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Quick service restaurants (QSRs) operate in one of the most demanding environments when it comes to asset and facilities management. Depending on the size of the business, teams need to manage dozens – sometimes hundreds – of locations. That includes everything from equipment servicing and supplier coordination to compliance checks and staff support requests. 

It is a big job, which is why leading restaurant groups like Grill’d, Betty’s Burgers, Seagrass Boutique Hospitality Group and Italian Street Kitchen use mendrhub to solve backend operational challenges and create visibility across their asset networks. 

Here’s what they use mendrhub for.

Case Management 

QSR staff don’t just log maintenance requests. They may need help with equipment questions, supplier follow-ups, compliance checks and even operational support requests – all of which may be spread out across multiple platforms.

Mendrhub’s built-in case management capabilities eliminate the need for all of these different platforms, meaning:

• Fewer digital tools
• Clearer accountability
• Faster response times
• More visibility for facilities teams

 

Digital Service Requests

In many restaurant groups, service requests are still logged with very little detail, which leads to unnecessary delays. QSRs that use mendrhub take full advantage of the platform’s digital request workflows, where restaurant teams can submit all important information before the technician even arrives. This could look like:

• Structured job descriptions
• Equipment details
• Photos
• Asset history

What our clients see after implementing mendrhub for service requests is that service providers are arriving prepared with the right tools and parts – improving first-time-fix rates and reducing the need for costly repeat visits.

Smart Triage

A big cost for multi-site restaurants is often incorrect or unnecessary callouts. Without a triage in place to screen issues before a callout is made, QSRs risk having the wrong provider attending, multiple visits being required, and even simple issues being escalated without need.

QSRs like Grill’d use mendrhub’s smart triage feature to help teams determine:

• What’s wrong with the equipment
• Who should attend
• What/if parts are required
• Whether the issue can be resolved onsite by staff

Sometimes small issues don’t require a technician callout. If staff have access to the right information, the problem can get resolved quickly – without a costly visit.

 

Automatic Provider Allocation

Traditionally, facilities teams will maintain manual lists of their preferred contractors by region. For every service request, they need to manually go through to find the right person for the job – which isn’t a quick process.

QSRs use mendrhub to simplify this step, automatically routing jobs to the correct service providers based on:

• Asset type
• Location
• Availability
• Contract structure
• Compliance status

This doesn’t just cut out unnecessary administrative work, it also ensures that the right contractor can attend the job and fix the problem faster.

 

Using Whole-of-Life Equipment Costs for Decision Making

Historically, knowing when to repair or replace equipment has always been difficult for multi-site QSR operators. The decision usually relied on incomplete service histories, inconsistent reporting and anecdotal feedback from technicians. 

With mendrhub, QSRs get full visibility over whole-of-life costs for equipment. It decodes the data into useful insights which helps facilities teams understand:

• Maintenance trends
• Frequency of downtime
• Parts replacement history
• Usage patterns

With this crucial information in hand, quick service restaurant operators can make smarter, more informed decisions that ultimately improve reliability and protect profit margins.

 

Why QSR Operators Love mendrhub

 

Multi-site quick service restaurants succeed when equipment remains operational and service processes stay simple. Mendrhub combines:

• Digital service requests
• Smart triage
• Automated provider allocation
• Case management
• Lifecycle cost visibility

All to help restaurant groups reduce downtime, make more informed decisions, limit unnecessary costs and become more efficient. In a sector like the QSR industry where uptime directly impacts the bottom line, this level of visibility in one centralised location is priceless.

If you have never managed a service team digitally before, it may feel overwhelming at the start – especially if there is no system in place. Before you know it, you’re drowning in spreadsheets that don’t get filled out properly, endless phone calls, and outdated ways of working that leave you with gaps.

Missing parts, work order delays, role confusion and underutilised technicians are all examples of gaps – gaps that can add up in cost if not addressed.

