Ms. Stehle

Food & Beverage

Using Smartphone Technology to Streamline Food and Beverage Operations

By Tina Stehle, Senior Vice President & General Manager, Agilysys Hospitality Solutions Group

When hotel executives think of smartphone and other mobile technology, guest self-service applications are most likely to come to mind. After all, consumers increasingly use mobile applications to check in and check out, order room service, schedule wake-up calls, make restaurant reservations, request luggage pick-up and confirm car rentals. Guests also routinely view promotional deals, such as restaurant coupons and tourist attraction discounts, while on the move via their smartphones. It offers the ultimate in convenience, ease-of-use and efficiency.

Yet, this same technology can also be employed by hotel staff to boost productivity and streamline operations. Hospitality-specific applications enable properties to manage housekeeping duties, track inventory, facilitate employee communication, monitor key hotel metrics and respond more quickly to guest service requests.

One of the most intriguing smartphone applications in the hotel environment is as an extension of the point-of-sale system in the food and beverage area. Here, it can be used as an order-taking device, offering a practical and cost-effective alternative to tablet PCs and traditional handheld POS devices.

Market growth exploding

A smartphone is simply a handheld device that integrates mobile phone capabilities with the more common features of a handheld computer or personal digital assistant. More than just a cell phone, a smartphone runs complete operating system software and provides a platform that supports third-party or browser-based programs that can perform a variety of specific functions. Many smartphones also offer practical tools like calculators, built-in GPS and map applications.

Recently, the smartphone market has witnessed explosive growth. This is due to a number of factors, including lower production costs, improved handset design, expansion of global mobile e-mail and browsing services, the emergence of 3G and 4G network technologies, increased competition among mobile carriers and standardization and upgrades of operating systems. According to a recent study by global marketing research firm comScore, Inc., more than 49 million people in the United States now own smartphones, and it is the fast-growing segment of the mobile phone market. The Nielsen Company further predicts that there will be more smartphones than traditional mobile phones in the U.S. market by the end of 2011.

For consumers, smartphones are like computers in their pockets, enabling them to surf the Internet, send and receive e-mail messages, display pictures and videos, play MP3s and receive up-to-the-minute news, stock reports and business updates. And thousands of third-party applications, many of them free, are available for downloading.

Reasonable cost, minimal learning curve

Now, hospitality software providers are adapting smartphone technology to their point-of- sale systems, enabling marketing-savvy hoteliers to use the devices to take food and beverage orders in restaurants, bars and poolside and deliver more streamlined guest service. Just as with standard POS terminals, smartphone technology enables servers to open guest checks, select menu items and send orders to the kitchen, but with greater speed and efficiency. And F&B-specific applications enable managers to configure promotions and incorporate employee-level security, menu items and modifiers.

Today's smartphones are lightweight, yet sturdy and durable enough to withstand a hospitality environment. Their wide screens allow easy viewing of selections with little or no glare, and most have enough battery life to last through a full day's work and beyond. The odds are also great that most of your employees already use a smartphone, which means there is no learning curve.

Best of all, the price is right. The primary resistance to this kind of technology in the past has been the high price point. Now, with smartphone technology widely available, the cost is reasonable — much lower than a tablet PC — making it an attractive and affordable option for properties of all sizes.

Benefits are numerous

There are many benefits to using feature-rich smartphone technology to streamline food and beverage operations. Following are the top six:

1. Increased flexibility.
   With smartphone technology, orders can be taken anywhere on the property and submitted from the point where they are initiated, offering freedom from the restrictions of fixed terminal point-of-sale systems. This is particularly helpful at large properties, where sprawling layouts make it difficult to process orders quickly and efficiently. The technology also gives managers more flexibility in daily staffing operations, enabling them to move easily between traditional and team approaches to food and beverage service and allowing them to accommodate differences in meal-time turnaround.

2. Enhanced efficiency.
   Smartphone technology enables servers to place orders in seconds and reduces repetitive and time-consuming trips to the kitchen or bar. Meanwhile, bartenders and chefs receive one order at a time instead of several at once, helping ensure faster turnaround. The technology also reduces human error. Servers typically make fewer mistakes when they key in one order at a time at guest tables rather than keying in multiple orders at a fixed terminal. Finally, the back-up of servers waiting to place orders at fixed terminals is eliminated, resulting in a more manageable meal pace and a more enjoyable guest experience.

3. Improved management control.
   With mobile technology, managers gain real-time access to data, so they can see what's going on with the business instantly and without having to take over a terminal to do so. They can also make changes to menu offerings and prices and obtain flash reports without going to the back office. Administrative tasks that typically were completed at the end of the night can now be performed at a steady pace throughout an entire shift. Most importantly, managers can remain on the floor at all times, overseeing staff and troubleshooting problems.

4. Instant communication.
   Mobile technology enables managers to communicate with wait staff via instant messages and alerts. This is particularly helpful when there are last-minute changes to the menu or a manager needs to relay an urgent message to a particular server.

5. Increased up-selling.
   Mobile technology allows wait staff to spend more time on the floor, so they can focus their efforts on selling. Moreover, when servers spend more their time in their sections, table turns occur more frequently. The mobile devices can also be programmed to prompt servers about discounts and daily specials, which typically results in increased orders and higher check amounts.

6. Better guest service.
   With mobile technology, orders to the kitchen and bar are placed and delivered quickly, resulting in more satisfied guests. Moreover, smartphone technology allows wait staff to do much more than merely describe menu items. They can access data on food selections and wine-pairings, make recommendations and even show photos of daily specials. This personalized service not only creates a more memorable guest experience but also typically translates into increased guest loyalty.

Paying big dividends

Managing the food and beverage component of a hotel is a challenge, particularly in tough economic times. Hoteliers must work smarter and more efficiently, utilizing technology in new and innovative ways. Smartphone technology enables hotels to boost productivity and guest service with minimal investment.

Remember that one of the major differentiators between hotels in guests' minds, perhaps now more than ever, is service. And, clearly, the improvement in service offered by this technology — and the corresponding increase in guest satisfaction — can pay big dividends. Greater satisfaction translates into enhanced loyalty, which ultimately results in repeat visits and increased profitability.

Tina Stehle is senior vice president & general manager of Agilysys Hospitality Solutions Group. Agilysys is a leading provider of innovative IT solutions to corporate and public-sector customers, with special expertise in select markets, including retail and hospitality. The company uses technology — including hardware, software and services — to help customers resolve their most complicated IT needs. Ms. Stehle joined Agilysys in 2004 through its acquisition of Inter-American Data, Inc. (IAD), where she served as vice president of software services. Ms. Stehle can be contacted at 800-262-3600 or tina.stehle@agilysys.com Extended Bio...

HotelExecutive.com retains the copyright to the articles published in the Hotel Business Review. Articles cannot be republished without prior written consent by HotelExecutive.com.