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The Importance of Online Ordering Systems in Restaurants

Food ordering processes have evolved significantly since COVID-19. Before the pandemic, food and beverage establishments mostly relied on physical Point-of-Sales (POS) systems and required customers to queue up in line to order their meals. However, after restrictions were lifted, they began introducing QR ordering systems to minimise interactions between people and speed up the turnaround time. They are a crucial part of restaurants and the benefits that businesses can reap from them are endless. Read on to find out more.

Learn More: How To Boost Customer Experience With Your POS System

1. Streamline Ordering Process and Management

Traditionally, orders are taken at a counter and sent into the kitchen for preparation. Whatever changes made to it will go through the same process too. While this is going on, there may even be orders coming in from various delivery platforms. This influx can become difficult to manage when sets of active and cancelled orders are received all together. 

The Importance of Online Ordering Systems in Restaurants

A solution to this problem is switching over to online management systems, where every order, whether it is from an in-store customer or a delivery app, can be collated in one place for organisation and better visibility. Whenever an order is placed, it is immediately sent to the kitchen so that the staff can start cooking instantly. This helps streamline day-to-day operations to make processes more efficient. An effective management system reduces the risk of making mistakes as well. 

2. Manage Sales Reports Effectively

Handling your restaurant’s finances is crucial as it enables you to easily figure out if it is making money. Another great benefit of online ordering systems is that it automatically calculates your revenue at the end of the day, week, and month, to give you precise information about your sales. The amount across all platforms—delivery and in-store sales—are consolidated in one device to provide clear reports without you having to look into cash registers, different applications, and manually tally your earnings.

3. Track Ordering Trends

An online QR ordering system organises all order information and allows you to track data such as who your regular patrons are, what is your most popular item, and more. It can even offer feedback forms to gather opinions about your food and service. These insights give you an idea of how to improve your menu offerings and operations to build up a loyal customer base.

4. Convenient and Cost-Effective

QR ordering systems are extremely convenient and cost-effective in many ways.

Firstly, customers are given the freedom to take their time to browse through your e-menu before deciding on what to have. They also get to order comfortably in their seats instead of waiting in a queue.

Secondly, it eliminates the need for physical menus, and even allows you to make instant updates to your e-menu.

Convenient and Cost-Effective POS systems

Thirdly, instead of investing in multiple POS systems and self-service kiosks in your restaurant, a single system can generate multiple QR codes for each table and manage all your orders for you. This cuts down costs and the number of employees needed on shift.

Online ordering systems are excellent at streamlining food and beverage operations and can help your processes run more smoothly. Interested in adopting a QR ordering system? Suntoyo Technology is an IT industry service provider offering a variety of softwares to support business operations. Find out more about our solutions here

Why Self-Ordering Kiosks Are The Future For Restaurants

Home > Blog > Why Self-Ordering Kiosks Are The Future For Restaurants

Restaurant automation and technology are rapidly changing the way the F&B industry operates and functions in Singapore. One of the most obvious examples of such changes is the way we order our food. Previously, you may expect to receive a physical menu and place your order with a waiter. Now, it would not be a shock for customers to perform these actions digitally via a QR ordering system.

Even fast food and fast casual chains in Singapore are revolutionising how we order our meals. Step into McDonald’s, KFC, or Burger King, and one of the first sights you see will be the establishment’s self-ordering kiosks. So why these changes? Providing customers with convenient and high-quality services is the most obvious answer.

However, there are plenty more reasons beyond this. In fact, we will posit that these automated ordering systems are the future of the F&B industry. Let us share why self-service kiosks are becoming more popular in Singapore and why you should consider adopting this technology if you have not already done so for your F&B business.

What are self-ordering kiosks?

Man holding a pen thinking

As their name implies, self-ordering kiosks grant consumers the autonomy of ordering and paying for their meals themselves. Think of these machines as sophisticated vending machines for meals. They generally consist of a touchscreen with a user-friendly digital interface. The screen will display the menu and prices and guide users through the ordering process – from ordering their preferred dish to payment.

Why are self-ordering kiosks rising in popularity?

Growth shown in graph

A study conducted by Tillster revealed that 65% of consumers would visit a restaurant more often if the establishment has self-ordering kiosks while 30% prefer to order from a self-ordering kiosk to a cashier if the lines are of equal length. So here is the million-dollar question: why are self-ordering kiosks rising in popularity?

While it is challenging to pinpoint a specific cause, the bump in popularity is generally attributed to a change in consumer behaviour. Thanks to technology providing us with greater convenience, we have gotten used to the ease of online ordering. Therefore, we expect similar control, choice, and personalisation when we visit a restaurant in person. And self-ordering kiosks are designed to meet these changing expectations.

There is also no denying that the pandemic has encouraged more entrepreneurs in the F&B industry to embrace this technology. Self-ordering kiosks help promote social distancing, allowing customers to order and pay for their meals without interacting with the cashier. Restaurants simply have to sanitise the machines frequently to maintain strict hygiene standards.

Why should you consider self-ordering kiosks?

It is obvious that self-ordering kiosks are becoming more popular. So if you have not already adopted this technology, what are you waiting for? If you are still on the fence about this decision, let us share several benefits of self-service kiosks to change your mind.

Benefit #1: Decreased waiting time

People waiting in line

Nobody likes waiting in a lengthy queue line. If someone spots a long queue forming in your food establishment, they may choose to patronise another restaurant instead. A self-service kiosk can help speed up the ordering process, minimising any delay in service time.

Of course, you can still open a counter or two for customers who prefer ordering in person. But you will only require a few staff members to operate the registers. You can reallocate the rest to areas more beneficial to the business. For example, you can place more employees in the kitchen so that more dishes can be prepared and served, thereby reducing service time.

Benefit #2: Ensure order accuracy

Man and woman being served some food

Imagine waiting a long time for your meal to arrive only to discover that the kitchen has mixed up your order. You would understandably be displeased. Perhaps livid enough to leave a bad review. Naturally, as a business owner, you will want to avoid this happening to any of your customers.

Unfortunately, it is impossible to eliminate human errors. But you can circumvent this issue by automating your ordering process. Self-ordering kiosks with a visual menu can significantly reduce such occurrences in your restaurant because your customers know exactly what they are ordering.

Benefit #3: Targeted upselling

Man drawing graphs

Relying on your employees to highlight the latest promotions or popular items on the menu can be a hassle. Firstly, your staff must be prepped on the newest offers. Secondly, miscommunications may occur during the upselling.

Self-ordering kiosks provide a straightforward way to push targeted upsell prompts while your patrons are building their orders. For example, your kiosk can display prompts with various menu modifiers or promotions that customers may not be aware of otherwise. This includes meal combos, top-ups for premium sides, or 2-for-1 deals.

Yes! Self-ordering kiosks do require a bit of an upfront investment. However, these machines are well worth the cost! As the demand for swifter and more convenient service in the F&B industry becomes the norm, you will find that self-ordering kiosks are essential in offering an excellent customer experience to your patrons.

Do you require help looking for a suitable self-ordering kiosk for your F&B business? In that case, our friendly staff will be delighted to assist you in selecting the ideal system that fits your business needs. Do not hesitate to contact us today to learn how we can help you.

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