At this year’s Internorga, qnips GmbH once again presented the latest innovations in the field of digitisation in contract catering. The focus of the exhibition was the cooperation with the Berlin start-up Aitme. Aitme builds a kitchen robot for use in staff catering. Aitme and qnips are working together on an interface between the robot kitchen and the qnips catering platform. The aim is to make ordering more flexible and convenient for guests.
A forward-thinking collaboration for a digital customer experience in the canteen
At the qnips booth, Internorga visitors were able to experience how easy it is to order food from the Robotic Kitchen via an app or web portal. The qnips app allows a simple selection of different meals, including allergen labelling. Meals can be easily customised when ordering and pre-ordered for a desired time. Payment is made via a mobile payment provider or by using credit in the qnips app. Guests then collect the freshly prepared meal directly from the kitchen robot. Authentication is done via QR code or PIN from the order.
Kitchen robot addresses lack of qualified staff and new working habits
The Corona pandemic has ensured that the effects of a lack of qualified staff and hybrid working models are creating ever greater challenges in the catering industry. “Many company caterers are telling us about a shortage of staff. Hybrid working models with home office regulations make it difficult to forecast consumption accurately,” says Kenji Koch, Business Development Manager at qnips. In order to provide catering for employees on less busy days or in locations without their own canteen, qnips is currently working on integrating the Aitme Robotic Kitchen.
“The Robotic Kitchen is a flexible catering option in times of home office and new work. It enables round-the-clock food supply and optimal use of short break times through pre-ordering and pre-production,” says Laura Wulff, Head of Sales & Business Development at Aitme. Minimal space requirements and comparatively low investment costs ensure that kitchen robots are increasingly coming to the fore in the industry. The Robotic Kitchen offers more than 80 different meals – from Currywurst Bowl to Pasta Dishes or Caeser Salad. This cooperation between qnips and Aitme has already resulted in concrete projects using the Robotic Kitchen in well-known company canteens.
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 Aitme
The Aitme robot can be operated cost-effectively and with low staffing requirements. It provides a simple 24/7 solution that works during off-peak hours and at night. The Robotic Kitchen can be integrated into an existing canteen or operated as a stand-alone solution in locations without catering facilities.
Nowadays, it is becoming increasingly important to offer contactless and cashless payment methods. Especially in gastronomic businesses, such as modern company canteens or restaurants, guests increasingly expect a modern and digital customer journey. A cashless canteen is not only more hygienic, but also more efficient and faster in the processing of payment transactions. In this way, digitisation in company catering can serve as an opportunity to further develop the user journey and effectively design processes. We took the first step, with a completely cashless canteen, together with one of the largest Dutch caterers – Albron BV.
By combining the qnips platform with Albron’s YUMMY app and the ePaper Displays from Opticon, a modern case for a cashless and user-friendly canteen with various ordering, payment and rating features was created.
Usability and functionality – the YUMMY Case features
After downloading the YUMMY app, in the Apple or Google Play Store, the user receives a short onboarding for all basic features. As soon as the respective location has been activated, all dishes for the current week are displayed at a glance. The user can then decide in advance which dish he or she would like to enjoy at lunchtime. In addition, all important information on ingredients, allergens and nutritional values is available in the detailed view of the dishes. In case of intolerances, dishes can be easily filtered and excluded according to these criteria. Registered app users can also set an allergen alert for certain ingredients. When visiting the canteen, the selected dish is scanned directly via the app on the corresponding ePaper display at the food counter and automatically ends up in the shopping trolley.
The order can be completed by paying for the lunch via the app. With the selected payment service provider or with the credit system, there is no need to wait long at the checkout, so guests can enjoy a longer and more relaxed lunch break. With use of the app, the user receives various coupons with offers and discounts and can collect loyalty points with a digital punch card. In addition, all the latest news and announcements from the canteen can be viewed in the app. Another way to be up to date at all times are the push notifications of news directly in the inbox. While the user is looking at all the dishes on offer, he or she can also give a rating for the dish that tasted best. They can either award stars or write a comment with product-specific feedback.
