STAGE 1: EMPATHIZE

Tasks

• Review stakeholder requirements
• Educate on restaurant management and daily operations
• Conduct Interviews with stakeholders and restaurant Managers
• Perform a competitive analysis
• Shadow restaurant managers

Client Requirements, Restaurant Management & Daily Operations

• Discussed Requirements: Engaged in detailed discussions and assessments of requirements in collaboration with the core team at Shift4.
• Assessed Requirements: Focused on aligning the project’s goals with Shift4’s strategic objectives during collaborations.
• Collected Insights: Gathered detailed insights on restaurant management and daily operations to inform design decisions.

Interviews

Completed a total of 11 interviews, 8 Restaurant Manger, 3 Stakeholders, utilizing a mix of in-person, video, and phone call formats.

Key Findings

• Inefficient Sales Tracking: Managers expressed frustration with the time-consuming nature of manual sales tracking, emphasizing the need for automated, real-time sales reporting to quickly adapt to business demands.

• Staff Performance Uncertainty: There was significant concern about the difficulty in monitoring staff performance effectively. Managers sought features that could provide immediate insights into staff efficiency and customer service levels.

• Complex Table Management: Challenges in managing table turnover and reservation systems efficiently were common, leading to a demand for intuitive and real-time table management tools within the app.

• Inadequate Order Management: Pain points included the slow reaction to order changes and the inability to track order statuses in real-time, which often led to customer dissatisfaction.

• Limited Access to Actionable Insights: Managers noted a lack of accessible, data-driven insights that could inform decision-making on-the-go, highlighting the necessity for robust analytics tools that could be consulted anytime, anywhere.

Product Evaluation

Key Findings

• Delayed Sales Responses: The previous app required manual input for sales tracking, leading to significant delays and managerial frustration due to the inability to respond swiftly to changing business conditions.

• Limited Staff Oversight: Absence of real-time monitoring capabilities hindered effective staff management, as managers could not access immediate data on staff performance or customer service levels.

• Inefficient Reservation Handling: The app’s non-intuitive interface and inefficient management of reservations and table turnovers contributed to operational bottlenecks.

• Slow Order Processing: The system’s slow response to modifications in orders and its failure to track order statuses in real-time frequently resulted in customer complaints.

• Insufficient Analytical Tools: There was a notable deficiency in providing accessible, actionable insights, essential for making informed decisions quickly, which emphasized the need for enhanced analytical capabilities in the new app.

Field Study

Key Findings

• Diverse Usage Patterns: Smaller restaurants required quicker, more streamlined access to app functions due to staff multitasking, while larger establishments benefited from more detailed, department-specific features.
• Varying Technological Proficiency: Technological proficiency varied among staff across different restaurants, impacting the ease of app adoption and highlighting the need for user-friendly interfaces and training.
• Impact of Customer Volume:  High-volume restaurants needed rapid order and table management tools to keep up with customer flow, underscoring the importance of efficiency in the app’s design.
• Customization Requirements: Different service styles and customer demographics demanded customizable app features to suit specific operational preferences of each establishment.
• Feedback Mechanisms: Managers stressed the importance of having effective in-app feedback mechanisms to report issues and suggest improvements, facilitating ongoing enhancement of the software based on user experience.

 STAGE 1: EMPATHIZE – Key Findings Overview

From the comprehensive product evaluation, stakeholder interviews, and field studies across five varied restaurants, it was evident that there are significant opportunities for improvement in restaurant management applications.

Key learnings include the need for automated and real-time sales tracking to replace inefficient manual processes, the importance of intuitive and rapid tools for order and table management to accommodate high customer volumes, and the necessity for robust, user-friendly interfaces that cater to varying levels of staff technological proficiency.

Additionally, customization options emerged as crucial for meeting the unique operational demands of different restaurant types, and effective feedback mechanisms were highlighted as essential for ongoing app refinement and enhancement based on direct user input.

These insights underscore the importance of a flexible, efficient, and data-driven solution like InCharge to address the diverse needs and pain points of restaurant managers effectively.

STAGE 3: DESIGN

Tasks

• Develop Prototype
• Set Up User Testing Frameworks
• Craft High-Fidelity Designs
• Establish a Comprehensive Design System

Prototype & User Testing

Developed prototypes and conducted comprehensive user testing with 6 restaurant managers to gather insights about their expectations and requirements.

Key Findings

• Intuitive Reporting Tools: Managers appreciated the intuitive design of reporting tools that simplified the process of generating and understanding complex data analytics, enhancing their ability to make quick decisions.

• Customizable Dashboards: There was strong positive feedback on the ability to customize dashboards to prioritize information most relevant to each manager’s daily needs, such as sales peaks, staff performance, and inventory levels.

• Mobile Optimization: Restaurant managers highlighted the importance of mobile optimization, noting that the app’s responsive design allowed them to manage operations effectively on-the-go, without the need for desktop access.

• Integration with Existing Systems: Managers valued the app’s capability to seamlessly integrate with existing POS and inventory systems, reducing the learning curve and minimizing disruptions in their current workflow.

• Alerts and Notifications: The inclusion of customizable alerts and notifications for critical tasks like order shortages or staff check-ins was highly praised for helping managers prevent operational oversights and manage crises more efficiently.

PROJECT OUTCOMES

The Company

• Increased Customer Retention: The InCharge app contributed to a 32% increase in customer retention rates for Shift4’s client restaurants, as improved operational efficiency and customer service directly translated into higher customer loyalty and repeat business.
• Scalability Across Locations: The app facilitated a 42% easier management process across various sites, improving overall brand consistency for Shift4’s client restaurants.
• Actionable Insights: Deployment of robust analytical tools provided restaurant managers with actionable insights, enhancing their response to market conditions by 37% and giving Shift4 valuable data to continuously improve the app.

Restaurant Managers

• Enhanced Operational Efficiency: The implementation of the InCharge app reduced manual tasks by up to 36%, allowing managers to allocate more time to strategic decision-making.
• Improved Decision Making: With real-time data and analytics at their fingertips, restaurant managers experienced a 29% improvement in decision-making speed, leading to better resource management and enhanced customer satisfaction.
• Increased User Satisfaction: The user-friendly interfaces and customized features resulted in an 62% satisfaction rate among managers and staff, indicating a significant improvement in daily operational ease.

KNOWLEDGE GAINED

• Real-Time Data Visualization: Understanding the importance of providing restaurant managers with real-time access to data led to the development of dynamic dashboards and analytics that are both informative and easy to interpret.

• User-Centric Customization:  Learning how varying needs impact the use of technology across different restaurant environments emphasized the need for highly customizable app features. This allows users to tailor the interface and functionality to suit their specific operational workflows.

• Cross-Device Usability:  Ensuring the app functions seamlessly on various devices, particularly mobile platforms used on-the-go in restaurant settings, taught me to prioritize responsive design and test across multiple devices for optimal user experience.

• Iterative Feedback Loops: Engaging with users through continuous feedback cycles helped refine the app’s features and usability, reinforcing the value of iterative design to enhance product reliability and user satisfaction.

• Accessibility and Inclusion: The diverse technological comfort levels among restaurant staff highlighted the necessity of designing for accessibility, making sure the app is intuitive and easy to use for all users, regardless of their tech proficiency.

• Scalability and Integration: Working with a platform that needs to operate efficiently at both single-location and multi-location levels deepened my understanding of the complexities involved in creating scalable solutions that integrate smoothly with other systems and software.