15 Mar Money-Saving Tech in Hospitality

We chatted to our friend, Travis Fish, a dynamic leader with a genuine passion for hospitality.

With extensive experience in both hospitality and B2B SaaS, Travis is a purpose-driven innovator. As a versatile generalist, he has successfully led teams and operations across various functions, excelling in areas such as people management, marketing, sales, and commercial endeavors. With a proven track record of managing teams of up to 350 people and handling P&L responsibilities, Travis is skilled in budgeting, forecasting, cash management, and fundraising.

With two decades of expertise, Travis is committed to delivering consumer happiness through effective leadership and product excellence. We learn something every time we chat to him so thought we’d impart some of his wisdom for you all too.

What one piece of tech has the potential to save you most money in your hospitality business?

For me it would be one of the basics; a good rota tool or labour management system is crucial to saving money and delivering profit in a hospitality business.Rotareadyis the perfect mix of simple to use and also powerful for labour control!

https://rotaready.com/hospitality/

Here’s how it helps:

• Optimised Staffing: Align staffing levels with customer demand forecasts to prevent both overstaffing and understaffing, minimising wasted labor hours and ensuring quality service.
• Increased Productivity: Improve shift and rota planning to ensure the right people are in the right place at the right time, boosting productivity, speeding up service, and potentially increasing sales.
• Reduction in Payroll Errors: Automatically track, review, and approve worked hours to ensure accurate payment, eliminating payroll mistakes.
• Lower Staff Turnover Rates: Enhance employee satisfaction by accommodating shift preferences, reducing turnover costs associated with recruitment and training.
• Streamlined Administration: Save time and resources on scheduling and staff management, allowing management to focus on revenue-generating aspects of the business.
• Improved Communication: Enhance communication between management and staff, minimising misunderstandings and no-shows while enabling easy access to schedules and shift swaps.

What tech is currently exciting you most in hospitality and why?

Order and pay-at-table apps are particularly exciting in the hospitality industry due to their potential to address challenges such as rising labor costs and the need for increased efficiency. Among these solutions, storekit stands out as a game-changer, offering a seamless blend of e-commerce functionalities with brick-and-mortar operations. Its combination of intuitive UX/UI design and enterprise-grade technology makes it akin to the Shopify of the hospitality sector. This comprehensive approach not only enhances the customer experience but also reduces workload and boosts team productivity, making it a vital tool for businesses looking to thrive in today’s competitive landscape.

Nearly all hospitality businesses are trying now to blend e-commerce capabilities with their brick-and-mortar operations and StoreKit really feels like the Shopify for hospo businesses combining beautiful UX and UI with enterprise-grade tech. I love it.

https://storekit.com/

What’s around the corner for hospitality?

While service and experience are keystones of hospitality, the future of hospitality is poised for significant advancements in automation and AI integration within operations. As the industry grapples with profitability challenges, particularly rising labour costs, there’s a growing need for innovative solutions to streamline processes. AI agents are likely to play a prominent role in the customer journey, revolutionising tasks such as ordering, payments, customer support, booking, and even hosting. This shift towards automation not only enhances operational efficiency but also has the potential to elevate the overall guest experience, setting the stage for a transformative era in hospitality.

The current best executions of AI in hospitality include:

• ttagz : A user-generated content (UGC) tool that simplifies content generation and ensures authenticity. AI checks incoming content to meet specific requirements before releasing rewards. https://www.ttagz.co.uk
• Rotageek : Algorithm-based and AI-driven technology to automate and optimise staff scheduling. It can create optimised rotas in around 30 seconds, enhancing efficiency for businesses. https://www.rotageek.com
• OpenAI’s ChatGPT : Integrating ChatGPT into daily workflows can significantly save time and boost productivity. Whether drafting job descriptions, finding answers to queries, or generating creative ideas, ChatGPT offers valuable assistance with its AI-powered capabilities. https://chat.openai.com/auth/login

What tech do you think saves you money in your business? Let us know!