A Strong Network Foundation Supports AI, IoT, and Other Advanced Technologies
Our data shows that AI is streamlining customer service, data analytics, personalization, and forecasting demand. What AI opportunities and/or challenges do you foresee in 2025?
AI is certainly the hot buzz word in the past year, especially with the emergence of several generative AI applications. Using AI to analyze vast amounts of data has been pretty common, especially for customer service and sales forecasting, so it is not surprising to see 67% of restaurants using AI for this purpose. What will be interesting to see is the adoption of generative AI in the restaurant industry.
Areas that are low hanging fruit for AI are creating marketing materials and campaigns, providing order recommendation based on previous orders and logical complementary items, chatbots for delivery orders and voice-assistants for drive through. However, restaurant operators must be careful and consider their customers’ expectations and their brand promise for customer experiences.
As restaurants adopt more IoT devices and automation tools, how can this help solve for rising costs and staffing challenges?
Reducing cost was one of the top strategic goals for restaurant technology investments. As labor shortages and higher wages continue to impact the restaurant industry, restaurant operators are looking for ways to leverage IoT and automation technology to improve productivity.
One of the emerging technologies that are gaining traction is real-time inventory tracking to improve visibility and reduce shortages of ingredients that impact menu items. We have also seen some limited deployments of robots in the kitchen and delivering food in the dining room. While robot technology continues to improve, several restaurant chains are testing a variety of robot technology in the kitchen area and once it is ready for prime-time, we will likely see more ubiquitous use of robots.
How are restaurant operators using mobile capabilities to improve restaurant efficiency and labor productivity?
As consumers and staff have become accustomed to digital engagement on mobile devices, it has become the device of choice. Mobile ordering from either the guest’s device or a server’s device helps increase order accuracy and speeds order delivery, which increases customer satisfaction and table turns. Guests that order from their mobile device often order more items, which helps increase restaurant revenues. From a mobile payment perspective, whether it is on a guest’s device or an associate’s device, it provides guests peace of mind that their payment card doesn’t leave their sight and it also speeds up the payment process.
Offering speedy Wi-Fi makes it possible for guests to play their favorite games or share their experiences on social media while they’re waiting for their orders — or enjoying a social media post worthy dessert.
How is the adoption of emerging technologies impacting restaurant network infrastructures?
As restaurants deploy speed- and bandwidth-demanding solutions like AI-enabled inventory tracking, video, voice assistants and mobile apps, their networks will be stressed beyond their current limits. To help ensure successful deployments of bandwidth intensive technologies, restaurants need to make sure they have the network foundation to support these advanced technology demands. To address these accelerated store connectivity needs, restaurants are deploying 5G business internet, private networks and mobile connectivity, which can offer upgraded speed, greater bandwidth and near real-time connectivity across the business.
Learn more at https://www.verizon.com/business/solutions/industry/retail/