Digitalization in the gastronomy sector

Intelligent apps support you in your process chain from purchasing management to disposal, helping you to plan more accurately and calculate better. Let's start at the end of the chain with a relevant and externally effective keyword: Sustainability. How can restaurateurs avoid waste and food waste and at the same time optimize their ordering of goods?

Modern software systems are able to calculate how much food is likely to be needed based on guest behavior and daily changing information such as the weather or vacation periods. Thanks to artificial intelligence (AI), the systems learn every day based on their own data. One example in the system catering, communal catering and bakery sectors is the platform Delicious Data.

Even without AI, the cloud-based, digital goods recording system ensures real-time retrieval from anywhere, analysis of stock levels, warning systems, menu and price planning. This allows the use of goods to be calculated more accurately - saving costs and conserving resources. Many providers supply individual products here and can be expanded modularly or connected to other software, such as cash register systems. Especially for the hot drinks sector, our coffee price calculator allows you to correctly estimate your current requirements for further merchandise management.

Compare digital tools from foodnotify, Amadeus360 or gastronovi, for example.

Setting up and rescheduling shift plans usually takes a long time and not all of your employees' wishes can be fulfilled. Save time and money thanks to clear and fair personnel planning. Instead of creating shift schedules on paper or semi-digitally with Excel, they can be created online with smart tools.

In addition to the actual service planning, time stamps, vacation planning and automatic changes to duty rosters in the event of swaps or illness can be handled at the same time. Many providers also offer an employee app and suitable interfaces for payroll accounting. These programs are often not cheap, but usually stand up to hours of back and forth and the accompanying headaches.

The result? Satisfied staff and more time for other jobs. For inspiration, take a look at providers such as gastromatic and Papershift or cheaper alternatives such as Aplano. The trial versions are usually free and can be used for between 14 and 30 days.

The guest experience - more service and visibility through centralized, automated work

When your customers book with you, they want the full program. From reservation to on-site service, the experience for your guests should run as smoothly as possible. And it also helps to offer an uncomplicated evaluation option afterwards.

Imagine a customer wants to find a restaurant spontaneously, spends a long time searching for suitable restaurants from home and then gets stuck in a queue. Instead of two people, she arrives with four, a misunderstanding on the phone because it was too loud in the kitchen. Digital tools can help your staff here and create transparency.

What used to be done by telephone, reservation book, flyers or multiple rounds can now be done in one go with integrated software packages - automatically, independently of time and without the presence of staff. Thanks to the central storage of information, everyone involved remains in the picture throughout the entire process.

Booking details or additional requests are available to you and your guests digitally and can be accessed from anywhere via app or browser. You can also find contact persons and practical reminders or leave a review. Everything in one folder, just digitally. Especially in the hotel, apartment & co. sector, room booking, check-in, guest directory, reservations, chat and e-mail dispatch, proof of vaccination, etc. are increasingly provided at the click of a button.

Guests use the app or scan the QR code and do the rest. Practical in times of staff shortages or even during a pandemic. The elimination of paper notes and reservation books is just another bonus. Take a look at guestfriend, Code2order and SuitePad, for example.

Guests who drop in spontaneously or cancel at short notice, double occupancy or unsuitable opening hours: Capacity utilization is a highly competitive issue for many businesses in the hospitality industry. Smart booking apps/reservation systems can help here. Easily make and change reservations and fully utilize your restaurant capacity thanks to automated booking confirmation.

Availability is checked automatically - you don't have to worry about (almost) anything and are available 24/7 for thousands of app users. In addition to saving time in planning, you can playfully intensify customer contact, for example through personalized emails and events (e.g. happy hour), newsletter offers, feedback requests and waiting lists.

While system setup and profile creation are on the give side, on the credit side you can improve your customer management and reduce no-shows - a time and cost factor. More reach and valuable insights into your customer base are further potential benefits. Popular examples are TheFork and opentable.

On site, for collection or delivered: The different ordering channels require good coordination. For the last two years at the latest, there has been a growing demand for all-round solutions for restaurants with a delivery service.

Features such as a driver app, self-service terminal, web store or intelligent kitchen system enable the integration of the various mainstays. Instead of piles of paper, there are digital receipts and order statuses in real time, which can significantly reduce errors and refine coordination. Deliveries can often be linked to external providers such as Lieferando or Wolt. Distinguish here between simpler and more complex offers, such as SimplyDelivery or Gustoco.

Instead of digitizing individual locations, more and more digital tools are offering a very broad portfolio that is intended to cover most of the needs of entrepreneurs with just one piece of software. Many interfaces to other services such as delivery, rating or purchasing platforms are also particularly relevant.

The smart networking of work areas such as the cash register, warehouse, staff and customers enables centralized management. At the same time, individual departments can be analyzed in detail - thanks to the extensive collection of company and customer data. What are the benefits? On the one hand, considerable time savings and cost reductions. This includes, for example, a reduction in walking distances thanks to wireless receipts, faster order taking via tablet and "free time" thanks to less administrative work.

Gastrovi, for example, advertises that 82% of its customers save time. Each company must weigh up the potential of large all-round solutions versus smaller modules individually. What is certain, however, is that digitalization enables data to be recorded objectively. In addition to the aforementioned advantages for costing and controlling, you can get to know your target group better and identify new target groups. Although many customers are put off by the issue of privacy, data collection is typically anonymous thanks to data protection guidelines. The collection and analysis of countless data points ensures that you can reach certain customer groups more easily, make them personalized offers and increase customer loyalty.