If you're out there weathering the wake of this last several months – if you're getting up every day, going back at it and flipping that "Open" sign in the ongoing struggle to return to normal, you know exactly what I'm talking about, and I salute you for your savvy resolve and confidence in the face of this climate.
As someone familiar with the struggles of securing a startup, I'm no stranger to setbacks, obstacles and all things out of our control. In the last several years, I've had a hand in every type of business from commercial tech to the culinary space, and one thing I have come to realize through talking with colleagues, customers and the communities that support us is we're entering an unprecedented era of change. Of course, some of these changes can have unforeseen challenges.
In this year alone, we've seen mass shortages in everything from furniture to fossil fuels. Bloomberg reports that it's going to be a daunting holiday season with supply chain backups and retail in peak mode. The labor shortage of the last two years is still affecting small businesses, especially in the restaurant sector. In their 2021 report, the National Restaurant Association revealed that three in four operators have cited recruitment and employee retention as their toughest challenges, despite employee gains. They go on to conclude that menu prices are increasing, citing labor costs as one of the key contributors.
Der er gode nyheder i alt dette. Med sneboldeffekten skabt af alle disse nye brancheændringer og udfordringer, øges behovet for innovation. Med hvert problem i erhvervslivet bliver der født en ny løsning, hvis bivirkninger helt sikkert langt vil overgå denne æra af forhindringer og føre til en ny standard for den måde, små virksomheder opererer på.
Look at Zoom, for example. In the earliest phase of our global pandemic, businesses relied on video conferencing platforms like Zoom. By using these platforms regularly, businesses were able to find new ways to work remotely, thus leading to one of the most flexible models in modern work — ones we still use even after stay-at-home orders were lifted.
This is no different for restaurants. In a world where the state of labor is changing so rapidly, it's the places that foresee what's ahead and proactively adapt that will ultimately insulate themselves from all things uncontrollable. The great news again is that restaurant tech is really catching up to the challenges. From portable, small business-serving POS systems to QR code menus, technology is changing the way we deal with what's next.
Reeman Robotics have been in the business of creating restaurant automation solutions for over five years. In the last several weeks, all this insight has allowed me to reflect upon what automation will mean for our futures as small business operators and entrepreneurs. The landscape can change in an instant and having the right tools is more important than ever — especially as these tools get smarter.
Når du begynder at tilføje automatisering til blandingen af din arbejdskapital, er der et par vigtige ting at huske. Vigtigst af alt skal du gøre kommunikationen mellem dig og dine medarbejdere til en topprioritet. Husk med forandring kommer usikkert, hvilket hurtigt kan føre til bekymring. At holde en klar og gennemsigtig integrationsstrategi vil hjælpe med at fjerne eventuelle misforståelser om teknologiens implikationer i dit arbejdsflow.
Ligesom det er bydende nødvendigt for dig at være på forhånd med dine medarbejdere, bør du også bede om regelmæssig feedback fra dem. Det er de mennesker, der vil interagere med automatisering på daglig basis. Deres indsigt er nøglen til at forstå, hvordan effektivitet kan forbedres og bedre implementeres fra et frontlinjeperspektiv.
Jo mere du deler med dine medarbejdere i at være med til at forme fremtiden for dit arbejdslandskab, jo mere viden vil du både få og jo mere tillid vil du opnå. Husk, at denne teknologi formodes at være gavnlig for hver part fra toppen og ned og til sidst ind i kundeoplevelsen.