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Providing exceptional customer service is essential for survival in the competitive food and beverage (F&B) and retail industries. With the help of technology, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) can enhance their products and improve operational efficiency. Cyberport’s Digital Transformation Support Pilot Programme (DTSPP) enables and facilitates SMEs looking to embark on their digital transformation journey. The pilot programme offers funding support to eligible SMEs, covering up to 50% of the total project cost or a maximum of HK$50,000, whichever is lower.
Alex P.E, Chairman of the WOODLANDS Group of Restaurants in Hong Kong and Macau, the first Indian vegetarian restaurant in the city, has successfully upgraded its point-of-sale (POS) system via the pilot programme. “Under the pilot programme, our restaurant has adopted a new POS system that provides easy access to sales data. We can now view the data on our smartphones anytime and anywhere, including customer volume, top favourite dishes and sales performance, without visiting the restaurant in person. The adoption of the new POS system can enhance efficiency and save time.”
Highlighting the advantages of the new POS system, Alex indicated that it features a multilingual interface, saving the efforts for translation among different languages. “With data automatically collected and analysed by the system, identifying the top-selling dishes makes it easier to develop a marketing strategy. With the benefits of digitialisation, we are also studying the feasibility of using QR code ordering, making it convenient for both of our staff and customers.”
When asked whether the new technology would result in reduced staffing, Alex firmly disagreed, emphasising that restaurant operations encompass administrative tasks and customer service. “While technology streamlines administrative processes, it allows our staff to focus more on providing excellent service. Approximately 70% of our customers are locals who may not be familiar with Indian cuisine. By elaborating the dish ingredients and culinary method, we help them better understand our offerings.” Regarding the approval timeline for the DTSPP application, Alex mentioned that the efficiency of the pilot programme was highlighted by Cyberport’s speedy approval of their application.
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Digital solution provider Roka Service is one of the key companies assisting SMEs with technical upgrades under the pilot programme. Crystal Ngai, Managing Director of Roka Service, expressed the significance of the initiative: “When the DTSPP was launched, we immediately considered that WOODLANDS was an ideal candidate matching with the pilot programme, given their urgent need to enhance their operation. The pilot programme not only enabled them to implement the new system at half the cost but also improve their operational efficiency significantly.”