Technology in Hospitality

Contemporary technological advances are a major contributor to the success of a food and hospitality establishment and can enhance many factors. In this report the focus will be on how modern technological advances can enhance record keeping in the hospitality industry and contribute to the overall success of the business.

Records are kept to guarantee more chances of profit within a business and are a proof of the numbers and "transactions" of the business at any given point. These records can help when ordering the correct amount of ingredients for the most popular time periods within the restaurant and other trends are also observed. A popular system in use today is the Point of Sales (POS) system; this consists of the use of touch screen computers. Popular POS software programs include 'Redcat' and 'Possum'. According to the Head of Hospitality at TafeSA, Justin Foot believes Redcat and Possum information technology and similar software has shown to be the most successful method of record keeping. Orders are chosen through a menu sequence which follows logically according to the food or beverage chosen. Orders are taken with great detail and are automatically sent to the kitchen by recept or are displayed on a screen. These orders are congregated daily and are stored on a hard drive for reviewing.

At the Subway of Firle, touch screen computers are operated for food and beverage transactions. Sales assistant Todd Haynes says the range of touch screen POS systems prove to be very straightforward, easy and extremely time efficient. "Orders are printed out as a daily hard copy receipt which is reviewed at the end of the day and stock is ordered in coordination with these sales. It's also used as an indication of what has been sold each day and the money in the till works out with these figures."

These methods are used because they are more time efficient thus resulting with quicker production service, increased turnover, more money for advertisement and decor and increased customer satisfaction; which in turn contributes to the overall success of the establishment. These systems promote the ability of Subway and TafeSA to compete in a fast moving and highly demanding industry.

In conclusion I believe the evidence suggests that contemporary technological advances are a major contributor to the success of a business in the hospitality industry.