“Owners have to strategize on how best to answer such significant challenges,” said Jegil Dugger, founder and CEO of self-service solutions firm Pye. “Technology is a key part of the solution. Kiosks are the transactional tools now and of the future.”

Innovation is serving as the driver for momentous change within the restaurant and retail industries. The incorporation of technology into everyday business practices, however, represents something of a slippery slope of potential scrutiny.

Technology is often assailed as a job and business killer instead of as a solution that brings about efficiency and effectiveness. What typically gets lost in the conversation – and was absent through much of the pandemic – is the role technology can play in bridging the gap from one income level to another.

Part of the answer to shaping the way forward centers on investment in technology, Dugger says.

Technology such as self-service kiosks increasingly has emerged as cornerstones of the new business model, and the digital solutions are playing an even larger role in the post-outbreak environment.

With technology expanding the capabilities and tasks users can perform on their own, there is not as much need for workers standing around the machines to provide guidance. Managers can reposition staff during busy hours to focus on other tasks instead of those that could easily be done through a machine.

Besides that, kiosks can stand in as stable members of the staff that come at a fixed cost – a cost companies largely pay for upfront. There are no training expenses, and businesses don’t have to ensure these “workers” have breaks. They’re always on, ready to serve.

“Businesses, particularly those built on service, want immediate solutions, but also long-term, permanent solutions to futureproof their operations against adversity,” Dugger said. “The kiosk industry has long billed this technology as a viable tool for most any business. These are effective solutions that are meeting emerging needs.”