Data is king for small, medium, and large organizations alike. It powers the intelligence behind many actionable results, particularly for businesses using the Internet of Things (IoT). In the foodservice and food retail industries, analytics gathered from a connected kitchen provide invaluable insight on everything from product safety and equipment performance to decreasing maintenance and increasing profitability. So how exactly do these rich details help operations leaders see the bigger picture? Let’s dig into the data behind it all.
Data: the real power behind connectivity
IoT is the idea that any object can connect to the internet and share data with other systems. Companies can (and should) use this data to improve processes, make better decisions on maintaining equipment, meet operational goals, and maximize profits.
Solutions like Open Kitchen are incredibly useful in restaurants and commercial kitchens, where it’s vital to monitor equipment like fryers, ovens, and refrigerators. Data insights can help avoid things like the food temperature danger zone, unexpected equipment failure, and non-compliance to brand standards. The actionable data insights and reporting provided by a connected kitchen also make it possible to run a more agile operation and help ensure that critical tasks are completed on time.
Here are three additional ways data supports facility success:
1. Proactive Equipment Maintenance and Longevity
The best solutions make it easy to connect equipment from all types of manufacturers. As a result, you’re in the loop when your equipment tries to tell you something. For example, Open Kitchen frees data that is typically stranded on the equipment to ensure the equipment is functioning properly. That, paired with real-time data alerts to warn employees about equipment issues, make it possible to shift from reactive to proactive maintenance. This prevents unexpected downtime and last-minute maintenance calls, which also saves money—something especially important during a time when inflation is at a 40-year high.
2. Maintaining Food Safety
Data not only prevents, but also protects. To do this, Open Kitchen offers a food safety application equipped with temperature monitoring, real-time alerts, workflow processing, corrective action tracking, and automated reporting. All that data translates into the ability to keep food safer for customers and drive brand standards.
3. Effective Equipment and Energy Management
Data is money in the bank. When there is enterprise-wide visibility into HVAC, lighting, and other equipment, it’s possible to control energy use and reduce operating costs without compromising comfort. Plus, with features like remote equipment monitoring, there is easy access to the data needed to maintain a high level of equipment and facility performance.
Conclusion
Data makes it possible to make better business decisions, especially in the foodservice and food retail spaces. It acts as a catalyst for better preventative maintenance, more reliable food safety, and so much more. Data is the key to maintaining an efficient, high-performing connected kitchen.
Interested in learning more about how actionable data insights contribute to the success of a connected kitchen? Reach out to a member of our team to start the conversation.