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This article explains the emergence of self ordering kiosks and provides some statistics as to how popular they are and lists their pros and cons

Every year, NRF hosts a large retail conference in New York City to debut new technology for the new year. At the 2020 Retail's Big Show, some of the most innovative technology was displayed for all to see. Technology including: FaceFirst, Elo, and Kiosk.

This article is giving the reader a look into the new check in procedures being implemented by hotels across the world. This "speedy check-in" allows for guests to by pass the traditional front desk check in and instead opt for check in via kiosks located in the lobby or even checking in before arrival. The automatic check in trend began as a way to relieve guests from having to wait in long lines when arriving at their hotel to check in . The option for speaking with front desk associates is still there but would rather serve as more of concierge, with suggestions on restaurants and questions regarding any leisure activities within the city or hotel itself. Some hotels are also taking the approach of personal greeters who approach the guest upon arrival, making the check in process more like a welcoming into a friends home. Overall I love the idea of being able to bypass hotel lines, especially during holidays when lines tend to get quite long or when arriving to a hotel fairly late in the night. Being able to arrive and head straight to the room allows for smoother check-ins and more efficient use of front desk associates. The personal greeters also provide more of an at home feeling. Guests can feel like they are personally being cared for as opposed to just being another occupied room. 

As we move into a technology focused society hotel needs to follow the trend of what travelers want and how to streamline using technology. This article describes how hotels are implimating kiosk in their lobbies to offer their guest a quick and easy way to check-in without having to make the line at the front desk. The hotels goal is to leave the "hotel embassador" and/or front desk for guests that have special requests or questions about their stay. They reference a hotel in Boston that has taken the electronic checkin a step further. They email the guests prior to arriving at the hotel two codes. The first code is to be used at the front door to enter the hotel, and the second code to enter into their hotel room keypad. They interviewed President and General Manager of NCR Corporation's travel business about these types of services. He stated that they offer travelers the same speed and quick services as ATM machines at banks or kiosks at the airport for quick checkin. He went on to say that they expect that type of service when traveling. Mr. Craig even touched on how a travelers feedback is even more important due to social media. One bad review can affect the hotel instantly after they tweet, post, etc. In the article they also interviewed Glenn Haussman, editor of the online trade magazine Hotel Interactive. He stated that with the use of the kiosk and express check-in the front desk staff can offer a more personal experience by doing other tasks. For example they mentioned a late check guest might want a snack or something to relax after a tough flight. By the staff not needing to check them in can go get the guest a coffee, or something to eat; this making the experience feeling more personal. The article states the Hyatt chain has implemented their kiosk in almost all their properties in major cities. They still offer a more traditional check-in as well. They went on to say some chains are using greeters with ipads to check guests in as they ente

Connected commerce is helping the quick service restaurants. It is meeting more and more of the customers wants.

As we discussed kiosk utilization with chili's I think it is interesting to understand how kiosk work as a whole. This article discusses kiosk accessibility for traditional and older customers.

The article discusses the numerous benefits of the self-order kiosk. Before, old iPads were used, but now, restaurants of any size can afford these kinds of devices. The article talks about a restaurant owner who were frustrated with an old POS system, who said that when his POS system crashed it costed him $8,000 to replace and update the system. But with the tablet-based system, you no longer need $10,000-20,000 up front for a POS system. The article also mentions the efficiencies boosted with the tablet-based system. For example dividing a bill used to take 30 minutes, now it takes 30 seconds. Also, some customers experience "line anxiety" when people are waiting in line for them to order, so they sometimes pass on the complex orders in favor of quick ones. But with the self-ordering system, customers are more likely to order complex options such as adding bacon or avocado. The article states that at one restaurant, the average guest check through the kiosk is nearly two times the average placed with a waiter. The restaurant can focus on service and the food, and less on the ordering and its accuracy.

