Franchisees are well-versed in point-of-sale (POS) data. However, new technology exists that syncs data with video surveillance, allowing restaurant owners to see additional metrics and correlate information. For example, a chain in the Midwest is aggregating real-time transaction counts for each location with traffic and weather data. During a particular hour, the owner knows that an average store should be near 100 transactions, but sees that one is only at 50. Using the video surveillance system, the owner is able to determine through real-time traffic reports that an accident has caused severe traffic congestion nearby.
Automating processes can be a boost for business owners. Linking weather systems, real-time traffic data, and temperature controls with POS systems and surveillance creates a central business intelligence system that allows restaurant owners to capture readily available information more efficiently. Some franchisees manually monitor temperatures in various areas of a restaurant. However, having a video surveillance system in place that automates this monitoring provides owners with the ability to concentrate on other vital business matters.
Some franchisees are using video surveillance tapes to train employees, showing them footage of actual employees handling and preparing food properly and improperly to give new hires a real-world view of what the job entails and how it should be done correctly.
For restaurant owners, video surveillance can reduce liability and workers’ compensation issues in addition to reducing theft. Strategically placing video cameras can create evidence to refute frivolous lawsuits brought on by customers or employees. For example, in one case an insurance agency wanted to track data to discover if a rash of employee slip-and-falls in a franchise’s freezer had merit, so it requested that video be installed to monitor the area. After the installation, the location reported zero slip-and-fall incidents.
Another critical operations function for franchisees is time and attendance. Much more cost-effective than investing in fingerprinting or facial recognition software, franchisees are using video surveillance to capture images of employees and their time sheets when they clock in and out. This method has created a reduction in overtime and employees punching in and out for each other.
By using technology smarter and more efficiently, franchise owners are able to gather data, combine it with video, and create a comprehensive business intelligence system that allows each location to become more streamlined and profitable.
