Automate and Grow, or be Left Behind

It’s happening! The robots are taking over. Earlier this year, the news was all a buzz over Flippy the Robot. Flippy is currently employed at a burger restaurant in Pasadena, CA and is capable of flipping 150 burgers per hour. If you missed it, here’s the link to the story. http://n.pr/2FTfGQ5

With labor pressures, increasing food cost, high turnover, and the general employment environment, we need to figure out how we can automate more of our processes and systems to help drive sales, all without losing the human touch. It’s important that Training, HR, OPS, and IT work together to figure this out. If your company is not moving in the direction of increased automation, you WILL be left behind. Ensure your training team has a seat at the table to help streamline your processes as your systems begin to evolve. Below are 3 areas where there are many opportunities for automation.

• Automation of Reports – Take inventory of the reports that your department generates and how many are possibly generated manually. If you automate all of your reports, you will in return recoup many manpower hours. Think strategically of how you can repurpose these manpower hours from pure data entry to using these hours to consult with the field in areas they may be struggling with. Thus, allowing for more interaction.
• Training Programs – The use of a Learning Management System (LMS) allows for self-directed learning to gain knowledge and skills for a specific job position. Even with automation, one-on-one training can still be used to interact with trainees to teach them about the culture and the why behind procedures. When you build out your LMS, make sure to incorporate both technology and the human touch.
• Third Party Phone, Online, and Delivery Platforms – Customers sometimes think when they place a to-go or delivery order, that they are contacting your restaurant directly. In most cases they reach a third party vendor. It’s extremely important the training team works with the vendor to develop materials that tell the brands story and culture and gives the customer the same experience they would receive when coming to your restaurant. Think of them as an extension of your brand.

I hope I have given you a few things to think about as technology extends its reach.