Innovations & interfaces for cashless payment in modern company canteens
A project like this requires reliable partners and innovative interfaces that interact smoothly with each other. Albron uses the qnips platform to import data from the merchandise management system – Delegate – which are then made available for use in the YUMMY app.
In order to make the payment process as simple and convenient as possible for Albron’s guests and employees, Albron integrated the payment service provider – Adyen – into the YUMMY app using the qnips platform. With Adyen, Albron has a reliable partner at its side with whom secure online and offline payments are possible worldwide. In the future, other payment service providers from the Netherlands will be available for our customers and business partners, such as Rabobank. The project was supported by our Dutch partner and food consultant Fooditis. The company advises clients on the choice of a wide range of solutions, such as food management systems, communication tools or digital signage concepts. With the tool “BrightGreen”, Fooditis can also calculate the CO2 impact of your products as well as your entire menu range.
Scan & Go in the YUMMY Case!
Select, scan and enjoy. This simple Scan & Go principle is possible thanks to the interface with Opticon. With the new ePaper technology, dishes can be scanned directly at the buffet via the app. Via NFC (Near Field Communication), a contactless data exchange takes place between the ePaper display and the app. This way, the selected meal automatically ends up in the guests’ shopping cart. The guest can pick up the food and pay for it conveniently via app at the lunch table.
“The qnips platform helps us gain real insights into what customers actually want.” emphasises Ernest van de Voort (Manager of Business Development, Marketing and Concept-Development) in the qnips x Albron video about the YUMMY Case. Automation at the point of sale saves time and costs, and with the help of the collected customer feedback, processes and the food offer can be improved in the long term. At the same time, trends in customer behaviour can be recognised earlier, measured more easily and used more quickly. Company canteens can thus benefit from the collected data and react proactively.
You can find more Best Practices on cashless payment here!
The enormous consumption of single-used plastic products in recent years has become a major problem also in contract catering. With measurably sustainable and reusable packaging, you can make a positive contribution and protect the environment in the long term. By 01.01.2023, contract caterer, and catering companies are obliged to offer take-away food and drinks also in reusable packaging. The decision of the reusable packaging obligation, made by the german parliament, draws attention to the increasing amount of waste generated by single-used packaging in the to-go-sector in recent years.
Further information on the reusable packaging obligation 2023as well as indications on various reusable solutions and interfaces from qnips can be found in the following blog article.
From reusable packaging obligation to added value
Even if the switch to reusable packaging seems exhausting and expensive at first. In long-term it has numerous advantages for the company, the environment and the employees. Caterers can package food more ecologically and thus reduce waste by about 90% (according to a study by the Climate Alliance Green Events Tyrol). In addition, reusable tableware can be reused over 100 times, thus providing a long-term benefit and a cost-effective alternative.
Furthermore, a reusable system is advantageous for the remote work model. In this case, the employees are at home for a certain period of their working time. With reusable bowls, it is now possible to take the food home with them. Thus they can also benefit from the canteen food during their home office days. On stressful days, the food can be taken to their workspace, if there is no time for a canteen visit. In both working models, additional advantages of the reusable solution can be seen.
In conclusion, the switch to reusable packaging may involve some initial effort, but it has many advantages for companies. By using reusable systems, your guests are supported in sustainable behaviour and thus have a positive impact on the environment.
Our reusable solution for more sustainability in contract catering
Within our qnips system, you have the possibility of using a sustainable reusable system! We offer various interfaces to our sustainability partners, which can be individually adapted to your needs. Your guest select and order the desired food in the catering portal via app or web. They have the option of selecting the preparation in a reusable bowl during the ordering process. The packaging options are available in different sizes, depending on individual requirements.
The order is received by the canteen via kitchen monitor tablet and can be prepared directly by the kitchen team. As soon as the order is ready for pick-up, the guests receive a push notification on their smartphone. On site, the respective reusable bowl is then scanned via QR-Code and electronically stored in the order. You can simply pick up the food at the counter via QR-Code scan and can enjoy the meal. Within a specific period, the bowl is returned to the company canteen and can be reused for the next guest.
Mastering the reusable packaging obligation with reliable partners
The reusable system also works according to the white label principle. This means that you can personalize your packaging from a certain sales volume and add your logo. With a wide range of different partners and interfaces, you have a variety of sizes, shapes and materials. Thus you can design your own individual reusable packaging solution.
