orderUP!

Introduction

Think of the last time you went out to eat at a restaurant; how was your experience in regards to the
service you received? In most cases, many customers will describe the service as being slow, or complain
about the server lacking attentiveness. As a restaurant reaches dinner service and customers start
flooding in, it is not rare for many servers to become overwhelmed and begin making careless mistakes.
This may include forgetting a request on a particular order, bringing the wrong side order out, forgetting
to specify allergies, or simply juggling too many tables, therefore slowing production down. The lack of
attentive customer service as business increases in a restaurant often frustrates customers, damaging
the reputation of the restaurant in the meantime. Furthermore, the careless mistakes made by waiters
and waitresses lead to decreased net profits and increased waste for the restaurant when orders are
returned to the kitchen. Pete Evans from CBC news reports that studies show more than “$31 billion

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worth of food is wasted every year in Canada”, including a large portion of that waste being attributed

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to the restaurant industry (4). According to David Xie, author of This is Why It Takes So Long to Get Your

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Food at Restaurants, the primary reasons as to why service in restaurants is so slow are servers being

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too busy to tend to each customers needs promptly, and communication breakdowns between staff and

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customers (3). Xie further explains “between doling out menus, taking orders, cleaning and setting
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tables, checking up on guests, and collecting bills – all for multiple tables”, servers become easily
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overwhelmed (3). Additionally, he suggests that many restaurants continue to use old fashion bells to
alert servers when a table’s food is ready, despite the small ring being drowned out by background noise
in most cases (3). Each of the aforementioned issues that many restaurants face ultimately lead to
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increased miscommunication between the customers, servers, and kitchen staff, decreased customer
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retention and loyalty, decreased productivity in regards to both the kitchen staff and servers, and
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unsatisfied customers.

My proposed solution to the issues restaurants face is "orderUP!". orderUP! is a service offered to
restaurants that eradicates each of the problems stated above, by eliminating the majority of issues
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linked to miscommunication between the customers and staff. orderUP! offers customers a new way of
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ordering their meal by removing the initial communication between the servers and diners. orderUP! is
a self-ordering system, similar to the self-serve kiosks found in McDonald's or movie theatres, which
provides restaurants the technology to allow customers to select their order promptly, and sends their
request directly to the kitchen staff. This cost effective system is installed on tablets which are assigned
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and placed on each designated table. orderUP! allows restaurants to craft the design of their menu,
update their menu as frequently as they please, and allows diners to customize their order to their
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desire. Once an order has been submitted by a customer, it gets sent directly to the kitchen staff on
similar tablets or monitors, therefore decreasing the wait time between ordering a meal and
communicating the order to the kitchen staff. This allows the servers to focus on delivering meals in a
timely manner, and creates a solid foundation of communication between each of the parties, including
the kitchen staff, servers, and customers. Additionally, orderUP! allows customers to notify their waiter
or waitress when they require service, such as a beverage refill. By decreasing the time spent by servers
taking and reiterating orders, orderUP! increases productivity, decreases wait time for customers,
decreases mistakes via miscommunication, decreases waste, thereby increasing net profit. Therefore, by
eliminating many of the common issues most restaurants face previously listed, orderUP! aids in
increased customer retention, decreased waste, and increased organization.

https://www.coursehero.com/file/29737444/orderUPpdf/
 According to Module 3, “divergent thinking, also known as brainstorming, is about aiming for new ideas,
seeking to generate a whole host of possible solutions for a design problem” (1). I developed my
proposed solution, orderUP!, through the process of divergent thinking. Divergent thinking requires one
to brainstorm a series of creative concepts, while striving for quality ideas to produce better solutions
(1). Divergent thinking helped me break away from traditional ideas, and take a creative leap into a new
direction for the restaurant industry (1). Throughout the process of developing the solution to
unsatisfied customers in the restaurant industry, I first had to determine the cause of the issue. Once I
understood the underlying problem was excessive miscommunication between servers, and the
customers and kitchen staff, I began brainstorming creative solutions, eventually leading me to develop
my proposed solution: orderUP!. As Margaret Bruce outlines in her article Unleashing the Creative
Potential of Design in Business, “design is essentially the application of human creativity to a purpose -
to create products, services, buildings, organisations and environments which meet people's needs (2).
orderUP! is a creative solution to meet the needs of customers, as well as increasing the productivity
and potential profits of the restaurants involved.

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Self Assessment

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1. Christian Tanner reminds us, "Even the small, crazy ideas can be immensely valuable if
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pursued." In your divergent thinking process, describe one relatively "crazy" idea you came up
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with. How might it be valuable if implemented?

