SUPPLIER ARTICLE
How technology will drive hospitality businesses forward to 2020, by Luis de Souza, Chief Executive of NFS Technology Group
s we put a tricky 2017 behind us, many in the hospitality industry are looking ahead to 2018 with trepidation. Who can blame them? With Brexit approaching ever closer, labour shortages are already starting to bite – and costs are rising. Customers are also beginning to feel the squeeze of inflation.
FUTURE VISION A
And yet business remains buoyant in many areas. The start of this year saw the highest number of new hotel rooms opening since 2012 – and PwC predicts that room occupancy will rise to 76% in London in 2018. That’s good news. In fact, as a leading provider of hospitality technology, we’re so convinced of the health of the industry that we’re Gold Sponsors at the Restaurant Association’s 50th anniversary celebrations at the Savoy on 28 February 2018.
As we look ahead to post-Brexit 2020, and examine the experiences of our own custom- ers, I’m sure the businesses that thrive will be those that take advantage of technology to transform the way they operate.
HERE’S MY VIEW OF THE KEY DRIVERS FOR TECHNOLOGY-ENABLED SUCCESS Mobility – particularly app-based. Cloud technology – fast and affordable deployment. Enhanced guest experience – based on data and personalised service. Social media – positive online engagement. Online ordering/booking – responding to consumer behaviour. Loyalty programmes – for increased revenue and client retention.
Mobility – Our clients, Gaucho/CAU, a grow- ing group of steakhouses, use our Aloha Epos mobile technology to drive greater staff mobility and improve customer service. Serving staff can use mobile devices includ-
ing tablets to take orders at tableside, sending them instantly to the kitchen.
Cloud technology – Honest Burgers has suc- cessfully deployed our cloud Epos solution Silver over 28 restaurants, delivering multi- site management and web-based reporting on a cost-effective basis.
Because the system is cloud-based, it gives managers access to comprehen- sive information wherever they have an internet connection.
46 | Technology Prospectus 2018 Luis de Souza
Online bookings – The contemporary Beales Hotel Group deployed our roomMaster PMS and Rendezvous Events venue manage- ment to streamline operations.
The PMS automatically pushes out rates and availability to online travel agents, saving staff time and giving guests 24/7 book- ing facilities. General manager Mark Schip-
per says: “We’re doing incredibly well on our rooms and the rate is continuing to go up.”
Social media – Dishoom, one of our fast-grow- ing restaurant operators, use social media as a key component of its customer engage- ment. Head of operations Brian Trollip says Aloha Epos from NFS has helped Dishoom grow to six large and successful restaurants with more in the pipeline, thanks to keeping customers happy.
Personalised service – The British Airways i360 in Brighton is one of the UK’s most exciting new venues – and it uses our Ren- dezvous venue management software to
deliver a great customer experience. “Whether it’s checking availability of a room, checking a contract for a client or issuing an invoice, the system has worked really well for us,” says sales manager Sophie Shepherd.
www.thecaterer.com
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52
