Online ordering in the health sector

Health care institutions are now entering the digital era in terms of medical care (computerized medical records, online booking of consultations, teleconsultation, etc.).Additional services dedicated to the patient's well-being must therefore adapt and follow these developments.

The economic model of health care institutions is changing and hotel services are becoming a real source of financing.

Patients are increasingly consulting and monitoring their satisfaction with food services. New tools allow us to enhance the value of the restaurant industry and interact with consumers: information exchange, better knowledge of expectations, data analysis to adapt services. We offer solutions to support this digital shift. One of them is online ordering.

Health: who can be concerned by online ordering?

In fact, establishments with various profiles can strategically integrate online ordering into their offer: self-service restaurants and cafeterias in hospitals and clinics, outpatient catering areas, maternity wards, nursing homes, etc.

From the reception of companions to greater catering flexibility for night watchmen and, in general, for staff who work shifted hours, online ordering can profoundly transform the way people eat in the sector's establishments on a daily basis.

For example, a watchman will be able to have the meal he ordered and not necessarily a tray from the office... or a snack imposed when the self-service restaurant is closed.

The benefits of pre-ordering in healthcare facilities

Online ordering brings many advantages:

• Better flow management;
• The ability to better anticipate and manage inventory;
• A reduction in food waste;
• Greater satisfaction for the guests, both for those accompanying the patients and for the staff working on the site;
• A food offer as close as possible to current consumer expectations;
• A new sales channel designed to enrich the experience for consumers, but also to increase sales by integrating a real "hotel" dimension to the services offered to patients and their carers.

Deploying the online command is not enough: it is only the first step

The challenge is not so much to offer it as to make it fluid and to promote it well. At the operational level, we need refrigerated display cases for the deposit of orders, a system that allows for the express withdrawal of pre-ordered dishes in Click and Collect...

The customer journey must be fast and smooth. This is important for several reasons: not only does it increase the number of orders and the capacity of the point of sale to absorb the flow at peak times, but it also allows, when the experience is particularly easy, to increase the average basket and facilitate upselling.

Similarly, it is important to promote the online order. Distribution of flyers (paper and electronic), posters, emailing operations, employee awareness... from hospital staff to patients' families, multiplying communication channels is fundamental to ensure that the service is accessible and understood by all.