'Committed to success' — the end of 'command and control,' rise of AI, and power of automation

Automation, robotics, and AI are developing fast, with robotic servers and bussers popping up in restaurants around the country even as greater numbers of drive-thru systems adopt versions of AI-powered ordering and digital menus. How can operators keep up with so much change happening so quickly, and are the robots coming for our jobs?

Not so fast, argues Ray Friedrich, chief strategy officer at East Street Business Advisors, a business consultant and well-known expert in the restaurant, vending, self-service, and micromarket space with more than three decades of industry experience. Friedrich joined Daniel Brown, editor of Digital Signage Today, for an exclusive audio interview to discuss the rise of automation and a central paradox emerging across verticals: far from replacing all humans, AI and robotics are actually creating more human-shaped experiences by freeing up workers to do human-shaped tasks now that repetitive labor is being automated.

Highlights included:

• Culture is central to your success.

• "Command and control" leadership is outdated and disappearing; you need to involve your team in decision-making, which makes them invested and "committed to success."

• Automation, including self-service, robotics, and AI-powered ordering systems, are growing and will soon dominate restaurant, vending, and hospitality experiences.

• Using automation to free up your staff for human-focused "experience engineering" (focusing on your guests) will enhance customer satisfaction and loyalty.

• Automation and robotics won't replace all human jobs, but they are already transforming the kind of work people do.