Reusable Dishes:  the ultimate solution to sustainable food packaging?

By Nathalie in Nicht kategorisiert
  1. Reusable dishes are sustainable, save money, increase loyalty and more…
  2. Reusable dishes are a result of increasing care for the environment.
  3. Europe advances sustainable changes in the catering industry through laws against single use plastics.
  4. Order, select reusable packaging, scan and enjoy.
  5. What are common criticisms for reusable dishes and how can you solve them?
  6. What to “take away”for the future.

Reusable dishes are sustainable, save money, increase loyalty…

The advantages of using systems for reusable dishes instead of single use plastic packaging are numerous:

  • positive impact on the environment by reducing single use plastics
  • reduced cost for packaging and replacing traditional dishes made of glass or ceramics
  • adherence to national laws for environmental responsibility
  • reusable dishes can be designed and branded to reflect your company
  • the necessity to return dishes leads to more touchpoints with your canteen, increasing loyalty over time
  • employees can take meals home, to act as home office supplies.
  • any reusable dish is compatible with the system, be it self-made, storebought or provided by specialized companies

Reusable dishes are a result of increasing care for the environment

Sensibility for the impact that we humans have on our environment increases. As a result, sustainable alternatives for previously harmful practices are increasing in popularity. A major concern to many, but especially to the gastro industry, is the amount of waste generated by food wrappers and containers. One solution to this problem could be the implementation of systems, that allow for the easy distribution and management of reusable packaging.

Europe bans single use plastics

An EU wide ban of single use plastics starting in 2030, was decided on in 2019. Additionally, in 2023 the German government made it mandatory for most caterers to offer reusable dishes and food containers, should they regularly offer their customers single use plastic containers. This happened in accordance with an EU ruling, which aims to reduce harmful impacts on the environment. Both decisions are supposed to accelerate the switch from single use containers to reusable alternatives. As a reaction, people had to adapt to the mandates, leading to an increased interest in services that provided them with both the reusable dishes as well as systems to manage the dishes and deposits.

Order, select reusable packaging, scan and enjoy!

How does a simple reusable system work?
Using the ordering channel of their choice, guests select the reusable dish option when ordering their meal. They pay the deposit (if they have chosen the deposit system) conveniently in the app and receive a QR code to scan at the collection point. After enjoying the meal, the dish is returned to the collection point and scanned to complete the return. The deposit will then be refunded in cash.


What happens in the kitchen?
The kitchen staff receive the diner’s order and information that reusable packaging is required. The food is prepared and a customised label is printed. To link the meal to the order in the system, the QR code on the packaging is scanned. The food can now be collected by the guests.

What are common criticisms for reusable dishes and how can you solve them?

Can the need to return dishes inconvenience users?

A recurring criticism of systems for reusable dishes is, that many customers don’t want to take a detour to return their dish to wherever they got it from. The added effort discourages many, to not use the service at all. This nullifies any possibility of getting used to the concept and thus having a lasting impact on the environment.

With the integration of reusable dishes into the qnips infrastructure, the reusable dishes will always be bound to a company’s canteen. This offers a central point, that employees are likely to visit during their daily doings, thus avoiding unpleasant detours.

What if containers get stolen or lost?

Another point of concern for many who consider using a system for reusable dishes is how to ensure the return of the dishes after being given out to guests. To prevent a loss of the dishes, qnips offers the option to implement a deposit system, asking guests to pay a given sum which will be returned to them once they return the dish. This is, however, simply an option, and can be turned off, should you prefer an honor-based system instead.

Alternatively, an in-between option can be selected, where using the dish is free, but users must pay a late fee should they not return it within a certain timeframe.

What to “take away” for the future

Reusable dishes are valuable tools in both securing customer satisfaction and increasing sustainability  in your canteen. Our reusable dish solutions (Honor-based, late fees and deposit) fulfill our customers’ needs and offer high comfort and efficiency, while lasting long. Easy to implement, they save money and material, while requiring only a minimum of additional management.

Join us as we redefine the future of contract catering, one meal at a time. Let’s get in touch!

About qnips

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Omnichannel ordering: a new approach to customer engagement in company catering

By Nathalie in Nicht kategorisiert

Pioneering a sustainable omnichannel approach – the qnips kitchen concept:

At qnips, we have created a unique catering solution for our team. The ‘qnips Kitchen‘ is an example of an innovative omnichannel food ordering system designed to improve both efficiency and user experience. Employees at qnips can preorder their meals a week in advance, using our app, a dedicated catering portal or a physical ordering Kiosk, present in the canteen itself. This approach not only helps with accurate sourcing and quantity planning, but also meets our sustainability goals by reducing food waste and offering only vegetarian options.

