Effective Business Success Through the Impact of Self-Ordering Technology

Self-ordering technology has been hailed as the future of restaurant operations. The future is now. Millions of people order and pay for their food via a kiosk every day. Eventually, all restaurants will implement self-ordering technology thanks to the numerous benefits to businesses and ability to better cater to consumer demand.

But successful self-ordering technology deployment isn’t as simple as stationing a kiosk in the lobby, turning it on and expecting people to use it. An effective kiosk strategy hinges on three considerations:

Location: An idle kiosk doesn’t help a business. That’s why they should be placed in high-traffic spots and along the path of the current cashier, ideally within five to 10 steps in proximity to the cashier area. Kiosks should be highly visual and easy to locate for guests entering the business. Kiosks such as those available through Pye provide versatile options – free-standing, tabletop or countertop.

The spot the machine will occupy will help a business decide the kind of unit it needs. If space is limited, the business might consider a tabletop or wall-mounted unit. If space is not at a premium or the company wants its machine to standout, it might opt for a free-standing model.

Guidance: Consumers know how to use kiosks these days, but they need to know it’s there for them to use. If your objective is for customers to use it, have it resemble a giant exclamation point that screams, “Use me!” Even something as simple as a “order here” sign hanging over a kiosk can go a long way toward driving activity. Without adequate signage, prospective users may otherwise bypass the devices. In fact, kiosks should be marketed as any other product or service.

People are naturally attracted to lights, so lights shining atop devices can easily signal customers of a unit’s presence. The advent of LEDs has given savvy entrepreneurs the ability to do more than simply turn lights on or have them flash. The technology allows them to change colors and go on and off in patterns for an original look and feel.

LEDs put off a brightness that is comparable and, in many cases, brighter than traditional bulbs. LEDs, too, are touted for their output consistency, achieving maximum output instantly.

Adoption: As with anything new, implementation isn’t always flawless. Hiccups are inevitable, and in many cases, likely. Especially with customers unfamiliar with the device’s functionality. It typically takes 90 days to six months – oftentimes dictated by the makeup and technological savviness of guests – to smooth out the adoption process. During that time, cashiers can be redesignated from behind a counter to the lobby to assist customers in using kiosks.

By comparison, self-check-in kiosks in airports took time to catch on with passengers. So hosts spent time educating flyers on how to retrieve boarding passes and check their bags. Over time, passengers gravitated to the devices, finding that using kiosks reduced their time in line and got them on the way to their gate more quickly. Now, passengers largely rely on kiosks, even without a host present. While new technology can be intimidating to customers, employees and business owners, a proper adoption plan makes the process less daunting.

These three areas of consideration are critical to successfully implementing self-ordering technology. Carefully determining proper location, clearly conveying to customers that a kiosk is there for them and orchestrating a plan for adoption all serve to set up a business for success in making the operation more efficient and effective.