As we look ahead to the clear blue skies of post-pandemic life, many day-to-day activities appear to be reverting quickly to things we've missed, like shopping instead of hoarding, buying bread instead of taking the time to bake it ourselves and even going back to the office with real human coworkers. While it's nice to get back to normal, the restaurant industry will likely never be able to walk away from the new layers of accessibility and convenience that were accelerated to preserve sales and combat closed dining rooms.
Consumer expectations have been reset, and in turn, we believe restaurants should reset their expectations for technology companies. The winners of 2020 were the consistent collaborators and pivot prioritizers; the teams that leaned on others to quickly develop plans and processes to adjust to ever-changing requirements. And one key accelerator for the brands that were able to sustain and even grow sales throughout the tumultuous last year was being able to lean on others heavily to adapt, most notably with emerging technologies.
For decades, technology in restaurants was viewed as a function for "keeping the lights on", focused more on equipment and infrastructure than full-business integration. Recently, technology has evolved to a more influential role, providing executives access to critical performance metrics, connecting companies directly to consumers through improved tracking and communications, and guiding operational optimization through enhanced observation and measurement. Technology is allowing restaurants to track and measure, which also means test and learn, accelerating the cycle of continuous improvement and ultimately leading to gains in market share as well as profit margin.
Now, technology is a secret weapon of sorts, uncovering insights and deepening knowledge that guides strategic decision making across all disciplines. So shouldn't your technology providers do the same?
Recently, Mark Hankins, Director of Global Operations Systems, joined Perfect Company CEO Mike Wallace to discuss how technology companies acting as strategic partners, not just vendors, can improve restaurant customer service:
At Perfect, we're thrilled that clients consider us to be an extension of their team, focused on achieving shared objectives to grow sales. As we look into the future with a restaurant industry that is still reeling from rapid forced adaptations, we believe cultivated relationships built on shared knowledge of what defines client success, rather than transactional arrangements focused on invoices, will be the differentiator that distinguishes winning brands. The more bench strength a brand brings to the table, the better the company can flex with changing market forces and evolving consumer needs.
Let Perfect Company strengthen your bench with our strategic solutions that elegantly solve some of restaurants most complex problems:
Perfect Kitchen: Reduce waste, improve efficiency, and increase profits with our back-of-house kitchen workflow platform that streamlines operations. Cloud-based, connected equipment guides the entire inventory-to-order process with just-in-time notifications that eliminate human error throughout ingredient prep, hold time tracking, and order management. For management, 1000+ points of data are continuously analyzed to proactively identify opportunities for operational improvement, providing more visibility and control that leads to flawless restaurant execution.
Perfect Pickup: Reduce labor and minimize confusion by integrating multiple online ordering platforms with your back of house systems to provide a secure, contactless order pick-up solution. Customers place online orders through existing technology, crew members prepare the order and place in pick-up location as directed by the Perfect Pickup platform. Then, customers are provided branded, customizable text messages guiding their order pick-up with an easy-to-use, secure QR code.
Perfect Pickle: If your problem is more unique or you'd like your entire workflow analyzed by our team of industry experts, we are here to get you out of your pickle. Our team uses Design Thinking to move from customer journeys to ideation, then from prototyping to rollout, solving your complex challenges with elegant, simple solutions.
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