The restaurant industry has taken technology to the next level with the increasing adoption of mobile ordering, learning management systems, and self-serving kiosks. Here are some ways you can integrate these trends in your restaurant operations using iPad® to improve restaurant efficiency and improve the restaurant experience for your customers.

Mobile Ordering:

Whether you are a fast food restaurant, or a high-end establishment, it is becoming increasingly important that you have a mobile presence to reach new customers and improve the the restaurant experience for existing customers.

If you have a mobile application, you will give customers access to current menu options, promotions, specials, and any other important information you may want to communicate to them. Studies show that 70% of customers would rather see the menu ahead of time to assist in their decision making process.

Customers are not the only ones benefiting from mobile ordering.  As orders come in, your staff will be able to view all orders on a designated iPad with a POS software of choice, eliminating errors and less time on phone orders with customers. The ordering process becomes more streamlined and organized for your employees to keep operations and output moving at a quick pace and to improve speed of service in restaurant.

Learning Management Systems:

The increasing use of iPads in the food and beverage industry has triggered a learning transformation. Today, learning management systems (often referred to as mobile LMS) is the most efficient way to train employees in the industry which leads to overall restaurant efficiency.  PlayerLync is an easy and convenient mobile learning and operations software that integrates content distribution, e-learning and paperless operations into a single solution that helps the front line deliver exceptional customer experiences, all from the convenience of an iPad.

“By combining employee training videos, digital forms, and operational checklists, staff and employees can ensure they are always close to the most up-to-date information and access vital training tools anywhere, anytime." – Paul Bradley, Head of Product at PlayerLync

The use of software like PlayerLync creates a learning process that is more user-friendly and easy-to-use for employees so they have the most enjoyable and simple training tools.

Some fear that using iPad for employee training will be expensive, can be easily lost or broken, or will experience wear and tear as employees may not handle company devices as carefully as their own.  To solve this, IPORT has created a rugged iPad case called LaunchPort Rugged System to wirelessly charge and protect your iPad from drops and falls.  With the LaunchPort Rugged System, you have the option to mount iPad to a wall or table so staff can access it anytime, anywhere which has the iPad wireless charging feature so the iPad is easy to grab.

Self-Serving Kiosks:

With the use of the iPad and the correct software applications, restaurants are starting to use more self-serving kiosks right as customers walk in your doors. This technology allows more efficiency in orders and gives customers the choice to skip the line and place their order right on the spot to cut down wait time and overall enhance their experience.

The iPad provides a user-friendly component to the kiosks for both customers and employees. This system is beneficial for customer service because it speeds up the process of customer orders, eliminating communication errors with employees and freeing them up to work on other business needs. Instead, the order is sent straight to the kitchen ready for preparation. Loyalty and rewards programs can be seamlessly integrated into the iPad kiosk so customers can still earn rewards and see their order history.

If you are worried about the security and protection of your kiosk, the iPad wireless charging station called Table Mount by IPORT is a great solution to continually charge, protect, and secure your device during your busy hours to transform your kiosk into a beautiful and simple tool.

Overall, it is very important for you to stay up to date with current technological trends that can help improve the operations and efficiency of your restaurant. Mobile ordering, Learning Management Systems like PlayerLync, and self-serving kiosks are only a select few of the trends out there to keep your business evolving with industry trends.