Digital team management doesn’t have to be difficult, provided that you build a connected system that captures each step, provides technician support and gives managers the visibility they need to make decisions.

 

Minimise Gaps in Team Processes with a Digital Platform

The big problem with gaps is that you often don’t spot them until a costly mistake is made. Your work orders may be digital, but what about your other processes? For example:

• Do you optimise how jobs are scheduled for technicians?
• Do you manage team member coverage and skills?
• Do you keep track of team member certifications?
• How are part orders placed with suppliers and tracked?
• Where do you store parts?
• How are purchase orders approved?
• How do you process returns?
• How do you provide technical support to your team?

If any of these steps require an email or a different system, then your team is operating with blind spots. 

With a fully digital platform you can:

• Optimise job scheduling
• Track team certifications
• Track parts from supplier through to van stock and onsite usage
• Easily raise and keep a log of all purchase orders and approvals
• Automate notifications to stakeholders
• Automate part orders when stock is running low

With one central system, you eliminate unnecessary administrative work that only slows down work processes, and give team leaders and members more visibility.

 

Allow Teams to Perform at Their Best

Decisions need to be made quickly in field service environments, which is why it’s so important to have a system in place that provides guidance and clarity. A great digital management system enables your team to perform at their best with supportive digital features, such as:

• Guides or recommendations for triaging customer problems
• Clear indications of assigned tasks to complete
• Embedded knowledge bases and repair manuals
• Job checklists
• Requirements for job completion e.g. photo evidence or compliance documentation

With this in place, your platform becomes a real-time support system for your teams. It means that issues get resolved faster, there’s less need for repeat visits, technicians are more confident, and the overall service becomes more consistent.

 

Dynamic Scheduler for Managing Service Teams

A modern digital schedule needs to be flexible and visual so operations run smoothly – not a static tool that creates a bottleneck. The most effective dynamic scheduling systems will typically include:

• Colour-coded priority levels for quick prioritisation
• Real-time technician availability and accreditations
• Icons to flag things like a compliance issue or parts pending
• Route optimisation for field service teams

A great dynamic scheduler gives schedulers the ability to prioritise, reallocate jobs and spot inefficiencies instantly – no complicated spreadsheets required. 

 

Set Clear, Intelligent Reorder Points for Van Stock

Van stock control is an often overlooked area in digital team management, but it is a crucially important one. When technicians are holding inventory without complete transparency over their stock levels, when parts are used and without regular stock takes, issues like lost stock, delayed repairs and over-ordering can occur.

A digital platform allows users to set reorder points based on criteria such as current demand, lead times from suppliers and historical usage. When stock drops below a certain level, the system can automatically trigger:

• A pre-set purchase order
• A notification sent to warehouse teams
• Suggestions for reorder quantities

With a system like this in place, service providers always have the parts they need – maximising first-time-fix rates and leaving customers happier.

 

Optimise Service Provider Coverage for Efficiency

Implementing a digital system means being able to think beyond individual technicians and start to manage technician coverage more strategically. By pulling in the right data, you can:

• Identify staff that are being underutilised
• Compare performance across team members
• Identify any geographic service gaps
• Analyse response times by region and route

With this data available, you can make smarter decisions about key areas like job allocations, contractor requirements, multi-site coverage models and workforce planning. It’s a way of setting up your operations for efficiency rather than simply reacting to current demand.

 

To Wrap Up

Managing your service team digitally isn’t about following a trend or using technology for the sake of it. These systems exist to make digital team management exponentially easier and more effective for everyone involved – from field technicians to managers. By closing the gaps in your processes, improving scheduling automation, setting reorder points and using data to make more informed decisions, you will see:

• Quicker response times
• Improved first-time-fix rates
• Lower operational costs
• More productive technicians
• Better experiences for customers

Digital team management isn’t for the future – it’s for businesses right now that wish there was a simpler way to manage their teams. 

