Efficiency metric system for a quick-service restaurant
Assignee3M Innovative Properties Company
InventorsGebran J. Sabongi, Ronald W. Hall
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A system for automatically gathering efficiency metrics in a quick-service establishment that makes use of certain data signals already generated in a great number of such establishments. A repeating communication device, which is used to receive and re-broadcast communications amongst the employees of the quick service restaurant, acts as a central hub that receives various data signals. The data signals may be analyzed, and the information hidden therein may be unearthed. The information may be transmitted to a remote computer system for further analysis, which may receive similar data from similar quick-service establishments.
Claims33
A method of analyzing efficiency of a drive-through lane of a service establishment, the method comprising:
- collecting data regarding an efficiency metric with respect to service of a car in the drive-through lane of the service establishment;
- transmitting the efficiency data to a computer located remotely from the service establishment;
- receiving an analysis of the efficiency data from the computer, wherein the analysis includes a comparison of the efficiency data of the service establishment with efficiency data from other establishments.
An efficiency metric data gathering system for a quick-service restaurant, comprising:
- a menu sign disposed along a drive-through lane of the quick-service restaurant, the menu sign including a microphone and a speaker for allowing a drive-through customer to place an order;
- a menu sign timing unit that determines a point in time at which the drive-through customer arrives at the sign and a point in time at which the drive-through customer departs from the sign;
- a pick-up window, permitting delivery of the drive-through customer's order;
- a pick-up window timing unit that determines a point in time at which the drive-through customer arrives at the pick-up window and a point in time at which the drive-through customer departs from the pick-up window;
- and
- a repeater unit in communication with the microphone and receiver of the menu sign, in communication with the menu sign timing unit, in communication with the pick-up window timing unit, and in communication with two-way radios worn by employees of the quick-service restaurant, wherein the repeater unit is adapted to collect data sufficient to calculate a value representing an average number of talk or page operations per customer over a period of time.
A computer system programmed with a set of steps for analyzing data regarding an efficiency metric, the set of steps comprising:
- receiving data regarding the efficiency metric from a plurality of quick-service restaurants;
- calculating, for at least one of the plurality of quick-service restaurants, where the at least one restaurant stands in relation to the plurality of quick-service restaurants with respect to the efficiency metric;
- and
- communicating the at least one restaurant's calculated standing to the at least one quick service restaurant.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.