The right technology can optimize restaurant management operations, streamline business functions, and deliver easier, more accurate documentation in everything from supply chain management to inventory control. With the right technology, restaurants can ensure that they stand out, engage with their customers, and maximize profits.
Restaurants that fail to use the newest technology are missing out on huge potential benefits. After all, customers can easily move along to the next restaurant, particularly if you aren’t providing top-of-the-range service. However, buying all of the latest technology as soon as it hits the market may not be the most lucrative option for your company. How do you determine which technology is right for your restaurant? Asking the following questions before any major purchase should help.
1. Which Technology is Crucial to Your Business?
Most businesses — regardless of which industry they’re in, need to invest in at least some new technology to help them stay ahead of the curve (and the competition). However, you’re unlikely to get great results if you choose to buy any technology you can get your hands on. Instead, you need to devote some time to thinking about which innovations could help your business to grow and thrive. For example, if one of your biggest problems is an outdated POS system, then upgrading this could make your retail processes run much smoother.
Think about the current problems that your business faces and try to find technology solutions that will solve those issues, or help you to accomplish better results. In order to stick to your budget, it’s often a good idea to do an impact analysis to calculate the complete value of the acquisition before you make a final decision. What’s more, once you implement the technology, make sure you have a plan in place for how you’ll measure the results.
2. How Reliable Is the Technology, and What Do You Need to Integrate It?
Investing in new technology that’s has problems or needs to debugging isn’t going to save you time or money; it’s only going to leave you pulling your hair out. Because of this, it’s crucial to do your research before investing in a solution with any particular company. Look online for reviews and testimonials left by people who have worked with the brand in the past, and find out what their strategy is for dealing with problems and fixing bugs. Is there a warrantee available? Who will service the technology? How long will it take them? While some companies will fix issues the instant you find a problem, others expect you to wait months for a uniform update.
At the same time, find out as much as you can about what’s involved in integrating the new equipment or software. For example, you may need a plan of action in place to train new staff how to work with the technology, or you may have to make changes to some of your existing platforms in order to create a more uniform business strategy.
3.Will the Technology Improve Profits and Customer Service?
Buying new hardware or software for your restaurant should be a quantitative decision that comes from calculating how much profit will result from how much investment. Take some time to calculate your ROI and make sure that anything you invest in will have an impact on your profits in some way.
Remember, most of the technology you install will contribute to better customer service and allow for repeat guests who keep the business thriving. For example, keeping a restaurant database will allow you to keep notes about regular guests so that you can give them a more personalized experience and add value to your service.
4. What Are the Costs?
The cost of new technology is more than the purchasing and installation costs. Think about the costs of annual support and maintenance if it’s not included with your purchase, as well as the price of technical updates, customization, and training. If you have a budget then it’s important to ask the right questions and get all the costs upfront, including what you might expect to spend on an annual basis.
Managing New Technology
Choosing and implementing the right solution for your business can be a time-consuming and complicated process. By asking the right questions, you can ensure that you receive all the benefits of high-quality restaurant tech, without suffering from any unwanted hidden costs or concerns.