Innovation In Hospitality Challenge: Challenges And Target Population

Innovation in Hospitality Challenge Name Institution Innovation in Hospitality Challenge Introduction Several challenges exist at our Hilton College yearly that provide an opportunity to be exploited. Although businesses have been established at the college previously, they are not effective as they do not consider the interest of the students. Hence, there is a need to improve the processes through innovation to make the services effective and efficient for students having considered their interest. Therefore, the work covers the challenges, the target population, product definition, potential industry impact, innovation, financial impact, and obstacles that are experienced at Eric’s restaurant and Cougar Ground in the college. Challenge Our team identified two challenges in the college. The first challenge is long queues at the Cougar Ground for breakfast. Students have little time to wait in the queues for meals as they need more time for their studies. The Cougar Ground is designed that people serve one at a time. Serving one person at a time wastes time because there are several students at the college who go to the Ground for breakfast. Similarly, most classes start in the morning and students need to hurry in taking their breakfast to attend the morning classes. Therefore, the long queues create an opportunity for other businesses to be opened to meet the needs of the students within the time allocated for taking breakfast. However, the services can be improved through innovation to speed the service time. The second challenge that our group identified is that most of the students do not go Eric’s restaurant that is located within the college. Most of the students prefer restaurants that are outside the college because they are cheap. Eric prepares executive foods that are priced above the normal rates that other hotel outside the college charge. Students have low income because they still depend on their parents and guardians to provide them with the things that they may need. However, the restaurant charges prices that are above their budget. Therefore, they seek for alternative restaurants outside the college that are fairly priced. The variation in prices calls for the restaurant to revise the cost for its products considering the budgets of its target consumers to improve its sales and profitability. Target Population The major target for the research is students who study at the Hilton College. The Eric’s restaurant and Cougar Ground are located within the college where students are the main consumers. However, this brings a challenge to the business as students have a specific time for taking their meals. Students spend most of their time in classes, studying and allocate only a portion of the time for taking their meals. Therefore, the businesses have to speed their service time to accommodate all the students who come to take their meals within the time allocated. The meals that are served are mainly lunches and breakfasts. Hence, the businesses only get a small time to make sales to their customers, which calls for quick service to improve their revenue. The primary assumption for the research regarding the target consumers is that the only customers are students. However, there are other consumers such as subordinate employees in the college and lectures, but they contribute little revenue to the businesses. The needs and lifestyle of every student are the same in almost all colleges globally in that they have a fixed schedule for conducting their activities. The times apportioned for lunches and breakfasts are the same every day. Therefore, the restaurants should utilize the opportunity to sale to its target consumers at the fixed time that they are given to make high gains. The approach seems to be constant in the foreseeable future. Therefore, through innovation that tends to improve the service time to the students, most students will be able to receive the services that they need within the time required. Product or Service Definition The team clearly defined the products and services that are intended for the students. First, we considered that students do not have time to waste on long queues and increasing the number of workers who serve the students will only increase the cost to the business and lead to low profits. Therefore, we decided to make easier, better, and faster ordering condition for the students that will ensure that they get more space to relax and study instead of wasting their time on long queues. Currently, students are served through cashiers who serve one customer at a time. The process takes a lot of time as most students spend a lot of time in long lines waiting to be served. The innovation will improve the time taken to serve each student, thereby, allowing them to have more time for their studies. More so, the products that are sold at the restaurant should be reviewed to meet the needs of students including the prices that are charged. The restaurant uses expensive ingredients to make their foods. The expensive ingredients used call for high prices to be charged. However, students have a low budget because they depend mostly on their parents and guardians for financial support. Therefore, they cannot afford the foods that are provided by the restaurant except some few students that come from fortunate families. Hence, the restaurant needs to review the quality of their products and the prices charged to meet the taste and preference as well as the budget of the target consumers. The businesses need to prepare their food with affordable ingredients to enable them to lower the prices to the level that students can afford. Potential for Industry Impact The major challenge faced by college students globally is the delay in time for receiving their meals. Nevertheless, Hilton College experiences the challenge because the current system that is being used allows only payment by credit cards and not cash. However, most students do not have credit cards and they prefer settling their bills with cash. Therefore, we decided to add a selection on the campus UH Redline application that uses Cougar cash to make payments at Eric’s restaurant and Cougar Ground. Also, the application allows students to pre-order drinks and foods and then picks them up at their own time. The system will be convenient to students as they will be able to pick up the meals at their own free time. Hence, the system is flexible and reduces the time taken in waiting in the long queues to wait for the service. The system is designed in a way that it allows people to pay for the products before they receive. Students pay for the drinks and foods, then they are given receipts indicating the time that they intend to receive the products. The restaurant and Cougar Ground ensure that they meet the customers’ demands after calculating the number of foods and drinks that were ordered earlier. The system is convenient to both the food outlets and students in that it enables the businesses to predict the daily demand of its customers based on the number of orders placed and students are also able to receive the products at their convenient time. The payments can be made both in cash and credit. Therefore, it is suitable to the customers. The system is valuable to students in that it enables them to budget with their money properly. Students who are spending thrift can purchase the receipts at the beginning of the semester indicating the time that they will pick the foods and drinks. The restaurant keeps the records and avail the products depending on the numb...