< PreviousTECHNOLOGY IN HOSPITALITY 20KIOSK AND DIGITAL SIGNAGE MAGAZINET echnological advances are leading the way forward for the future of hotels, and with the sector now free from Covid-19 restrictions, venues are looking for ways to improve the guest experience with technology. A staggering recent statistic has suggested that 75% of activities in hospitality could one day become automated — so where exactly are we heading on this journey into the future of hotels? Join Cairn Collection, owner of The Stirling Highland and explore a whole host of new innovations which are changing the face of hotel management systems. The 21st-century check-in desk The digital age is constantly finding new ways to innovate and prove its value and worth for modern consumers, and the breadth of technology that is slowly becoming more widely available is transforming the hospitality industry. In the past, connotations of a check-in desk were long queues and excessive pieces of paper — from room service menus to a mini catalogue of highlights of the local area. Technological innovations such as face recognition is one of the major ways that this process is changing. A handful of hotels have already trialled or introduced artificial intelligence (AI) into their daily running, and it looks set to become far more mainstream by 2025. From paying the bill by using biometrics to allowing hotel managers to handle data more efficiently, AI looks set to be welcomed with the potential for it to reduce costs by 13%. TECHNOLOGY IN HOSPITALITY HOW NEW MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS ARE INNOVATING THE HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY Technology has certainly become an intrinsic part of our day-to-day lives, from the retail industry to food and beverage outlets, and even within the health and fitness industry. It’s all around us, in varying formats, making processes more efficient. It has refined some of our older approaches and in the hospitality industry this is certainly true. NATASHA BOURGOURD COPYWRITER THE STIRLING HIGHLAND 21 KIOSK AND DIGITAL SIGNAGE MAGAZINEThe entire hotel check-in process could become automated, making one of the most established parts of the hotel experience redundant — but staff could be freed up to engage with customers, allowing them to get into their rooms quicker in the meantime. Many venues have even gone fully paperless when it comes to checking in, choosing instead to upload the process to cloud computing systems where information can be stored and viewed by connected devices. Convenience is in the key After having checked in to a hotel, guests will want to explore the room that they’ve booked. Doing so has never been easier, and the classic magstripe locks which were once the most commonly used method of accessing hotel rooms are being progressively phased out. More and more hotels now operate their room unlocking facilities through mobile phone-connected technology, near-field communication (NFC). This technology allows for data transfer at up to 424kb per second, and it is enabled when connected devices come into contact with each other. Most mobile key systems require guests to download and activate a key through the hotel’s digital app, and upon arrival, they are able to use the activated key to unlock the door to their hotel room. Combined with online/digital check in services, guests can use the e-key to check in early or at a time that suits them best, knowing that they don’t have to wait around to pick up a physical key. Small touches like this build a sense of brand familiarity for customers, as well as streamline their hotel experience, and this distinguishes them from competitors. A room and then some Of course, hotel management systems also need to account for the experience that guests have while staying at the venue, and technology can do a lot to enhance this. Hotels have to innovate the spaces that they are presenting to their customers and technology has become a valuable asset to help enhance customer satisfaction, as the hotel room is certainly not simply a place for rest anymore. Voice-enabled devices are becoming common features in rooms, with popular models such as Google Assistant, Apple’s Siri, and Amazon Echo providing guests with information on the local area — if you’re looking for the perfect backdrop to the business dinner you’re attending, just ask Alexa! Hotels could even record and distribute their own personalised voice messaging to help reinforce the brand presence into the technology. As the generational switch to millennials and Gen Z continues, the need for an experience has grown and, through a mixture of technology, hotels can cater to these revised consumer needs. From setting up messaging platforms to providing a remote control that monitors absolutely everything in the room — from TECHNOLOGY IN HOSPITALITY 22KIOSK AND DIGITAL SIGNAGE MAGAZINE More and more hotels now operate