But what does omnichannel mean?

Omnichannel ordering means to utilize several channels of communication in sync. This, in turn, means customers can expect a high level of quality and consistency between each of our many ordering channels, be it our menu-apps, the kiosks, or our catering portals.

Extending the model to larger canteens

This seamless integration of digital and physical touchpoints in ‘qnips Kitchen’ can be scaled to larger company canteens, transforming them into sophisticated omnichannel ecosystems. By providing multiple ordering touchpoints, companies can significantly enhance the dining experience and ensure convenience and flexibility for employees.

Benefits of omnichannel food ordering systems

  1. ✅ Improved user experience: omnichannel systems provide a consistent user experience. This allows employees to interact with the service across multiple platforms – from apps to kiosks to email – making ordering intuitive and accessible.
  2. ✅ Upsell and crosssell opportunities: with user profiles, caterers can personalise their offerings and recommend additional items based on past preferences, increasing both satisfaction and sales.
  3. ✅ Reduce labour costs: automated ordering processes streamline operations, reducing the manpower required to take orders and freeing up staff for more important tasks.
  4. ✅ Food waste reduction: advanced planning enabled by omnichannel systems allows for precise order quantities, reducing overproduction of food and associated waste.
  5. ✅ Time and cost savings for guests: the efficiency of omnichannel systems saves time for your guests, reducing the stress of mealtimes and potentially lowering overall food costs.
  6. ✅ Flexibility and pre-planning: despite the need to order in advance, these systems offer flexibility through easy change options to accommodate the unpredictable schedules of today’s workforce.
  7. ✅ Inform and educate: ongoing communication through digital channels educates and informs employees about the benefits of the system, including how it helps reduce food waste.


    A dream come true, right? Realistically though, every chance comes with a risk and every opportunity has its challenges. So too, does the omnichannel approach. We at qnips, however, are very much aware of these circumstances and actively work on minimizing risks and turning uncertainties into even more opportunities.

What are the risks, and how does qnips handle them?

While the implementation of omnichannel food ordering might seem difficult at first, we guarantee you that things are much easier than they might appear.

1. Initial investment in technology:

The initial cost and resource intensity of setting up an omnichannel system can be substantial. Companies must factor in the expense of software development, purchasing hardware like kiosks, and integrating various digital platforms.

To mitigate these problems, for example, the qnips infrastructure allows for a piece-by-piece modular integration. This allows customers maximum control over how much money they want to spend at a given time and how much time and capacity they want to direct towards the implementation. The customers can also controll how fast they want to exchange old systems and workflows for newer ones. Financially, the ROI from increased effectiveness, multiple order and payment channels, as well as an improved customer experience, justifies the initial expenditure over time.

2. Loss of personal touch:

Many first-time users of omnichannel systems worry about losing the personal aspect of customer service once they decide to go digital. In our experience, quite the opposite is the case. Time that would have been spent writing and communicating orders to the kitchen can suddenly be used to talk to customers, decorate food a bit more thoroughly, or plan the next weeks schedules ahead of time. Additionally, most modern ordering channels allow for the broadcast of custom content, photos, and news, allowing for a personal touch.

3. Integration with existing processes:

A major source of worry for many people who seek to advance their businesses into the omnichannel is how they will be able to transition from their existing software, hardware, and workflows to newer ones. We use our experience in working with all sorts of partners and interfaces, to work out plans on how to easily and painlessly migrate any systems we encounter.

4. Staff having a hard time adapting to the omnichannel approach:

Old habits die hard, and adapting to new routines and workflows can be challenging to even the most open-minded of us. You can offer your staff comprehensible and personal training, as well as all-around customer-support by trained software experts to ease the adaptation to new processes. Since the implementation of the omnichannel ordering system happens in a modular manner, staff training can be tailored to the exact level of implementation customers wish for.

5. Maintaining data security and privacy:

The challenge of providing adequate cybersecurity and data privacy is often cited among the biggest obstacles caterers fear when deciding to switch to digital systems.To provide the necessary safety and peace of mind one needs to operate in a digital world, qnips adheres to all recent cybersecurity standards and continuously works on improving our data security structures.

6. Adaptability to user preferences and improvement of the product:

The decision to move to a digitized omnichannel system usually comes with the question of whether the system will stay current during its lifetime. Our software is continuously improved upon in accordance to the ever-changing needs of our customers while also adapting to new and useful technologies.

7. Emergencies and reliability:

Finally, the big worry: What if the system fails?

