< PreviousD ata is the key to transforming any business. Accelerated by Covid-19, businesses have started to become more data-driven and embrace digital transformation strategies. However, these often become wasted endeavours as organisations are not brave or honest enough to look at their existing data resources – and realise what they have been missing from the start: the right data. This failure to understand data, what a business has, and what a business needs, is compromising far too many digital transformation plans, and leading businesses to waste years on projects that ultimately, will never deliver. Digital Transformation Paralysis One of the biggest issues facing companies of all sizes is a complete lack of knowledge – or honesty – about current data resources. Don’t assume, for example, that data is being regularly collected as stated; or that customer files are up- to-date and accurate. The quality of data that an organisation can function on is much lower than the standard required for digital transformation. Therefore, that is a fast track to expensive mistakes and wasted endeavour. The catalyst for a business to embark on a digital transformation journey is having a desire to ‘change something.’ But after spending months, even years, to determine short, medium and long term business goals – it is only later when the teams discover that the data required to support this change has not been collected. Businesses’ digital transformation journeys will fail before they begin. A ‘data-first’ approach turns the model on its head. By understanding the existing data resources first, organisations can then drive effective change and unlock immediate value – only then will they be able to explore the real opportunities they have, to meet needs and realise ambitions. Businesses need to get the foundations right – having the right quality of data, and it being available at the right time. DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION Peter Ruffley, CEO, Zizo, emphasises the importance of the ‘get started, learn fast’ model – by going through the data lifecycle in order to understand what data a business has today and what valuable insight can be immediately leveraged, and then building on that foundation to drive the digital transformation process. PETER RUFFLEY CEO ZIZO 20KIOSK AND DIGITAL SIGNAGE MAGAZINE GETTING THE DATA LIFECYCLE RIGHT TO ACCELERATE DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION STRATEGIES DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION 21 KIOSK AND DIGITAL SIGNAGE MAGAZINEAdditionally, changes in personnel over time can put a halt to the digital transformation journey. Such initiatives are often driven by specific individuals from within the organisation, but these cannot be sustained if those originally inspiring change are no longer within the business. To make a success of the digital transformation journey, businesses have got to start this process quickly to ensure that the same people with the same impetus are running the process, or else efforts will be wasted. This speed will also ensure that the business can achieve change quicker and in turn, inspire broader business commitment by encouraging employees to recognise quality data as a vital contributor to the firm’s success. A different approach is needed for digital transformation, to ensure businesses succeed. They need to go through the four stages of the data lifecycle to understand what data they have, how they can use it and if necessary, make the decision to take corrective action on the data – rather than pressing ahead towards inevitable failure. Collect It can appear simple to collect data but many companies have discovered, there is a huge difference between any data and the right data. Without the right approach, businesses can end up either collecting too much (or too little) data or, in the worst scenarios, collecting the wrong data. Data quality is also vital if business users are to trust the information to make key decisions. What is the point of collecting ‘free text’ information with inconsistent spelling or missing postcodes, for example? That data is guaranteed to be of insufficient quality to use in a digital context. DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION It can appear simple to collect data but, as far too many companies have discovered, there is a huge difference between any data and the right data. 22KIOSK AND DIGITAL SIGNAGE MAGAZINE Without collecting the right, usable data from the outset, businesses risk compromising the entire data lifecycle – and derailing digital transformation initiatives as a result. Robust data collection processes look closely at the ‘how, where and what’ to ensure the correct data is in place and use expert data validation to determine the quality of data before moving to the next stage of the data lifecycle. Combine Organisations of all sizes are often data-rich, but insight-poor: there is a huge gap between creating an extensive data resource and actually unlocking real business value. Single sources of information can be interesting, but the true business picture