their room unlocking facilities through mobile phone-connected technology, near-field communication (NFC). TECHNOLOGY IN HOSPITALITY 23 KIOSK AND DIGITAL SIGNAGE MAGAZINE atmospheric mood lighting to music streaming services and more, a hotel room can be whatever the user wants, and the experience is therefore generated by the customer. Technology doesn’t stop advancing and there are constantly new, refined approaches to hotel management systems that have marked a stark departure from ways of the past. With guests returning after over a year of Covid-19 restrictions, competition for their business is even tougher. Technology can help you attract and retain customers by offering services above and beyond what they’d usually receive. Technology doesn’t stop advancing and there are constantly new, refined approaches to hotel management systems that have marked a stark departure from ways of the past.C ontactless payments have accelerated significantly in the past few years. Taking precedence is mobile ordering, a completely contactless, cashless experience. For large stadia and hospitality venues, the current systems for taking money are inefficient, counter-intuitive and often expensive. In fact, most venues are at one of the following stages in their ‘till journey’: • Tills from the middle ages that can only take cash: in a post-pandemic world, these are no longer an option. • Tills with card readers: all they do is take the payment, so there’s no way to track stock or sales data - which is vital in a venue with multiple kiosks. • EPOS with integrated card readers: designed to be used every day by well- trained staff in relatively calm environments. Retrofit these systems into a hospitality environment and they actually prove to be the slowest, least efficient and certainly the most expensive option. They are far too complex for casual staff to understand, so servers must arrive early for extra training - adding yet more expense. Even with training, casual staffers are not able to process orders quickly and frequently make mistakes - slowing service down. Mitigating costly upgrades Whether it’s upgrading existing systems or starting from scratch, stadia and hospitality venues are faced with the daunting choice of software and hardware packages that are extremely expensive. At a time when they are recovering from a long period of reduced or non-existent revenue, how do venues sign off on such a technology upgrade? Even if they could afford it, why compromise with a system that wasn’t designed for casual servers or the mad rush to the bar - let alone both at the same time! CONTACTLESS MOBILE ORDERING Today’s smart cities are transforming the way we live, work and play. But far from being just a 21st-century gimmick, there are significant — even life-changing — advantages to the implementation of smart technology in cities around the world. So what is a smart city? ADAM KING CEO SWIPESTATION 24KIOSK AND DIGITAL SIGNAGE MAGAZINE UPGRADING FAN EXPERIENCES WITH CONTACTLESS MOBILE ORDERINGCONTACTLESS MOBILE ORDERING 25 KIOSK AND DIGITAL SIGNAGE MAGAZINEOn the other hand, is there a way to bring an advanced ordering experience to the customer without the massive CAPEX expenditure of new card readers, EPOS systems or touch screens? Thankfully, the solution is within easy reach. Rather than pay for expensive hardware and software, why not utilise the devices that we all carry in our pockets? Shifting to mobile ordering It’s been reported that 1.31 billion people will use a mobile ordering app worldwide by 2023. There is no doubt the pandemic has dramatically advanced attitudes towards mobile ordering by a few years in just a few months. People are now using their phones to order just about anything - especially food and drinks. A combination of digitally-savvy consumers, health and safety concerns, and multiple cost benefits has expedited this progress across the hospitality and retail sectors - which can only be beneficial to businesses in these spaces. Even the 13% of the population who don’t use a smartphone are probably attending a match with someone who does. If not, it’s still possible to service them using special assistants. For those venues still operating tills (or who are facing a costly EPOS renewal), this seismic shift in consumer behaviour is an opportunity to skip EPOS completely and jump straight to a cheaper, CONTACTLESS MOBILE ORDERING 26KIOSK AND DIGITAL SIGNAGE MAGAZINECONTACTLESS MOBILE ORDERING By removing deliberation, ordering and payment from the service area, efficiency in the kiosks goes through the roof, eliminating queues and increasing sales. 