Jan-Feb 2020 - ChannelVision Magazine

SD-WANon theMenu By Gerald Baldino T hink about it: what’s the most important business driver for a multi-site res- taurant chain? The answer has nothing to do with food, equipment or even personnel. The most important element is connec- tivity. In today’s ultra-connected world, a multi-site restaurant could not last 10 minutes without connectivity. When the network goes down, business stops, plain and simple. That’s because just about every single process in a res- taurant now requires connectivity to function. And looking forward, connec- tivity will become even more important as IoT devices continue to proliferate. Kitchens and serving stations are be- coming increasingly automated with each passing year. Many businesses lack the ability to keep up, which means there is a tremendous opportunity at hand for channel partners that can identify res- taurants that lack strong and reliable connectivity. Partners can help restaurants take a stand against network downtime by de- ploying SD-WAN – a methodology that involves decoupling networking hard- ware from its control mechanism, drasti- cally simplifying WAN management. SD-WAN can keep a business online all the time, ensuring each branch location has the critical connectivity it needs to remain up and running. Let’s take a look at all of the various processes that require connectivity to function. PoS systems: Without connectivity, it becomes extremely difficult to pro- cess transactions and move customers out the door. Businesses typically have three options when connectivity is lost: accept payment without a credit card authorization (which is risky); call to authorize each card transaction (which is time consuming); or accept only cash (which is bad for business). In one study, 50 percent of respondents said they carry cash less than half the time they are out. When they do carry cash, 76 percent keep less than $50 while about half keep less than $20. What’s more, corporations typically have policies in place barring any of these options. Submitting orders: Without con- nectivity, it can be very difficult for servers to communicate with kitchen workers. Almost all restaurants today use electronic ticketing systems to process orders. When connectivity is lost, busi- nesses must resort to paper-based or- dering systems, which can slow down operations considerably. Some com- panies may even have HR policies in place to prohibit paper-based ticketing systems from being used. Data loss: Further issues can arise if a branch continues operating without access to a centralized management system that tracks marketing, sales, research and inventory data. It’s very important that companies access correct information, so that they can make accurate and informed decisions. Connectivity loss can lead to skewed reports and lapses in mar- ket research. As the SD-WAN market continues to saturate, channel partners will have to start getting creative about where they look for sales. As it turns out, there’s a world of opportunities out there hiding in underserved markets that tend to get overlooked. One such opportunity is restaurant chains. Tech Americans Want to See in Restaurants At-table ordering 73% Micro call buttons 66% Immersive dining 61% At-table digital feedback 59% At-table food tracking 59% Interactive menu experience 49% Electronic bill payments 45% Built-in games while you wait 37% Wait list management software 37% Facial/fingerprint recognition payments 27% Source: OnBuy.com VIRTUAL REALITY 34 CHANNEL VISION | January - February, 2020