As part of our services, we offer a competent technical and customer support that will help you with any arising technical issues. Additionally, due to the multiple channels in operation, users always have an ordering channel to fall back on, should the need arise.

The bottom line

The omnichannel approach is more than just a technological upgrade; it is a strategic enhancement of the corporate dining experience that meets the needs of the modern employee while delivering critical operational efficiencies. There certainly are obstacles to overcome, yet none of this should discourage you from switching over yourself. qnips not only supports you through every step of the way but also dampens or even negates most of the occurring risks for you, leaving an easy path for you to follow.

By adopting such systems, companies not only streamline their operations, but also contribute to a more sustainable and enjoyable dining culture. Join us as we redefine the future of contract catering, one meal at a time. Let’s get in touch!

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The road to a smart company canteen: qnips and partners demonstrate the future of catering technology at Internorga 2024 

By Nathalie in Nicht kategorisiert
An image that invites you to visit qnips at Internorga 2024 and introduces the partners and the event date (08.03.2024 - 12.03.24)

qnips, the leading platform for digital solutions in the contract catering industry, is pleased to announce that it will once again be present at Internorga 2024. The fair for the catering, hotel and food service industries will open its doors in Hamburg from 8th to 12th March. Together with three well-known partners – Zuply powered by Innovend, Dishtracker and Matilda Foodtech Germany – qnips will be presenting holistic digital solutions for modern catering. 

Book your slot!

What to look forward to at Internorga 2024:

a chart showing tiles, that each contain the name of one of qnips services or an image of a service being used

Imagine how effortless it can be to manage menus without tedious Excel spreadsheets. That’s exactly what the fascinating qnips X Cloudmenu interface offers. Purchasing, production planning and assortment management can all be done easily, while menus can not only be made visually appealing with just a few clicks, but can also be communicated across multiple channels such as the app, web or signage. And that is just the beginning. 

The qnips X Dishtracker interface takes you into the future of the cashless canteen. Here AI and visual food recognition speed up the checkout process, eliminate queues and give guests valuable time for their lunch break. Just hold a tablet under the camera and pay with digital credit or your payment service provider of choice.

New dimensions for canteen vending

qnips is also proud to present a brand new qnips product: the qnips Vending Unit! This innovative solution enables the simple and efficient digitisation of vending and coffee machines. Instead of having to insert coins, customers can now simply pay at the vending machine using an app. And the best part? The integration works with any type of vending machine, so no expensive new purchases are needed to make the move to digital. With the qnips Vending Unit, upgrading existing hardware is quick and cost-effective. Come and have a cup of coffee at the qnips booth at Internorga and see for yourself!

And if that wasn’t exciting enough, the qnips X Zuply interface is the first to offer a compact, autonomous store for contract catering. This cutting-edge innovation can be used to bridge canteen closing times and create additional catering options. Guests authenticate via app and their smart shopping experience begins. The store automatically recognises which products the guest has selected and when they leave the store, the shopping basket in the app is automatically closed and billed. 

Book your slot!

Another exciting project at Internorga 2024 is the filming of a new story about qnips catering manager George Thompson. George Thompson is already known from the qnips image film and will now be at the centre of a new story to be filmed at the fair. 

Statements about the Internorga

“We are delighted to once again present innovative solutions for modern contract catering at Internorga 2024 with three great partners,” says Christian Brützel, founder of qnips. “The digitization of company canteens continues to be an important topic, and we are proud to be at the forefront of shaping the future of the industry.” 

“With the cooperation of this year’s three exhibition partners, we have the opportunity to show our customers and visitors once again that digitization has something in store for all sizes of business. From simple management and display of menus and marketing content to extensions for a smart point-of-sale and a fully autonomous canteen, we have the right solution for every business,” emphasises Business Development Manager Kenji Koch. 

You are welcome to visit qnips and all its partners for a personal meeting at booth A2.306. If you are unable to come for a visit on site, you can also take a virtual tour of the booth.  

Book your slot!

