Peng’s Chinese Takeaway (3) – Digital transformation Options and Strategies for Sustainability

This blog will be the final part of the three-part blog series on Peng's Chinese restaurant's digital transformation journey. We reviewed Peng's restaurant in the previous blogs and derived the existing business process model and SWOT analysis. We also highlighted the emerging trends in the industry by conducting a horizon scan and drawing up a gap analysis to ascertain the steps Pengs needs to take to transform the restaurant digitally.

We will address the following;

• The digital transformation options highlighted in the previous blog

• Draw up a roadmap for the digital transformation of the business over a year

• Derive a new BPMN

• Highlight some sustainability factors the restaurant must consider adopting to align with international best practices to save the planet.

Digital Transformation Options

For Peng to transform the business digitally, below are the Digital Transformation options Peng should adopt:

1. Creation of a Business Website to increase visibility

2. Build a mobile application

3. Creation of accounts across all social media platforms

4. Engage customers periodically

5. Generate a digital catalogue of their menu

6. Create a QR code that customers can scan to place orders

7. Enable online food order process on all online platforms

8. Conduct marketing activities on these platforms

9. Procure Kitchen Display System (KDS)

10. Train staff on how to operate the new KDS system

11. Integrate the system across all the branches

12. Enable customer profile creation on all online profile

13. Ethical collation of customer information to create a central clientele database

14. Adopt sustainability practices that protect the environment

15. Increase coverage for delivery of orders beyond the existing limits.

16. Integrate with the third-party delivery application database

Digital Transformation Roadmap

The above roadmap depicts how Peng should implement digital transformation. Depending on the available funds, Peng can deploy this automation across all the branches little by little but strategically. Peng might encounter Push back from stakeholders, but by being persistent, sincere, and keeping the staff engaged throughout the digital transformation process, he can gain support from the team and all stakeholders. (Jabil, 2020)

New Business Process Model (To-Be)

The new process model reveals the incorporation of current technological automation into the process. Consequently, the process is improved and less manual.

Furthermore, the process helps to cut down on time spent in the process. The customer will feel the difference in service delivery, which increases customer loyalty. The process model will make the restaurant more competitive as it conforms to emerging technology. The process model is sustainable, profitable and cost-saving.

Sustainability Goals.

In addition to the digital transformation, Restaurants can significantly reduce greenhouse gas impact on the earth. Consequently, Peng should adopt the below practices to improve the restaurants' sustainability credentials.

• Ethically sourced fish or ingredients. (Bighospitality.co.uk, 2021)

• Minimize food wastage which is responsible for 8% of greenhouse emissions through donation (Bighospitality.co.uk, 2021)

• Utilize eco-friendly disposables, e.g. paper cups, utensils, straws, delivery bags and plates

• Use only eco-friendly cleaning products. (Unilever Food Solutions US, 2022)

• Adopt energy-saving product installations. e.g. LED bulbs, Motion sensor lights in bathrooms. (Unilever Food Solutions US, 2022)

• Grow the restaurant's food ingredients at onsite gardens. (Unilever Food Solutions US, 2022)

• Set up recycling stations across the restaurant. Encourage the Reduce-Reuse-Recycle spirit across its branches. (Unilever Food Solutions US, 2022)

Customers value a restaurant that not just says it cares for the environment but takes steps to protect it. Statistics show that 60% of customers seek out sustainable restaurants. (Unilever Food Solutions US, 2022)

While implementing the digital transformation procedure, Peng must evaluate the outcome of the digital transformation for effectiveness and efficiency. Furthermore, Peng should always look for new technological trends to implement as they materialize.

Please leave a comment and share your thoughts. I look forward to hearing from you.

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References

Bighospitality.co.uk. (2021, June 7). Six sustainability trends for 2021. bighospitality.co.uk. https://www.bighospitality.co.uk/Article/2021/06/07/Restaurant-sustainability-trends

Digital transformation in the restaurant business. (2022, June 22). Google Cloud Blog. https://cloud.google.com/blog/transform/digital-transformation-in-the-restaurant-business

Jabil. (2020, June 4). Top 5 digital transformation challenges (and how to overcome them). IoT For All. https://www.iotforall.com/top-5-digital-transformation-challenges

Unilever Food Solutions US. (2022, April 5). 10 restaurant sustainability practices. Unilever Food Solutions US. https://www.unileverfoodsolutions.us/chef-inspiration/plant-based-eating/trends/10-restaurant-sustainability-practices.html