From this article,I think it is amazing to have such revolution of POS system. First of all, POS system itself is wonderful for the hoteliers all these years. The latest i-trends and NFC put it much further step to not only free the employees,but also bring efficiency to the customers. It is said that "the point of sale on the move" which free the employee to use the mobile device to control everything it matters of the business. It makes hoteliers more flexiable and at the meanwhile, it provides quantity information. The other innovation here is that there is one IPAD POS kiosk which allows self-service card swiping system so the customers can complete their own transaction. Though this technology is the only IPad enclosure, it help eliminate theft and tampering. Then ,when the growing trend of Near Field Communication comes, it free the customers another further step to eliminate the necessity to carry money/credit cards to pay their bills. This technology is also come with the smartphone by just swiping the mobile device across a special kiosk at the counter, and the payment is done quickly. This technology also developed another growing technology "RFID" card readers. Another name for the NFC is the digital wallet means that a customer's device can store all their bank account details and credit card information with no need for a real wallet. That's amazing for the people who are not good at financing. This technology can really impact the hotel market and bring the competitive advantages for the hotels. It's a new trend for the hotel to update themselves to level-up. This trend is also fit the market nowadays, the consumer is more and more younger, they curious about the high-tech things, the success of Apple proves this trend. In order to meet with the customer needs in current hotel industry, this technology is worth to have a try.

This article talks about the importance of POS systems in the hospitality industry and the new technological trends that are affecting it. POS systems are extremely important to hoteliers primarily to keep track of sales and bookings. With recent technological developments though, POS systems have revolutionized that hospitality industry by increase efficiency and production. The newest trend in these accounting and POS systems are cloud-based technologies. I believe this type of technology will allow for busy hotel managers to track all accounting information through either a smart phone, PC, or even tablet. This type of technology, as stated in the article, would allow for managers to keep track of sales data and profits even when they are away from the office. All in all, I believe this is a very helpful technology for hotel operations and will benefit the industry in the long run.

Allow the customers to to use smartphone across a special kiosk at the counter to pay may benefit restaurants a lot. It may reduce the stress of the servers in the peak time. Customers no longer waiting a long time for the servers to get their bill, they can pay by themselves through mobile devices. Moreover, the customers do not need to bring their wallets to the restaurants which may improve the security of the restaurant environment.

This article states that one of the main reasons for digital kiosks in fast food places is because of a high turnover rate. A lot of fast food places are getting less applications and a higher turnover because of the low wages they offer and little room to grow. Some have no choice but to start using these because of the lack of employees. The article states that restaurants are also starting to use this type of technology to save money on other costs they may need to put forth money towards. But some do think this doesn't mean technology will take over. Some even believe it is a way we can work together as one to make more money for the restaurants we may work in.

Intel has been at the heart of Restaurant Innovation and the hospitality industry. A business solution that continues to impress. In this post by Intel they refer to how the POS system for a Restaurant has a few different options that are becoming more popular today. The big touch screens from McDonald's to Hotels having touch screens in mirrors. The IoT is creating solutions by partnering with company's like Intel. One highlight for me in this post was Intel's solution of Kiosks systems that can detect emotions using Ai camera's, and alerting employees to help the customer.

This article was written at the end of 2018 with discussion and predictions for Hospitality Technology in 2019. The majority of the new technology is centered around improving the guest experience with most of it related to the hotel industry. From self check-in kiosks like you see at the airport, to smart rooms in the hotel that sync with your phone and automatically show your netflix and other social media platforms on your tv.

UV-Clean is useful, disinfecting technology the Hospitality Industry can use during and after this COVID-19 pandemic. As restaurants and hotels slowly open back up, their surfaces run high risk of carrying the virus, being that more people are going to be around and touching things.

This article describes 7 travel and tech trends that are shaping the hotel industry this year. With labor shortages and growing inflation, hoteliers are turning to technology to relieve some pressures like using a native-cloud-based PMS platform, using mobile and kiosk-based self check-in, and using a a more consolidated payment processer that can deliver a more secure and seamless experience for guests.

