Issue link: https://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/999236
March/April 2018 51 "Smart" equipment that can self-diagnose problems and alert the operator and manufacturer, so that the service truck can show up during a slow period to correct the problem before it leads to a crisis e POS Revolution While it's the consumer who's driving change in the restaurant industry, there's a key tool at the center of it all. Restaurant companies, together with their technology suppliers, are working to make point-of-sale systems completely automatic with no manual keystrokes by staff . ey're also integrating orders from multiple third-party delivery services into a chain's own POS system. Increasingly, POS data is computer-linked to kitchen display systems that track the progress of orders and sometimes to individual pieces of equipment. POS systems also are being used to collect historical data to help restaurants better understand customers and their ordering patterns. " ere's the back of the house, the front of the house, and in the middle is the POS system," says Markus Glueck, executive vice president North America for combi maker Rational AG. Although full integration of POS data into cooking systems is still several years away, Glueck says, the possibilities are enticing. POS data tracking with an open interface to back- of-house equipment means equipment could be fi red up automatically as orders come in, without the need for back-of- house staff to fl ip a switch. At Red Robin, Olo's POS system is now integrated with the chain's kitchen systems. " at's allowing individual restaurants to track their orders in ways they couldn't before," Rusk says. " is partnership also equips the kitchen staff with data that ensures they can prepare all items of an order and have it ready down to the minute when the consumer walks in the door." Equipment dealer Tom Lawson envisions a future not too many years from now "where a PC will be running the whole restaurant and establishing par levels." For instance, the system might discern that a particular item is selling slowly that day and begin discounting it on the dynamic digital menu board from mid-afternoon until the end of the day. How Equipment Dealers Can Help Lead For Rusk, the moral of the story is that "you always have the most success when all parties are focused on important outputs for both the brand and consumers." He adds: "It's important for kitchen equipment manufacturers to stay ahead of consumer tendencies and changes in the industry in order to create effi ciencies in design and equipment so brands like Red Robin can remain at the forefront of innovation." Equipment dealers are an equally important link in the chain, points out Rational's Glueck. "As soon as you endorse new technology, you automatically need to change the way you design and equip kitchens," he says. "It all boils down to how well the dealer is educated on diff erent technologies and the choices out there. Someone who wants to open a restaurant may have no idea what he wants and he's looking to the dealer. What the dealer specs is what he gets." e bottom line: "Good consultant services can bring dealers more business." ■ RESTAURANT OPERATORS IN THE SPRING OF 2016 TO FIND OUT WHAT ADOPTION.