When you ask mendrhub Founder & Executive Director Glen Barkhan what led him to start the business with his business partners, his answer always comes down to one thing: trust. Namely, how trust can sometimes be challenged in service relationships when there isn’t enough visibility or transparency on either side.

For Glen, mendrhub wasn’t about simply filling a gap in the market – it was born from lived experience, operational frustration, and a desire to improve how the Food, Beverage and Hospitality service industry works for everyone involved.

We sat down with Glen recently to talk about his experience starting mendrhub, and what he hopes it can change about the industry in the future.

It started with frustration

With 40+ years of experience in commercial refrigeration, food equipment and HVAC on the service side of the industry, Glen was very familiar with the inefficiencies that accompanied paper-based, manual processes. Information moved slowly. Details got missed. Real-time data didn’t exist.

Like many service businesses at the time, operations were heavily reliant on paper-based processes. Information moved slowly, details were missed, and there was no real-time visibility across jobs, assets, service and logistic history.

“It didn’t start as a software business,” Glen explains. “It started with frustration. With no real-time data to speed up the process, we were throwing more money at the problem, which meant more costs, more admin, and more inefficiencies.”

Put simply, sustainable growth was unattainable. More clients simply meant more overhead. It wasn’t scalable. That frustration led Glen to look for a solution.

“Automation became one of the ways we could improve operational efficiencies and grow without exponential cost increases.”

It was a turning point for Glen, but inefficiency wasn’t the only frustration he wanted to address.

The role of trust in the service industry

Service is essential, but it’s often perceived as a cost rather than an investment. As Glen puts it, “It’s always a grudge spend. No one wakes up wanting to spend money on service. But when something breaks, it becomes mission-critical.”

This dynamic can sometimes create tension between service providers and customers; particularly when there isn’t clear visibility into what’s being done, how costs are calculated, or what value is really being delivered.

“In many cases, it’s not that service providers are doing the wrong thing,” Glen explains. “It’s that customers don’t always have access to the information they need to fully understand the work being carried out.”

Without transparency around labour, parts, asset downtime versus uptime, service and logistic history, even well-intentioned providers can find themselves in situations where trust and value is questioned.

“The real problem was a lack of transparency. When customers can’t see what’s happening, it creates uncertainty, and uncertainty erodes trust.”

From internal software to a SaaS platform

The foundations of mendrhub were built long before it became a software platform. Glen’s decades of experience became the blueprint – transforming practical, real-world knowledge into a system designed to solve the very challenges he had experienced.

“We built it for ourselves first,” Glen says. “Because we lived it.”

What started as an internal tool soon attracted attention from clients as well as competitors who wanted access to the same capabilities.

“Initially, we didn’t want to share it,” Glen admits. “But over time, we realised the demand – and the opportunity to help other businesses benefit from what we had learned over many years.”

While the original mendrhub system was hard-coded for Glen’s service business, the software that exists now is flexible and scalable – purpose-built to reduce admin effort, improve operational efficiency, and support better decision-making.

Accelerating the future with AI

As mendrhub continues to evolve, the integration of AI is unlocking new opportunities to further enhance efficiency, decision-making, and service outcomes.

“We’re now leveraging AI to take what we’ve built to the next level,” Glen explains.

These capabilities include:

• Intelligent job triaging and prioritisation, helping teams respond faster to critical issues
• Predictive maintenance insights, identifying potential failures before they occur
• Automated workflows, reducing manual intervention and administrative burden
• AI-driven business intelligence, providing deeper insights into asset performance, cost trends, and service efficiency
• Smarter scheduling and resource optimisation, improving utilisation of technicians and service networks

By combining real-time data with AI-driven insights, mendrhub enables businesses to move from reactive service models to more proactive, predictive operations.

The holy trinity of business success

Glen doesn’t believe that the success of mendrhub comes down to any one person. Rather, it’s a combination of people, technology and capital.

This includes people like mendrhub MD and shareholder, Richard Barel. Glen says that “Richard’s strengths as a software architect have perfectly complemented my own industry-specific experience, and together, we’ve built a dynamic and effective team that love what they do.”