Companies Ariane Systems and Hypercom Corporation announced that Hypercom's SmartPayments Wynid integrated payment solution, has been incorporated in the Ariane System's services offering to properties in the hospitality industry in France. The SmartPayments Wynid integrated payment solution service offers customers with the secure option to process their payments from a number of centralized payment solutions such as check-in/out kiosk, payment terminal at the front desk or by e-payment. The article suggest that by offering the following, SmartPayments Wynid integrated solution service, it will benefit both the organization and it's customers by reducing cost associated with each transaction, reduces the risk of errors and decreases the length of each transaction to little amount of time. In providing this service an organization must have multiple points of sales.

The article, Impact of Individual Differences and Consumers' Readiness on Likelihood of Using Self Service Technologies at Hospitality Settings states that the use of self-service technology is a rising trend across the board. Major hotel chains, resorts, casinos are implementing software that can remember customers, their information, and go beyond current human levels of service performance. However, not everyone is ready for this new age of self-service technology. In their study, the authors explored influential factors related to individual differences and customer readiness on the likelihood of using self-service technologies. Findings supported technologies such as pay-at-the-pump, online travel purchase, ATMS, and other services that have been around for years were highly accepted. On the contrary, new services such as ordering food over the phone and Internet kiosks in bars were preferred by less than thirty percent of respondents. Within the hospitality industry, customers may perceive new self-service technologies as positive but may choose not to use them if they do not understand it or see no clear benefit from it.  To summarize the results, people may just not be ready for the self-service take over. Especially in the early stages, hospitality companies would need to have an employee standing by the new self-service technology to assist customers with their needs. Although a well used self-service system could generate a new revenue stream, particularly when concerning the younger generation, it is essential that managers take into mind the overall level of consumer motivation and readiness to embrace it,

This article discusses how new demand of customers within the hospitality industry is driving current point of sale systems such as micros to re-term their systems to focus more on customers. It includes several factors that are potentially driving POS systems to be revolutionized. The possibility of POS systems becoming more "from the palm of your hand" is growing each day as more POS systems are converging with wireless devices. As other outside factors influence hoteliers to emerge and update their POS systems, the development and progress of having the most profitable POS systems requires close examination of what works best for each company. One example the article touched on was the change from regular cashier systems to IPad based interactive systems and interactive kiosks. In addition, the enhancements of POS systems overall seem to be increasing F&B profit-a section of the financial statement that was historically less profitable. As with all technology, It is best to refrain from making a large capital investment into emerging systems, starting slow and monitoring how the bottom line is increasing and specific areas such as Room revenue or F&B revenue is the ideal choice.

Excellent Article! POS systems are becoming more user friendly than before. The systems allow companies to track revenue and inventory at the same time. The Walt Disney World Resort tested a POS system that allowed hotel guests to simply flash their room key and the charges would go directly into the POS system then PMS. Hotels have added POS systems to spas, recreation locations and retail stores...(http://www.restaurant.org/nra_news_blog/2012/04/pos-systems-must-accommodate-new-secure-payment-technology.cfm).

Theodore your article proves a great point on the benefits of POS technology. Having a POS system adds more value that will cover its initial cost. Handles greater product volumes. Makes complex business logic possible. Provides more management possibilities of your daily operations such as sales tracking, refunds, time clocks, menus, pricing, revenue maximization, etc.Provides advanced functionalities such as reservation and table management for restaurants, hotels, bars, and any business in the food service industry. Realizes enhanced savings with greater efficiency. Delivers better workflow for staff. Improves customer service and increases customer through-put. Easily manage large numbers of customers and groups. Allows restaurant businesses to combine multiple services into a single invoice (hotel room, meals, events, services). Graphical management of store assets such as table, rooms, bar, etc. Delivers superior reporting and analysis features. Streamlines inventory management. Back Office integration. The purpose of POS system is to accommodate your employees and your customers. If you have happy employees this results in customers having a smile. You have to spend money (POS SYSTEM) in order to make money.

