Quick-service restaurant operators rely on data to make sure things are running smoothly—from managed video camera services to inventory management to back-of-house platforms, each system is crucial to operators to understand their business. Of course, it’s best if this data can be seen in real time, and more often than not, operators need to look at multiple dashboards of real-time data to get any actionable insights.
“There are so many data points in the quick-service restaurant industry,” says Chris Crawley, the global account director for quick-service restaurants at Userful. “Everything is fed into a dashboard these days. You have back-of-house software that captures sales, labor, and inventory. You have drive-thru timer dashboards that track total time for vehicles, where vehicles are in the lane, and so on. All of these data points are important because they allow operators to make real-time decisions based on what’s happening in their stores right now.”
Operators often need to toggle among multiple dashboards during spot checks, which can be a time drain. If they use older cameras, they may not have a video management server, so they can’t easily view multiple locations on a single screen either.
The software platform Userful offers a way around those difficulties. As the first software-defined platform for enterprise AV-over-IP, Userful supports audiovisual and Internet of Things (IoT) content for some of the world’s largest companies over their own networks. Papa John’s, for instance, as well as Brazilian quick-serve chain Habib’s have implemented Userful in their security operations centers.
“Userful allows operators to look at all their dashboards, KPIs, and video in one place so they can make educated decisions about their business,” Crawley says. “We’re a software-defined solution, so there’s very little hardware footprint. Operators and brands can do so much just with their existing network.”
Brands can compare video streams and different dashboards from the systems they already use. “You can view, for instance, all of your drive-thru locations during the lunch daypart,” Crawley says. “And Userful doesn’t just lend itself to video. Operators can tie sales data with labor data and make real-time labor decisions based on sales volume by store. With the ongoing labor shortage right now, that can be a real advantage for brands.”
IT departments at quick-serve brands have an easier way to manage audiovisual and IoT applications with Userful, freeing them up to focus on tougher issues. Rather than managing multiple digital display solutions, they can use a single platform that’s feature-rich and intuitive.
If a brand uses LG screens, Userful does not require any extra hardware. It integrates seamlessly with LG webOS. If a company uses screens from another manufacturer, they would need to install a uClient—“a small Android box on the back of a display that allows us to control the display and its health, whether it’s online or offline,” Crawley says.
Essentially, the platform is designed to streamline digital display operations, making them easier to understand as well as more cost-effective. “The future of the audiovisual industry is going to be platform-based, and that’s where we are already,” Crawley says. “Userful is a dynamic platform that allows operators to do more with less.”
To learn more, visit the Userful website.
By Kara Phelps