Throughout the duration of this assignment, I used a divergent thinking process to come up with
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various problems and corresponding solutions (1). As Melba Kurman suggests in her article Asking
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the Important Questions: A Guide to Design Thinking and a Better Way to Serve Customers, “the
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innovation process requires problem finding, problem selecting, solution finding and solution
selecting” (7). My divergent thinking process allowed me to step out of the box, and become
creative with the solutions I brainstormed. Additionally, my divergent thinking process enabled me
to develop innovative, visionary ideas. Once I reached Kurman’s suggested third step to innovation,
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being “solution finding”, I was able to brainstorm several different ideas (7). One of the “craziest”
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ideas I had, in correspondence to my selected problems within the restaurant industry, was
installing touch screen tables in restaurants, instead of tablets. Although it would have been a sleek,
contemporary solution, I determined that the technology required, as well as the “pains” associated
with technological tables, were to great. Before coming to a final decision that the touch-screen
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tables were not feasible, I took water damage, durability, and cost into consideration. Therefore, I
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determined that the best method to solving the restaurant industries organizational issues was to
utilize tablets.

2. Tina Seelig argues that when you reframe the problems we observe -- such as considering
them from a user-centric perspective -- "it allows you to see the world around you in a brand-
new light." Was reframing part of your creative process while completing this assignment? If
so, did it result in new understanding?

Yes, I did reframe the problem I was observing throughout the process of completing this
assignment. Not only did I observe the issue of disorganization, miscommunication, and lack of
attentiveness in the restaurant industry from the viewpoint of the restaurants themselves, but as
well as from a customer perspective. I now understand that in order for customers to be satisfied,

https://www.coursehero.com/file/29737444/orderUPpdf/
 and for restaurants to achieve high customer retention rates, each aspect of a dinner service must
be harmonious. This requires the kitchen staff to prepare food correctly and vigilantly, servers to
remain organized and attentive, and customers to remain attended to for and satisfied with their
meal and wait time (8). By reframing the way I looked at the issue, and taking both different
perspectives into consideration, I was able to see the restaurant industry in a new light. Stemming
from Thomas Oppong’s advice in his article Why Curiosity Leads to Creative Breakthroughs, I took
the time to observe the restaurant industry and how it functions, then questioned how it could be
improved.

3. As Jessica Stillman reports, research shows that letting your mind wander leads to greater
creativity. Did you let your ideas "incubate" and if so, did it result in greater clarity or novel
insights?

As part of the process of divergent thinking, after brainstorming numerous innovative and creative
solutions, I let my ideas “incubate” to give me a greater understanding of what would be the correct

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proposed solution to my observed issue (1). By allowing my mind to wander, and letting my ideas
incubate, it gave me greater clarity and resulted in me refining my proposed solution. The

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importance of letting your ideas incubate generates a clearer understanding of your goals, what
needs to be accomplished, and validates whether you’re on the right track or not. Throughout the

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duration of this assignment, allowing my ideas to incubate proved to be beneficial in my creative
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thinking and decision making process.
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7. When designing for happiness, Mark Wilson explains, it's important that users exit the
experience with a smile. Disney calls it "a kiss goodnight." How might your proposed solution
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achieve this goal?

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My proposed solution achieves the goal of users exiting the experience with a smile because
orderUP! is a solution for restaurateurs, that has the interests of the customer set as their number
one priority. orderUP! offers customers a new way of ordering their meal in an efficient, timely
manner. Additionally, our system allows servers more time to tend to their customers by ensuring
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customers have the ability to alert their server if they require assistance or service. Lastly, by giving
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customers direct communication with the kitchen staff through our self-self ordering system,
orderUP! increases productivity, decreases wait time, decreases miscommunication errors, and
decreases allergy liabilities. Each of the benefits orderUP! offers is based on customer satisfaction,
and prioritises the importance of customers exiting the experience with a smile. Moreover, not only
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does orderUP! ensure customer satisfaction, but also leaves the restaurateurs exiting the experience
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of installing our system with a smile. orderUP! is mindful of each party involved in the restaurant
industry, and values the importance of positive user experiences.

https://www.coursehero.com/file/29737444/orderUPpdf/
 Conclusion

In conclusion, the issue I observed was how disorganization and miscommunication can affect customer
satisfaction and customer retention within the restaurant industry. My proposed solution was to
incorporate my business orderUP! into restaurants that experience the aforementioned issues.
Restaurants that would experience most of the issues listed above are chain restaurants that cater to
high volumes of customers. orderUP! is an electronic ordering system, available on tablets, that allows
customers to order their own food exactly the way they choose, then submit their order directly to the
kitchen staff. Furthermore, orderUP! allows customers to alert their server if they require attention or
service. Therefore, by eliminating many of the common issues most restaurants experience, specifically
chain, orderUP! aids in increased customer retention, decreased waste, and increased organization.

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 REFERENCES

(1) Matrix, S.E. (2018). ENIN140: Divergent Thinking: Brainstorming, module 3 notes
(PowerPoint slides).

I incorporated Module 3 notes, particularly Divergent Thinking: Brainstorming due to it’s
relativity to the process in which I developed my proposed solution. The process in
which I came up with creative ideas was through the use of divergent thinking and
brainstorming. Divergent thinking allowed me to think outside of the box, and let my
ideas incubate.

