All I Wanted Was Two Tacos: A Lesson in Balancing Technology Adoption with Customer Experience
Alicia Butler Pierre
Founder-CEO: Equilibria, Inc. | Top 50 Global Operational Excellence Thought Leader | TEDx Speaker | Bestselling Author | Adjunct Instructor: Purdue University | Top 2% Podcaster | Lean Six Sigma, PMI Authorized Trainer
A few weeks ago, I stopped by my neighborhood Taqueria. This casual visit came during the return trip of a walk to my residence. It was a Wednesday around 4:30 pm on what turned out to be a quiet afternoon.
Considering it was a weekday and before peak afternoon traffic, I wasn’t surprised that only a handful of customers were inside the Taqueria when I entered. What did surprise me was how I was greeted when I told the receptionist I wanted to place a takeout order.
He asked if I had their app installed on my phone.
Confused, I told him, “No.” That’s when he told me to place my order on a tablet mounted on a wall situated in a nook between the receptionist's stand and the bar.
Keep in mind that no other customers were waiting to be served and, from what I could see, only three customers were sitting inside. Both the bartender standing nearby and the receptionist were completely idle. Yet, the onus was on me as a customer to place my own order with the expectation that I would also provide a tip.
At some point, while standing at the tablet, I had a screen navigation question which delayed my ordering process by a couple of minutes. After sorting through several more screens, I finally placed my order. Afterward, I asked if I could sit at the bar while I waited for my food.
While sitting at the bar, I grabbed a napkin and began sketching what had just happened in the form of a process flowchart. In this article, you’ll see that flowchart as well as learn a valuable lesson to apply in your organization when it comes to adopting digital technologies without sacrificing or compromising customer satisfaction.
Current State – What Really Happened?
So, how did a process that should have taken a maximum of 8 minutes turn into 20 minutes?
As the current or actual state process flowchart shows below, introducing technology into the takeout/carryout flow triggered a series of activities that slowed down the process including:
Beware of the Allure of Digital Technology
Growth in the Age of Complexity: Steering Your Company to Innovation, Productivity, and Profits in the New Era of Competition is a brilliant book co-authored by Andrei Perumal and Stephen A. Wilson. In it, they share tools for identifying and navigating complexities that stand to get in the way of profitable business growth.
The following quote from their book identifies processes and technology as two of many factors that can impede an organization's ability to achieve what they call "real scale."
“Economies of scale certainly still exist today, but they are often less defined by the overall size of the company or business unit. Rather, real scale exists at much lower levels within the company, for example in the sales per a particular product, the volume of a particular task, or the volume with a particular customer or supplier. Real scale is now found at the micro level than the macro level. Offerings, processes, organizational structures, resource allocations, work practices, and technology all affect real scale…”
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Digital technologies in the form of bots, apps, system integrations, and contactless data collection and processing offer mechanisms to reduce customer cycle times, streamline production and service delivery, reduce errors and defects, and automate processes altogether. However, these same technologies can also introduce complexity and risk into our processes. And, if we are not careful, we can lose customers if that same technology is improperly used or worse, we do not have additional processes in place to troubleshoot the technology.
Dean Hamilton, the Chief Technology Officer at Wilson Perumal & Company, the company co-founded by the authors of Growth in the Age of Complexity, argues that,
"As you increase your use of technology, in order to automate more business processes, you are also increasing the operational complexity and cybersecurity risk associated with effectively and securely managing additional technology."
This is based on his 30+ years working with a number of organizations across various industries as a technologist, entrepreneur, and consultant. In a recent communication with Dean, he clarified this point by stating that, "...unless you are prepared to effectively manage the increased technology-related complexity, the resulting increase in overall risk may be more damaging to the business than not employing more technology."
Future State - What Should Have Happened
You may be thinking, What's the big deal, Alicia? It's just two tacos. Sure, it's aggravating to have to wait 20 minutes for a simple order, but it's not that big of a deal. On the surface, as a customer, this is true. But as a business leader, the implications of this, longer term, can be damaging to this restaurant's profitability and ability to achieve "real scale."
The good news is that, in the case of this Taqueria, the balance between technology and customer satisfaction is an easy fix. They already have a simple menu offering - they only make tacos with a set number of ingredients. I'm sure they know exactly how long it takes to make each type of taco and that they have a rock-solid inventory management system in place to avoid out-of-stock situations.
