Steps to optimize order automation

The automation of orders is one of the objectives that drives the development of a proper management of storage, distribution and the correct preparation of your service.

For small restaurants, managing orders can be an easy task, but as you get more customers, the orders will grow and you must be prepared to manage them correctly.

With the aim of supporting you, here we share with you interesting content that will help you include in your business actions that promote the automation of orders in your restaurant.

Order automation, step by step

Let’s start with a basic guide of what you should do to optimize the automation of orders, so that you have a clear roadmap, which will help you throughout the process.

Let’s see, without further ado, the steps you must take to achieve order automation in your business:

1. Establish objectives that you want to achieve when applying this process in your restaurant, in this way you will be able to determine the real needs of order automation.
2. Identify the phases of order preparation, which will allow you to define the automation of the service.
3. Give priority to the optimization processes that the business requires, so you can determine the budget and estimated time to implement each improvement.
4. Apply order automation in your business that you have chosen for your company.

When implementing automation it is necessary to make a set of changes that will allow your team to develop new skills that will enrich their training and therefore their performance.

What is order automation?

Automation is all the technological actions that allow the improvement of the methodologies used by your business to provide a memorable service among your customers.

In addition, with the automation of the order process you are looking to improve the productivity of the business.

What is picking?

Picking or order preparation is an activity that determines the collection, preparation, storage and updating of the inventory of goods.

The objective of this activity is to guarantee that the products required by the client are carried out in an adequate manner, complying with the times established by the service.

Features of Order Preparation or Picking

Among these characteristics of picking or order preparation, the following stand out:

• It has control points in the warehouse, which guarantee the location of the goods, handling and passage of machinery and people.
• It shows an adequate signaling and organization of the warehouse areas.
• Establishes a signaling for the goods.
• Establish indications for the mobilization and transport of the goods located in the warehouse.
• Manages written or voice instructions through electronic devices to attend the orders.
• Keep a controlled record of the inventory of goods entering and leaving the warehouse.

Types of picking

Batch picking

Batch picking can be done manually or automatically. It is based on the collection of products in batches, which are then separated to give you the references that correspond to each order.

Pick to box

This type of picking is based on the collection of products together, which starts the preparation of orders in shipping boxes avoiding the process of separation of products.

Pick by light or pick to light:

The pick by light or pick to light allows the preparation of orders in an organized and efficient way, placing products on the shelves with the assigned coding to facilitate selection during the search.

Pick to voice

The pick to voice offers a pick guide through voice instructions, used in the preparation of picking orders to speed up the handling of orders. This option gives you the freedom to have your hands free when executing operations.

Order optimization methods

In order to achieve optimization in the preparation of picking orders, it is necessary to develop a methodology to improve access to products and guarantee their adequate distribution.

The optimization methods developed in picking are

1. Implementing management systems that allow to know in real time the availability of the orders.
2. Maintain strict control over management and internal activities related to orders.

Stages of order preparation

In order to carry out the preparation of orders, it is necessary to fulfil a series of stages that break down the methods used to carry out each of the established tasks.

The stages of order preparation are:

1. Planning

At this stage the planning and organization of orders is carried out.

To be more efficient, it is advisable to implement order automation systems here. This simplifies the work and the taking of the order.

2. Tour

The route is another of the stages of order preparation. During this stage, the existence of the necessary ingredients is verified in the warehouse of your restaurant

At this stage, the existence of an automated process is ideal to increase efficiency in your kitchen.

3. Extraction or collection

The process of extraction or collection of the goods varies according to the location of the product and how accessible it is in the warehouse to start, in the shortest time possible, the preparation of orders.

At this stage, a check is carried out to ensure that both storage and inventory have been carried out properly.

4. Checking and preparing the order

The check and preparation of the order is the last stage of the process. It ensures that each of the previous stages has been carried out correctly and proceeds to make way for picking.

Advantages of order automation

In case you still have doubts about the benefits of this process, we leave you with the most important advantages of working on the automation of orders in your restaurant:

• Increases productivity through the use of new technologies
• Optimizes and distributes space appropriately
• It facilitates the transport of loads during the storage phase.
• Protects and guarantees the conservation of the goods.
• Ensures the logistics and distribution of the goods.
• Maintains an updated record of the inventory in real time.
• Adequate management of failures and control in the presence of products with defects.
• Improves order delivery management according to the completion date.
• Provides accurate information on the origin, location and delivery of the goods.

Errors in order preparation

Generally, the most frequent errors in order preparation are found in the work environment and these cases significantly affect the productivity of the company.

Here we will share some of the errors in order preparation:

• Inadequate facilities, equipment and technology.
• Poor planning and methodologies.
• Lack of education and training of the work team.
• Inefficient access and identification points.
• Inadequate product supply and identification.
• Poor management of product inventory.

With this information we hope that you will find it useful to start the process of order automation in your restaurant.