(2) Bruce, M. (n.d.). Unleashing the creative potential of design in business. Retrieved
March 09, 2018, from
https://ereserves.library.queensu.ca/ares/ares.dll?Action=10&Type=10&Value=57572

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Margaret Bruce offers inside to divergent thinking, and allowing oneself to question the

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issue excessively. Furthermore, Bruce’s article is one of the required class readings, and
is relevant to not only our course content, but also my proposed solution. By reading

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Bruce’s article, I was able to question more, and connect it to my own solution.
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(3) Xie, D. (2016, January 19). This Is Why It Takes So Long to Get Your Food at
Restaurants. Retrieved March 09, 2018, from https://spoonuniversity.com/how-to/why-it-
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takes-so-long-to-get-your-food-at-restaurants
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David Xie, a former Queen’s University Student, offers various ideas as to “why it takes
so long to get your food in restaurants”. His article offered helpful secondary research to
the problem I addressed within my proposed solution, and gave me clarity to exactly
what happens behind the scenes in the restaurant industry. Xie’s article helped me better
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understand the underlying issues within the restaurant industry, therefore allowing me to
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ask better questions in regards to cultivating a solution.

(4) Evans, P. (2014, December 12). Canadians waste $31B worth of food every year - and
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probably a lot more. Retrieved March 09, 2018, from

http://www.cbc.ca/news/business/food-waste-costs-canada-31b-a-year-report-says-
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1.2869708

I chose to incorporate Evan’s insight on how much food goes wasted in Canada due to
it’s relevancy in regards to extent of lost revenue within the restaurant industry. In order
to better explain why my issue is of importance and why my solution is relevant, Evan’s
researched provided further evidence to support my issue.

(5) Menu Engineering: How to Raise Restaurant Profits 15% or ... (n.d.). Retrieved March 9,
2018, from
https://www.bing.com/cr?IG=8E1BF1EED59D4E528952304C3D17FE4E&CID=383B4
510312368FB3B734EBE308C69CF&rd=1&h=wDH4wWKmfWnoxOZ1UbIEBxkDAet

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 WHLerwCdbjqTsQOM&v=1&r=https%3a%2f%2fwww.menucoverdepot.com%2fresour
ce-center%2farticles%2frestaurant-menu-engineering%2f&p=DevEx,5067.1

In order to fully understand not only the restaurant industry, but the customer as well,
research was required to understand what attracts customers, and what a “good menu”
looks like. Considering the bulk of my proposed solution requires menu design, the
article listed above provided insight as to how to increase a restaurant’s revenue with
simply the menu design. This article also related back to course material, in regards to
how Design Thinking is so relevant within any business, because the design is what
initially attracts a customer, and sets a business apart from it’s competitors.

(6) Knapton, S. (n.d.). The most stressful job? Waitressing, say scientists. Retrieved March
09, 2018, from https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/science/science-news/11931692/The-
most-stressful-job-Waitressing-say-scientists.html

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Knapton’s article above outlines how and why server’s jobs are so stressful, and how

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such stresses could be avoided. The bulk of my evidence is supported by this article, due

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to disorganization and miscommunication stemming from stress placed upon servers

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from various different outlets within a restaurant.
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(7) Kurman, M. (2016, October 05). Asking the Important Questions: A Guide to Design
Thinking And a Better Way to Serve Customers. Retrieved March 09, 2018, from
http://www.innovationmanagement.se/2011/05/30/asking-the-important-questions-a-
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guide-to-design-thinking-and-a-better-way-to-serve-customers/
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I chose Melba Kurman’s article due to it’s course relevancy, and the insight it provided to
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support my proposed solution. Kurman stresses that it’s important to always question,
and specifically to ask the important questions. Her article enabled me to expand my
ideas through extensive questioning as to what the most correct solution would be.
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Moreover, Kurman’s article reminded me to consider how my issue effects not only those
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working within the restaurant industry, but the customers themselves as well. It allowed
me to see both perspectives and gain greater knowledge on the issue.

(8) 5 Ways To Make Your Restaurant Customers Happier. (2015, May 14). Retrieved March
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09, 2018, from https://restaurantengine.com/make-your-restaurant-customers-happier/

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5 Ways to Make Your Restaurant Customers Happier was helpful in correlation to the
previous article I discussed by Kurman. This article reminded me that the customers of a
restaurant are the main priority, and provided me with strong secondary research in
regards to the issue I observed. One of the main components of this article was
attentiveness and good customer service, which is directly linked to my proposed
solution.

(9) Oppong, T. (2016, August 24). Why Curiosity Leads to Creative Breakthroughs.
Retrieved March 09, 2018, from https://www.inc.com/thomas-oppong/why-curiosity-
leads-to-creative-breakthroughs.html

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 Although this article served the least amount of relevant information in regards to my
observed issue, there were a few key takeaways that provided me with a greater
understanding of how to ask the right questions, and how important curiosity is in respect
to innovation and creativity. Oppong’s article provided me with a better understanding of
how I should approach developing my proposed solution.


Disclaimers:
1. Gordon Ramsay did not offer any quotes about the service “orderUP!”, and the quote
used was fabricated.

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