And like a three-legged stool, Glen credits mendrhub’s Directors, shareholders and investors including Chairman John Studdert, Dave Warneke and Neil Archer for providing a solid business foundation. “They ensured we had stability and balance as we invested heavily to develop a market leading niche platform that drives value for our clients,” Glen says.

A foundation of trust and transparency

Because mendrhub was created from hands-on, operational experience, over time its evolution has been shaped by real customer pain points. Real-time visibility and data foster trust, clever automation reduces costs and admin effort, and the business ultimately becomes more operationally efficient and profitable.

But it’s Glen’s commitment to doing business the right way that continues to set mendrhub apart from others in the market. It’s why companies like Grill’d, David Jones and Betty’s Burgers use mendrhub every day. Mendrhub isn’t just software – it’s a true partner.

As Glen says, “I go into discussions with clients and say we’re a partner to your business; we’re in this together. Think about us as an extension of your business, not just another supplier.”

The way industries manage assets changes constantly, but this year is shaping up to be the most significant yet. Manual scheduling and sending a technician when there’s a problem isn’t good enough anymore – not with so many innovative new solutions for asset management available.

Over 2026, asset management will require performance optimisation, environmentally conscious planning, and the ability to make decisions in real-time.

Embedded Sensors and Edge Connectivity as Standard

Connectivity is no longer a premium feature – it’s expected as a default. This is only going to become more prevalent this year, giving those who are purchasing new equipment an added advantage. Already, equipment like refrigerators and HVAC systems come embedded with telemetry to capture details like:

• Temperatures
• Pressures
• Run hours
• Power draw

These numbers feed into asset and facility management software via wireless networks, meaning that rather than reporting whether an asset is working or not, you can generate risk scores based on asset health. Put simply, connectivity shifts managers from reactive maintenance to proactive, identifying risk long before equipment failure occurs.

AI-Enhanced Control Within Assets

Automation used to mean alerting you when there’s an issue. Now, it means autonomy. For example, HVAC systems can automatically set fan-speed based on weather and air quality, and refrigeration systems can optimise compressor cycles to lower energy use.

We are already seeing a shift from managers overseeing operations and break-fix jobs to analysts working with data, dashboards and AI outputs. Utilising centralised “operation centres”, managers can monitor multi-site portfolios in real-time – leading to more efficient operations, fewer equipment failures, and happier customers.

Condition-Based Predictive Maintenance

Whereas traditional maintenance schedules may recommend a service every 6 months and an inspection once a year, these quick check-ins don’t provide the full picture. We expect to see a shift to condition-based predictive maintenance in 2026, where work orders can be triggered by data like:

• Total hours run since last service
• Cycle duration and starts
• Vibration trends
• Temperature drift
• Historical failures

Failure and anomaly prediction models are being increasingly used in conjunction with facility and asset management platforms, allowing for this type of predictive maintenance to take place. By servicing the equipment when the data says it’s necessary, you can cut down on unnecessary services, costly downtime, parts waste and emergency call-outs.

Managing ESG & Compliance With Smart Assets

More and more we’re seeing ESG (environmental, social and governance) and compliance be managed with smart assets and systems. While smart asset management systems can estimate energy and emissions and allow for digital logging of compliance data, smart assets can capture real time data. Together these allow you to track and report on:

• Emissions
• Energy consumption
• Leak detection
• Food safety compliance e.g. a constant log of fridge temperatures

This type of information gives organisations the ability to measure energy use and environmental impact of each asset, each site, and the organisation as a whole. It means stronger ESG reporting accuracy, risk mitigation for compliance issues, and will likely influence investment decisions. It also lets you track whole-of-life asset costs more comprehensively by factoring in all running costs into buy or fix decisions.

