The restaurant industry is competitive. Establishments of all types and sizes are vying for customer attention and searching for ideas to increase efficiency, boost sales volume and reduce safety accidents. Managers, cooks and servers are moving quickly and don’t have time to sit down and complete paperwork. Adoption of mobile technology is key to improving operations, lowering costs and driving productivity.

Here’s how  restaurants can employ mobile data collection, and reporting, to improve their workflow:

1. Safety & Regulation

  • Health Inspections: Mobile technology can be used to create your own health inspections or audits. Restaurant staff can attach photos to reports and instantly submit notes about any compliance issues. Mobile technology can also be used to capture all if the things health inspectors collect so you know where you stand before an inspector visits you. Your records can be securely stored online, to allows managers to pull records up at any time to demonstrate compliance.  
  • Incidence Reporting: If an accident happens at your restaurant, servers and kitchen staff can use mobile technology to capture photos and immediately report the incident to their supervisors. With real-time data collection, managers can respond and remedy problems before they grow.
  • Food Safety: Prevent food hazards with precautionary safety checklists. Use mobile technology to ensure that all steps are completed to adhere with food safety protocol and that customers won’t get sick.
  • ADA Compliance: Build custom reports to capture information on architectural barriers, door styles, facility layout, restroom design, counters and tables, and even more. Compile ADA compliance information into a report for tax deductions of up to $15,000 per year.
  • Fire Safety: Use checklists to ensure that fire-suppression systems are checked biannually. Manage fire extinguishers and report when they need to be replaced. Track the status of electrical equipment issues and report exhaust system problems. Build staff checklists for fire safety training, with modules on extinguisher use, grease cleanup, using chemical fire solutions correctly, and more.

2. Optimized Processes

  • Opening and Closing Checklists: Assign checklists to cooks, servers, management and more to ensure that tasks are completed when opening, and closing, the restaurant.
  • Inventory Management: Never run out of a popular menu item by keeping real-time data reports on inventory. Review inventory information and respond immediately with new orders. Compare older inventory reports with sales reports to minimize wasted food.
  • Timesheets: Make sure that hourly staff get paid on time and eliminate the hassle of chasing them around to report their hours. Mobile technology allows them to complete their timesheets with their mobile device.
  • Presentation Improvements
  • Quality Assurance Inspections: Create custom monthly QA inspections to ensure that your restaurant’s brand is following guidelines. Do menus need to be cleaned, or maybe replaced? Do servers need to review a checklist for best-practices in greeting customers? Build a tool for maintaining the quality of your brand.
  • Cleaning Checklists: Assign a cleaning checklist to your closing crew to make sure that all food preparation areas are sanitary and that the seating area, and bathroom, are in compliance with safety regulations and look presentable. Create a landscape cleaning checklist to ensure your outdoor perimeters are free from debris and accessible.
  • Maintenance Inspections: Manage cooking equipment, cleaning appliances, HVAC systems and more with inspection reports. Track issues, attach photos and respond promptly to any problems that could cause downtime in your restaurant flow.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

FieldFocus was designed for restaurant owners, managers and servers. The almost unlimited customization options ensure that checklists, inspections and timesheets can be completed efficiently. Use FieldFocus’ mobile technology to say goodbye to paper reporting and hello to an improved restaurant experience, for your team and your customers.