Developing a Smart Restaurant Management System for an African Fintech Innovator

Success Story

About the Client

InTouch is a Pan-African fintech company that specializes in payment solutions and digital service aggregation. They provide a single-account, multi-channel, modular payment system that supports more than 3,000 businesses and 60,000 TouchPoints across 16 countries. InTouch's platform includes payment processing, loyalty program management, digital credit services, real-time reporting, mass payment processing, invoicing solutions, deferred payment options, and intercontinental settlement services, ensuring secure and efficient transactions throughout Africa.

Country:

Africa

Industry:

Fintech

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Business Situation

Following their successful establishment in the digital payment ecosystem, InTouch recognized a significant expansion opportunity within Africa’s hospitality market. While digital transformation had gained momentum across various industries, the restaurant sector remained dependent on traditional manual processes for table reservation management and food ordering systems. These conventional approaches frequently generated extended customer wait times and systematic errors in reservation coordination. Furthermore, the lack of digital food ordering infrastructure constrained customer convenience while limiting revenue optimization opportunities for restaurant establishments.

Understanding this market potential, InTouch sought to capitalize on its domain expertise by extending its service portfolio into the hospitality industry. Their objective centered on disrupting existing operational models through the introduction of a specialized digital platform for restaurants, branded as “Restopay,” designed to enable restaurant modernization and enhanced customer service delivery.

To realize this vision, the client required a strategic technology partnership with a comprehensive understanding of African market characteristics. Following extensive evaluation of available options, they engaged Unthinkable based on our demonstrated expertise, adaptive methodology, and specialized knowledge in restaurant management systems, payment gateway integration, and process automation.

Through intensive collaborative planning sessions, Unthinkable and the client established comprehensive requirement specifications encompassing:

Core Technical Requirements:

Creation of an intuitive, user-friendly interface accommodating both restaurant personnel and customer users
Development of a comprehensive reservation management infrastructure enabling efficient table booking administration with real-time updates and customer preference handling
Integration of digital menu functionality featuring high-resolution imagery, comprehensive descriptions, and pricing information display
Implementation of efficient order management workflows, facilitating order processing, tracking, and fulfillment operations
Integration with InTouch's existing payment gateway infrastructure for seamless transaction processing
Development of sophisticated analytics and reporting functionalities providing operational insights and customer behavior analysis
Creation of a centralized administrative dashboard enabling restaurant owners and managers to monitor and control operational aspects

The Solution

Our engagement commenced with the collaborative ‘Discover and Frame Workshop’ methodology, where Unthinkable’s business analysis team conducted intensive sessions with InTouch’s SaaS division to establish a clear product vision and detailed specifications. This foundational workshop proved essential in creating a comprehensive project blueprint precisely aligned with client objectives.

Subsequently, our product design team executed comprehensive user research to analyze target audience behaviors, requirements, and operational challenges. Following complete user journey mapping, they created interactive prototypes demonstrating platform layout, user flow, and functional capabilities.

Our software architecture team then developed the optimal platform architecture design, emphasizing scalability and security while addressing all technical considerations. Considering the client’s expansion objectives, business model, and service portfolio, our team selected the most effective technology stack: Angular for frontend development, Java for backend architecture, MySQL for database management systems, and Firebase for efficient real-time data retrieval across client and waiter applications.

The engineered solution focused on streamlining restaurant management operations, enabling owners to optimize workflows while enhancing customer dining experiences through the following core capabilities:

Comprehensive Reservation Management

Our solution delivered an advanced reservation management infrastructure, allowing customers to schedule table bookings in advance. The platform provided an intuitive interface for availability verification, preferred dining time selection, and reservation confirmation. Restaurant personnel could access and manage reservations through real-time interfaces, ensuring optimal seating optimization and reduced customer wait times. The system automatically generated unique reservation identifiers and incorporated filtering capabilities for reservation viewing based on date, time, and status classifications, including active, canceled, and completed bookings.

