A unique collaboration between 4Service and tech company Izy has resulted in MaiFood, a smart, efficient and sustainable solution for tomorrow's canteens. The digital checkout system is already in use and the newest location is BI Foodcourt.
At BI in Nydalen in Oslo, lunch is approaching, and Foodcourt is popular with students. Hot dishes, salads, baguettes and other kiosk items are sold here. Two new appliances attract curious students. The cash solution MaiFood will serve hungry and busy students who do not want to spend unnecessary time in the canteen queue.
“We are constantly working to improve the customer journey, and I am concerned with the least pressure possible for guests to buy food and drinks,” says Øivind Westerby, Success Manager at 4Service, which operates BI Foodcourt.
Testing of Izy MaiFood is a collaborative project with 4Service, now part of Compass Group. While Izy Developing smart digital solutions, 4Service knows everything there is to know about the operation of canteens and kiosks in commercial buildings. Together they find solutions for efficient and sustainable operation of canteens.
“I love new technology, and MaiFood is an exciting AI solution with a self-service machine that scans the products for you,” says Øivind Westerby.
Øivind Westerby, Success Manager at 4Service, here on a visit to Foodcourt at BI in Oslo where two appliances have been set up.
Now in the time after starting with MaiFood in BI Foodcourt, Izy works closely with 4Service who have come up with useful input. The feedback is used for improvements to meet the needs of canteen operators.
“It may take some time to scan images, but once it's in place, the device is easy to use,” says Øivind from 4Service. He has a background as a chef and has worked in sales for the canteen and restaurant industry for a number of years, the last three years at 4Service. He sees the needs of several teams.
“Different canteens have different challenges and need different solutions. With MaiFood we can work on the customer journey,” says Øivind.
“MaiFood solves problems for both customers who want their lunch quickly. It frees up time for canteen staff and simplifies the operation of the canteen,” says Saurav Pandey from Izy. He is a senior backend developer and has spent much of his time on MaiFood and prediction.
“MaiFood is a point of sales, a box that can register the goods you buy. The appliance is semi-automated and does not need staffing. The effort is put into machine learning of products where weight and appearance are recorded, he explains
Instead of dragging one by one product through the checkout to read a barcode, the customer can take all the products and put them on the plate on the Maifood appliance. Everything is recorded in a flash and is ready for payment.
“In the backend, employees have a full overview of what products have been trained and what is pending. Their customers can also enter the menu or scan the QR code on the product. If necessary, a receipt can be printed, says Saurav.
MaiFood can be supplied with dual display. That is, both the customer and employees can see the screen during use, which can be good for control and overview.
Until now MaiFood has been tested in the commercial building complex Økern Portal. MaiFood has been operating there since November, and there has been a lot going into salads, drinks and kiosk goods. With BI Foodcourt comes new and useful experiences.
“It's good to try out MaiFood at a small eatery and see how it works in the different locations. There are also differences in users. Økern Portal houses many companies with adult employees, while BI has young students who may be more eager to try new technologies, Øivind says.
What challenges do you see so far?
“A lot of food and drinks are sold pre-packaged in kiosks and can be picked easily with, but many canteens have buffets, and this is what Izy and I work with,” says Øivind.
“In the next round, more discount management may be appropriate,” he says.
Saurav Pandey, Technical Product Owner at Izy AS
— With MaiFood there are the fewest clicks possible for buying food and drinks in the canteen and kiosk — easy, fast and sustainable! says Saurav Pandey of Izy.
MaiFood can be used as a checkout system, but in combination with prediction, canteen operators can really make canteen operations more efficient.
“All input in MaiFood can be used for prediction, which in turn makes the operation of canteens and kiosks easier and more profitable,” says Saurav and explains:
MaiFood records everything that is being ordered, is in stock, is being bought and at what time. Combined with historical data, building usage information, vacation days, exam days, etc., the canteen operator can plan both purchasing and staffing several weeks in advance, which really streamlines operations. Prediction also makes it easier to operate more sustainably. You order more accurately and get less food waste = more profitable canteen and less CO2 emissions.
“With MaiFood, you as a canteen operator will also get a quick overview of the most popular products, which can vary between canteens and kiosks and from one location to another,” says Saurav from Izy. And the more data, the better MaiFood!
FACT FRAME
Izy MaiFood is simply explained an advanced digital checkout solution that does not need staffing, a “grab and go machine”. The checkout system is also called POS and combines AI and smart payment solutions. Izy has developed MaiFood specifically for use in canteens and kiosks. MaiFood has:
