A food service system can be critical to the food business. Table reservation, space organization, flow of employees, order taking and communication between the lounge and kitchen, storage, preparation, and service of food and beverages and the equipment and methods required to accomplish these objectives, are some examples of tasks that can be gained by adopting technology.
Everything that causes long waiting times for customers such as internal disorganization can slow business growth. If you want to know the benefits that a restaurant system can bring, continue reading this article!
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What is food service?
When we talk about food service, we refer to the entire food business chain, which includes any type of enterprise that serves meals. This applies to both large restaurants and small snack bars and bars, for example.
But it is a fact that consumer habits are constantly changing, and it is necessary to keep an eye on trends and the application of new technologies, which enhance the relationship with customers and optimize processes, making your business profitable. The food service allows you to create more segmented niches in food, such as:
- Healthy eating: with the awareness of the power of food in health and well-being, many people turn to organic food, also valuing local products;
- Personalized menus: with increasingly segmented and individual experiences, a customized menu is also essential for consumers who suffer from allergies or food restrictions;
- Experiences: meals gain a lot of space in relationships by bringing people together and providing encounters, relaxation, and discoveries. With a generation of customers who value good experiences, innovation and quality are always welcome,
- Grab and go: eating can be a task that requires practicality, comfort, and speed, but even so, the food cannot be sophisticated according to the consumer’s taste. In the “pick and take” mode, it is possible to buy your meal and take it anywhere or receive it at home.
In this way, a food service system is a strong ally of the food sector that allows collection and analysis of information according to user’s preferences such as which products will reach their expiration date first, which prevents losses and waste.
Another example is cash flow optimization. By having an integrated database, the customer is identified more quickly, facilitating and optimizing the operation.
Challenges of the foodservice sector
The food service company faces some challenges in everyday operation. So now, check out some that we’ve separated.
Informality
Presentation is one important factor in food services and over time it becomes a burden for people who are good at taste and aptitude but not professional when it comes to presentation.
Customers always expect the same taste and presentation from meals. So, to maintain a quality standard, it is essential to invest in training and have professionals in the business.
Management must also go through the same vision since the organization of finance, purchases, receipts, suppliers, and inventory management is a complex task that requires good decisions and assertiveness. A management system presents itself as an ideal partner.
Turnover
Another point to pay attention to in food services is the high turnover of employees. The constant change of teams can generate losses, due to the hiring costs and the adaptation time of new employees.
Bringing good working conditions, such as some financial benefits, training, and courses, in addition to helping develop skills, also benefits the business, which can count on more qualified professionals.
Moments of crisis
The food service is traditionally more resistant to times of crisis, as the population does not stop eating. However, with fluctuations in the economy and other situations that are beyond the control of companies, they can impact a drop in revenue.
Costs for raw materials and ingredients may increase, as well as transport prices, space rental, and fixed expenses, such as gas, water, and electricity, for example. In this sense, a food service system helps to create strategic plans for the business to be prepared in unstable moments.
Why adopt a food service system?
Software aimed at the foodservice allows centralized control of the entire operation, being managed with information in real-time, with solid indicators that allow making the best decisions.
The system avoids errors and fraud at the cash register, allows bank reconciliation, provides better communication between customers, waiters, and cooks, and creates an agile and effective service. Other benefits that we can cite are:
- Orders taken by the attendants are posted in real-time on a monitor in the kitchen, in the correct order
- Inventory information is updated immediately after the products are shipped or entered
- Customer entry and exit can be monitored, avoiding default
- Cash reports are displayed graphically, in a simple and intuitive way
- Productivity is enhanced, with fewer errors in order records
- Procurement costs are lower due to better portion control, less waste, reductions in purchasing time, less pilferage
- Optimized customer service, as well as reduced queues and new payment options, which make the consumer experience more personalized,
- Issuance of invoices and adaptation of the business to the rules of the legislation.
