BlogAdapting to the new normal with technology

Did you know the QSR industry generates over $570 billion worldwide every year? This staggering amount is much more than the economic value of some countries. The food industry has a huge consumer base and with the onset of the pandemic, consumer behavior has changed quickly. The QSR industry is under more pressure than ever before to adjust on the fly to consumer behavior. Maintaining the continuity of business operations during these unprecedented times is the biggest challenge today for the QSR industry.

Where does technology fit in during this time? If you want to excel in the QSR industry even at the hardest times, any kind of technical aid that speeds operations, and helps to meet safety compliances should be a guaranteed investment.

Today, the factors driving the consumers during this pandemic are Safe Service in a Sanitized location. To survive, the QSR industry needs to gear up to deliver food faster and ensure consumers have a safe experience. Consumers value their time and check your brand online before considering whether to visit your restaurant or not. And today, not just the consumers, governing agencies, brand reps, and health officers can ask for documentation of the steps taken by the restaurants who claim to follow the guidelines of safely operating a business.

Digitalization is a key factor in increasing efficiency and productivity. In today’s situation adapting to the changing consumer behavior and, protecting our employees who are delivering the service, creates a demand for, software that helps operate a restaurant. To stay relevant, the QSR industry’s investment in such operations suites is the need of the hour for the following reasons.

• To re-open your business
• To grow the customer base in the crunching competitive QSR industry
• To speed up the work to deliver faster for rapid orders
• To improve your existing business operations
• To document all the steps you are taking to be compliant

We have evolved from Fast Food restaurants to Quick Service Restaurants

Irrespective of the size of the restaurant, as per the surveys conducted, orders placed from mobile apps have gone up by 130% between 2016 and 2018. The millennial crowd was ordering out of convenience well before the health crisis. This group is also much more aware and willing to share their thoughts on the quality that they experience. The world is on the go. From the healthcare providers to the frontline workers, to the people who are staying home to stay safe still want their favorite food.  Managing a business with a moving crowd of varied tastes, and understanding that change is inevitable, the business calls for innovation. Leveraging the right technology like Workpulse can help your business function at a new, higher standard demanded in today’s world, with guaranteed safety and compliance.

To re-open your business

If you are re-launching your quick-service restaurant, the Workpulse suite of applications will help in maintaining everything under the same roof. Along with all of the steps you have taken to re-open, you can now also screen, store, validate and document employee and location health details. Regardless of the location you are in presently, you can monitor and manage the data from all of your locations, directly from a mobile device. This flexibility not only saves time but also ensures proper verification that you are one of the operators of the industry meeting the recommended guidelines for healthy employees and locations. You now have the real time data in the palm of your hands to make quick, knowledgeable decisions.

To grow the customer base regardless of the increasing competition

Surviving in the toughest times it what builds a brand and boosts consumer confidence. You too can grow, even in these times of crunching competition, but only if your restaurant meets the recommended guidelines for healthy employees and locations. It’s not just satisfying the regulators; guests also expect safe and efficient service coupled with quality food. With the Worpulse suite of applications, upgraded with even more features to meet and exceed the safety guidelines, you can achieve these goals integrating your operations with Workpulse will go a long way in service and efficiency. Let’s list a few:

• Ensured sanitized location
• The ensured entry of only screened employees
• Scheduled Tasks and verification to continue meeting the high standard that have been set
• Cloud documentation of all safety measures with instant accessibility from any device

An operational suite like Workpulse enables you to prepare for the above, record, document, and share that information through the app to the managers, brand reps, and health officers of the governing agencies.

Now that you can welcome your guests with peace of mind, the ‘feel-good factor’ that is passed on to the customer builds brand loyalty. Safety ensures more customers, and you can now focus on efficiencies with production, along with improving waiting times for pickup and drive thru.

Innovative technology assistance like Workpulse helps everyone to stay safe and welcome guests with confidence.

To satisfy the need to deliver even faster

Few of the operating suites like Workpulse help drive the business by convenience and efficiency. With drive-thrus, the technology can be leveraged to streamline the waiting time based on the number of orders in hand at any given time and create better experiences for the guests.

The new updated Book app from Workpulse can even be used to conduct Pre-shift Employee Health Check. Continued health is verified with frequently scheduled checklists. These document employees continuing the recommended use of Gloves, Masks, Frequency of Hand Washing, following Social Distancing guidelines including Touch-Free Product Handoffs with guests. This practice not only helps you to have peace of mind regarding the safety of your restaurant, but also helps you to speed up the operations process too. Now you are free to plan for a better tomorrow.

If technology will allow us to add the smallest competitive advantage, wouldn’t that become a vital part of your business strategy? Now more than ever before you can take charge and maintain both safety and economic practicality.

Role of technology in QSR is the future

With massive competition leveraging technology for streamlined operations continues to be a much-needed move. The fear resulting from a pandemic may not disappear any soon. Even after this current health crisis, people will still gravitate towards safer services.

Technology innovations continues to improve the QSR industry in many ways. The vision for image recognition which allows computers to recognize objects as we do, has become the norm. These types of innovations will help business’s reap benefits as there will be less human errors. Employee testing, preparing products, and customer satisfaction are a few key areas when this type of software can be utilized successfully.

Delivery, Pre Order, and Pick Up, are increasingly in demand at our favorite restaurants. Ensuring safety and convenience amidst faster delivery options satisfying customers, and maintaining that standard will be a task. AI and image recognition can catch errors early and help restaurants to provide a better customer experience. For example, a computer vision model that recognizes the items on the menu can identify the errors by confirming the contents of the order before the package gets delivered. This type of order fact-checking not only saves time but also the frustration of the customer. This positive approach helps build the brand image.

It is a known fact that employee retention is challenging the QSR industry. So, technology can aid the QSR industry by helping the current employees to function and grow. Leveraging technology smartly in areas can reduce the dependency on human power for remedial tasks.  At the same time, labor cannot be completely erased as guests have the need to identify your brand with your team. Employees need to be trained to properly use the technology to their benefit in areas where there are repetitive tasks. The repetitive tasks can be

• Taking orders
• Collecting data of customers
• Estimating customers with brand loyalty
• Calculating the wait and delivery time
• Identifying the errors in orders

Technology documenting the repeated orders by customers give data on a loyal customer base, and help to erase the number of errors. Some apps can go a step further collecting their guests’ likes and preferences, even making suggestions. Technology aids you to connect with your customer personally.

Today, if you want to make money in the QSR industry, your investment in technology is a must. Again, technology is a tool that can be used wisely by any level of employee with good knowledge and training. Knowledge and technology together can aid you to succeed in an evolving and competitive QSR industry.

Workpulse is developed to help your business grow with the newest technology. The Workpulse suite of apps gives your business data in real-time, allowing you to take immediate action. The reporting analytics and data together offer you the know-how to save time, increase efficiencies, and make a profit in business.

Call us today to schedule a demonstration of the Workpulse solution. 1-856-282-6044