If you're reading this article, you're probably asking yourself the same question as thousands of restaurateurs when it comes to digitizing your restaurant. Should you opt for a single service provider? If so, why? What are the risks of working with several single-product partners? What are the advantages of an omnichannel solution?
These are legitimate questions, because for restaurateurs wishing to develop their business, digital is an essential lever that should not be taken lightly. Its impact on the performance of your business is considerable, so it's a good idea to make the right choice before taking the plunge.
On the one hand, it boosts productivity and operational efficiency at every stage (order-taking, checkout, preparation, management). On the other hand, it enables you to attract, serve and retain more customers, and thus increase the profitability of your establishment, without any extra effort.
3 reasons not to multiply service providers
1. You'll be chasing after a multitude of contacts and support services
Digital food service means multi-channel.
In concrete terms, multi-channel means that your customers place orders via several channels: at the counter, in the dining room, on a kiosk or online. Multi-channel is essential to multiply the volume of orders and therefore the sales of your establishment.
Logically, the more you equip yourself with different order-taking solutions, the more you multiply the number of interlocutors, each specialized in his or her own field : online ordering, kiosks, QR codes, and so on. The same applies in the kitchen, if you equip your fast-food restaurant with a production screen where orders arrive on the spot, for delivery or click and collect. On the management side, the cash register is supposed to play the role of control tower.
Now imagine a problem between your order-taking channels and your cash register. It's impossible to know where the problem actually comes from without calling all your service providers.
But with so many connected solutions, there are so many service providers to contact to find and solve the problem. It's not uncommon for them to pass the buck, unable in turn to determine where the problem actually lies.
Like all business leaders, you've got more to do than run around with your technical partners' customer services, especially if you're in the middle of a rush and your customers are getting impatient.
2. Your restaurant will lose operational efficiency
As you can see, the more you want to generate order volume, improve productivity and streamline your organization, the more you're going to have to implement digital solutions in your restaurant (kiosks, production screens, online ordering, integrations, etc.).
The reality in this situation is that this multitude of solutions with different technologies, if not saving you time and money, will actually have the opposite effect.
Indeed, if your solutions (from different partners) are not based on the same technical foundation and are not perfectly synchronized with each other, your organization will lose fluidity and efficiency.
It could be that online orders aren't getting through to your cash register, or that your kiosk has decided to stop sending orders to the kitchen, or simply that cables are crossing your restaurant from one side to the other to connect your system.
And that's precisely what digital technology and an omnichannel ecosystem are all about: making your organization ultra-fluid, facilitating communication within your establishment, and saving you as much time as possible .
Before installing any digital solution in your restaurant (touchscreen cash register, order terminal, KDS, online ordering, delivery platform, etc.), make sure they are all synchronized with each other. If they aren't, there's a risk of errors multiplying at every level: order taking, kitchen preparation, delivery, and worst of all, management of your business (accounting, performance, etc.).
👉 To find out more: How to increase restaurant sales?
3. Your costs will soar
If, like all restaurant managers, you monitor your margins on a daily basis in order to increase your profitability, then what follows should come as no surprise.
Here's why. 👇
As you probably know, it's more profitable to negotiate a complete package with a single provider, than to negotiate each solution, one after the other, with each provider. Not only is it a waste of time and energy, but you're not sure you'll be able to negotiate them all.
On the contrary, the more you commit to a single partner, the greater the discount or commercial benefit. This is the principle of economies of scale. Just the thing, you want to set up a complete ecosystem!
Still not convinced?
Now think of all the training you'll need to get up to speed on each of your solutions? They're rarely free. The same goes for installation and configuration. Here again, economies of scale are possible!
👉 To find out more: How can you reduce running costs in your restaurant?
3 advantages of choosing an all-in-one omnichannel solution for your restaurant
1. Expertise that covers all your plant's needs
Because catering is a complex adventure, it's essential to surround yourself with experts who understand the challenges of your business from start to finish, and not just an isolated issue.
That's precisely whatInnovorder 's all-in-one solution is all about: providing concrete solutions for your restaurant's entire value chain, from order-taking and preparation to cashiering and management.
With over 15 perfectly synchronized solutions, Innovorder now offers the most comprehensive and scalable range of services in the sector in France since 2014. Unlike other more recent players, positioned on a single segment of a restaurant's value chain, Innovorder is the only player capable of supporting restaurateurs in all the challenges associated with their business.
"Innovorder advised me on how to personalize my customer journey via kiosks and online ordering. In my opinion, it's the most accomplished ecosystem in terms of restaurant digitalization solutions." Jabrane, co-founder of Double XL
By opting for an omnichannel solution, you're choosing an expert capable of understanding all your needs and formulating tailor-made recommendations with a global view of your business.
2. Ultimate operational efficiency
This is the very concept of omnichannelity, and the whole point of digitizing your restaurant: perfectly connecting all your solutions to achieve operational excellence in terms of fluidity, productivity and profitability.
"My business is super smooth because all my Innovorder solutions are perfectly synchronized with each other. Thanks to Innovorder, I serve my customers in 6 minutes on average." Damien, BCHEF franchisee in Vannes
In foodservice, and even more so in fast food, every second and every penny counts. It's these precious seconds that will enable you to serve all your customers on time, but above all to concentrate on your core business. These are also the pennies that, earned or saved at every stage of your business, will increase your profitability and enable you to grow your business.
Would you like to grow your business rapidly by opening several points of sale with complete peace of mind?
This is precisely why ambitious restaurateurs turn to Innovorder.
Unlike single-product solutions, Innovorder's ecosystem can be easily duplicated from one point of sale to another. Its reliability and omnichannel technology enable our most demanding customers to monitor their business closely and improve their performance via a single tool.
"Innovorder meets our scalability challenge: go fast, handle high volume and set up several points of sale." Nils, co-founder of What the Foc?!
3. A single point of contact to solve all your problems
Let's take the example from the beginning.
You've chosen to use complementary service providers and a problem arises during your service. You won't deny it: there's nothing worse than having to re-explain your situation to each service provider to find out where the problem comes from and how to solve it?
That's the whole point of an all-in-one solution.
Being able to rely on a single advisor who knows you personally, who picks up the phone when you need him/her, able to answer all your questions and solve all your problems.
"Innovorder support responds quickly and always solves my problems when I call them. It's ideal for me, who's not very computer-savvy." Faizal, founder of Chicken Village
The case of Alfi: why it left its service providers for Innovorder
Before Innovorder, Albert, founder of Alfi, was constantly juggling between his service providers, when he didn't have to tidy up his cables and the shelves his installation required.
Fortunately, since Alfi has been equipped with Innovorder, he's been smiling again!
His organization runs smoothly, his customers are happy, and for him it's a winning bet. All his orders arrive instantly on his KDS and on his cash register, his assemblers no longer make mistakes, and the icing on the cake: his average ticket has increased by +28%!
"Innovorder makes my job easier - everything is integrated." Albert, Alfi founder
Read his full testimonial below 👇