McDonald's has consistently been "beaten to the punch" by its competitors regarding the use of technology in its restaurants, and it has shown in an overall 10.4 decrease in foot traffic from its peak. In a cross-promotional attempt to advertise its new menu offerings while connecting with a younger (i.e. Millenial) market to show off their increased technological offerings (e.g. mobile ordering, digital smart menu boards, self-service ordering kiosks, and even delivery), McDonald's set up a Big Mac vending machine in Boston's Kenmore Square that dispensed burgers in exchange for a video posted to the consumer's twitter account. This multi-facted marketing technique allowed them to deliver their tech-driven message to potentially several hundred new consumers for every burger that was dispensed. This is a highly cost-effective marketing strategy that will allow McDonald's to focus its resources on continued development of the tech solutions that the event is aimed at promoting.

Unattended POS systems in fast food restaurants like McDonalds can significantly improve their efficiency and remove the pressure from their staff. Restaurants like these are often short staffed. They feel significant impact when they do not have enough staff to support the amount of business that comes through their doors. The cashier often will have to assist in making orders as well, causing a further delay in the line. Adding this and their new drive through initiative, McDonalds will be able to maximize profit, produce more orders in one day and keep their customers waiting minimal amounts of time.

This article focuses on the enhanced technology that fast food chains such as McDonald's are embracing to enhance their service and increase their productivity. An example of this is the self-service kiosks that many McDonald's have installed inside their restaurants. Consumers have adapted well to this technology because data shows that this has increased revenue over time, therefore proving how the unattended POS technology is helping companies be more cost efficient and increase sales.

This article is about the Design Hotels, which is an independent Marriott brand, has recently partner up with StayNTouch, a global cloud hotel PMS and contactless technology. StayNTouch will be providing their cloud PMS, guest Kiosk, and guest mobility, all to more than 3000 boutique Design Hotels. The Design Hotels will benefit from this partnership by having them raise their service level, drive revenues, and reduce costs.

This article talks about the 5 technologies hotels should be investing into for 2020 in order to stay competitive. The technologies are website simplicity, upselling tech to boost profitability, secure payment systems to increase consumer confidence & credibility, self service and automated check-in, and an omni platform which centralises operations.

Hotels are taking new major steps into tech integration as more and more developments are constantly being requested by guest and made by property owners. These I.T investments can help these properties majorly and help increase guest satisfaction. One advantage that many companies can use is it up selling aspect to help push sales. Investing in secure payment options helps with data security and gives the hotel credibility.

-Website simplicity -Upselling technology to boost profitability -Secure payment systems to increase consumer confidence and credibility -Self service and automated check in -An omni platform which centralizes operations -In a 2,000 people study, a quarter of people take into high consideration the quality and detail of a hotel's website before making a direct booking online. -Website simplicity acquires traffic, increases conversion rates and drives more people to book direct. -Upselling can happen subsequently through nudge marketing via emails, push notifications of even on arrival at the hotel. -Investment in secure payment gateways protects the data of hotel guests and the hotels credibility. -Also checks in advance whether the credit card exists and is covered which could reduce chargebacks. -In a survey of 2,654 consumers, 78% of respondents said they would like to see self-service kiosks more widely available for check in. -Self check in is faster service, more privacy, and waiting time/lines are much shorter. -Omni channel platforms enable you to centralize operational systems, take back control of your revenue flow and transparency of guest data, so hotel management can focus on creating the best experience for customers.

Maestro reported a 21% increase in online hotel reservations from June 8 to June 15 of this year. This was an increase that was seen at multiple properties that use Maestro. Maestro is also creating many new options for contactless services that the hotels can offer such as mobile key, kiosks, and text messaging.