Job security worries were closely followed by a general assumption about the ‘hassle of switching’ to a new system, which made second place on the list.
Managers revealed they were either tied into long contracts, were at risk of paying a penalty should they wish to change, or were unsure how to go about it. The third most cited reason for avoiding change was the impact that a new technology system would have on budget and spend.
Jerry Brand, managing director at Caternet wasn’t surprised by the findings of the report: “It’s a pretty common phenomenon - the fear of change. So no great revelations there; but what is perhaps a little more unsettling is the contrasting view between business survival and a fear of being ‘too efficient’ and risking jobs as a result, yet ironically the failure of one will surely lead to the certainty of the other?
“The whole switching ‘fear’ also needs demystifying, don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying there aren’t companies out there who make it incredibly difficult or costly for businesses to ‘switch’ to a different technology, but managers should be looking to systems that take that into account and don’t ask for upfront capital but instead are happy to work on a pay as you go, fair-charging basis.”
Only 15% of F&B managers were confident enough to say they had no fears at all about changing technology.
Other concerns highlighted by managers were linked to a lack of understanding of IT generally and time spent on training staff on new systems.