Converging Platforms

Prior to this year, IoT platforms and asset management systems ran separately. However, we’re now seeing asset and facility management platforms become the primary way for companies to ingest IoT data and automate their workflows. Not only this, but asset management platforms are becoming the primary hub for things like compliance management, financial reporting and tracking, and ESG reporting.

It means that multi-site facilities only need to deal with a single operational system – rather than a handful of different systems that either don’t talk to each other, or require costly integration to do so.

Circular Facility Management

In the next two years, we expect to see more asset strategies that explicitly target life extension over replacement. These circular strategies will prioritise:

• Repairing over replacing
• Refurbishment and retrofit upgrades
• Energy optimisation

With a comprehensive facility and asset management system, companies get full lifecycle cost visibility. You can compare continued maintenance costs, energy inefficiencies, carbon emissions, and replacement costs with data and tap into AI-enhanced platform decision tools to back up your strategic decisions.

To Wrap Up

Above all, the next two years in asset and facility management will be shaped by intelligence, integration and visibility. Asset management systems will move from reactive to predictive and automated – keeping equipment running at peak performance for longer and saving your company’s bottom line.

Because in 2026, the companies that will succeed aren’t going to be the ones who fix things faster – it’s the ones who know what to check for before something breaks.

Multi-site facilities like QSR chains or department stores have unique needs when it comes to asset and facility management. Without the ability to track assets across all locations, details can get missed, assets can get misplaced, and whole-of-life costs become an unknown ––leading to expensive maintenance and increased risk of downtime.

Internal standard operating procedures can fall through the cracks and ad-hoc service requests such as electrical and plumbing work become challenging to coordinate across sites. Staff working across multi-site stores also need easy access to centralised information on assets and services, so that technicians aren’t inadvertently called out and small fixable issues can be self-corrected.

With so many moving parts, it becomes near impossible to run a multi-site efficiently without a good asset and facility management system in place.

This is how two multi-sites––Grill’d and David Jones––use mendrhub as a key platform to reduce downtime, save money, and make life easier for their staff.

Grill’d

Popular Australian-owned food chain Grill’d Healthy Burgers was founded in Melbourne in 2004. Today it has 150 restaurants nationwide, comprising a mix of company-owned outlets and franchise partners. Delivering on its promise of fresh, healthy burgers, Grill’d prides itself on 100% natural and locally sourced ingredients, and is distinguished from its competitors by its community outreach programs and 4,000+ friendly staff.

“We didn’t want to pull something off the shelf and then be told we need to make it fit. We wanted something that we could partner with and develop together that had the potential to grow.” – Chris Woodward, National Facilities Manager, Grill’d Healthy Burgers

The challenge

Grill’d recognised it had outgrown its small business approach to facilities management. In order to sustain its growth, the company needed a flexible asset and facility management solution that could accommodate planned growth globally, capture detailed equipment data, and provided a user-friendly mobile experience for staff.

Our solution

Mendrhub specialises in the areas that Grill’d required, comprehensively supporting digital service calls, equipment maintenance, supplier management, in-app triaging and workflow automation. With the mendrhub system in place, Grill’d now has access to:

• Complete asset and facility management, including whole-of-life activity tracking and cost measurement, centralised work order control, inventory control and real-time analytics
• The mendrhub Restaurant App with a simple user interface that makes it easy to identify equipment, request jobs, triage problems and track service history
• Contractor management and risk mitigation, giving Grill’d greater visibility over external contractors and ensuring all work carried out is thoroughly documented

“What I like about this platform is that contractors must sign in and out using the tech app, so we’ve got greater visibility of when they’re actually on-site, what they’re doing and the repair notes. Which is huge.” – Chris Woodward, National Facilities Manager, Grill’d Healthy Burgers

The results have spoken for themselves. Staff across all stores are able to log tasks quickly with the new user-friendly platform, administrative work has been reduced with automation, a self-triage process has saved costs, and Grill’d has been able to forge stronger partnerships with its most valued contractors. The system is set up to scale as the company continues to expand. Integrating mendrhub has made for happier staff, happier customers, and a happier bottom line.

