Microsoft Surface has changed the way traditional restaurants work. The new technology turns an ordinary tabletop into an innovative and high-tech surface that provides interactions with all forms of digital content through natural gestures and physical touch.
People in restaurants and hotels can interact with menus and services provided by the organisations uniquely and excitingly. The user works without a traditional mouse or keyboard, which allows them to interact with digital objects in a 3-D way. This makes the whole process exciting and innovative.
Using advanced technology in restaurants shows the consumer your efficiency and up-to-date culture. In the modern world, people are attracted to things that they have never tried before. Microsoft Surface involves its users on a new platform. It gives them an experience they’ve never had before. Therefore, many firms and organisations are adopting the new technology.
Microsoft Surface has introduced the concept of ordering food at a restaurant without bothering the waiter or waiting in lines for your turn. Customers can make selections sitting at their table and not worrying about their order being noted incorrectly or misunderstood. They can choose their sidelines and drinks without any hesitation.
Customers can interact with the menu and get a real 3-D experience using their hands to open up menus, increase size, get basic information about their food etc. The process of food ordering becomes exciting and entertaining. This will satisfy the customers and increase sales.
The new technology will make operations more efficient and faster and improve the quality of the service. This will reduce the costs per unit and lead to higher profits for the business.
Impact on Restaurants
The new technology will be installed and embedded within the tables, allowing customers to see the menu and select their order by paying through their credit cards on the spot without leaving their seats. It will be an exciting process for the clients, and a much more comfortable environment will be provided. The restaurant will create the impression of an up-to-date culture with advanced technology.
Customers will not be bored when waiting for their food as the new Microsoft Surface platform will ensure constant entertainment for the customers. This will improve customer satisfaction and their chances of coming back.
The restaurant will be able to advance its menu through all the choices provided by the new technology. It will also help the restaurant make the dishes more personalised as customers will be able to make changes according to their preferences.
Change is never an easy process in any business environment. The introduction of new technology will impact the business both in positive and negative ways. The process of changing and adapting to new technology will take time, which can result in the loss of customers to competitors who’ve already started working with the new technology.
It also creates challenges for managers, employees and staff members as they have to change their mindsets and the way they react to issues in work. Workers will require to adjust to the new changes and develop a strategy for themselves to function in a certain way that suits the new developments in the business.
The kitchen staff will require training for using Microsoft Surface and how to pick orders from them. Their traditional ways will change, and they will find it challenging to cope with this innovative way of ordering. They will have to understand the requirements for such change in technology and believe in the benefits it provides them and the business.
The wait staff will experience major changes as their way of functioning will change. Instead of taking orders, they will have to explain it to the customers how to use the Microsoft Surface and customise their orders. A waiter will have to develop a great understanding of the technology since they will have to teach the instructions further to the client. They will have to be able to cater to new problems that will be related to the functioning of the Microsoft Surface.
Implementation and Benefits of Microsoft Surface:
Change is crucial for a business to survive as the modern market has changing demands for goods and services every day. There is always an introduction a new product in the market which the customers follow and show interest in as the concept of “new” and “innovative” things is the new demand in the market. People prefer something they’ve never seen, heard, tried or eaten before. The excitement and thirst for unique products and services are at their peak.
A business that is left behind sticking to traditional practices has a great chance of losing its market share. The competitors are always planning and following new developments in their products and services, which requires being coped up with. A firm will need to come up with better ideas to beat the new standard set by the competitor.
Change in business and the introduction of new technology can improve the production efficiency of the business. The initial costs of installing high-tech equipment are always high; however, there is a major reduction in cost per unit, which increases profits and the return on investment.
The use of Microsoft Surface in the restaurant will improve the overall quality of the services provided by the restaurant as it makes the process faster and more effective. Food orders will not be delivered late to customers. There will be an elimination of human errors as the computerised menu will ensure the right order is delivered to the right customer.
The restaurant will improve its image in the market which will lead to an increase in market share. It will be able to create competition for its competitors and benefit from the new technology.
Food suppliers to these restaurants will be able to manage their deliveries on time and organised due to the faster service and accurate data provided by Microsoft Surface. Hence, suppliers will prefer supplying to the restaurant over its competitors and reduce the prices for items.
Microsoft Surface is a dynamic experience for clients. It involves adults and children in an extraordinary interaction with food and food-related information. Customers will be able to entertain themselves with games and news etc. on their Microsoft Surface. This unique experience will attract more customers to the restaurant. Eventually, increasing sales and profits.
