Increasing speed and ease of movement — that’s how the dictionary defines the word, “streamlining.” And many of the most exciting innovations hitting the foodservice industry are doing just that. Let’s take a closer look at four areas where “increasing speed and ease of movement” is happening right now.

Streamlining operations. Backend tasks like tracking the cost of goods sold or production time per dish used to be tedious and time-intensive. But those days are quickly coming to an end. 

Whether it’s taking control of what’s coming into your kitchen (and when) or juggling budgets, the rise of all-in-one, cloud-based foodservice management software is making it faster and easier to stay on top of everything happening at your operation. 

It’s no secret that data will drive the future. And all-in-one platforms will continue to help control inventory, create efficiencies and increase overall satisfaction by enabling you and your staff to make every decision based on the best, most usable data. 

The increasing sophistication of these systems will be key to their ongoing success. Each new feature and update provides more capabilities and increased functionality. And the rate at which this sophistication is occurring will continue to rise exponentially. 

Streamlining the serving process. Many of the most exciting innovations are happening “in the trenches.” Standalone kiosks, customer-facing tabletop tablets and ordering apps are excellent examples of how recent innovations are changing the game right at the point of sale. By allowing customers to order when and how they want, these tools help shorten wait times and make the entire process faster and easier.

Basically, they work by giving customers more autonomy than ever. Customers can make a menu selection, deliver it directly to the kitchen and pay bills without interacting directly with employees. This can free up your staff to provide customer service in other valuable ways. 

Streamlining the dining experience. Closely tied to a more streamlined serving process is an increasing trend toward off-premise dining. According to research from the National Restaurant Association, 39% of consumers used more drive-thru, 34% used more delivery and 29% used more takeout than a year ago.

Whether it’s grabbing a trendy cauliflower-crust pizza for takeout or tapping delivery services like Grubhub or Uber Eats, on-the-go customers increasingly want to enjoy great food when and where they choose.

Streamlining food preparation. While innovations in other areas are important and exciting, a foodservice operation is still ultimately judged by the food it puts out. Even with scratch-made menus, the need for speed has become a key driver. Innovations in cooking equipment are also making a huge difference. Ovention’s Double MiLO® oven, for example, makes it faster and easier to cook high-quality, customer-satisfying food that’s ready for whatever dining experience your customers choose. Here’s how it streamlines food preparation: 

The hot air in the enclosed cavities allows for even, consistent cooking and higher yield. And the infrared elements on both the top and bottom of each cavity provide more efficient caramelization without over-drying. 
Double MiLO® ovens feature active venting that lets you remove humidity from the cooking cavities on demand. You get the high-yield and food integrity of a closed-cavity cook while simultaneously reaping infrared benefits. 
With two independent cavities, operators now have the flexibility to use each simultaneously at different temperatures or conserve energy by using only one at a time.

Where will the streamlining of foodservice lead next? Will it be a new upgrade to an overall management platform? Or additional ways to make serving or food preparation faster and easier than ever? 

We love staying on top of what’s new and exciting in the industry — and thinking about how you can put those innovations to practical use in your world. For more information about Ovention ovens, check out what we have to offer today.