About Matilda Foodtech: 

Matilda Foodtech develops innovative IT solutions for contract catering to make all processes healthy, safe, sustainable and economical. The aim is to enable people to eat well, regardless of age and health, and to support the UN Sustainable Development Goals. With 110 employees in seven locations, Matilda FoodTech is a strong partner in Northern Europe. More about Matilda Foodtech 

About Dishtracker: 

Founded in Vienna in 2019, Dishtracker is a leading provider of food recognition solutions for the catering industry. Its main goal is to make everyday life easier through innovative technologies. With a strong focus on innovation and customer centricity, they develop customised solutions and have already enabled over 12 million successful checkouts. Dishtracker shares the goal of revolutionising the catering industry and looks forward to helping shape the future of contract catering. More about Dishtracker 

About Innovend:

Innovend provides intelligent unmanned sales and pickups solutions for various markets. Its own software and hardware offers a wide range of modular solutions that can be combined in various ways and linked to third party applications. Under the Zuply brand, Innovend offers innovative solutions for healthy catering in the workplace. Its unmanned vending machines are available 24/7 and allow employees to order meals in advance and pick them up fresh. More about Zuply

About qnips: 

As a cloud-based catering platform, qnips helps companies streamline and digitise their catering management, for example by automating ordering and payment processes, creating digital menus and designing marketing content that can be delivered directly to app, web and digital signage. The platform simplifies allergen labelling, analysis of relevant data on ordering and consumption patterns, and canteen guest satisfaction. As a result, processes can be digitised and time and resources can be used more efficiently. More about qnips

Whitelabel catering apps from qnips modernise contract catering

By Nathalie in Nicht kategorisiert
Ansicht verschiedener Screens aus der qnips Gastro-App

Successful canteens use catering apps to make as many processes as possible as simple as possible. Contract catering is no exception.

Or at least it shouldn’t be.

Yet every day, thousands of catering managers around the world wonder how they are going to print all their menus on time and distribute them by hand around their facilities. They ponder whether to reprint all their menus at short notice or rewrite them in pencil. They struggle with whether to take food orders by email and painstakingly enter them into Excel spreadsheets, or to print the spreadsheets, distribute them and collect them throughout the day because they have to.

A digital solution could obviously save a lot of time and money, but questions like “Where do I get it? “How do I make sure it covers all my needs?” and “Is it right for my business?” get in the way of implementation.

Catering apps offer you a wide range of features!

This is where we at qnips come in and provide you with exactly the answers you are looking for. qnips offers catering apps that allow your customers to

  • View menus for multiple locations online,
  • Place and manage orders and track their collection status,
  • Leave reviews of dishes and the canteen
  • Receive information from the canteen directly as a notification in the app,
  • Make contactless payments directly in the app or automatically.

As a caterer, you can also send news, announcements and special offers to your customers quickly and easily via the app. You can automatically receive, organise and manage orders in the central dashboard.

Both the reporting functions (automatic collection of all relevant sales and interaction data for your products, available to you at any time) and the integrated stock management, which allows you to keep track of your stock, help you do this.

Choose between catering apps that you can access on Android or iOs devices such as mobile phones or tablets, and apps that you can access as websites on all Internet-enabled devices such as computers. All this speeds up and simplifies organisational processes in the catering business, which means also your customers will be happier.

Three examples of how you can customise qnips applications
One app – 3 different configurations of the individual modules

Build your own customised catering app!

The special thing about qnips products is that they can be tailored to your individual needs. This means that you are not tied to an off-the-shelf solution, but can decide for yourself, module by module, which features your catering app should have and which not. The building blocks are the above-mentioned functions of the catering app, such as the ordering system, feedback feature, content manager and mobile payment. You can also add or remove modules after your catering app is complete, just as your business needs them.

Importantly, you don’t have to take these steps alone. Part of the app development service is full project support from qnips project managers. They will advise and assist you in all matters relating to your catering app and then take over the building, support and customisation to your corporate identity.

What does “white label” mean?

qnips helps you to get a catering app that is functionally adapted to your needs. But is it YOUR app? Yes, absolutely!

An important part of qnip’s products is whitelabelling. Whitelabelling means that a product is designed in such a way that we seamlessly integrate elements relevant to branding and corporate identity (such as logos, colour accents or product labels) into your app without applying our own qnips labels.

This means that no one but you will know which technology partner is behind the app. That great app from the flagship canteen of a famous institution that you admired the other day? Who knows, maybe qnips is behind it.

qnips helps you to get a catering app that is functionally adapted to your needs.

We can help you create your own Catering app!

As you can see, the answers to the questions “Where can I get an app?”, “How do I make sure it covers all my needs?” and “Is it right for my business?” are answered quite quickly. We are there for you with our qnips apps, our customisation services and our white-labelling options!

If you would like to find out more about our apps or how to make your existing qnips app even better, why not arrange a consultation today by emailing info@qnips.io. Or by contacting your contact person directly.

