Electronic tablets aim to reduce reliance on slower laptops and boost area manager and licensee links
The relationship between area managers and licensees is vital to the success of tenanted and leased pubs, and while microchips can't replace human interaction, they might help things run a little more smoothly.
At least that's the theory behind Greene King Pub Partners' latest experiment. The Suffolk-based company is conducting trials of new technology to help its sales development managers (SDMs) bring the office to the pub and hold more efficient and effective business meetings with their licensees.
Three different electronic "tablets" are currently on trial within the estate as replacements for the more impersonal and slower laptops.
Using 3G mobile technology, the tablets enable SDMs to access business development reviews, sales reports, current promotions, call up the Pub Partners' extranet website and order point-of-sale material during their meetings with licensees.
Reports can be hand-written on the tablets and text recognition software converts it into a typed electronic document, saving time.
Dominic Gooder, one of the SDMs trialling the tablets, describes the system as "a one-stop support system for licensees and their SDMs".
It's a great time saver and eliminates the need for an extensive paper trail," he explains. "Everything is instant - licensees can get what they need immediately and pubs really benefit because action can be taken much quicker. It's also easy to use after just a couple of hours of training."
"The trial has encouraged licensees to use email more often," he adds. "And that can have a positive impact on the entire estate. A decision on whether the tablets will be rolled out will be made following full analysis of the business benefits and is expected in next few months.
Staying ahead of the game
Pub Partners introduced PDAs - personal digital assistants - for its SDMs more than two years ago, following a similar trial and has an explicit commitment to developing technology across the business.
"We're adamant about staying ahead of the game," says commercial director Paul Lloyd. "We don't buy into every new fad but make sure we pick kit that adds real value to our operations. These trials ensure that we use the right type of technology for our business and we look forward to assessing the results."
Last year Pub Partners introduced an extranet which makes a wealth of information and business advice available to licensees day or night at the touch of a button. Since then the site has been enhanced to make it easier to navigate.
"Our extranet currently has over 500 users, all of whom have found it to be a tremendous asset, particularly the time and cost savings," says project controller Glenn Smith. "All the elements of our support package are held on the system, which is now more interactive and user-friendly."
Pub Partners' extranet contains numerous marketing toolkits, a menu creation tool, information on wine and catering packages and Greene King's wet product portfolio. Licensees can access their last six invoices and print off their very own price lists.
The system supplies pubs with up-to-date sales reports and a 12-week tracker to compare volumes and offers legal advice along with employment guidelines, taxation advice and the training history of each house. A repairs and maintenance status report is also available plus essential health and safety and risk assessment forms.
Licensees can shop online for point-of-sale and promotional materials, too. They can easily communicate with other Pub Partners licensees on a noticeboard.
"The extranet is proving particularly useful in the weeks leading up to busy periods like Christmas," adds Glenn. "Licensees can plan their menus, take advantage of seasonal price reductions on a range of products and services and download promotional materials to help them make the most of the festive period."
Technological solutions to staff retention
Staff retention is a continual challenge in the pub industry, and even here, it seems, technology can help. Regent Inns reckons it has saved £50,000 in operational costs since introducing a new HR system that is geared towards keeping people in the business by managing their skills and training development.
The web-based solution, provided by Fourth Hospitality, enables Regent to devolve responsibility for HR and payroll to the managers of its 70 pubs. As well as managing holidays and training on site, they enter daily information on staffing and wage costs into a central portal giving senior management access to real-time performance data.
This has uncovered problems that would otherwise have remained hidden. For instance, in a large pub group, venues may report consistent trade patterns and revenues and will therefore be deemed profitable - but costs at these sites may vary. Real-time business intelligence enables managers to immediately identify fluctuating areas of cost by pinpointing the exact cause, time and location.
In the same way, the system makes visible what is happening with skills and training among the workforce, making it easy to identify suitable candidates when a position becomes available and to plan succession and advance individual careers.
Operations and HR managers can also analyse training needs, monitor staff turnover and assess employees who are eligible for promotion, all helping to increase job satisfaction and therefore staff retention.
As Simon Bocca at Fourth Hospitality puts it: "It's like having a fully-automated training manager who is dedicated to staff retention and career development". "The system gives us confidence," says Hilda Proctor, who directed the project at Regent Inns. "We saved £50,000 straight away."
Head office administration has been reduced by 50 per cent, and eight working hours per manager per site have been saved. As well as creating major cost savings it has contributed significantly to reducing staff turnover.