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How the Hospitality Sector Is Inspiring Innovation

It is one of the largest UK Industries and it has been tested to the limit in the last 8 months since the first CV19 lockdown. Now during the second country wide lockdown hospitality businesses are embracing tech to not only cushion the effects of pandemic but to spearhead growth as soon as restrictions are lifted.
March 10 2021

For a sector that has been financially crushed they should be applauded for their never say die attitude and for being able to adapt in ways that others have failed. Not only has the sector had to swiftly acclimatise to shifting rules, regulations and safety requirements they have turned to technology innovation to meet the demands of their customers.

 

From small fish and chip shops that created an order website that outputs a four-digit code so you could queue safely then collect the best of British,  to the large pub Co’s who have had to rapidly implement track and trace, new processes, order and “pay at table” apps and tech.

This may sound relatively easy, but we know from our own knowledge of the market how difficult this is to implement in such short time.

We will provide guidance and process engineering to reduce the number of touch points in many situations and environments. We will assist you with integrating proven technologies such as RFID to reduce inventory handling, Bluetooth for touch free access to guest room appliances, QR codes to view menus, mobile apps to open and lock doorways, AI to increase employee efficiency, and data analytics to maximise the value of the data you collect daily.

 

The result is increased customer confidence, and efficiency improvement for our clients.  Others have implemented an order and pay at the table process using the customer smartphone with frictionless technology, thereby removing the need for a staff to table visit other than to deliver food and the essential beverages!

We have also seen larger hospitality businesses benefiting from re configuring their core EPoS systems to facilitate handheld ordering and payment capability and integrating systems through standard API’s or integration software to other third-party solutions to enable pre-ordering or intelligent queuing solutions.

One large global, highly innovative members club business has been using technology to solve multiple business problems both before and during COVID-19. Much of their new members app functionality has allowed them to stay regularly communicated with all their members, distribute content and move some of their products to virtual.

As the first lockdown eased, they were also able to use technology to maintain social distancing and capacity and offer frictionless payments

And then there’s the concept of delivery….. yes, so many hospitality providers have turned to offer delivery services, enabled through integration with EPoS and Back of house solutions. Delivery take-away revenues in the UK rose by 0.4bn in 2019, a substantial 5% on the previous year and now it has become a cornerstone of the adapted consumer offer with the eco system of the supply chain adapting on the hoof.

Much of this capability and flexibility is delivered through tried and tested digital apps and websites, with the innovation coming from the pace of thinking coupled with the ability to integrate and re-structure the traditional operating model of the business.

If the crisis has done one thing it has forced innovation, removed traditional barriers and for some has ripped up the rulebook and redefined business processes (or avoided them) to stay alive

Businesses should not be scared to rip up their traditional processes or to approach things differently and in turn embrace new technology

Let technology support your innovation and not drive it

Other sectors may wish to take note and review their approach

At Leading Resolutions we thrive in responding quickly, rapidly understanding the challenges that your business face and accelerating Digital goals.

We are prepared for, and enthusiastic about, joining with you to reshape the future of your business.

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Note from the Author

Jon Bance

Let me know your thoughts and by all means, get in touch with me on LinkedIn / email with your comments and any questions.
I’d love to hear how you are responding to your innovation needs and of course answer any questions you may have.