations to have a positive impact on restaurant operations state that the key driver for IT efforts is customer engagement. The alignment between IT projects and customer-centric strategies stands to foster integration in these areas and to help prevent technology initiatives from getting stuck and stagnant. Even though historically restaurants have been slow to adapt to the new technologies than other industries, a commitment to technology savviness could improve their operations and, of course, enhance their odds for success.
WHY RESTAURANTS INVEST IN TECHNOLOGY
Restaurants owners and managers stated that keeping up with technology is critical for their businesses, and others claimed that is increased their revenues. For them, efficiency is equivalent to profitability. In terms of the types of technology which drive efficiency, restaurant owners attribute mobile POS solutions with enhancing business productivity. Mobile POS solutions help restaurateur manage their resources efficiently when using options such as customer loyalty, inventory and email marketing. Since typically, 60 percent of restaurants ail within their first year, it is imperative to take full advantage of tech solutions. Furthermore, going mobile could enhance a restaurant’s odds for success. A mobile POS system provides owners and managers with a view into sales and inventory even when they’re away from the business. Also, it cuts down manual processes that take time away from other important tasks.
Some restaurants cited the expense of upgrades as one of the biggest hurdles to technology use. They are considering the security risks with technology, the time it would take to fix issues and lack of IT expertise. Steps that an establishment could take to minimize the hurdles promote a boost in their use of technology and probably an increase in revenue as well. They should research the technology they plan to invest in thoroughly and make it a point to compare options. A solution with a less up-front cost, yet charges high prices for upgrades and troubleshooting, for instance, can surprise an owner or manager with a much higher cost in the long term.
Many restaurants use technology in order to connect with current and prospective patrons. Most have social media accounts, which means that they could more easily engage with diners and determine their likes and dislikes, their experiences and integrate feedback into their day-to-day operations. Aside from social media restaurant owners also have traditional websites, which means that they could further their exposure and provide more potential customers with a taste of what the establishment has to offer. Restaurateurs have to juggle different business challenges from inventory management, customer service to marketing. Even though the road to adoption of technology has been long, owners and managers add applications, tablets, inventory management software as well as other tools to their must-have menus.
The rapid innovation period is critical not only for restaurants but for all as well. Fundamentally, technology has altered people’s lives and irreversibly so. Definitely, it has changed the restaurant industry fundamentally. When looking at the evolution of human communication, we are now living in a point of time that is as significant a milestone as language invention and the printing press. For a restaurant, the goal should not just be simply to catch up as there is no end in sight in terms of advancements in technology. Customers are used to and today demand for accelerated innovation. They also demand that restaurants innovate to keep up with the evolving trends. As customer engagements become more and more critical nowadays, restaurants would have to focus on offering tools that suit and fit in with the customer journey. From effective applications to mobile payments to tableside ordering as well as media interactions, the keyword for the future would be frictionless service, in and out of the restaurant.
It makes a lot of sense for restaurants to invest in technology not just to boost their operations but to keep up with the competition as well. In today’s high-tech world, it makes a lot of sense for restaurateurs to keep pace with the trend.