Advanced Food Ordering System

The food ordering functionality enabled customers to navigate menus, customize order specifications, and submit orders directly through the application interface. The platform supported multiple menu configurations, including breakfast, lunch, and dinner options, with dynamic menu item updating capabilities. Customers accessed detailed dish descriptions with accompanying imagery, portion size selections, and complementary item additions. The backend infrastructure tracked order status progression, enabling staff to provide real-time customer updates throughout the fulfillment process. The system accommodated various payment methodologies, including cash and digital transactions, with split and multiple payment processing options.

Integrated Room Service Module

For establishments providing room service capabilities, our solution incorporated a specialized module for efficient room service order handling. Guests could submit orders from their accommodations using the application, specifying room identification and preferred delivery scheduling. The system flagged room service orders for waitstaff attention, ensuring prompt delivery execution. The interface included guest options for requesting additional services or amenities, enhancing overall guest experience quality. Room service orders integrated seamlessly with hotel billing systems, enabling accurate and timely charge processing.

Strategic Planned Order Management

The platform incorporated planned order management functionality, enabling customers to schedule advance orders. This capability proved particularly valuable for events and special occasions requiring precise timing coordination. Users could select desired menu items, establish delivery or service timing, and include special requests or instructions. The system ensured order highlighting for kitchen and waitstaff teams, guaranteeing timely preparation and delivery execution. This feature included reminder and notification systems for both staff and customers, ensuring smooth operational execution.

Comprehensive Delivery Management

Our delivery management system efficiently handled both internal and third-party delivery operations. Customers could submit delivery orders through the application interface, entering the address and contact information. The system generated unique QR codes for each delivery order, facilitating order status tracking and ensuring accurate delivery completion. Restaurant staff could assign orders to delivery personnel, monitor progress through real-time tracking, and provide customers with delivery status updates throughout the process.

Centralized Administrative Panel

The administrative panel, constructed using JetAdmin, provided a comprehensive operational dashboard for complete restaurant management oversight. Administrators accessed detailed analytics covering orders, reservations, and customer feedback data. The panel incorporated menu management tools enabling administrators to update menu items, pricing, and availability efficiently. Staff management support included role and responsibility assignments, performance monitoring, and payroll handling capabilities. The system featured robust security implementations protecting sensitive information and ensuring industry-standard compliance.

Kitchen Operations Portal

The chef portal represented a crucial solution component, designed to optimize kitchen operations and enhance communication between kitchen staff and front-of-house teams. Chefs accessed incoming orders through real-time displays, organized by priority and preparation time requirements. The system enabled chefs to update individual dish status from preparation through completion phases, providing comprehensive kitchen workflow visibility. This ensured efficient kitchen operations and maintained high-quality dish preparation standards.

Staff Management Portal

The waiter portal enhanced restaurant staff efficiency and service delivery effectiveness. Waiters utilized the portal to view active table assignments, manage order processing, and update table status information. The system provided tools for special request additions, split bill handling, and tip management. The portal enabled direct communication between waiters and the kitchen and management teams, ensuring prompt issue resolution and special request accommodation. Through these integrated functionalities, the waiter portal improved service speed, accuracy, and overall customer satisfaction levels.

The Impact

Implementation of our restaurant management solution generated measurable benefits for InTouch SaaS operations. With more than 45 restaurants successfully integrated into their operational ecosystem and over 10,000 orders successfully processed, the platform’s impact has been substantial.

Through automation of reservation, ordering, and delivery processes, the platform eliminated staff involvement in routine administrative tasks, enabling focus on exceptional service delivery. Recognizing our partnership success, InTouch SaaS has expanded our collaboration, commissioning additional feature development, including loyalty management systems, timed discount mechanisms, and promotional code functionality, further strengthening our collaborative achievement.

Developing a Smart Restaurant Management System for an African Fintech Innovator

About the Client

Country:

Industry:

Business Situation

The Solution

Comprehensive Reservation Management

Advanced Food Ordering System

Integrated Room Service Module

Strategic Planned Order Management

Comprehensive Delivery Management

Centralized Administrative Panel

Kitchen Operations Portal

Staff Management Portal

The Impact

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Delaware, USA

London, UK

Dubai, UAE

Gurugram, India

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