The interns in the PayrollHero Singapore office got together and made a video that discusses where they are from, what it is like living and working in Singapore and what they have been working on. Check it out:
As you know, the F&B sector in Singapore has been facing a labour crunch for years now. Currently, for every foreign worker, the F&B sector needs to hire 6 local workers which is an impossible ratio for companies to handle. To attract more local workers, restaurants have had to raise costs without any increase in quality of service. Restaurants that were unable to do this resorted to leaving tables empty.
The Restaurant Association of Singapore proposed some solutions, including relaxing the foreign workers’ levy. While this measure is up to the government’s discretion, there are ways that restaurants can cope with the labour crunch.
Increasing Productivity through Technology
There are many front-end and back-end processes that can be streamlined by automating. In terms of adopting new technology, the restaurant industry has traditionally lagged behind the rest. However, the need to automate is clearer now than ever before. There are many examples in Singapore where restaurants have installed POS systems, set up digital menus or moved the practice of making reservations online.
Sakae Sushi in Singapore is a great example of automated processes. They have a conveyor belt that serves sushi. The belt is an island that is surrounded by tables so that customers can pick whichever dish they like. The restaurant also has iPads on every table to allow customers to order using the menu on the iPad.
McDonald’s Singapore is just catching up to the reality of increasing costs. Four out of approximately 120 outlets in Singapore have kiosks from which customers can order. 20% of their customers use kiosks. The systems reduce manpower required to take orders. It also makes the ordering process fool-proof, thereby saving time and money by preventing errors due to miscommunication between the customer and employee. In addition to reducing errors, McDonald’s employees can focus on back-end tasks and speed up service.
Balancing out costs: The result of automating is that there are shorter queues and more customers walking in through the door. The self ordering payment systems that Ananda Bhavan, a restaurant chain in Singapore uses, cost around $40,000. But in the long run, the investment pays off because of more orders and higher revenue.
To see a more tangible improvement in processes, Aptsys – a self-ordering POS system – released statistics on their website on how their product benefits restaurants. By their estimates, ordering speed increased by 70%, repeat orders increased by 30% and human errors decreased by 80%.
Tax credits: The government of Singapore has come up with incentives for companies to adopt newer technology. This includes training the staff with the new technology as well. The Productivity and Innovation Credit Scheme gives companies a 400% tax deductions or 60% cash payout as long as the improvements in technology come under the six qualifying activities.
Singaporean restaurants are increasingly seeing a fall in revenue because of empty tables and increasing labour costs. The only way for the industry to cope with falling margins is to adopt technology that can reduce manpower. We have previously suggested ways to upgrade and adopt new technology in areas of reservations, POS systems and food delivery. Over the next few years, it remains to be seen whether foreign worker quotas will be relaxed in order to release the pressure that these industries are under. Currently, the way to move forward is by using the tax credits that the government is offering to upgrade restaurant technology.
Nikko Huelgas is the captain of the Philippine National Triathlon Team, chairman of POC Athletes Commission, and a columnist for Manila Bulletin’s Sports Digest. He recently won a gold medal for the Philippines during the 28th SEA Games which was held in Singapore. We interviewed this Filipino athletic superstar to find out where he loves to eat (SPOILER: he loves pizzas while also being a super fit athlete. How awesome is that?!)
What do you love about living in the Philippines?
I love the people here. They are very optimistic, accommodating and family oriented.
What are your top 5 favourite restaurants and why?
More than their service, they have unique and seriously delicious food. Not to mention value for money.
You seem to travel a lot, what restaurant/s do you miss and would like to see in the Philippines?
Some hole in the wall authentic street food from all cultures especially Malaysia, Thailand, Hong Kong and Taiwan.
What is your favourite Philippine restaurant brand that should expand overseas?
Describe your most memorable dining experience
Omakase – Everything we ordered was really good. Started from their famous Spicy Tuna Salad. Healthy and delicious. Then, my favorite, the Mt. Fuji roll. It just melts in your mouth.
If you were to open a restaurant, what kind would it be and why?
Italian. I’m in love with pizza.
For whatever reason, some days would require a little extra comfort – what is your favourite comfort food?
Pizza, burgers and cheesecake. Always.
