How IoT is Changing the Facets of the Food Service Sector

The food service industry has huge potential to change as a result of the Internet of Things (IoT). Manufacturing and other asset-intensive businesses are being transformed quickly by the Internet of Things (IoT).

Fremont, CA: The food service industry has huge potential to change as a result of the Internet of Things (IoT). Manufacturing and other asset-intensive businesses are being transformed quickly by the Internet of Things (IoT). According to a study, using linked devices to forecast when a machine requires maintenance rather than waiting until it malfunctions would result in 30 percent lower maintenance expenditures and nearly 70 percent fewer breakdowns. IoT, which is anticipated to include a network of more than 75 billion smart devices by 2025, has the potential to have a substantial impact on the food service industry.

IoT SAVES MONEY

The increased efficiencies provided by linking sensors and RFID tags on stock and equipment to cloud-based databases that staff members can access via mobile apps could be beneficial in an industry where margins are always ever-tightening between success and failure.

IN FOOD SERVICE IOT IS ALREADY USED TO ENSURE HYGIENE

Improving food safety is one of the ways IoT is already being used in the food service industry. More and more business owners are investing in sensors that continuously check the condition and temperature of refrigeration equipment in place of labor-intensive, paper-based operations. In order to prevent the contents of coolers from rotting, these devices can then transmit automated alerts to restaurant managers' mobile phones, whether they are there or not.

SMART CONNECTED EQUIPMENT

As a result of the labor savings they provide, sensors that can operate Internet-connected cookware are also becoming increasingly common. Chefs may program features like overnight cooking, grilling, and roasting on Rational's combi oven iCombiPro, for instance, and it delivers push notifications on everything that is occurring on and in the oven.

MOBILE DEVICES AND APPS ALSO PLAY AN IMPORTANT ROLE

On their mobile devices, employees can use smart engagement apps to clock in and depart and determine whether others are present on the premises. Operators can also utilize geo-location services to verify that a worker is indeed reporting to work at the restaurant and is not simply clocking in from home. Moreover, mobile devices can be used to detect patrons as they enter or sit down at a restaurant and customize their experiences based on their preferences.

IOT – THE UPHEAVAL IN THE RESTAURANT INDUSTRY HAS ALREADY BEGUN

Restaurant owners that want to use the IoT to connect their operations must learn to fail and move on from mistakes if they want to succeed. In a recent blog post, Christian Berthelsen stated: Suppliers themselves are still testing IoT today to build connected restaurants. Some RFI capabilities and mobile employee engagement apps already exist, as do refrigerators connected to the Internet that records temperature in real-time. They work independently and it's still difficult to put everything together, but it is doable. Whatever the case, the restaurant industry is already experiencing disruption, and connected restaurants will become commonplace sooner rather than later.