With one of our partners – Crafting Future – we have a reliable manufacturer for measurably sustainable and reusable packaging at our side. The packaging is produced in Germany and has a low carbon footprint. Furthermore, due to their mono-material nature, they are easily recyclable and also LFGB tested. With the interface to the reusable system from – Vytal– qnips offers another solution for implementing reusability. By scanning a QR code, reusable containers can be easily borrowed at the food counter. Another possibility for switching to reusable dishes is the qnips reusable integration in combination with already existing reusable packaging. If you already have reusable tableware, it can easily be digitized and provided with a QR code. In this way, you can also use other packaging from manufacturers such as Mepal.
Various types of reusable solutions
When switching to reusable alternatives, you have the option of choosing from various models, for example a deposit system. Employees must deposit an amount for each reusable bowl they borrow and are repaid in full when they return it. If the reusable bowl is not returned within a defined period, the fee is automatically debited from the employee’s account via the respective payment method. Another model is based on trust with your guests. In the trust model, you assume that your guests will return the reusable bowls without charging a deposit or similar. The third option is the late fee. Guests are given a return period of, for example, 14 days. If this deadline is not met, a late fee is incurred and automatically collected by the respective payment method, as for example Adyen or VR Payment.
If you are not sure which reusable system is right for your business, there is the option to start with a Proof-of-Concept. This means you can choose test locations for your company, test the reusable system via pre-orders and then gather feedback from your employees. If the reusable system meets with approval, you can add more locations with an expanded reusable product portfolio, customize it and also integrate our qnips software.
Vending integrations in the returnable system
Aramark is planning a returnable integration in combination with a vending machine
Within the reusable system, there is also the possibility of integrating vending solutions. This means that the reusable bowls can be used in combination with, for instance, pick-up stations. In this case, employees on large factory sites could pick up their food at the nearest station and thus save the long way to the company canteen. By serving the food in the reusable bowls, transport is made easier and it is ensured that the meal is still warm after transport. If the dish will be eaten later, the bowls are also suitable for the microwave and afterwards also for the dishwasher. In this way, you offer your employees a quick alternative for a hot lunch and promote sustainability in your company in the long term.
Are you interested in reusable solutions? Would you like an individual alternative to disposable packaging combined with a digital platform for your company canteen? Then feel free to contact us at info@qnips.io or book a personal consultation at the following link: Schedule a personal consultation! – You can book online!
qnips promotes the topic of sustainability in contract catering. The implementation of the project “Use of a digital reusable system in business catering” is supported by funds from the European Regional Development Fund.
Most recently, the Corona Pandemic has ensured that terms such as “New Normal” and “New Work” also play a major role in the catering industry. Due to the associated hygienic measures, there have been some changes and innovations in the catering industry. Many concepts in company canteens have changed to “to-go” or “delivery to the workplace”. The trend towards open restaurant concepts, away from classic canteens with food counters and waiting queues, is therefore clearly visible in order to cope with the effects and changes of the pandemic. This makes it easier to comply with distance regulations and hygienic measures, even after the Corona High-Peak. The role of company restaurants will thus change almost completely in the future. They will nevertheless remain an important part of employees’ everyday working lives.
“New Work” and “New Food” – challenges in a changing catering industry
“New Normal” generally means that a new work culture is being developed around home office and flexibility in the choice of working hours and location. Several companies have been working on new “New Work” concepts for years. But Corona is now operating as an accelerator of these changing processes. As a “place of communication and recovery”, catering spaces are gaining importance in the new world of work in order to successfully shape the new type of collaboration.
Furthermore the trend of digitization is getting a push in the contract catering industry through the Corona Pandemic. For example, the “people counting” has been introduced in many canteens and company restaurants. This system registers how many people are in a company restaurant. Either online, via app or web view, visitors are thus informed about the occupancy rate in the respective area. Another possibility would be to show the number of seats. Through a stele or a traffic light at the entrance to the canteen you can show how many places are still available. In this way, the flow of visitors can be controlled more efficiently. Additionally, hygienic and spacing regulations can be observed more easily.
