Food service & hospitality

Today's food service and hospitality operators face increasing pressures due to the weak economic environment, increasing costs and competition from new sources. Time-starved and increasingly demanding consumers expect healthy options, value and experience. They demand quality, food safety and expect establishments they frequent to demonstrate social responsibility in reducing their carbon footprint and improving the health of society.

Global Challenges
As operators globalize to take advantage of growing economies around the world, they face the challenge of maintaining a global brand promise while adapting to local tastes and expectations. Increasing costs in the supply chain and other areas are driving focus on production efficiencies, consistency of execution and employee productivity. Evolving menus, new meal solutions and new business models have blurred the traditional lines of competition.

New technology
And technology such as web ordering, pay at the table, self service and mobility have created opportunities to differentiate and reduce costs. In this fast changing environment, operators who deliver a consistent, superior experience while driving out costs through operational excellence can deliver both the experience and value consumers demand.

IBM solutions for food service and hospitality can help
IBM is a leading provider of solutions to the food service/hospitality industry with dozens of years of experience across the world deploying retail solutions. IBM’s SurePOS 500 family has been widely selected as the leading point of sale platform in the food service industry, being specifically designed to meet the tough requirements of food service operators. IBM Business Partners specializing in this industry provide POS, self service and other applications that can improve every aspect of a restaurant operation. These solutions enhance the consumer experience, optimize the points of service, improve associate productivity and minimize loss. IBM and our Business Partners offer solutions beyond POS such as on-line ordering, kiosk ordering, digital menu boards, integrated loyalty solutions and more. Of course, one of the core consumer experiences is the transaction itself at point of sale, it needs to be fast, accurate and effective, shortening lines and increasing productivity for associates. And, with the widely dispersed and diverse environments in global food service/hospitality, a robust infrastructure that includes reliable touch technology, systems management and service/support is key.