Interestingly, Chipotle is also a fast-food restaurant offering Mexican food using a set number of ingredients that can be assembled in a set number of ways, tacos being one of them. In Figure 3.4 of Growing in the Age of Complexity, Wilson and Perumal showcase the link between process complexity and financial results for different fast-food restaurants. At the time of publication, Chipotle far surpassed McDonald's, Yum! Brands, and Darden Restaurants in terms of economies of scale ranking, operating income growth, revenue growth, and stock appreciation.
Interestingly, McDonald's at one time owned 90% of Chipotle, only to sell it.
Below is what a future state or improved process flowchart could look like for the Taqueria. This is the power of process mapping. It enables visual control since it gives a view into areas where things like long wait times, duplicated efforts, and rework exist.
When in Doubt, Go Hybrid!
In the improved, future state process shown above, the Receptionist only directs the customer to place a carryout order using the tablet if there are other customers waiting to be serviced. The customer receives an explanation along with a physical menu and general tips for using the tablet to place an order.
Once the customer places an order, a message appears on the screen with the expected wait time as well as a suggestion to sit at the bar to receive a complimentary beverage while waiting. This hybrid approach nicely blends high tech with high touch considering the alignment between the customer's expectation with the reality of the service received.
With the rapid encroachment of AI and the FOMO plaguing so many operations leaders, may this simple lesson of the two tacos serve as a reminder to leverage digital technologies to support or enhance our operational processes and not completely replace them. Using a hybrid approach also ensures a way to balance the risks that both technology-dependent and human-dependent processes introduce.
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About the Author
Alicia Butler Pierre is the Founder & CEO of Equilibria, Inc. – an operations management firm specializing in increasing enterprise value for fast-growing organizations through interactive learning experiences. She’s an international TEDx speaker, software inventor, two-time Amazon bestselling author, and producer of a top 2% podcast.
Alicia is an adjunct instructor of Lean Principles at Purdue University. She also serves on the boards of two education-focused organizations and is the USA Chair of the G100’s Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises. The Process Excellence Network recognized her as a Global Top 50 Thought Leader in Operational Excellence. A chemical engineer turned entrepreneur, she’s designed and optimized processes for small businesses, large enterprises, non-profits, and government organizations alike.
Helping ambitious entrepreneurs & full time business coaches escape the trap of growing their business whilst sacrificing time & life. Working on the elements of delivery, sales & high quality daily lead flows.
3wAlicia, thanks for sharing, always good to see some insights from people who have viewed my profile or are connected to me.
🔷Connecting people, processes, and technology so you become simpler…faster…BETTER!🔷Continuous Improvement🔷 Lean Six Sigma Consulting🔷Operational Excellence🔷Speaker🔷Lean Six Sigma Training
1moThis was very similar to my recent experience at the JKF airport on our return home. Ing jet lag from our trip the day before from Bangkok, my husband and I were in the mood for something simple and small for breakfast. We found a food hall where we were able to order what we wanted from the menu. A ter looking at the menus, I wanted a small side order of Greek breakfast potatoes from one place, and my handsome wanted a simple breakfast sandwich from another. We went to place our order on the tablet on the wall. My husband was able to order a sandwich, but I was unable to order just a side. M nd you, these were two different food places in the food hall, but they forced you to order from a tablet versus walking up to the counter. I was told that I needed to order a whole meal. At this point, I was frustrated (could have been from the lack of sleep). Ere was not a simple explanation on the tablet to indicated this, in fact, it looked like we were able to order the side by itself. l in all, I ended up walking over to Starbucks and using their app to place my order. I got my order of cold brew coffee and egg bites faster than my husband got his breakfast sandwich that he ordered 5 minutes before I did.
Executive Level Experience
1moAn excellent summation on why businesses go out of business! They forget the customer!
Alicia, great article! Dean mentioned the phrase "or worse," so I wanted to share an example of what "or worse" could look like when technology is implemented without a solid process—or worse, without thoughtful consideration. Take tablets, for instance. In my work training employers to create inclusive businesses, I often raise concerns not just about employees but also about customers. For example, customers with disabilities—such as those who are visually impaired, blind, use wheelchairs, or have cognitive disabilities—may face significant challenges when trying to use tablets. It's so important for businesses to think through all the factors and potential barriers before rolling out digital tools like this. Thoughtful planning can make all the difference in ensuring products are accessible to everyone, staying compliant with legal standards, and protecting your brand reputation. Inclusive practices are not only the right thing to do—they also help foster trust and loyalty among your customers.