Resistance to Change
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The restaurant owners:
New technology and new equipment mean a very high initial investment, which the restaurant owners will find hard to arrange for. It is a huge risk for them to take, and therefore, they might be hesitant when making this big decision. Innovative development is a major change for a business since it changes the way the business functions and its basic objectives. Restaurant owners will find it difficult to develop a new business strategy that meets the changes.
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All employees:
The restaurant’s employees include the wait staff, kitchen staff, managers and other staff members. Employees are always the ones that face major issues when it comes to change in the business culture. The introduction of new technology will spread fear among wait staff and kitchen staff that they are now redundant to the business as the Microsoft surface will perform most of the tasks that were originally catered by the waiters.
On the other hand, employees will need proper training to be able to use the new technology. They will be challenged by the advanced equipment and be afraid to make mistakes as now they will be less confident in themselves. This will reduce the motivation of these employees, which will result in inefficiency.
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Customers:
While most of the younger generation will be thrilled to use the new technology, the older will prefer the traditional way of services and food ordering if they find the changes very complicated. This might disappoint old customers of the restaurant that are used to the old structure of the business. Customers will find it challenging and frustrating when a simple process of food ordering is so technical.
Change Management Strategy (Kotter 8-Step Change Model)
Change can’t always be considered as something positive by the employees of a business. A Manager’s job is to convince and influence the minds of these employees towards the change as they are an important part of the implementation of the change.
Kotter’s 8 Step Model helps managers develop a change management strategy that reduces the negative effects of a new development or change in a firm. The first three steps revolve around creating an atmosphere for change and introducing the idea to the people in the organisation. While steps 4, 5 and 6 are related to the change in the organisation, the last two steps are targeted at the implementation of the change.
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Create a sense of urgency:
This step involves spreading awareness in the organisation about the change that the business is about to make. It is important to include the employees of the business in the changing process from the very beginning to avoid confusion and demotivation later. This step requires effective and clear communication between the manager and employees.
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Create a guiding coalition:
The idea of creating a team that has the primary purpose of occupying itself with the changes the business wishes to implement. This team takes control of the management process of the change and makes efforts to encourage employees to adjust to the changes introduced by the firm. This helps the employees develop a friendly connection with the team and able to make clear and open communication with them.
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Create a vision for change:
Establishing a proper vision and setting the objectives of the change helps staff members understand the need for change and its purpose. This helps them focus on the new changes and try to make efforts to adopt them.
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Communicate the vision:
The step to create a vision for change is followed by communicating the vision and goals of the change to the employees. This step is crucial because it involves talking through the issues faced by the employees with the changing process. It makes them more familiar with the change and comfortable in the environment.
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Remove obstacles:
Obstacles here is referred to the hesitation and resistance of the employees towards the change, which can be removed through proper communication. It is repeatedly highlighted throughout the modal that comprehension of the changing process and its purpose is essential for employees to accept the change.
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Create short-term wins:
Short-term goals give the organisation a sense of direction. The employees are aware of the objectives of the business, so they are able to concentrate on them. When these goals are met, it increases motivation and self-confidence, which is important for efficiency and a positive attitude towards change.
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Consolidate improvements:
The changing process takes time to be completely adopted and developed in the business. Working towards longer-term goals and seeking improvements helps the business set new standards for itself.
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Anchor the changes:
The last step revolves around sticking to the changes and embracing them for the longer term. A business requires to look for new opportunities and improvements but should stick to the basic mission statement. Similarly, the change that the business has now adopted should be a part of the core objectives of the organisation.
References
Appelbaum, S. H., Habashy, S., Malo, J. L., & Shafiq, H. (2012). Back to the future: revisiting Kotter’s 1996 change model. Journal of Management Development, 31(8), 764-782. Retrieved from: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Steven_Appelbaum/publication/242339672_Back_to_the_future_Revisiting_Kotter%27s_1996_change_model/links/0f31752f14502e718d000000.pdf
Kotter, J. P. (1996). Leading change. Harvard business press. Retrieved from: http://www.corcosconsulting.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/Leading-Change-An-Action-Plan-from-the-Worlds-Foremost-Expert-on-Business-Leadership.-Kotter-J.P.-1996.-Sample-Chapter.pdf
Mento, A., Jones, R., & Dirndorfer, W. (2002). A change management process: Grounded in both theory and practice. Journal of Change Management, 3(1), 45-59. Retrieved from:
http://sabilfeb.lecture.ub.ac.id/files/2014/04/mento.pdf
Varkey, P., & Antonio, K. (2010). Change management for effective quality improvement: a primer. American Journal of Medical Quality, 25(4), 268-273. Retrieved from: https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/5920/0b9428acb0eb3d7a708fec88e8279e355442.pdf
