Before you start a restaurant IT deployment, you need to do a site survey. These projects are often major undertakings with many moving pieces to coordinate. Without a site survey, it’s easy for small details to fall through the cracks.
The last thing you want is to begin your deployment, only to find out that there’s something missing from the site that will create a delay or a problem for your team. Instead, think ahead, perform a site survey and be confident in the work you’ll be doing.
Reduce Risks
One of the most significant benefits of performing a site survey is reducing the risks associated with your restaurant's IT deployment. When you know the ins and outs of the quick service restaurant you’ll be working on, there’s little room for surprises when you begin your project.
For example, a site survey will let you know if there’s room to store hardware before the deployment begins. If there isn’t, you’ll have time to create a plan to house the parts somewhere else and transport them when they’re needed.
Understand the Scope
Before any IT deployment begins, it’s important to know the network capabilities of the location. With more and more QSR tech needing to be online, reviewing the WWAN and network bandwidth is a critical step. Doing this during a survey is the best way to ensure a smooth deployment since you’ll have a deep understanding of the site before the project even starts.
Save Time & Money
The phrase “measure twice, cut once” is certainly applicable in this situation. When technicians or project managers complete a site survey, they can discover exactly the kinds and quantities of hardware they’ll need for the deployment. This step decreases the likelihood that the wrong items may be ordered, which could lead to delays.
Quick-service restaurants, in particular, need to have efficient deployments, as they often have long operating hours and therefore short periods of downtime. Any delays in the deployment itself can be costly for you and your customers. Instead, rely on a site survey to inform your planning process.
Stay Grounded
It’s easy to get lost in all the new QSR tech that’s becoming popular and the new innovations being released. Unfortunately, there are space, network, and logistical restraints that can impact a quick-service restaurant’s goals.
Doing a site survey early in the process can help project managers and the restaurant teams understand what’s truly feasible in their facility. Adding self-service kiosks might sound like a great idea, but if there’s not enough space available in the restaurant already, it might turn into a larger project. Maybe they do want to take out a few booths for seating in order to add these kiosks. Completing a site survey allows you to have these conversations sooner so that your customers can make the best, most informed decisions.
From reviewing the current network capabilities compared to the upcoming needs to auditing the physical space of the quick service restaurant, site surveys cover a lot of information. These visits are the best, most in-depth way to review everything related to a restaurant IT deployment before the project begins. Site surveys are the first step in ensuring that everyone involved is on the same page and that your upcoming deployment will be successful.