About qnips

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qnips presents innovations at Intergastra 2024 in Stuttgart

By Nathalie in Nicht kategorisiert
qnips at Intergastra

Hanover, 16.01.2024 – qnips GmbH is pleased to announce its participation at Intergastra 2024, one of the leading trade fairs for the catering and hotel industry. The exhibition will take place from 03 to 07 February in Stuttgart.

Following its successful appearance at Horecava in Amsterdam, qnips is continuing its trade fair presence in 2024 and will also be presenting its catering platform at Intergastra. The platform, which specialises in the digitization of contract catering and the optimisation of processes in the cateen, was already very well received at Horecava.

“We are delighted to be able to present our platform live at Intergastra for the first time this year and to strengthen our role in the digitization of contract catering. Our participation at Horecava in Amsterdam was extremely positive, with the industry showing great interest in our self-checkout and Smart ePaper integrations. We are confident that Intergastra will also provide an excellent platform to present our innovative solutions to a wider audience,” says Kenji Koch, Team Lead Business Development at qnips.

Smart partnerships for catering innovation: qnips, KOST and Delicious Data live at Intergastra 2024

qnips will be present together with two partner companies. In cooperation with KOST, visitors will be able to experience the latest developments in enterprise resource planning and POS systems live. Together with Delicious Data, an innovative solution for sustainability will be presented. The platform enables canteens to use artificial intelligence to lower the cost of goods and reduce food waste. In addition, qnips will show how this data from enterprise resource planning and sustainability can be combined to create attractive menus for the app, web and digital signage.

Visit qnips, KOST & Delicious Data at Intergastra 2024 at booth 4D52. Kenji Koch will also be happy to talk to you in person, just send him an email (kenji.koch@qnips.io). For further information and press enquiries please contact:

Nathalie Schneider
Marketing Manager
nathalie.schneider@qnips.io

About qnips:

As a cloud-based catering platform, qnips helps companies optimise and digitize their catering management, for example by automating ordering and payment processes, creating digital menus and designing marketing content that can be delivered directly to the app, web and digital signage. The platform simplifies allergen labelling, analysis of relevant data on ordering and consumption patterns, and canteen guest satisfaction. As a result, processes can be digitised and time and resources can be used more efficiently. More about qnips

About KOST:

KOST Warenwirtschaft & Mehr offers efficient and seamless handling of all relevant processes and provides all information from procurement to quality management and from production to administration. Through a constant exchange of information and experience, the software is continuously developed and adapted to the needs of the company and the requirements of the market. Overview of KOST software solutions: ERP, cashless payment systems, web portal, cash registers, pre-order system & sustainability. More about KOST

About Delicious Data:

About Delicious Data:

Founded by Valentin Belser and Jakob Breuninger, Delicious Data is a pioneer in intelligent planning optimisation for food companies. Using Delicious Data’s AI, customers can reduce avoidable food losses and increase operational efficiency. By December 2022, approximately 600 tonnes will have been saved, equivalent to a reduction of more than 787 tonnes of CO2e equivalent. More about Delicious Data

Conference Catering | Discover the qnips ordering system for meetings!

By Nathalie in Nicht kategorisiert

Ordering and providing snacks and drinks for meetings and conferences can be a stressful task. But with the right tool, it can be a quick and easy process that ensures meetings and conferences are a complete success. Find out how qnips conference ordering can help you organise your conference catering and make all the preparations via the intuitive qnips dashboard. How does it work? See for yourself:

Conference catering with a wide selection of food and drinks!

What your employees see:

Your sales manager wants to have an all-day meeting with colleagues next week to review the last quarter. The coworking space in the building has already been reserved. Now the team leader wants to take care of the snacks for his team and navigates in the catering portal to the menu that has been set up especially for meetings and con-ferences. He orders some snacks and a selection of drinks for everyone.

What your kitchen staff sees:

As the kitchen manager, you have created a special menu for meetings and conferences with just a few clicks. Here you have provided a selection of snacks, main courses, desserts and drinks that can be pre-ordered for meetings. You also have full control of the stock management.

Central dashboard for efficient attendee management & seamless room allocation:

What your employees see:

When ordering, the team lead can designate the coworking space as a meeting room and specify how many people will attend and how long the event is expected to last.

What your kitchen staff sees:

The qnips dashboard gives you an overview of all attendees and allows you to add notes about any incompatibilities. You can also manage all available rooms and store additional information such as capacity.

Smooth running of the event thanks to streamlined event tracking:

What your employees see:

The team lead can also specify that food is not delivered until around 11am, when the first short break takes place. This way, the daily schedule of the event is not interrupted.

What your kitchen staff sees:

The qnips dashboard provides you with a calen-dar to keep track of all current and planned events.

