A Flexible Framework

Technology also opens the door to new revenue streams. As in commercial dining, automated food kiosks are becoming increasingly common in higher education food service. These kiosks create a new sales channel that reaches students looking for quick and easy access to food. They can also be highly effective at upselling because they can easily offer dozens of add-ons and choices, which is not practical with a human order-taker. “You can’t have someone standing there reading a list of dozens of options for toppings and extras to have with your hamburger — it just doesn’t happen that way,” says Brett Africk, director of sales for CBORD’s platform systems group. “A kiosk can simply display images and words of all the options, letting the student quickly pick what they want.”   

Another automated option creates a new sales channel for higher education retail stores. Amazon’s Just Walk Out technology, which is now integrated with CBORD’s technology, lets students use their campus IDs for a checkout-free experience. The system checks account balances as students enter the store, detects what they take from shelves, allows them to leave with the item without having to wait in line, and charges their accounts.  

The interconnection of operations and salespoints creates a range of potential options that go beyond such student-facing technologies. For example, institutions can connect with off-campus restaurants to enable students to use their campus funds to make purchases in those places — and then possibly charge those dining partners transaction fees for that service.  

The connected campus is still evolving, and it can be expected to open additional options for increased revenue over time. With linked technologies and operations, institutions can have a flexible framework that allows them to quickly adopt new solutions and embrace new ideas as they emerge — and build revenue by continuing to give their customers what they want.