Digital transformation is a phrase that is thrown about in modern workplaces these days – but what does it actually mean and, more importantly, what does it specifically mean for your restaurant?
Well, it means a lot more than you may think.
As the name suggests, there’s a technical element – but it’s also about how the technology can help people solve traditional problems in new ways.
As a spin off, it can often involve organisations streamlining their operations and removing obstacles such as mountains of paper.
If you think the UK has reached a high level of digitalisation, you’re mistaken, even though companies and individuals are investing so much time and money in technology.
According to the McKinsey Global Institute’s Industry Digitization Index, the UK has only reached 17% of its full digital potential.
So for the UK economy, the potential and scope for digital services is unbounded.
Digital transformation is affecting many areas of our lives including:
- > E-commerce – companies such as Amazon and Alibaba could not exist without computers, the internet and vast customer databases to hold transactional and highly personalised marketing data.
- > Banking – online banking has revolutionised how people can quickly conduct their financial affairs.
- > Training – videos and on-demand learning platforms are offering people more personal and flexible options for self-improvement.
- > Healthcare – the improvements have been vast, from better record keeping to secure messaging and even using artificial intelligence to deliver surgery.
And now digitisation it’s coming to hospitality too!
Today’s digital customer is time-poor and demanding. Savvy restaurateurs have realised that they need to provide not only an amazing gastronomic experience but also that they need to be at the leading edge of customer engagement and service.
Increasingly, restaurateurs are using a wide range of technology such as Restaurant EPOS Systems, to improve customer loyalty and to speed table turns.
7 ways digitisation helps your restaurant:
Kiosks are the self-service answer for today’s millennial consumer who likes to transact with a machine. This queue-busting technology frees up your staff to devote time to customer service and it has been proven that consumers using the technology will place larger average orders.
In today’s restaurant you no longer need to rely on inaccurate and time-consuming paper chits – hand held tableside ordering technology ensures 100% order accuracy and speeds service as food and drinks orders are sent to the bar and kitchen automatically.
Kitchen video means that chefs can see the orders at a glance – it’s all digital. No need to feed paper into noisy and troublesome kitchen printers. Say goodbye to paper jams.
The upsell opportunities are great too as you can quickly take drinks orders on the hand-held device – great for queue busting in busy bars or outdoor terrace.
- Digital signage
No need to give your patrons a dog-eared menu – you can now dynamically and digitally display your menus in HD.
You can truly captivate today’s Instagram and Snapchat dependent consumers with attractive and eye-catching motion video. Deploying menu changes can be done instantly using a drag and drop interface.
- Mobile payments
Your customers are often in a rush. Using industry leading mobile payment systems, they can quickly pay for their meal without the frustration of having to get a server’s attention.
Also, we have found that where such solutions are available the restaurateur sees an increase in profits of 17%.
The kitchen environment is just as ripe for digitalisation as the front of house. Using digital technology, the speed of preparation, as well as the accuracy of order taking, can be greatly increased.
Kitchen video, bump bars and an easy to use graphical interface means fewer errors, less wastage and food getting sent out the pass at a blistering pace.
Your customers are plugged into social media seemingly 24/7. A restaurant’s reputation can often hinge on a bad Trip Advisor review.
A real-time reputation management solution means that you can keep on top of any adverse comments and respond rapidly in a proactive manner.
Thanks to the power of the internet and our restaurant management technology it is now possible to keep tabs on your business 24/7 using our online business intelligence tool. See sales figures in real-time or make menu changes across a restaurant group at the touch of a button.
Watch this space
As mentioned earlier, digital transformation is in its infancy and the surface of its potential has been barely scratched.
We can envisage a world where customers will be able place orders using virtual assistants such as Alexa or where they will no longer be conversing with a human but being served by a chat bot.
For now, though check out our video to see how digital transformation could work in your restaurant with our Restaurant EPOS System.
