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.
Há boas notícias em tudo isso. Com o efeito bola de neve criado por todas essas novas mudanças e desafios da indústria, a necessidade de inovação aumenta. A cada problema nos negócios, nasce uma nova solução, cujos efeitos colaterais certamente superarão em muito essa era de obstáculos e levarão a um novo padrão na forma de operar das pequenas empresas.
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.
À medida que você começa a adicionar automação ao mix de seu capital de giro, há algumas coisas importantes a serem lembradas. Mais importante, você deve tornar a comunicação entre você e seus funcionários uma prioridade. Lembre-se com a mudança vem incerta, o que pode levar rapidamente à apreensão. Manter uma estratégia de integração clara e transparente ajudará a esclarecer quaisquer equívocos sobre as implicações da tecnologia em seu fluxo de trabalho.
Assim como é imperativo que você seja franco com sua equipe, você também deve pedir feedback regular deles. Essas são as pessoas que estarão interagindo com a automação diariamente. Seus insights são fundamentais para entender como as eficiências podem ser melhoradas e melhor implementadas a partir de uma perspectiva de linha de frente.
Quanto mais você compartilhar com seus funcionários para ajudar a moldar o futuro de seu cenário de trabalho, mais conhecimento você ganhará e mais confiança ganhará. Lembre-se, essa tecnologia deve ser benéfica para cada parte de cima para baixo e, eventualmente, para a experiência do cliente.