“Mobile Canteen” as a future trend in the “New Work” world
Employees are becoming increasingly mobile. They work from home, in their garden or in their office. Therefore, food must also become mobile to meet the demand for “to-go” options for everyday work. A major challenge will be to make the “to-go” alternatives sustainable as well as in line with hygienic guidelines. “In-house delivery” will be a promising option, following the trend towards decentralized, mobile and smaller catering locations. Classic self-service, on the other hand, will be viewed more and more critically in the future. Alternatives are offered by various new features, such as a pre-order function.
Therefore, kitchen staff has longer lead times and can plan resources more efficiently and sustainably. For the visitors, it offers the advantage of being able to order and pay more quickly and thus benefit more from the actual lunch break. In addition, alternative sales concepts independent of the company restaurant are being further developed. One example would be vending machines or refrigerators for self-service. This solution is particularly practical for employees on night shifts who do not have the opportunity to take advantage of the regular daily offer in company canteens. This gives everyone with different working patterns a chance to benefit from the companies catering offer.
Go with the Flow – chances of “New Work” in the catering industry
Less conferences and a smaller amount of guests, changed working conditions and new hygienic rules – the previous concept of company catering is undergoing a major change. New procedures, such as adjustments to the “New Work” and “New Food”, as well as the calculation of expenses, should urgently be put on the agenda of every company. Moreover, not all employees will continue to come to the office after the Corona years. Home office and remote work concepts will be an integral part of the new working world. This is an opportunity for company catering to change, to remain future-proof and to go with the trend of digitization. An employee restaurant could develop into an all-day, multifunctional communication platform and thus represent a creative gastronomic alternative.
Trends recognized? Then go for it!
There are many ways to adapt to these trends and integrate the “new food” concepts into your company. qnips offers various features to bring your company canteen or staff restaurant up to the latest, technical standard. Using the ordering system, your guests can order their food in advance and pay directly if required. In order to provide the guests with comprehensive service, especially at large locations, there is the option to define different delivery locations and times as well as lead times, among other things. This allows the kitchen staff to plan and use resources and capacities more efficiently and sustainably. In addition, you can place conference orders, giving your staff a relaxed lunch break between long meetings and discussions.
We can support you with our qnips platform in the digitization of your contract catering or you have questions about further features of qnips? Then take a look at our Demo-Portal and click through our catering portal to get to know our ordering system better. Simply book a free demo appointment.
No waiting queues in the canteen? Coordinated ordering processes with simple payment? No problem for our qnips ordering system! Nowadays, it is becoming increasingly important to automatize and digitize processes in company canteens. It is significant that your guests are involved and convinced in the process of digitization. For this purpose, we have developed the qnips platform with an ordering system, with which the latest features and technologies are coordinated and integrated into the company canteens.
Manage your menu efficiently? No problem with qnips!
With a clear dashboard, menus, pre-orders, nutritional information, news, product feedback and much more can be structured and all data can be evaluated through order reporting for instance for each cost centre. Moreover you can import all information automatically from your merchandise management system and manage it in qnips’ central CMS(Content Management System) as well as present your own product details such as allergens, additives and nutritional values. Besides the filter for allergens and additives gives your guests the possibility to exclude certain dishes directly. Content only needs to be created once and can be published with one click in the qnips ordering system. Different price levels can also be created for dishes, for instance to distinguish between subsidized and external prices. This implies the setting regarding a different price for trainees or for external guests, for example.
Ordering process in company catering
Using the pre-order function, your guests can order food in advance and pay directly if required. You could read more about qnips as an interface for payment providers in the further payment section of this blog entry. Thus, waiting queues in canteens can be avoided and production planning can be more sustainable. The different ordering modes display your individual process for each location. For instance, in order to supply the guests comprehensively, especially at large locations or canteens, there is the possibility to define different delivery locations and times as well as lead times. If your guests want to eat lunch, they can pick up the order at a specified location and define the pick-up time in advance.