David Jones

David Jones is Australia’s leading premium retailer, renowned for its exclusive products and sophisticated style, offering the finest local and international brands. In late 2023, David Jones launched Amplify, its in-house retail media business.

Amplify offers brand partners and advertisers access to more than 63 window activations, 166 digital screens, and 267 in-store placements. Amplify has become one of Australia’s largest retail media ecosystems, attracting over 65 million annual store visitors and generating 100 million digital views.

The challenge

While the introduction of digital screens presented an innovative and scalable revenue-generating opportunity, David Jones recognised that effective asset management was critical to long-term success.

The business relied heavily on manual recordkeeping and lacked an accurate asset register. Service issues were raised through a busy support centre, which often struggled to coordinate timely communication with service providers.

“We’re protecting our brand. We’re protecting our assets. We can’t risk investing a significant amount of money into a project and then putting all that in the hands of someone else. We want to own all of our information. We want to protect our assets.” – Samantha Dick, Operations Lead, Visual Merchandising & Store Environment Projects, David Jones

Our solution

After launching mendrhub across all 42 David Jones stores in November 2024, the benefits were instantly apparent. Mendrhub gave the company access to:

• A centralised asset register that held records of every digital asset, ensuring continuity even if a service provider exits
• Service booking via a user-friendly David Jones branded mobile app for store staff to log service jobs
• Branded asset data that makes identifying and reporting faults simple and automatic
• Streamlined service provider and logistics management
• Predictive maintenance
• Simpler invoicing, as quotes no longer needed to be submitted across multiple departments

“We can oversee and log in at any time and see what the issues are, but we don’t need to be the ones navigating all of these issues because everything is automated. It’s so seamless. It was an absolute game-changer, particularly last Christmas. It was quite evident that this was working for us.” – Samantha Dick, Operations Lead, Visual Merchandising & Store Environment Projects, David Jones

By partnering with mendrhub, David Jones was able to establish a robust multi-site asset management solution, improve logistics, warehouse management and maintenance, and find substantial time and cost savings through workflow automation. Not only that, but the mendrhub system gives the company extra peace of mind, knowing their assets are accounted for and monitored closely.

To Wrap Up

Australian multi-site giants like Grill’d and David Jones use mendrhub every day to improve their work processes and ultimately, their bottom line. From complete asset and facility management and comprehensive service and cost tracking to easy-to-use branded mobile apps for service requests, the mendrhub system is an innovative solution for any multi-site company looking for greater visibility and control.

Wondering what mendrhub might look like for your multi-site? Book a short chat today – our team is always happy to answer any questions.

Running supermarkets is about a lot more than just stocking shelves. A supermarket that is running efficiently has dozens of systems, assets, suppliers and operating procedures that need to work together seamlessly or everything comes to a halt. From refrigeration and airconditioning, to POS terminals and utilities, if even one part of the system fails, it can result in lost revenue, wasted products, costly downtime, and unhappy customers.

This is why a holistic facility management system is so important. It’s not just useful – it’s essential.

What is a Facility Management System?

A facility management system is a digital platform that tracks physical assets, services and facility maintenance across a location. In a supermarket, it gives managers real-time visibility over things like:

• Location of various assets across the store
• Status and condition of critical assets
• Routine maintenance
• Service requests
• Supplier management and billing

A great facility management system ensures that managers know exactly what is happening with their facilities and what needs to happen to keep things running smoothly. This includes getting accurate data instantly and digitising processes to avoid relying on error-prone and time-consuming manual processes. With accurate information, decision making can shift from reactive to proactive.

What Are The Risks Of Operating Without A Digital Facility Management System?

Without a structured system for managing facilities and assets, details get missed and things start to fall through the cracks. In a business like a supermarket, even small cracks can start to add up as excess costs and unsatisfied customers.

