Mohammed NaserThe food industry is no stranger to technological advancements like cloud computing. Read on to know how business has been transformed for restaurants.
The 21st century has come with numerous technological advancements. These emerging changes have affected industries far and wide and the food and beverage industry is no stranger to it. Going digital for the food industry has proven to be transformational. The industry has gained access to endless business opportunities through cloud computing. Especially restaurants and restaurant owners cannot ignore the digital economy.
The upcoming technology that has been embraced by the food industry is most commonly just delivery system platforms and social media. These platforms help increase consumer base, build visibility and drive engagement. Such technology is at the forefront of the food industry's marketing strategy.
Digital platforms and social media are not the only change drivers, the food industry is also significantly influenced by cloud computing. It helps improve business processes and is said to be among the top influential factors of growth for this industry. Let's have a look at ways in which cloud computing impacts food entities:
Data Extraction and Analysis
Access to the cloud comes with access to a plethora of data that can be used to gain insight on the industry trends. Being able to analyse data through built-in analytics resources can help execute business decisions on time. Cloud computing provides plenty of data management resources for the food industry.
Inventory Management
Keeping track of all types and quantities of equipment in a restaurant is not easy. It only gets tougher if you are to maintain a registry for an entire chain or franchise of food enterprises. The cloud provides resources to manage inventory for you. Services that are made available through cloud computing can automate inventory management. Suddenly the heft workload turns into a seamless task that can be managed real-time by the click of a button. Cloud-based software not only help you track the lifecycle of your items but can also alert you for upgrades or replacements!
Secure Point of Sale
Point of Sale (POS) is essential to every successful food or food-related enterprise. It tracks all retail transactions completed. Legacy platforms do not provide the same security and features as that of a cloud-based POS. The possibility of not having to maintain an on-premise POS platform can be a big relief for some. Through cloud technology, POS can be maintained and managed by a third-party provider via the internet. Due to this, restaurants do not have to worry about any data loss if the on-premise hardware fails.
Additionally, a cloud-based POS will also be made secure through the cloud providers own security and compliance protocol. This ensures that and customer and transactional data is in safe custody at all times.
Enhanced Customer Experience
Having a dedicated cloud environment allows restaurants to launch their own applications to engage with new and existing customers. In this time and age engaging with your end-users beyond brick and mortar establishments is key to make your business thrive. Restaurants can do exactly that with the flexibility that a cloud ecosystem provides. From uploading menus to collecting reviews, these small actions can have a big collective impact on brand image.
Find Your Cloud
The cloud is capable of handling enterprises of all sizes. It is not true that only large food and beverage companies need or can take advantage of cloud computing. Even small businesses that operate within the industry can have a cloud ecosystem to suit their needs. OpenStack is one such infrastructure base than cater to your scale, whatever it may be. An open source infrastructure is conducive for small, medium and large food entities.
Cloud computing can do wonders in the food industry. You can explore both Public and Private cloud options and pick the one that best suits your requirements and IT budget. VEXXHOST has extensive knowledge in both cloud service types and we come with years of OpenStack experience. Our team of experts can help determine the best solution for you. So if you are on the lookout for an established cloud provider without the hassle of vendor lock-ins, get in touch with us!