Kitchen Monitor System
The Kitchen Monitor System (KM) systematizes and organizes the production and ordering processes in the canteen. It is connected to our cloud-based system and provides an overview of all orders at a glance. Furthermore, it is usually a tablet, or a large screen, which is used in the kitchen as a collection point for customer orders (via the catering app). So when a user orders his food, that assignment appears directly on the screen to the kitchen staff. The status of the order changes depending on its stage from, for example, “In process” to “Ready for collection”. The KM can also be connected to a printer for the creation of individual labels. The push notification function can be activated and shows when the order is ready for collection. Additionally, live status updates for incoming orders can be displayed to the user on the mobile phone or on the web app.
Simple Payment, Simple Process, Simple Qnips!
Our order system has a variety of mobile payment options that enable fast and secure payments. Mollie, FreedomPay, PayPal, Stripe and VR Payment and many others are available to the user. More details can be found on our partners & interfaces page. A POS (Point of Sale) interface for your cash registers for billing or your own credit cards can also be connected to the qnips platform. By connecting the CV-SB (Computer Vision Self Checkout) cash register, we enable a seamless checkout. Thus the AI-controlled (iPad) checkouts ensure better canteen management, shorter queuing times, faster ROI (Return of Investment) and easier operations. Connected to the qnips platform, all data is collected and is made available in one place. In addition to our seamless checkout, the qnips platform offers you seamless payment, mobile payment or QR-payment. This means that payment is made via cloud credit.
Attention! Extended functions for the qnips ordering system
In the last few months, some new features have been added to our ordering system.
In the menu management, qnips offers the possibility to store main and secondary components. This has an effect on the allergen filter in the apps and in the catering portal, because secondary components can be exchanged or omitted in order to avoid an intolerance. In addition to the effect on the allergen filter, the orderer can select numerous variation options (deselection, exchange of components…) for a dish via optional component groups.
Another new feature offers the possibility to store preparation options for individual dishes. For example, you can define the cooking level or portion size. Furthermore, it is now possible to define a minimum order value and additional delivery costs for orders, which are automatically added to the guests’ order in the shopping basket.
qnips photo feature
With the help of the photo feature, you can fill your menus in the app and now also in the Catering Portal with attractive photos and icons of ingredients or allergens. Product images for daily dishes can be created and uploaded directly after the sample plate has been prepared in the kitchen. These can then be forwarded to the mobile apps, the catering portal or digital signage screens. Photos in the menu are enhancing, offer your guests something for the eye and help with decision-making.
We can support you with the automation and digitization of your company canteen with our catering app. Would you like to learn more about it? Then take a look at our demo portal and click through our catering portal to get to know our ordering system. Simply book yourself a free demo appointment.
The topic of sustainability is playing an increasingly important role in the area of contract catering. Efforts to reduce waste, the increasing focus on vegetarian and vegan cuisine, and the reduction of food-related CO₂-emissions and the pursuit of carbon neutrality underscore this movement.
That’s why we at qnips decided to make our contribution to sustainability more than a year ago and embarked on an exciting journey to carbon neutrality. We’ve been busy scoping our CO₂-emissions and coming up with measures and strategies to offset and reduce them. Now we are happy to say – qnips is carbon neutral! (at least for the year 2021)
Supporting projects to achieve carbon neutrality
Together with our partner Cozero, we have chosen a portfolio solution to offset our CO₂ emissions. We will explain in this blog post what exactly this means:
We offset the total of 175t of carbon emitted in 2021 via The Gold Standard Foundation. The Gold Standard manages best practice measures in the areas of climate and sustainable development and promotes projects to offset emissions caused by companies. “Proyecto Mirador” is a project we have chosen that promotes the use of environmentally friendly cooking stoves in Honduras.
The “Proyecto Mirador” project provides families in Honduras with heat-efficient, low-smoke cooking stoves that require 50% less fuel to heat than conventional cooking stoves. As a result, families have to collect less wood – this counteracts deforestation and the time saved can be invested in the children’s education.
And these are our next steps:
Now that we have offset our emissions for last year, we can call ourselves carbon neutral (at least for this period). But we also know that this is not the end of the road when it comes to climate neutrality – on the contrary, it is only just beginning.
We are currently tracking our emissions for 2022 so that we can offset our CO₂-emissions at the end of this year.
We can also support you with the digitization of contract catering or you have questions about further features from qnips? Then get in contact with us today. We take questions and appointments via info@qnips.io or via +49 511 165 899 0.
