In 2024, labor shortages will continue to impact operations across industries. Multi-site commercial businesses must find new ways to operate efficiently amidst hiring difficulties. This is where the Internet of Things (IoT) can have a tremendous impact. Companies can rise above hiring woes through workplace automation and connected facilities.

Reduce Day-to-Day Burdens

A connected facility powered by IoT takes the administrative burden off employees by ensuring equipment stays up and running with less manual oversight. For instance, remotely managed thermostats, sensors, and lighting controls automate essential facility functions to optimize energy use. This keeps workers from having to adjust set points or manually ensure compliance with safety procedures.

In foodservice, automated checklists ensure proper temperatures in storage coolers, freezers, and hot-holding equipment. Staff no longer have to log this data multiple times per shift. Automated menu and recipe distribution also eliminates the hassle of using thumb drives to make manual updates and train staff on the latest offerings.  

Another plus is real-time equipment monitoring, which identifies issues early before failure occurs. This reduces reactive maintenance and keeps operations running smoothly amidst ongoing labor issues.

Automation Means Happier Employees

Whether you’re fully staffed or operating with limited resources, here’s how a connected facility can take the burden off a strained workforce and create a happier environment.

A connected facility:

• Reduces administrative load so workers can focus on customers and other critical tasks
• Makes working environments more comfortable with consistent temperatures and safer through real-time alerts and reliable data
• Improves employee retention and happiness (and, ultimately, your bottom line)

Employees can better focus on customer service with less time spent on time-consuming administrative tasks. Removing these burdensome processes and keeping your employees comfortable are key to reducing turnover when good help is hard to find.

The Power of Data and Analytics

A connected facility also unlocks invaluable data and analytics to optimize operations. By monitoring energy usage, equipment runtimes, and product loss, businesses can identify areas for improvement. Pinpointing high energy consumption or preventable waste enables limited staff resources to be allocated more efficiently.

In restaurants and convenience stores, analytics provide real-time visibility into refrigeration and freezer units. This allows staff to quickly resolve temperature excursions without constant oversight before product loss occurs. Loss prevention is critical when labor resources are strained.

For multi-site enterprises, data benchmarks performance across locations. This allows operational leaders to replicate best practices between high and low-performing sites to drive consistency. With less time spent traveling between locations, productivity improves.

Drive Uptime and Profitability

IoT-connected equipment like combination ovens, fryers, shake machines, or HVAC units also enhances visibility into daily operations. Monitoring runtimes and completion rates helps optimize equipment usage to prevent over or underutilization. This maximizes profitability per hour of operation despite limited staff.

In addition, with remote troubleshooting capabilities and preventative maintenance tracking, costly equipment failures can be avoided. Unplanned downtime equates to lost revenue, which most businesses can’t afford when experiencing hiring challenges.

Conclusion

Connected facilities and IoT offer tremendous potential to overcome hiring woes through workplace automation. Features like real-time alerts, automated analytics, and loss prevention enable understaffed teams to drive profitability. Meanwhile, checklists, optimized equipment usage, and air quality monitoring empower employees to deliver exceptional service. 

Contact our team to learn more about reducing administrative burdens amidst labor shortages with connected facilities. We can help you rise above persistent hiring difficulties with flexible solutions to fit your needs.