Research project report following up from previous assignment.
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TechnologyElevatesHotelFoodandBeverageServices.docxRunning head: TECHNOLOGY IN FOOD AND BEVERAGE SERVICES 1
TECHNOLOGY IN FOOD AND BEVERAGE SERVICES 6
RESEARCH METHODS IN TOURISM, HOSPITALITY AND EVENTS
ASSIGNMENT 1
Topic: Technology Elevates Hotel Food and Beverage Services
Student Name: Duong Phuoc Loc (G1878382M)
Batch Number: HTHD2 1909A
Lecturer: Mr. Goh Chye Yeow Terence
Date Submitted: 14/01/2020
Word Count: 1517 words
Student’s Assessment Declaration Form
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Student Name: |
Duong Phuoc Loc |
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Student No. / Matriculation No.: |
G1878382M |
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Batch / Cohort: |
HTHD2 1909A |
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Programmes: |
Higher Diploma in Tourism and Hospitality and Events Management |
I have read and understood the MDIS’ Rule of Conduct of Examination and Academic Dishonesty Policy as stipulated in the Student Handbook. I declare that I will not commit any form of cheating, plagiarism, and collusion in examinations or assignments, regardless of individual assessments or group projects of modules.
For assessment in form of a written assignment of a module, I understand that I am required to submit an Assessment Synopsis at the early stage of the semester/term, and I will include a report from SafeAssign or Turnitin (where applicable) indicating the similarity index with my assignment in the final submission.
I agree to comply with all the related rules and regulations and understand that if I am found to have committed any acts of academic dishonesty I shall be subjected to disciplinary action as decided by MDIS. The severity of the disciplinary action will be commensurate with the breach but may result in expulsion from the Institute without appeal and recourse.
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Student’s Signature: |
Duong Phuoc Loc |
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Date: |
14/01/2020 |
Technology Elevates Hotel Food and Beverage Services
Part A: Proposal
Background
Technology is changing the way the hospitality industry and especially the hotels deliver their services. This is mostly in the luxury segment. This has led to the raising of the bar in the food and beverage programs where the needs of the customers can be anticipated and delivery of their needs done in new ways. Technology has made it possible for the customers to contact the staff through means such as mobile apps and place orders as well as getting information on the exact time the food will be served (Lee, Lin & Shih, 2018). Technological advancements have brought a great breakthrough in the food and beverage department whereby there is an emphasis on the price leadership and differentiation of the products. This is the reason why there are advancements in the construction and performance of the equipment and the appliances used in the preparation and serving of the meals. This has resulted to better preparation processes, proper heating, energy and temperature control. It has also enhanced the hygiene of the working processes and making the services to be flexible and faster.
Food and beverage department is prone to criticism especially on the basis of meal preparation, aesthetics and the experience the customer has after having the meal. This is the reason why it is important to enhance the issues such as hygiene, efficiency of preparation and the cost as well. The tourism industry is most especially affected by the food and beverage department and hence adopting proper technology can also help develop it.
Scope and Purpose of the Research
Problem Statement and Research Questions
The customers are the most important part for the development of any business. This means that the services given are required to be of good standard as well as being timely. This however, has been a challenge especially in peak seasons when the customers exceed the numbers. For this reason, it becomes difficult to provide personalized food and beverage services to the customers and this leads to dissatisfaction and affects profits (Mahidin, Mohd Saifudin & Othman, 2017). Luxury hotels offer food and beverages in the rooms as well as in the lobby. This means that there is a need for proper coordination as well as serve the taste of every customer. The room services are a costly part in any hotel and this is the reason why there have been partnerships in the hotel industry to cut down especially on staffing budgets and keep the food and beverage services in-house (Mahidin, Mohd Saifudin & Othman, 2017). Some hotels also adopt the convenience store model by offering limited number of foods making it difficult for the customers to make their choice. The inefficiencies and the wastes in kitchens, delays in service delivery as well as increasing cost of enhancing the food and beverage services are some of the problems that exist with no technology adoption in this area.
Research Questions
In this research, three research questions will be considered. First of all, what is the significance of technology in the development of food and beverage department? Secondly, of what significance is technology in enhancing standardization in the food and beverage department? Lastly, is technology able to enhance cost efficiency in the food and beverage department?
Part B: Literature Review
The advancements in technology in the 20th and 21st centuries brought about great developments in different industries. These include communication and the business monitoring fields. The hospitality industry has also greatly benefited from technological developments and especially the food and beverage department which has been able to save in costs through hardware and software made to enhance the operations. A number of devices have been developed that help the department to use fewer devices and hence save on physical space conditions. The equipment whose functionality cannot be fully exploited is being replaced by more efficient ones in the department. As a result, the services especially in the kitchen are of higher standard.
Modern technology affects the workforce in the food and beverage department. These are the number of employees who are replaced with the devices and equipment to save on the costs when it comes to payment of the wages and salaries. According to Bledsoe and Rasco the use of the technology has decreased the need for the unskilled and semi-skilled employees (2018). This is because some of the available devices and equipment are able to provide self-preservation and hygiene. The combi ovens for example are able to clean themselves causing a savings in water, labor and the detergents (Lee et al., 2019). This has led to the employees being less exposed to the unhealthy volatile detergents and the chemicals as well as spending less time in the cleaning processes.