The expectations and requirements of employees with regard to company canteens and the organisation of their lunch breaks are growing continuously. In line with the work-life balance, a lot of attention is paid to a relaxing lunch break and eating together with a sense of togetherness. Digitisation is also becoming more and more important in contract catering. Guests want to quickly and easily find out what’s on the menu and don’t want to waste their precious lunch break standing in line. At the Centre for Applied Aeronautical Research (ZAL) in Hamburg, Aramark Holding Deutschland GmbH therefore operates a modern staff canteen using the qnips platform.Among other things, the digital signage system from qnips provides a central and attractive menu display in addition to the app and web portal.
Modern company canteens – a combination of design and functionality
In a short interview with operations manager Sarah Nerrlich, we talked about the innovative integration of qnips’ digital signage system into the design of ZAL’s company canteen: “We are very proud of the innovative design of our company canteen, which fits in perfectly with the location and ZAL. The technical character and the aircraft theme are picked up in an discreet way,” emphasises Nerrlich. Two large digital signage displays, which are connected to the qnips system, inform the guests about the current daily specials directly above the food counter. Their design is resembling the luggage rack of an aeroplane.
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In addition, the location uses the People Counting feature of qnips, as well as the Mein-Restaurant-App and the Catering Portal. This means that ZAL staff can also view the week’s menu from their workplace or while on the move. In addition, guests are shown the current occupancy rate, as well as the average number of visitors on each day of the week. In this way, a visit to the company canteen can be planned in advance.
The digital signage solution especially for company restaurants!
“The great thing about qnips is how easy it is to use. After a short introduction, you can easily add new content, update menus and create an alternative channel for marketing communication. In addition to menu offers and ingredients, we can also easily advertise in house and inform our customers about news and offers, such as our Christmas boxes,” explains Nerrlich.
With the digital signage solution from qnips, you can automate the menu promotion in your company restaurant. With just a few clicks, you can display menus, news and offers not only for the app and the web, but also reach your guests directly on site. qnips offers you the use of digital menu boards, ePaper displays, touch steles and much more. The system adapts flexibly to the conditions on site. The digital signage system is complemented by the people counting feature. This provides you with data on the current occupancy rate and the average number of visitors on the individual days of the week. You also have the option of controlling the flow of visitors directly on site via a traffic light system.
We can also support you with the digitization of your contract catering and our digital signage feature or you have questions about the features from qnips? Then get in contact with us today. We take questions and appointments via info@qnips.io or via +49 511 165 899 0.
The non-profit campaign #veganuary has been encouraging people around the world to go vegan in January (or longer) since 2014. The organization advertises that the Veganuary is more than just a nutritional program. A vegan diet helps to protect our environment, counteract climate change, avoid existing animal suffering and improve the health of many people and is now considered one of the most effective methods.1
So why is a vegan diet so important for our environment?
According to the agricultural organization of the UN, livestock farmingcauses more greenhouse gasesthan global traffic – meaning all cars, trucks, ships and airplanes together!2 The greenhouse gases emitted from livestock farming are composed on the one hand of the considerable amount of feed that the livestock consume and on the other hand of the amount of methane that the animals produce in their stomachs and later release into our air. Methane is 23 times more effective on the climate than CO2; Accordingly, dairy products such as eggs, meat and milk products have a bad climate footprint.6
In Germany alone, eleven tons of greenhouse gases are released per capita and year.3
However, if you live vegan, you can counteract this and thereby reduce your personal balance by about two tons per year. Figuratively speaking, this corresponds to around eight economy class flights between Berlin and London.3
What are the pros and cons of a vegan diet?
In general, not only the advantages, but also possible disadvantages of a vegan diet should be examined and included.
A vegan diet supports animal welfare and protects the climate; however, the risk of nutrient deficiency – especially for vitamin B12 – should not be ignored. A purely vegan diet is therefore not suitable for everyone. This applies in particular to people in extraordinary phases of life, such as pregnancy, breastfeeding or childhood.4 Therefore, the decision to go vegan should be an individual decision and, if necessary, coordinated with a doctor.