Transparent cost overview, including ancillary and delivery costs, as well as cost centre billing:

What your employees see:

The shopping basket gives the team lead a detailed overview of all costs, including delivery and ancillary costs, allowing them to adhere to the internally approved budget per person.

Finally, the sales manager selects the option to receive a hospitality voucher and specifies the cost centre to facilitate later accounting by the accounting department.

What your kitchen staff sees:

With qnip conference ordering, you can easily include the cost of delivery and any ancillary costs such as crockery or cleaning services in the order. This allows you to provide your employees with a transparent cost overview.

The order reporting in the qnips dashboard provides a detailed listing of all accounting-relevant data, including details of the cost centres used, information about the event and the products ordered, and much more.

qnips Conference Catering is a brand new feature that will help you make your events a success and impress your guests with first class conference catering. For more information, visit our website or email us with your questions!

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Internorga 2023 | qnips: passion for innovation live on display

By Nathalie in Nicht kategorisiert

Internorga 2023 is behind us and we are grateful for the many great impressions, visions and concepts that we were able to experience and take home with us.

Inspired by the strong performance of our partners, we have once again created a booth concept that fills us with pride and clearly reflects our identity. The concrete idea behind our booth is quite simple: visitors enter a state-of-the-art, fully digitised company canteen. Accompanied by our great staff, they will be able to discover and experience live different scenarios called “Journeys”.

The “Aitme” Journey

It’s simple: open the qnips app and navigate to the Aitme Robotic Kitchen menu. You select one of the available dishes, customise the ingredients if you wish, and place your desired dish in the shopping basket.

Robotic kitchen in a canteen

Once you have placed your order, something extraordinary happens! It is not the kitchen staff that prepares the food, but an autonomous robot. This robot can produce more than 80 different dishes, and more than 60 of them per hour! Due to lack of space on our booth, this robot was not live, but a video screen from booth partner Aitme gave an overview of the rest of the preparation process.

The „Innovend“ Journey

The halls at Internorga 2023 also allowed us to present larger showcases, one of which is the Innovend Journey. Again, you open the qnips app and select the Lock-Blox menu. The kitchen team then takes the order, prepares the food and – this is where it gets exciting – delivers it to a locker called a ‘Lock-Blox’.

A Lock-Blox can be roughly explained as follows: A large locker with individual compartments and cooling elements. The compartments can be opened individually via an app and filled. The aim of the system is to streamline the preparation and collection of food. Employees order their meals and can reliably collect them at a later time of their choosing. This optimises production planning, as only the food actually ordered is placed in the box. Less waste, more tasty food.

Less food waste thanks to accurate production planning

But what happens if a meal is cancelled? The Lock-Blox trays use coloured LEDs to indicate whether a meal is ready for collection, hot, cold or, in the case of a cancellation, ready for sale. It looks good, tastes good and helps the environment.

Smart Locker at the Internorga

The LinX iQ aka “Smart Fridge” is even more flexible than the Lock-Blox. A credit card stored in the qnips app is used to generate a QR code that opens the Smart Fridge. The fridge-like vending machine looks like the vending machines you see at train stations and swimming pools. But instead of waiting for a metal crane, conveyor belt or spiral to collect products for customers, they simply reach into the Smart Fridge and take what they need. Using internal sensors such as weight scales or NFC scanners, the fridge recognises which and how many products have been removed. It then adds them to your shopping basket in the app and triggers the automatic payment process as soon as you close the door. The fact that you feel like you’re stealing something, especially the first time you use it, is a testament to how simple the process is.

The „Order Kiosk“ Journey

Ordering and working with the qnips app is fun and very easy. However, sometimes we also need on-site ordering options, for example to ensure better legibility, faster order processing or the ability to order without a smartphone. At our booth at Internorga 2023, we demonstrated this with an ordering kiosk system using Pan Oston hardware. In combination with qnips, the hardware combines menu display, shopping cart, product scanning and self-service checkout in a compact, locally mounted interface.

On this interface, customers can touch select their meal, order it and send it to the kitchen. When the order is received by the kitchen, an order receipt is printed with the order details. As soon as they start preparing the food, it can be scanned into our Kitchen Monitor and given the status ‘in progress’. The monitor provides the kitchen with an easy-to-read list of which orders are at which stage of preparation.

Easy order processing in the kitchen

However, a simple screen can easily be overlooked in the heat of the kitchen battle. That’s why our Kitchen Monitor is connected to a signal lamp that lights up in three colours, flashes and buzzes when the order phase changes. The kitchen is now well informed, but what about the waiting customers?

