Fourth Identifies Emerging Restaurant Tech Trends at NRA 2018

NEW YORK, June 1, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Fourth, provider of a leading hospitality operations platform, attended the National Restaurant Association Show 2018, and identified key technology trends influencing industry professionals.

The Internet of Things is becoming more accessible to restaurants of all sizes.
Automation drove conversations at this year's event as operators look for ways to differentiate their businesses in a highly competitive market. As the Internet of Things (IoT) becomes more accessible for restaurants, fully connected establishments will soon be able to synthesize massive amounts of data they generate each day to change how operators serve customers, engage staff and run the back office. The possibilities on the operational side and customer side are potentially endless.

Restaurants are leaning on automation to streamline. 
To automate, operators need computers and systems that can understand their restaurant's unique needs and systems, make recommendations and then automate those recommendations into real-world decisions and processes. The connected restaurant, where mundane tasks are automated, therefore becomes a better place for managers.

"We view automation as a tool for streamlining some of the mundane tasks that take up a sizable amount of managers' time and energy. With smarter technology, we design tech to give managers back their time in the day to invest in other areas of their business where they can make a real difference – with their teams and with their guests," says Christian Berthelsen, Chief Technology Officer at Fourth. 

Operators are seeking integrated solutions to make sense of their data.
Similarly, operators are looking to data to help make key decisions for their business. They might have an ocean of data sources at their fingertips, but the industry has an appetite to use this data in context to give them the insight to make better, more informed decisions. To address this need, Fourth released new tools, including Sentiment Analytics, POS Gateway and Third-Party Analytics, that deliver measurable and actionable insights, helping operators make sense of their day-to-day operations and react quickly to what's really happening.

Additionally, Fourth delivered a Tech Talk at NRA in partnership with customer Bar Louie around the Science of Scheduling—a discussion of best practices to improve customer service and build customer loyalty. The presentation highlighted unique data points that illustrate inefficiencies many operators face, and how implementing the correct technology solutions and looking at the right data to effectively schedule, can improve the bottom line of your business.

"Being able to make sense of several different data inputs is essential for any operator," says James England, SVP of Strategic Partnerships for Fourth. "Having data alone is no longer enough and operators can no longer afford to spend time combing through findings across disparate systems—key decision makers are looking for a fully integrated system that analyzes data across all areas of their business. We believe Fourth is the only platform that can address these needs."

Fourth offers a fully-integrated, complete back-office platform that covers workforce management, purchase-to-pay, inventory management, recipe and menu engineering, and advanced analytics.

For additional industry insight from Fourth, please visit Fourth at https://www.fourth.com/en-us.

About Fourth
Established in 1999 by restaurant and hospitality entrepreneurs Derek and Edwina Lilley, Fourth was conceived "by hospitality professionals for hospitality professionals." Fourth offers a complete hospitality operations platform for purchase-to-pay & inventory and workforce management, underpinned by smart analytics and collaboration tools, enabling customers to optimize profits, enhance guest satisfaction and scale profitably. Its 1,100 customers in 60 countries include many of the world's most famous hospitality brands. To learn more, please visit www.fourth.com/en-us.

SOURCE Fourth

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