Published on October 25th, 2019 | by Sunit Nandi

Ways In Which Restaurant Technology Is Automating And Optimizing Operations

Technology is ever-changing and the demands of a customer will need to be satisfied at every step of the process. For those that are in the restaurant business, it can be a challenging endeavor trying to keep up with the dynamics that are constantly shifting towards automation and optimization. Efficiency is key if you’re to have a successful restaurant business. There is a need for coordination between the backroom staff and those that are taking orders.

The current technology is being developed to tweak and improve customer satisfaction. That is why it is imperative that restaurant technology is being automated for the improved performance of operations.

Improving Restaurant Operations By Leveraging Technology

As we’ve already highlighted, both technology and automation are necessary for improving efficiency in a restaurant. You’re probably wondering how the two can be incorporated in the day-to-day running of your restaurants. We’re going to highlight some of the ways in which technology automation can optimize operations in your business.

Online Ordering

It will be impossible to talk about restaurant technology without touching on online ordering. With the advent of delivery systems, the majority of restaurant orders will happen through an app or mobile device. Online ordering makes it easy for customers to access menus of a particular restaurant from the comfort of their home. There is convenience in the sense that the customer has the option of choosing between pickup and delivery depending on what will be convenient from their end. A good system will prevent you from missing orders that wouldn’t have been made without the existence of the online ordering system.

Automatic Billing

Technology has greatly improved the billing systems in restaurants compared to what was available a decade or two ago. The POS system will generate the bill as soon as the customer is done dining in your establishment. The bill will be derived from the Kitchen Order Ticket (KOT). To have a deeper understanding of such systems, you should definitely research more on POS designed for restaurants. With automatic billing, you’re assured of streamlined systems with no delays because everything is automated. Paying for orders is made convenient for customers.

Online Payment

Online payments have made it easy for those people who’d like to order from a restaurant without necessarily going to the premises. There is no need for the customer to rush to the nearest ATM in order to make a delivery. The bill generation is automated and the customer can pay with their credit card or mobile wallet. There are many online payment processing companies that have started partnering with restaurants to make it easy to process and collect payments.

Table Reservation

This is an area that a lot of restaurants have been having challenges with, especially if the reservation is done online. The system in place might not be robust enough to take care of integrations that are needed for the holistic operations of the restaurant. A good system should enable the customer to book their preferred table in advance. There are tools that will give the customer a virtual overview of the tables so that they know exactly where they will be seated.

Cloud Telephony

This is an area that is often overlooked when talking about restaurant technology. This shouldn’t be the case as it is used in multiple areas and situations in a restaurant situation. It has and will always remain relevant in the food ordering business. This is because of the fact the placing orders over the phone is the easiest way of going about it. There is a virtual number in place which has the capability of connecting with multiple numbers that are already in existence. A call will automatically be forwarded if one number is busy or unreachable. Restaurants will minimize the chances of losing orders because of connectivity issues.

Loyalty Programs

It is a good idea to reward your loyal customers so that they keep coming back and refer other people to your business. The manual way of designing loyalty programs is tedious and unreliable. It should be noted that the cost of acquiring a new customer is more compared to the cost of retaining an existing one. That is why the focus should be on retaining your cold customers. With technology, you can have a database of all the customers that frequent your restaurant. You can set reward metrics based on certain variables. It is also easy to keep track of loyalty programs for every individual customer. The customization of the program will be based on ordering habits.

Tags: automating, operations, optimizing, restaurant, technology

About the Author

Sunit Nandi I'm the leader of Techno FAQ. Also an engineering college student with immense interest in science and technology. Other interests include literature, coin collecting, gardening and photography. Always wish to live life like there's no tomorrow.