can only be revealed by combining multiple data sources. What information is required by the business? Which data sources can be combined to reveal vital business insights? And what is the best approach to combining data to ensure the right information is produced? Combining data is a complex process. There are a myriad of tools and solutions available, but different data sources and different data structures make this a complex process. Failure to understand the implications of different data constraints – such as inconsistent data – can, again, derail the process and undermine data confidence. Context After the collection and combination stages of the data lifecycle, the context stage is fundamental for business growth and to make effective change happen. Data may have intrinsic value, but its only true value to the business is the information it provides. Therefore, contextualisation is crucial in order to create this DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION 23 KIOSK AND DIGITAL SIGNAGE MAGAZINE information and deliver actionable insights, in turn, enabling intelligent decision-making. Without an effective data model, there can’t be a clear vision of how to add that context, whether it is a business or operational one. The ability to present that data as information to the right people and deliver real insights from it will not succeed. This can be particularly difficult for small- medium businesses because this is an analytical process that requires specific skills – skills that may be lacking in-house. Working with an independent data expert can help businesses to understand their data, and by applying algorithms derived from Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence to produce insights, organisations can derive value from the data more quickly and benefit from the insights produced. Change The most critical aspect of the data lifecycle (collect, combine, context, change) is to remember that it is a ‘cycle,’ and not a finite process. While businesses undertake each of these stages, changes may occur or need to take place, to make the cycle, and end results, more effective. For example, if the business requires more data to understand how a particular operation is achieved, changes need to be made in the ‘data collection’ stage. It is important to remain agile and flexible throughout the process, learning from business findings in each stage, and identifying the business areas that need improvement. This is a continually evolving cycle, and businesses need to repeat and change where necessary. Conclusion Data is the essential ingredient in the digital transformation journey, and in order to be successful, it is crucial that businesses have an appropriate strategy in place to get their data right. By going through the data lifecycle, making changes where necessary, and leveraging insights from new analytics, businesses can become data- driven, making better informed decisions which, in turn, will act as a catalyst to accelerate the digital transformation journey. REMOTE MONITORING 24KIOSK AND DIGITAL SIGNAGE MAGAZINET he Internet of Things, otherwise known as remote monitoring, is a fourth-gen technology that is already impacting many industries – and it can do the same for catering, Quick Service Restaurants and cafés. It may not have the revolutionary potential of its more futuristic and less-developed counterparts, such as AI, but it has clear potential today, to radically improve hospitality and catering business operations. IoT, with the correct software to manage and action the vast amounts of data it creates, can streamline operations and increase productivity – allowing you to see what needs doing in real-time and importantly what is most pressing. From this, you can see accurate patterns which allow you to plan more accurately. What is remote monitoring? Simply put, these are remote sensors that can be connected via the internet to a network that talks to you through a digital platform. These sensors can measure anything from the power draw of a coffee machine or the temperature of a fridge, to the level of lighting or noise in a room. Plug the gaps during the staffing crisis Whether due to the pandemic or ‘The Great Resignation’, much of the industrialised world is facing a staffing crisis – and hospitality, catering and service industries are one of the most impacted. Hence why job vacancies in the hospitality sector have risen by more than 700% in a year. REMOTE MONITORING FOUR WAYS REMOTE MONITORING (IOT) CAN TRANSFORM COFFEE SHOPS The internet of things has incredible potential in hospitality and catering environments – and nowhere exemplifies this better than a coffee shop. 25 KIOSK AND DIGITAL SIGNAGE MAGAZINE SAM ROBERTS SECTOR DIRECTOR MPRO5REMOTE MONITORING 26KIOSK AND DIGITAL SIGNAGE MAGAZINE Although there is no technological cure for such an endemic problem, teams that learn to use their time wisely will feel less stressed and be more productive. IoT provides insight into what’s happening around you in real-time, which means you can work out what needs doing when, rather than being constrained