Furthermore, health risks arising from meat consumption, such as cardiovascular diseases, can be minimized with a vegan diet. Similar results could be achieved with a vegetarian diet. After all, it is not just a healthy and balanced diet that plays a role in health but also additional health-promoting lifestyle factors, such as not smoking, physical activities and lower alcohol consumption.5
On the one hand, there is now an extensive range of vegan (alternative) products on the market plus their development is increasing at an ever faster pace. On the other hand, these products have a high proportion of added fat, sugar and salt and should therefore be viewed critically.4, 5
In the end it’s up to you!
Whether omnivore, vegetarian or vegan diet – how you eat is ultimately up to you. The points listed above serve only as information and as a thought-provoking impulse.
Product labelling & eaternity
The qnips system already offers the option of obtaining product labels such as “vegan”, “vegetarian” or e.g. “with chicken”. This operates manually in the dashboard or fully automatically via the enterprise resource planning (ERP). Among other things, this feature gives guests the option of using a filter in the (web) app to easily see which dishes correspond to their own dietary preferences. Even on site in the company restaurant, such labeling can make the purchase decision easier for guests as part of a digital advertisement via screen or stele.
In addition, an interface between eaternity and the ERP can provide further relevant data on the sustainability of a dish. In this way, the company restaurant can communicate the climate, water and/or vita score of a dish and much more.
Veganism at qnips
There are also some vegetarians or vegans hiding among the qnips employees.
Julia tells us that she has recently become a huge fan of homemade vegan Bolognese. Julia describes herself as a vegetarian, but still likes to use vegan alternative products, such as in the following recipe:
Her insider tip: A good shot of wine is a must!
So that the vegan alternative is in no way inferior to the “real Bolognese”, she uses vegan minced meat. – “You don’t notice any difference to the real minced meat.”
We can also support you with the digitization of your contract catering or you have questions about the features from qnips? Then get in contact with us today. We take questions and appointments via info@qnips.io or via +49 511 165 899 0.
How does a software development company become carbon neutral? What measures are used for the compensation or reduction of CO2 in the digital sector?
In the middle of this year, we started to focus more intensively on the topic of CO2-neutrality. Before that, we had already implemented smaller projects with our clients regarding sustainability and climate protection (such as the carbon cloud from eaternity). How we as a company could concretely contribute to these topics was still an open question until then. Together with our partner Cozero, we started to measure our carbon emissions of the past years and to identify their causes. We have already talked about the results of our scoping in#qnipsgoesgreen – our journey to CO2 neutrality | PART 1. But where do we go from here?
CO2 compensation or reduction – that is now the question!
We were able to identify the main source of our carbon emissions in Scope 3. More specifically in the use and purchase of digital products and services (such as administrative programs). As a result, there are several possibilities to get one step closer to our goal of CO2-neutrality. Firstly, we can try to reduce the emissions we emit. Reducing means replacing processes and products with climate-friendly alternatives to save emissions. On the other hand, we can try to compensate or offset our emissions. Offsetting means compensating processes and products that cannot be replaced with other measures.
Since it is difficult for us to stop using digital tools and services in our daily business as a software development company, the aspect of offsetting comes into focus for us. Our partner Cozero has therefore recommended various providers for offset projects to us: “The Kyoto Protocol has established climate protection projects that are the basis for most of the carbon offsets available today. Projects – which are supposed to contribute to carbon savings – are evaluated, quantified and the impact is financed via certificates in offsets on the market. As the purchaser of such a certificate/offset, you receive a share of the carbon savings that you can use to offset your own footprint“, says Fabian from Cozero.But before you start offsetting, you should research exactly which standards the projects use to reduce emissions.
How do you find offset projects with the right certification?
When we do something, we do it right. It is very important to us not to support just any project that advertises that it can offset carbon emissions. Unfortunately, greenwashing is becoming more and more of a trend. We want to clearly distance ourselves from it and stand up for a truly sustainable impact. That’s why we have taken a close look at the certification of such projects beforehand.
