How new technology is reshaping hospitality and retail experiences

Kevin Greene, international product manager for CBE, said that for those in the hospitality industry, mobile ordering devices for tableside ordering and payment enhance the customer experience, by reducing wait times and increasing server efficiency.

This approach not only enhances order accuracy but also accelerates the order-to-service process, contributing to a more seamless and efficient operation.

“The increased use of QR codes enables customers to view menus, place orders and pay using their mobile devices. This not only alleviates the burden on staff but also enhances the overall customer experience,” Greene said.

If you offer online ordering, it is essential to integrate it seamlessly with your POS system to ensure that online and in-house orders are managed efficiently and to prevent discrepancies. “Order flow from different sources can cause many problems,” Greene said.

“In some places, they may get orders from four or five different places, and they may not be in order. Some of the bigger groups could have nine or ten different places where orders are coming from.

“It can bring a lot of complications where you have bits of paper hanging around for orders coming later in the day, whereas when we have them all integrated, we can control when the orders are released.”

Combining this with a Kitchen Display System (KDS) will increase the speed of service and streamline communication between the kitchen and the front-of-house.

Going paperless in the kitchen not only reduces errors, it enhances order accuracy and improves kitchen efficiency, but it also aligns with modern sustainability goals and minimises the business's carbon footprint.

This not only improves order accuracy and increases upselling but also serves as a powerful tool to reduce wait times

Similar to retail, where CBE has many years of experience delivering self-checkout solutions, “we now see self-service kiosks becoming popular in many hospitality outlets, empowering customers to place orders and make payments independently.

“This not only improves order accuracy and increases upselling but also serves as a powerful tool to reduce wait times, particularly during peak hours,” said Greene.

The move from back office systems to the latest cloud technologies provides various benefits, including scalability, accessibility, security and cost-efficiency. Dashboard reporting empowers businesses with real-time insights and streamlined data, ensuring a competitive edge in today’s ever-evolving business environment.

This is particularly beneficial for businesses with multiple locations, pop-up shops, or those with staff on the move.

This, combined with the use of modern-day AI, allows a business to manage stock easily and significantly improve efficiency by allowing you to track stock levels, automate reordering, and minimise waste.

Ultimately, it will enable you to spend more time with your customers rather than on back-of-house operations.

"At CBE, we strive to give our customers the very best solutions, services and support," said Greene. "We're constantly engaging and listening to our customer's business needs, which is key to our success. Our customers will know most of us by name, so it's also very personal."

"We can assist our customers in their journey to go greener, lower their power consumption and reduce their carbon footprint. Our unparalleled innovations and technology solutions across the retail and hospitality sectors take our industry to the next level. CBE continue to innovate, always being one step ahead and first to market."

This expansion of services and demand is a big reason why CBE invests over €3.5m per annum in R&D. With over 220 highly skilled employees across Ireland and Britain, CBE has over 55 dedicated software development professionals based in its Research & Development Division in Claremorris, Co. Mayo, which keeps CBE at the forefront of technological innovations.