within a fixed schedule. IoT sensors fitted on toilet doors make that possible by counting visitors. Instead of cleaning and restocking toilets after a quiet morning when only a handful of shoppers have wandered in, staff can be more profitably employed selling coffee and cake. Conversely, additional staff may need to be deployed to cleaning duties during a busy afternoon. Ultimately, time is used more wisely and the team is more productive. Assuring food safety Safety should be a top concern for a business in catering or hospitality. However, that does not mean it is wise to spend hours doing tasks unnecessarily. For example, manual temperature checks on fridges with thermometers can take up to an hour a day, which really stacks up across the week. In contrast, IoT sensors connected to good software can tell you the fridge temperature continuously, and even warn you if it goes above a maximum threshold – saving you not only time but also adding another assurance that everything is how it should be, minimising food wastage and money. This assurance is additionally backed up by a digital ‘paperless’ trail. Furthermore, IoT allows you to see patterns in temperature changes – allowing for the prediction of issues. For example, if temperatures consistently rise around lunchtime, this could point to inadequate training or inattentive staff who leave the fridge open in between uses. Proactive maintenance Cafés and coffee shops are full of fragile, expensive and vital equipment. Many of these IoT, with the correct software to manage and action the vast amounts of data it creates, can streamline operations and increase productivity.REMOTE MONITORING 27 KIOSK AND DIGITAL SIGNAGE MAGAZINE Adaptive, flexible and intuitive software is the key to unlocking the productive power of remote monitoring. are essential, and without them, the business can’t operate at all. IoT sensors on equipment can enable you to implement a system of preventive maintenance, which can either react to a conjecture you’ve made from the patterns of use, or to an alteration in the equipment’s performance. This can reduce downtime and keep costly repairs to a minimum. Creating comfortable conditions for customers As we all know, improving a customer’s comfort can have a direct and quantitative impact on the time spent in premises, how much they spend, and ultimately the business’ bottom line. Sensors, connected to an IoT network, can monitor anything from open doors to stop a draft, or radiators and temperature levels to maintain a comfortable ambience. However: Data is nothing without action, and only with the right software can you access, view and create meaningful action from the reams of data an IoT network will produce. Adaptive, flexible and intuitive software is the key to unlocking the productive power of remote monitoring.‘INTELLIGENT’ POS PRINTERS - WHAT ARE THEY ALL ABOUT? A s you may already know, typically, printers are ‘dummies’ and need to be connected to a computer in order to print. The computer uses a ‘driver’ program to communicate with the printer and tell it what to print. Most printers come with drivers for the Windows operating system. I’ve yet to see any printer with drivers for mobile operating systems like Android or iOS. So, all in all, printers rely on the computer’s operating system and the ‘driver’ program to know what to print and how. An ‘intelligent printer’ in practical terms is nothing more than a ‘computer + printer’ but in the shape of a printer - a POS printer that is. So what does that mean? It means that the printer in reality is not a printer but a computer, with a printer on it, and it still looks like a normal ‘dummy’ POS printer. As such, the computer part of the printer is able to hold software in it that can do all sorts of things, from extracting the contents of receipts printing out, to remotely connecting and printing at other printers (for example, the intelligent printer receives an order and then commands a kitchen printer and a printer at the bar to print it out). In some cases the intelligent printer can act as a web application server, that can be accessed by devices on the local network. In recent years, such printers have been armed with technology extensively used in online food ordering scenarios, such as Just Eat, Deliveroo etc, where the (intelligent) printer itself initiates (so as to avoid firewall related blockages) the connection to a system to check for new orders at regular intervals. Then, when it receives information about a new order, it automatically INTELLIGENT PRINTERS POS printers, thermal printers, receipt printers - all terms typically refer to an 80mm (paper width) thermal printer, connected to a point-of-sale system for the purpose of printing receipts. However, in recent years there’s been a new kid on the block: the intelligent POS printer. So what is the difference and what’s all the fuss about? Let us answer these questions and let you decide what is best for your own needs. DENIS KONDOPOULOS HEAD OF DIGITAL NAXTECH 28KIOSK AND DIGITAL SIGNAGE MAGAZINEINTELLIGENT PRINTERS 29 KIOSK AND DIGITAL SIGNAGE MAGAZINENext >