The tiny red dot, as Singapore is often called, is an interesting testing ground for restaurant technology. Singapore is famous for its awesome food. From hawker stalls to gourmet dining, the restaurant scene in Singapore is vibrant and diverse.
At PayrollHero, a huge part of being ridiculously client focused is in understanding what our clients need and use on a regular basis. What do Singaporean restaurants do for point of sale systems, for reservations, for creating menus or for scheduling shifts for their employees? There are a ton of apps out there that are especially designed for this industry. We looked at some apps that piqued our interest.
Reserving Tables: Chope
Asia’s answer to OpenTable and SeatMe: Chope helps diners reserve tables at restaurants in Singapore, Shanghai, Beijing, Bangkok and Hong Kong, free of cost. Restaurants can manage reservations through Chope. The company is expanding and adding new restaurants to its list every week.
Point of Sales Systems: PCS
Prima Computer Systems tackles the problem of inefficient POS systems. The cloud based solution makes it easier for a multi-location restaurant franchises to integrate POS systems. The app allows you to create and change menus in iPads, therefore reducing manpower costs. Considering the labour crunch in the F&B industry in Singapore, this helps restaurants focus their employees towards providing better service.
Digital Wallets
Singapore was one of the first countries in Southeast Asia to adopt digital wallets, back in 2012. Many restaurants have adopted mobile payment options. In terms of consumer readiness, Singapore comes second only to the Philippines at 17%. It beats all other countries for electronic payments at 42%. Local and international banks are a part of this movement towards mobile payments. OCBC’s Pay Anyone, DBS’s PayLah! and Standard Chartered Bank’s Dash are all useful options that restaurateurs should look at to integrate their POS systems with.
An interesting thing to note for restaurants and for businesses that are building easier payment methods is that the demographics on who is using mobile payments is revealing of whom the target market should be. Unsurprisingly, millennials lead the move towards mobile payments. More importantly, data shows that men are twice as likely to adopt the new technology compared to women. CEO of Harbourtouch (company that did the survey on the demographics of mobile and electronic payments), Jared Isaacman, said that there is a void when it comes to mobile payment in restaurants. Retail stores use this technology far more frequently, which indicates a potential opportunity in the F&B industry.
Loyalty Apps: Perx
Perx says that customers spend 7 times more using Perx than without. Loyalty apps remove the hassle of printing loyalty cards and trying to measure how effective the cards are. Perx offers a CRM solutions and a platform for businesses. Restaurant owners have access to how effective the loyalty app is in increasing revenue.
Inventory Management: TradeGecko
TradeGecko is racing through Asia. The Enterprise Resource Planning software is integrated with Xero, Quickbooks and Shopify among other companies. It offers analytics reports on inventory and stock. From the perspective of the F&B industry, TradeGecko helps a chef or a restaurant keep tabs on supplies. All this is done using the cloud, which simplifies the entire process for a restaurant chain.
There are two similarities that link all these apps together:
Our research into Southeast Asia led us to an interesting observation. A single restaurant franchise owner may operate across multiple countries. Apps like these are useful for the kind of owner that needs to keep tabs on all his outlets, across different countries. It helps the restaurant owner that currently owns one café and is looking for a way to open 25 more within two years.
We also noticed that in Southeast Asia, consumption trends suggest that fast food chains are going to excel in the next five years. For example, the compounded annual growth rate (CAGR) for fast food chains in the Philippines is 8.1% between 2013 and 2017. The potential that this poses for cloud based solutions is both exciting and massive.
Over the last few weeks, we have been looking deeply into the F&B industry. We focused on the Philippines and Singapore, with the idea of comparing and contrasting a nascent economy versus a mature one to figure out the potential that this region poses. We also compared what kind of employee compensation and benefits are provided by these countries with the perspective of figuring out what our client – a restaurant owner – is most concerned about.
While the data supported some assumptions or destroyed preconceived notions, we found out that there was more to this research than just raw data. We spoke to restaurant owners on the ground to listen to their stories and build a clearer picture.
Finally, we compiled all of it into a nice little package that we call the PayrollHero Knowledge Kit. It provides snippets into our research with statistics on the F&B industry in Singapore and the Philippines. We are super excited about sharing it with you because we want to know how it helps startups that are catering to the F&B industry. We also want to hear about the insight that you have gained from working in this part of the world.