Vestaboard showing the orders in preparation

Our booth this year featured the “Vestaboard”, an analogue-mechanical display board like the ones you see in airports and train stations. (The ones that sound a bit like fluttering pigeons when you change the display. Or maybe there are real pigeons at the station that sound like that. Who knows?) This board displays orders in order of processing status, effectively changing the display with each update. In this way, guests can follow the status of their order in real time. For those who are not yet convinced by the clattering analogue charm of the Vestaboard, there is of course also a regular digital pick-up monitor – after all, eating should be fun for everyone.

The “qnips App Redesign” Journey

You’ve probably noticed that our mobile app is a recurring topic in this blog post. This is not only because our apps are the heart of our software, but also because we were proud to present the redesign of our qnips app at Internorga. You could see our new design for IOs and Android on several test devices. And it gets even better: in the future, this design will also characterise all other qnips-related mobile applications.

As part of the redesign, we are also introducing our 14 redesigned allergen icons in our app and on the Catering Portal. These are different in shape and colour from the current icons and help to make the allergens easier to identify.

What we have learned from Internorga 2023

The end of each Internorga always means preparing for the next one. That’s why we’re looking forward to presenting what we’re burning for next year: Innovative software, accessible, elegant hardware and a team that is passionate and knowledgeable about all of this. Many good and intensive discussions have shown that the digitalisation of company catering is not just a trendy topic.

qnips says thank you and is looking forward to the next Internorga together!

For more information visit www.qnips.io

Less waiting, more efficiency: qnips and CashControl simplify payment in the canteen

By Thilo in Nicht kategorisiert

Hamburg, 14th March 2023

At the latest since the Corona pandemic, the use of cash is gradually fading into the background in Germany. At this year’s Internorga, qnips therefore focused on cashless payment alternatives for company canteens. In cooperation with CashControl, a company that specialises in accounting and cash register software, an example of a cashless canteen was presented at the trade fair.

A feature that benefits everyone!

The integration of CashControl’s POS software into the qnips platform offers canteen guests a digital all-in-one solution for the entire process, from food overview and selection to payment. The required credit can be easily topped up on a smartphone in advance, so that all that is needed to pay for the food is to scan a QR code from the app at the POS. Or, for those who prefer analogue payment, a prepaid card can be used, which is then scanned at the POS. Cashless payment saves employees long queues at the checkout and ensures a more relaxing lunch break because it is used more effectively. At the same time, cashless payment has a positive effect on staffing levels, as there is less need for cashiers, who can then provide support in other areas.

qnips x CashControl: Shared innovation in payments

“We are very happy about the partnership with CashControl. It allows us to always offer our customers a personalised payment option. Be it via an analogue employee card, scanning a QR code or the classic credit or debit card,” says Christian Brützel, owner of qnips GmbH. Claus Studener, Managing Director of CashControl, is equally satisfied: “Through the various customer cases of qnips, we are constantly broadening our horizons and becoming aware of new features. An example of this is the credit system that we were able to integrate together with one of the largest catering companies in Europe.”

About qnips

qnips is a cloud-based catering platform that helps businesses improve and digitise their catering operations. qnips automates ordering and payment processes, creates digital menus and designs marketing content that can be delivered directly to apps, web and digital signage. The platform simplifies allergen labelling and the analysis of relevant data on ordering and consumption patterns, as well as customer satisfaction. As a result, processes can be digitised and time and resources can be used more efficiently.

About CashControl

CashControl has been developing specialised cashless accounting and cash register software for community and professional catering since 1991. Their special focus is on cashless accounting at the point of sale. The CashControl cash register software works with the most modern, contact-free media and chip cards.

Press contact:
qnips GmbH
Nathalie Schneider
+49 511 – 165899-0
nathalie.schneider@qnips.io

Smart solutions for the canteen: the “Smart Locker” revolutionises contract catering

By Nathalie in Nicht kategorisiert
smart locker

Hamburg, 14 March 2023

Round-the-clock catering and smart lockers were once again a hot topic at this year’s Internorga in Hamburg. Catering platform qnips and its stand partner Innovend gave an impressive demonstration of what modern employee catering can look like with intelligent vending solutions.

qnips and Innovend create a modern guest experience featuring a smart locker integration

The collaboration between qnips and Innovend is intended to pave the way for modern and time-independent employee catering. In the best practice example presented at the Internorga, employees can pre-order meals online via an app or web portal. The qnips platform gives them a direct overview of the ingredients, allergens and carbon footprint of the meals on offer. The order is placed by selecting a day of the week and a time when the order should be available in the smart locker. At the requested time, employees can log in to the locker using the QR code or PIN from the order and collect the food.

