A New Kind of E-Publican

Technology has made huge inroads into the pub trade. It can be seen everywhere, from using it behind the scenes to maximize productivity and profitability in every part of the business, to front of house by offering customers wireless internet, flat screen entertainment, and even going online with pub websites, online booking and food ordering.

So why does the small pub operator balk at the idea of utilising technology, and IT in particular, to its full potential?

Big picture

First off, your average pub licensee is too busy just ‘running his business’ to add to his workload by learning new skills, and skills that are far removed from most licensees’ initial idea of how to run a pub. But if your target is to expand, understanding and using technology is nothing less than essential. Licensees need a clear vision of their business strategy, how technology will transform their business, and the knowledge of how the technology can deliver a significant benefit to the business.

But in a market that doesn’t have an established set of technological hardware and software standards, pub operators face plenty of pitfalls. A licensee runs one pub, and wants to utilise a system for monitoring staff activity and rotas, and is also toying with the idea of getting another pub next year and wants to be able to do this for both pubs from home. Would the average licensee know where to start his enquiries? Indeed would he appreciate that the effort involved in learning about how such technology makes life easier? Doubtful. The implementation of technology, and the skills needed to use it, is not seen as worthwhile. But pubs which fail to adapt and utilize it will suffer competitive disadvantages and jeopardize any future expansion.

Changing attitudes

The pub trade is experiencing a range of emerging technologies, making our industry a varied and exciting one, but these emerging technologies need to be accessible, and pub operators need to be open to the idea that time invested in learning these new skills is time well spent. In short, technology needs to be viewed as less elitist.

But does this mean every landlord needs to become an expert? Hardly, rather they need to be aware of emerging technologies, and know where to go to get expert help when necessary.

Technology in the pub trade, and IT in particular, should be built on the assumption that the management of information technology for business is like legal advice, accounting, graphic arts, and other bodies of knowledge, in that it is not inherently a do-it-yourself prospect. Smart pub operators who aren't computer hobbyists need to find quality vendors of reliable hardware, software, service, and support.

If the goal is to expand, spending effort learning about new technology and gaining IT skills should be seen as not only desirable, but essential. And we need to build on this by having established hardware and software vendors that specialise in the needs of the pub trade. Providing entry level solutions for smaller pub operators can be a critical first step in turning reluctant users into tech-savvy operators.

Ready to grow

If those smaller operators don’t recognise the need to adopt technology appropriately we will find the gap between single pub operators and established pubcos ever growing.

Once licensees start thinking about their operation from the point of view of making future expansion possible, and the current operation more efficient, and not remain entrenched in the ‘hospitality business is about people, and not technology’ mindset so common among typical back street boozers, they’ll be on the way to changing business processes - for the better.