According to Chand and Slath the food and beverage department strives to achieve the best customer service, provide a healthy and safe environment (2018). Therefore, new technologies have been reliable in streamlining the processes and improving the quality and safety protocols. There are several ways and methods through which technology has worked to enhance the efficiencies in the department as well as reduce wastes. The first area is operational improvements in delivering the services. The food and beverage department is the first determinant of the success registered in the hospitality industry. As such, technology has greatly contributed to the development of better services. The customers are able to order online and hence improve the speed of delivering the services (Chand & Slath, 2018). The use of mobile applications helps the interactions between the providers and the customers to be improved. The use of digital systems helps in elevating the business practices and systems.
According to Kerr et al. apart from the operational efficiency in the food and beverage department, the use of technology has helped improve the safety practices (2016). The former system used to have the pens and papers which were to check the efficiency of working of the temperature logs and the air conditioning. This gave rise to human error due to failure to inspect correctly and mistakes in recording information. However, with the advancements in technology and use of digital systems, the records are more accurate and convenient. The information can be recorded accurately and the managers have real time access to it. As a result, the tasks are completed promptly.
Technology has made standardization possible in the luxury hotels especially those that are found internationally. There is need for the customers to experience the same services in all countries. Therefore, there is standardization of the labor and the business which leads to the recognition of the brand. Food standards are most important. This applies internationally. Therefore, the food and beverage department is able compare costs as well as enhance standardization by using the established standards to identify any deviation identified and eliminate it. Cost effectiveness in the department and standardization are related. This is because they both focus on reducing the unnecessary costs. Therefore, technology and standardization techniques have made it possible for the food and beverage department to carefully handle the groceries, hoard, and plan effectively. The customers in the hospitality industry evaluate the services based on whether their expectations have been met and the value for their money. Therefore, when these expectations are not met then there is a negative impression which can affect the business. Food safety is important because all the customers are sensitive to it and they expect that the food and beverages served are suitable and safe for consumption. According to Griffith, Jackson, and Lues the HACCP system is important in food safety (2017). Management of the documentation of the system has become easier with technology because manual checking of the system has been replaced with the networking of the catering equipment, combi ovens and the creation of standardized recipes. This means that the foods and beverages served to the customers are both safe and of higher quality.
The use of technology has been an effective way of reducing the human errors in the food and beverage department. According to Goh & Jie humans make mistakes and some of them can negatively affect the quality of products (2019). The need for improved efficiency means that better methods and procedures need to be adapted. For example, the food may be put at risk when an attendant misreads the thermometer, logs the data incorrectly or forgets to close the walk-in cooler door. As such, technology brings about optimization and reduces these errors to ensure that the food and beverage department effectively delivers the best services to the customers. The luxury hotels on the other hand register customers with different tastes and hence personalized recipes are necessary. With proper technology there are fewer errors in the delivery of good food as well as enhancing time of delivery and customer service.
References
Bledsoe, G., & Rasco, B. (2018). Recent Advances on Intelligent and Active Packaging in Food and Beverage Technology. Food Health and Technology Innovations, 1(2), 72-74.
Chand, M., & Slath, A. (2018). Impact of Food and Beverage Service Practices on Customer Satisfaction in the Food Outlets, Chandigarh, India. International Journal of Hospitality & Tourism Systems, 11(2).
Goh, E., & Jie, F. (2019). To waste or not to waste: Exploring motivational factors of Generation Z hospitality employees towards food wastage in the hospitality industry. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 80, 126-135.
Griffith, C. J., Jackson, L. M., & Lues, R. (2017). The food safety culture in a large South African food service complex: Perspectives on a case study. British Food Journal, 119(4), 729-743.
Kerr, D. A., Harray, A. J., Pollard, C. M., Dhaliwal, S. S., Delp, E. J., Howat, P. A., ... & Wright, J. L. (2016). The connecting health and technology study: a 6-month randomized controlled trial to improve nutrition behaviours using a mobile food record and text messaging support in young adults. International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity, 13(1), 52.
Lee, S., Lee, K. S., Chua, B. L., & Han, H. (2019). Hotel restaurants’ challenges and critical success factors in Klang Valley, Malaysia: the inseparable roles of support centers and revenue streams. Journal of Quality Assurance in Hospitality & Tourism, 20(1), 16-43.
Lee, W. H., Lin, C. W., & Shih, K. H. (2018). A technology acceptance model for the perception of restaurant service robots for trust, interactivity, and output quality. International Journal of Mobile Communications, 16(4), 361-376.
Mahidin, N., Mohd Saifudin, A., & Othman, S. N. (2017). Halal food logistics: the challenges among food & beverages small and medium sizes manufacturers. International Journal of Supply Chain Management (IJSCM), 6(3), 337-346.
