Technology and trends are constantly reshaping the quick service restaurant industry. With the fast-paced world of today’s tech, it can be head spinning trying to keep up with all of it. However, keeping up with trends and innovations that are coming down the pipeline can help you and your business stay ahead of the curve.
Rest assured, QSRSoft is on top of those trends and innovations! We provide cutting-edge solutions that anticipate and integrate emerging trends and innovations in QSR technology. This helps empower restaurants to stay ahead of the curve.
While you can rely on our solutions to keep you ahead of the competition, it’s still good to know what trends and innovations are shaping the future of quick service restaurants. So let’s dive into some of those trends and innovations for a deeper understanding.
1 | Artificial Intelligence (AI)
We are seeing more reliance on AI to streamline operations for quick service restaurants. Some places we are already seeing it shape the industry are voice AI phone ordering and labor scheduling tools. Another place AI is being used is to help with staff scheduling. AI can help forecast your staffing needs and generate a schedule with the right number of shifts, placing the best people on those shifts so your business can run at peak efficiency.
2 | Customer Experience
The future of some of the most talked about QSR tech is around customer experience, like self-service kiosks, digital menu boards, and digital screens showcasing products and UGC (user-generated content) from social media. This technology focuses on authenticity and creating a personal touch to build loyal customers. In fact, a recent Salesforce study found that 52% of consumers expect personalization. Ordering apps, self-service kiosks, and loyalty programs can all help deliver that.
3 | Staff Engagement
The link between staff engagement and customer satisfaction has never been more clear. This tech can help with team building, training, communication, scheduling, HR, team feedback, celebrating milestones, assigning tasks, and more. From smart time clocks to integrated HR systems, these solutions keep your staff happy and informed. But most importantly, these innovations create a sense of belonging amongst your team, helping them deliver more exceptional service! And with gamification, you can drive your staff to improve their performance with a little friendly competition.
4 | Real-Time Analytics
One of the best ways to stay ahead of the curve is to use the data you get about your customers to improve their experience, but getting that analytic data about customers one week later won’t keep you ahead. But real-time data does! Not only does getting data about your customers in real time help, but tech that also aggregates the key data you need in easy-to-view and analyze ways can help you quickly measure performance and identify opportunities!
5 | Real Time Inventory and Cash Flow
Knowing what you need at any moment can help you stay ahead. No customer wants to hear that you’ve run out of pickles or ketchup. This tech can also help you streamline your supply chain and notice trends in consumer choices. But nothing is more important than making sure your cash and cashless receipts are properly managed. This innovative tech not only helps with your cash flow, but it can help validate deposits and save you from doing manual entries with integrated functionality.
6 | Smart Equipment and Maintenance
Smart kitchen equipment is flooding commercial kitchens across the nation. These smart appliances provide precision and efficiency. Not only can they be controlled remotely and provide real-time data with sensors, but they can also be easier to operate and train new employees on. But it’s important to keep up on maintenance of this equipment to protect your investment. Integrated tech advances can help keep track of when it’s time to maintain your equipment, or receive notifications from your smart appliance when something needs addressing. This allows you to schedule and assign maintenance tasks, or when needed, know when to call a repair technician before a small problem becomes a big, expensive one.
7 | Security
We’ve all heard the stories about data theft and identify fraud. No one wants to have a security breach. New innovations in tech can not only alert you of potential fraud and theft, but can help improve customer recovery. Great security tech should allow you to view any transaction details, including the receipt and video to assist in handling customer issues and complaints, helping you improve the overall customer experience.
Key Takeaways
We are living in a flourishing time of technology and innovations for the quick service industry! These innovative solutions can help make it easier to run great restaurants.
Want these innovative solutions and more? QSRSoft solutions are trusted by leading restaurant owners and brands nationwide to power their restaurants. We offer cutting-edge technology solutions for data and analytics, back-office operations, employee gamification, security solutions, cash flow, and so much more. Request a demo today!