woman takes water bottle out of a smart fridge

Employees on shift duty also benefit thanks to the use of a smart locker

“This gives companies the opportunity to offer food on less busy days or to provide staff meals without having their own canteen,” emphasises Kenji Koch, Sales and Business Development Manager at qnips. In addition to lunchtime meals, cold snacks and sandwiches can also be offered. This also benefits employees on large factory sites, for example, who can be supplied decentrally and at any time during shift work with smart lockers. “In our Zuply Lockbloxes, the food can not only be kept refrigerated, but the integration of a microwave module also allows the food to be heated up afterwards,” explains Sander Sciarone Managing Director of Innovend Vending Solutions. Innovend’s Lockboxes can be assembled modularly according to the caterer’s needs and flexibly integrated into the qnips platform.

About qnips:

As a cloud-based catering platform, qnips helps companies improve and digitise their catering management. qnips is automating ordering and payment processes, creating digital menus and designing marketing content that can be delivered directly to the app, web and digital signage. The platform simplifies allergen labelling, analysis of relevant data on ordering and consumption patterns, and customer satisfaction. In this way, processes can be digitised and time and resources can be used in a more efficient way.

About Innovend:

Innovend offers Smart unmanned vend and intake solutions for various markets. Its own software and hardware offers a wide range of modular (breeze) solutions that can be combined in various ways and can be connected with third party applications.

Press contact:
qnips GmbH
Nathalie Schneider
+49 511 – 165899-0
nathalie.schneider@qnips.io

Intelligent NFC technologies create conditions for a cashless company canteen

By Nathalie in Nicht kategorisiert
Smartphone is scanning a digital price tag via NFC

Hamburg, 14 March 2023

This year’s Internorga in Hamburg once again showcased the latest trends and innovations in the catering industry. Impressive was the best practice example of a completely cashless canteen in the course of the cooperation between the catering platform qnips and the NFC technologies of Opticon. The aim of the cooperation is to create a seamless digital process flow in the company canteen thanks to the integration of NFC-enabled digital price tags.

A great dining experience for guests through the use of NFC technologies

In the Digitisation Hall at Internorga, qnips GmbH presented modern features for the digitization of company catering. With the ePaper Displays from Opticon it is possible to create a completely cashless canteen thanks to modern NFC technologies. NFC-enabled price tags in the form of ePaper Displays are used for this purpose. Via the qnips catering app, the guests of the company canteen receive an overview of the canteen’s daily or weekly offers. In addition, they receive all important information about allergens and nutritional values directly for the respective product. Once on site, the selected dishes can simply be scanned with the app. Contactless data exchange between the ePaper display and the smartphone adds the meal directly to the app’s shopping basket. Payment is then made conveniently via the mobile payment provider in the app, so that guests do not have to wait long at the checkout.

Digital price tags on a retail shelf

Enhancing the appreciation of work-life balance during the lunch break  

“With the Scan & Go feature, we enable guests to save a massive amount of time during their lunch break. By simply scanning and paying, guests effectively get more out of their lunch break because they don’t spend half the time waiting in line at the food counter or cash register,” emphasizes Christian Brützel, owner of qnips GmbH. In recent years, the importance of work-life balance has increased significantly among employees. This also includes a restful and relaxed lunch break with colleagues. “By integrating our hardware with the qnips platform, we create a completely cashless canteen and thus a fast and smooth process flow at the food counter,” says Dick de Haas, Sales Manager at Opticon. The Scan & Go system is already successfully in use at one of the largest Dutch caterers. 

About qnips 

As a cloud-based catering platform, qnips supports companies in optimizing and digitizing their catering management, by automating ordering and payment processes, creating digital menus and designing marketing content that can be delivered directly to app, web and digital signage. The platform simplifies allergen labelling, as well as the evaluation of relevant data on ordering and consuming behaviour and the satisfaction of canteen guests. In this way, processes can be digitized, and time and resources can be used more efficiently. 

About Opticon 

Dutch hardware manufacturer Opticon has been developing intelligent barcode scanning solutions for a wide range of industries and markets since 1976. From electronic shelf labels in the local supermarket to NFC-enabled price tags in the company canteen, the company produces internationally leading hardware. Opticon manufactures its products in ISO 9001 certified facilities and works to international standards for quality, safety, and environmental protection. 

Press contact: 
qnips GmbH  
Nathalie Schneider  
+49 511 ‒ 165899-0   
nathalie.schneider@qnips.io