The pictures below link you to the PH and SG Knowledge Kits. Open it, browse through it and shoot us with questions. We want to know what you think.
We have a new feature on the PayrollHero app!
Our Devs (developers) are constantly working towards improving functionality of the app. To that end, we have a new feature to enhance a human resource manager’s tools. It’s a simple addition to the app that allows the HR manager or payroll administrator to:
The feature sits in the Employees tab and under the Rollcall Days section. You can see the list of days that the employee has clocked in, their IP address, GPS coordinates linking to Google maps and the device that they used: TeamClock or #MyClock. If there are any issues with clocking in with a particular device, the HR admin can point out what specific device the problem arose from. This information can also be used as Business Intelligence to make decision on staffing and installing the best devices in your outlets.
The feature is already live for all PayrollHero users!
We recently spoke to Rob Nixon about his software business: Panalitix. It is a software as a service that provides accounting data from small businesses to accountants around the world.
Panalitix has an exciting event coming up that accountants should definitely catch. They are hosting their 8th Annual Proactive Accountants Conference between 12th and 16th of July. The conference will be in Bali, Indonesia. Accountants will get a chance to meet their colleagues, hear some great speakers and attend networking events (and of course, spend time in BALI!).
Jack Daly, will be the keynote speaker. Among other speakers, the conference will feature Keith Abraham, creator of Living with Passion, Daniel Priestley from the program Key Person of Influence, Tamara Trentain, digital marketing expert and Karen Abramson – CEO Wolters Kluwer Tax & Accounting.
Make sure to catch the conference in Bali! 375 accountants have already signed up for the event here.
To know more about outsourcing in the Philippines, you can read our blogposts featuring BPOs like VKW Inc, the Outsourced Accountant and Wint & Kidd. You can check out our executive interview section for all our interviews. You can also read our blog post on doing business in the Philippines, if you are looking for more information about BPOs in the country.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UkFNyLDBzH0
As you know, we have been creating some handy guides for opening restaurants in Singapore and the Philippines. We call them the PayrollHero Knowledge Kits.
Since we’re so excited about them and want to share them with the world, we’re hosting our first ever Twitter contest! From now until July 17th (Hari Raya Puasa), all you need to do, is retweet the link below to as many people as you can on your network.
If you can reach out to the most number of restaurants, businesses or people, we will feature you on our own blog!
Why is this a good idea for you? Well, we have been featuring famous actors and basketball players on our blog: celebrities like Rocco Nacino, Shawn Weinstein and Sean Anthony have shared their favorite restaurants with us. How awesome would it be to get in on the action! You know you’re thinking to yourself, “this would be a great PR opportunity…”
Make sure you’re following @PayrollHero so you’re in the loop because in the coming weeks, we will be coming up with some great opportunities like this for you.
.@PayrollHero is hosting a contest! Tweet our NEW #KnowledgeKits at the most #businesses & #people to #WIN an exclusive feature on our blog!
— PayrollHero (@PayrollHero) July 6, 2015
The MUST HAVE #PayrollHeroKnowledgeKits – retweet them to be featured in our #blog! http://t.co/LmjavZ863p (PH) http://t.co/xCkTRy9KFl (SG)
— PayrollHero (@PayrollHero) July 6, 2015
So what are you waiting for? Get tweeting! Your 15 minutes of PayrollHero fame awaits.
Below, you can see an example of a Twitter post that retweets the Knowledge Kits:
Editors Note: Maita Ocampo, Business Development at PayrollHero contributes to this blog on and off, this week, she did an interview with Rocco Nacino.
Rocco Nacino, Actor
“Rocco Nacino is a Filipino actor and registered nurse who rose to fame and gained media attention for joining on the fifth season of StarStruck, a Philippine reality show broadcast on GMA Network. He was the Second Prince of StarStruck. (wikipedia)”
1. What do you love about living in the Philippines?
Growing up in Singapore, being with my family and relatives has always been important to me. Life in Singapore was great, yes, but it wasn’t as great as spending Sundays with your loved ones and enjoying our grandma’s cooking. So it’s definitely being with your family is what I love about living in the Philippines.
