DULUTH, Ga. -- A majority of restaurant owners and managers (67%) believe that technology has a direct impact on increased revenue, according to the 2015 NCR Restaurant Technology Pulse. The independent survey also found that 35% of restaurants are more dependent on tech tools compared to a year ago.
NCR commissioned the survey, which polled owners and managers of franchise eateries and small independent restaurants, to offer a better feel the foodservice marketplace uses and perceives technology.
“Restaurant owners and managers often work in fast-paced environments in which they tackle a variety of business challenges from inventory management to customer service to employee training and retention,” said Chris Poelma, president and general manager of NCR Small Business. “It’s clear they need complete technology solutions that simplify their business and help improve efficiency and drive revenue.”
While the majority of respondents are experiencing a positive effects on profits, only 31% of respondents have an internal employee who can manage technology for their business. Further, a majority of respondents (83%) ranked costs to maintain or upgrade technology as one of the biggest obstacles that keep them from upgrading to new technologies. More than half (53%) also said they lack the staff to manage IT upgrades.
Despite challenges, technology still plays a significant role for restaurant owners and management; 62% of respondents view technology as “important” or “very important” to their businesses. When looking at which solutions they relied on most, mobile point-of-sale (POS) systems outranked mobile apps:
- Cash registers (91%)
- Wi-Fi (74%)
- Mobile point-of-sale (60%)
- Accounting software (58%)
- Inventory management (54%)
- Time clock software (53%)
- Voice and broadband services (52%)
- Mobile apps (42%)
One of the primary benefits of technology is its ability to improve restaurant performance; 89% of respondents attributed cash registers and credit-card readers to boosting productivity at their business; 84% said Wi-Fi improves efficiency, and 78% said the same about mobile POS solutions.
Additionally, more restaurants are going online as a way to connect with current and potential customers. Almost 70% of the surveyed restaurants have accounts on social media, and 63% have traditional websites. Only 17% of the respondents still lack an online presence. At the same time, 81% of respondents do not offer their menu items through mobile takeout apps like GrubHub and Eat24.
Click here for more details on the 2015 NCR Restaurant Technology Pulse.
NCR commissioned the blind survey of restaurant owners and managers in May 2015. The independent survey included a total of 154 respondents; 22% of the respondents were part of a franchise, 65% of the respondents’ businesses posted yearly revenue of $250,000 or more.
Duluth, Ga.-based NCR is a global leader in consumer transaction technologies. With its software, hardware and portfolio of services, it enables more than 550 million transactions daily across retail, financial, travel, hospitality, telecom and technology and small business.
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