27 KIOSK AND DIGITAL SIGNAGE MAGAZINE more efficient payment method. This is an example of a ‘Leapfrog technology’ - where you skip the present and head straight for the future, such as forgoing fossil fuels and power lines and jumping straight to renewable energy. Increasing sales with mobile ordering Stadia and hospitality venues need to realise there are a host of benefits to gain from forgoing a till upgrade than just the cost of the kit. By removing deliberation, ordering and payment from the service area, efficiency in the kiosks goes through the roof, with servers in click and collect fast lanes able to serve up to three customers a minute - eliminating queues and increasing sales. For instance, at the Coventry Building Society Arena, (formerly the Ricoh Arena), mobile ordering fast lanes outperformed their neighbouring tills by 24.5%. Making the jump and breaking the mould is no doubt a daunting prospect, yet becoming a market leader and experiencing the revenue increase is guaranteed to be worth the risk. Next steps in contactless If you are representing a stadium or hospitality venue that is looking to integrate contactless and cashless point of sales and payment systems, it’s worth considering mobile solutions. The benefits aren’t just operational and financial. The data generated by mobile ordering is far superior to anything that tills can offer - since all purchases refer back to an individual email address. For the first time, operators can learn the annual value of a sports fan, with options to send them targeted offers both on and off a match day. Integrating mobile payment services into fan apps only serves to enhance the cashless evolution, transferring away from outdated tills and into a user-friendly, end-to- end spectator experience with just a mobile device in the hands of customers. Going cashless is no longer sufficient. Large venues need to offer their customers the best experience possible, especially at this crucial time. Avoiding service areas, implementing in-seat delivery and click and collect options are all methods to keep customers safe, happy and hydrated. Moreover, expectations have drastically evolved and consumers will demand that their venue experiences reflect what they’ve come to know and love in pubs, restaurants and coffee shops - where mobile ordering is optional (if not compulsory) and queues are quickly becoming a thing of the past. KIOSK PRINTERS 28KIOSK AND DIGITAL SIGNAGE MAGAZINEKey considerations when selecting a kiosk printer Given their inherent versatility alongside a desire by retailers to reduce their cost base, kiosks have become part of a retailer’s overall omnichannel customer engagement strategy, offering users a convenient endless aisle experience across various categories, in addition to providing a means of reducing waiting times. Reducing queues while encouraging greater customer engagement, an enhanced shopping experience and improved service efficiency, self- service kiosks are experiencing significant growth. Empowering customers to manage a variety of processes whether it’s ordering a meal, checking into a hotel, or navigating the check-out at a supermarket, their presence has become more pronounced in a wide range of applications. And it is not just in retail and hospitality, as we witness their growing deployment in areas such as visitor management and ID verification, driven most recently by the pandemic. Whatever the application, the printer is crucial to a kiosk’s successful design and operation. A printer that does not operate efficiently can render the kiosk unusable and may result in the kiosk being offline more often than it is operating, negatively impacting the customer experience and service efficiency. Furthermore, given the range of connectivity options that can enhance both the versatility and functionality of a kiosk, the printer has a pivotal role to play. Kiosk design / profile Kiosk printer manufacturers have had to adapt to produce printer mechanisms small enough to fit into the current trend of sleek, space-saving kiosks, while still maintaining a reasonable paper roll size. Designing the printer to fit perfectly into a kiosk not only maximises space but ensures optimal performance, particularly with regard to paper path, while a high-quality printer is key to the reliable operation of the kiosk. This is especially relevant in high volume applications where the printer is subject to continuous use and faultless printouts are demanded every time. A further consideration is the type of kiosk printer, whether modular open frame or front operating packaged. Modular open frame printers offer a robust high-performance solution especially for kiosks located outdoors, with highly-compact models ideal for limited space enclosures. However, driven by their lower cost compared to the modular open frame printer, as well as their ease to install, use and maintain, KIOSK PRINTERS HOW THE PRINTER CAN ENHANCE THE VERSATILITY AND FUNCTIONALITY OF A KIOSK David Pearce, Technical Director, Star Micronics EMEA, looks at key considerations when selecting a kiosk printer, crucial to a kiosk’s successful design and operation. DAVID PEARCE TECHNICAL DIRECTOR STAR MICRONICS EMEA 29 KIOSK AND DIGITAL SIGNAGE MAGAZINENext >