2. What are your top 5 favourite restaurants and why?
Top 5? That will be hard to answer, because I’m a foodie and I would eat anything! Haha but taste-wise would be our Carinderias, I know everyone would relate to that. Turo-turo is the best! Haha food from Todd English is great also. To enjoy a unique experience, Van Gogh Is Bipolar is where me and my girlfriend love to go. Japanese would be Keizo in Burgos Circle and everything foie gras would be the best at Rambla in the Fort. I can go on and on guys. Haha.
3. You used to live in Singapore, what Singapore restaurant/s do you miss and would like to see in the Philippines?
Many people visit Singapore for their hawker centers, and it’s hard to come up with dishes as good as theirs. I’ve tried many Singaporean restaurants here but have failed my standards for the authentic taste. Chicken rice from Singapore’s hawker centers are the best and I’d love them to spread their recipes or restaurants here!!
4. What is your favourite Philippine restaurant brand that should expand overseas?
Hmmm, Mang Inasal?? I’d love people from other countries to taste our chicken inasal with its chicken oil!! That’ll be something different for them!
Rocco Nacino, Actor
5. Describe your most memorable dining experience
Most memorable would be having a 3 course meal with wine at the Eiffel Tower with Lovi, hearing that sweet “yes” from her on top of the Eiffel Tower then straight to a river cruise in the Siene River. 🙂
6. If you were to open a restaurant, what kind would it be and why?
It would probably be one for the masses, a chill place with good food, and street food, and lots of alcohol. Haha!! A place that everyone can get together and enjoy drinks and have fun!
7. What is your favourite comfort food?
Favorite comfort food would be chicken wings, any type of chicken wings.. Crispy, buffalo… Etc. now I’m hungry!!!
The PayrollHero blog aims to be the knowledge repository for any restaurant owner or retailer in Southeast Asia. We have built our database with things you need to know while doing business in Singapore.
With that in mind, we have been working on a little project. Presenting the PayrollHero Knowledge Kit!
Download now… Free!
This starter kit was put together to give you high level information about Singapore, share some thoughts from restaurant owners, and present relevant statistics from our market research.
The information here includes research that will help you open a restaurant in Singapore or expand into the country.
But we don’t want to give you simple hard facts that you could just Google anyway. The Knowledge Kit has a wealth of information in the form of personal stories and experiences in these countries. We interviewed the president of SaladStop!, Mr. Adrien Desbaillets. He gave advice on how he chooses locations in Singapore among other practical nuggets of information. We see it as a way to help the community because there is no better way to learn than from people who have gone through the same roadblocks as your are facing right now.
We hope this information is useful to you. We would love to hear back from you with what you think about the Knowledge Kit, how we can make things better and how you use this Kit for your own research into the restaurant industry.
Lastly, we are releasing more of these for the retail industry. Watch out for more information about these industries and countries. We have also created a Knowledge Kit for the Philippines.
So go ahead and click on the image above to access the Knowledge Kit. Let us know what you think. And good luck with your new business!
The PayrollHero blog aims to be the knowledge repository for any restaurant owner or retailer in Southeast Asia. We have built our database with things you need to know while doing business in the Philippines.
With that in mind, we have been working on a little project. Presenting the PayrollHero Knowledge Kit for opening a restaurant in the Philippines!
Download it now – free!
This starter kit was put together to give you high level information about the Philippines, share some thoughts from restaurant owners, and present relevant statistics from our market research.
The information here includes research that will help you open a restaurant in the Philippines or expand into the country.
But we don’t want to give you simple hard facts that you could just Google anyway. The Knowledge Kit has a wealth of information in the form of personal stories and experiences in these countries. We interviewed the owner of the Advent Manila Hospitality Group, Mr. Andrew Masigan, and asked him about how he runs his business in this part of the world. We see it as a way to help the community because there is no better way to learn than from people who have gone through the same roadblocks as your are facing right now.
We hope this information is useful to you. We would love to hear back from you with what you think about the Knowledge Kit, how we can make things better and how you use this Kit for your own research into the restaurant industry.
Lastly, we are releasing more of these for the retail and BPO industry. Watch out for more information about these industries and countries.
So go ahead and click on the image above to access the Knowledge Kit. Let us know what you think. And good luck with your new business!