Climate protection projects that finance themselves by reducing carbon emissions and selling this added value to companies are subject to internationally recognised standards. There are strict regulations for the issuing and registration of such CO2-certificates. The verification is carried out by a third-party provider. There is the Gold Standard, the Verra’s Verified Carbon Standard (VCS), the Social Carbon and Climate, Community and Biodiversity Standards (CCBS) or standards verified by the UNFCCC (United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change). The Gold Standard, for example, is a standard that sets requirements for designing projects that have the most positive impact on climate and development and for measuring and reporting the results of these projects as credibly and efficiently as possible.
Our tips & learnings for the selection of offset projects
Besides certification, we also had to think about what kind of projects we would like to support. In addition to conventional climate protection projects (such as the reforestation of forest areas) that serve to reduce/avoid CO2 emissions, there is also the option of so-called carbon removal projects. These serve to compensate for emissions and have set themselves the task of removing emissions that have already been emitted from the atmosphere.
When selecting suitable projects to offset one’s own emissions, it is not only relevant to know how they are certified, but also to choose the one’s that suits the company’s purpose. At qnips, our software solutions are primarily used in the contract catering sector and it was therefore important to us, that the projects we support have a positive impact on the catering industry in some way. This selection process involved a lot of time and intensive research. But we can say it was worth it!
Read more about which projects we chose and why in Part 3 of our journey to carbon neutrality!
We can also support you with the digitization of your contract catering or you have questions about the features from qnips? Then get in contact with us today. We take questions and appointments via info@qnips.io or via +49 511 165 899 0.
During lunch breaks, fast payment in the company restaurant is essential. Long waiting times can be avoided and break times become more effective. With the new Panorama app from qnips and the interface to the payment service provider Bluecode, guests can pay for their lunch even more easily and quickly using contactless payment.
Since September 2021, Panorama Catering has been offering the Panorama app, which was developed together with qnips. The app is in use in over 25 company restaurants all over Germany. Over 1000 orders have already been processed via the qnips system and paid mobile with the Bluecode integration. Employees use the Panorama app to view the current menu. They get news about current discount promotions, can pre-order meals and pay directly via the App.
Preordering and contactless payment with the Panorama app from qnips
“We have been working with qnips since 2015. It started with interactive 32-inch screens that display our weekly menu plans and give our guests the opportunity to find out about ingredients, allergens, prices, promotions and much more. Later, ePapers were added to highlight the offered items and ingredients at the food counter. On September 6, 2021, our Panorama app went live and has since been available in the Apple Store and Google Play Store”, says Thomas Neumann, authorized signatory at Panorama Catering.
With the help of the qnips whitelabel system, Panorama not only communicates daily updated menus with information on ingredients, nutritional values and allergens via its own app. In addition, news and current offers are also displayed to guests via in-app and push notifications. In a digital cookbook, guests can find their favorite recipes to recreate. By integrating Bluecode into the Panorama app, guests can now easily make contactless payments without downloading another app.
Easy contactless payment via Bluecode integration
For qnips, Bluecode is a useful addition as an interface in the platform for the digitization of contract catering. In the mobile payment portfolio, Bluecode represents a cost-efficient alternative to the well-known payment providers. Low transaction costs are particularly attractive for customers in contract catering, as they often have to deal with very small payment amounts between €1 and €5.
How it works:
The Bluecode integration generates a blue barcode in the Panorama app, which guests simply present at the cash register. The cashier scans the barcode completely contact-free and the payment is made. There is no need to enter a PIN at a payment terminal. The qnips system recognizes the individual employee prices and subsidies defined via the company ID card. These are thus automatically included in the payment process with Bluecode. The payment data is forwarded anonymously to the customer’s bank via the uniquely generated Bluecode. Bluecode is never in possession of customer data. All other order and transaction data can then be managed in the qnips dashboard.
“Another advantage of Bluecode is that the system can be used with the qnips platform equally for point-of-sale payments as well as enabling online payment transactions in app and web. This is particularly relevant as we are already in the planning stages with Panorama Catering to implement an online ordering system. In addition, we are pleased to finally be able to support a European mobile payment solution. We hope that Bluecode will continue to establish itself so quickly in the European market in the future”, says Christian Brützel, Managing Director qnips GmbH.
We can also support you with a mobile payment solution for the digitization of contract catering or you have questions about further features from qnips? Then get in contact with us today. We take questions and appointments via info@qnips.io or via +49 511 165 899 0.
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