As the pandemic slows, the foodservice industry is revving up. However, it’s changing quickly, and that’s creating new opportunities for commercial food equipment service companies in the year to come.
By spotting trends now, commercial foodservice company leaders can stay ahead of this recharged industry and prepare to fuel growth going forward. In this article, we identify the top foodservice business trends for 2022 and lay out ways to use these trends to grow your business.
Foodservice customer management is increasingly important.
In 2022, commercial food equipment service businesses have a chance to develop relationships with a changing foodservice industry that’s searching for stability. The pandemic forced the industry into uncertainty and turmoil, featuring everything from temporary closures and capacity mandates to unpredictable changes in demand. Going forward, restaurants will be searching for long-term business partnerships with commercial food equipment service businesses. Commercial food equipment service companies can meet this trend and deliver better customer management in a few key ways:
Use technology to connect your organization.
One of the best ways to improve customer management is to connect all of the key parts of your commercial food equipment service business through all-in-one field service management software. End-to-end platforms give you a window into your front and back offices as well as insight into what's happening in the field, in the warehouse, and within all of your business units. By seeing important metrics and how each piece of the business is contributing to the customer experience, you can develop a data-backed plan that improves customer management and increases customer loyalty.
Use software to improve scheduling and dispatching.
The more efficient your scheduling and dispatching is, the easier it is to deliver the service that customers appreciate. With software, dispatchers receive job updates and can match field techs to the jobs that fit their location, certifications, and skills. In turn, deploying the right techs to the jobs that suit them best is a quick way to deliver the service customers appreciate.
Use mobile resources to increase efficiency on the job.
Mobile field service apps give field techs on-site resources, service and equipment histories, and pertinent customer information. That makes it easier for them to work more efficiently and boost productivity.
New equipment is driving demand.
Another major trend for commercial food equipment service businesses in 2022 will be an uptick in requests for new equipment. In fact, some market research reports suggest the need for new foodservice equipment will contribute to a $2.43 billion surge in demand for commercial food equipment service business from now to 2025. In response to COVID-19, many restaurants are opening ghost kitchens, shifting to more sustainable models, and asking for multifunctional cooking equipment to reduce costs.
Commercial food equipment service companies can embrace this 2022 trend in two ways:
- Make sure you have access to and focus on training for the latest commercial food parts and equipment.
- Stay ahead of the competition by working to improve first-time fix rates and increase working capital.
Foodservice equipment is shifting.
Inflation, rising labor costs, and disruptions in the supply chain are expected to hit the commercial food industry hard in 2022. In fact, restaurant prices are already jumping at the fastest rate in 40 years. As costs grow, the commercial food industry is incorporating more technology that reduces labor, increases safety, and lowers long-term costs.
For commercial food equipment service companies, the spike in prices is positioned to trigger two key commercial food equipment service business trends in 2022:
1. Expect an upswing in equipment that reduces labor.
Labor shortages and inflation are likely to cause problems for the commercial food service industry in 2022. As of May 2021, employment at food and beverage establishments was still 1.5 million jobs short of pre-pandemic levels. In turn, foodservice companies are ordering equipment that fills in the labor gap and reduces costs.
For commercial food equipment service businesses, it will be important to stay current on training and certifications for new equipment, especially multifunctional cooking equipment, equipment with self-monitoring smart sensors, and utility cost-saving kitchen equipment.
2. Plan for more demand for contract manufacturers
With key measures of inflation hitting the highest levels in more than 30 years, commercial foodservice companies are doing more business with contract manufacturers. Restaurant owners realize they can secure discounts with contract-based deals, so they’re depending more and more on contract manufacturers for business.
As a commercial food equipment service leader, you can prepare by embracing technology that makes it easier to manage planned maintenance contracts. For instance, advanced software can help you accomplish this by organizing maintenance agreements for you, highlighting which contracts are worth pursuing longer-term, and providing reminders when contracts are set to expire.
Additionally, when equipment is still under warranty, advanced all-in-one field service management software users can communicate directly with the manufacturer and secure service on equipment. Plus, you can use advanced software to track the full equipment lifecycle, as well as the costs accruing on a single piece of equipment. Ultimately, that means you can see equipment trends and fully grasp the scope of sales or service you need to deliver.
Grow your company in 2022 and beyond.
Even as the industry changes, the future looks bright for organizations that can adjust to trends in 2022. One of the easiest ways to stay ahead of commercial food equipment service business trends, spot new opportunities, and grow your business is to adopt all-in-one field service management software.
Davisware’s all-in-one field service management software is designed specifically for commercial food equipment service companies that need to simplify management, increase profit, and grow. Schedule a demo now to see how Davisware software can help your commercial food equipment service business surpass its goals in 2022 and beyond.