RISK: Critical System Downtime

Without regular, thought out maintenance in place, supermarkets run a greater risk of critical systems failing. Just some of the systems that could be impacted by poor maintenance include:

• Refrigeration systems, freezers and cold rooms
• Deep fryers and bain maries
• Combi ovens, bakery ovens and provers
• Ice machines, juicers and fish displays
• Packaging machines like sealers and food wrappers
• POS systems and cash registers
• HVAC systems and utilities like lighting and plumbing
• Warehouse assets like forklifts, compactors and floor polishers

When any of these assets aren’t tracked and serviced proactively, they run the risk of breaking down in the worst possible moment. What if the refrigeration system fails overnight and thousands of dollars in stock is lost long before the store opens? These are the kinds of worst case scenarios that a great facility management system helps to avoid.

RISK: Compliance Issues

Depending on the country or state you’re in, electrical, safety and refrigeration assets will often require regular inspections for your supermarket to remain compliant. Without a facility management system to track compliance, problems start to appear. Perhaps scheduled maintenance gets skipped once or twice, or important paperwork goes missing. If your supermarket is found to be non-compliant, it could mean huge penalties and food safety breaches.

RISK: Unseen Costs

If asset servicing and standard operating procedures undertaken by suppliers aren’t captured digitally you run the risk of losing track of costs, having accidental call-outs or missed scheduled tasks.

Why a Facility Management System Is So Important

A great facility management system is a game changer for supermarkets. With real-time visibility, you can react the instant something goes wrong and can proactively manage know immediately what is in stock, what you need to order more of, and what is expiring soon. The system can have automated replenishment alerts when stock levels drop and the recorded data helps you to better forecast demand so you don’t overorder.

You can track assets and keep informed of their servicing dates and repair history to reduce downtime, and with improved workflow tasks that used to take hours can be done in seconds.

Last but not least, a facility management system will help you reduce waste, shrinkage, and lost revenue. Better planning and better monitoring means fresher produce and less stock that need to be thrown away.

To Wrap Up

With so many moving parts, there is no room for guesswork in a supermarket. Thin margins and high turnover require careful planning and structure, making a facility management system a non-negotiable. Protect profit, prevent waste, and ensure that customers always get what they came in for by looking into facility management systems today.

Barcode and QR code scanning has become one of the most effective ways to track, verify and manage assets at scale. Across industries like healthcare, manufacturing and retail, being able to track the location and health of individual assets is essential. Now, with the ability to scan codes through our smartphones, the convenience of barcode tracking is no longer restricted to expensive, bulky scanners.

Let’s break down exactly how it works.

What is a Barcode?

A barcode is a visual representation of data in a format that can be read by a machine. Barcodes consist of a pattern of lines, shapes or squares which accurately encode information, like serial numbers, asset details or URLs. When scanned, this data is instantly read and can be logged digitally, trigger a workflow or direct the user to a specific web or app page.

To put it simply, barcodes allow us to turn physical items into digital records.

What is the Difference Between a QR Code and a Barcode?

While many people use the terms interchangeably, QR codes are a distinct type of barcode – specifically, a two-dimensional (2D) barcode and are used for distinct purposes..

Barcode (1D)

• Vertical lines and spaces
• Line-of-sight scanning required
• Able to hold less data
• More common for retail settings

QR Code (2D)

• Square patterns in a grid shape
• Able to be scanned from multiple angles
• Holds more data, including URLs
• More popular for asset tracking and authentication

In short, barcodes are better for high-volume, quick scanning as they’re simpler. QR codes, on the other hand, are better for asset tracking as they’re more powerful and versatile.

What Are Deeplink QR Codes?

Deeplink QR codes contain URLs that don’t just display information, but take users directly to a specific place within a mobile app or system. Instead of opening a generic webpage or homepage, a deeplink QR code can launch a particular asset record, job, checklist or form inside an app.

When scanned on a mobile device, a deeplink QR code can:

• Open a specific asset profile in an asset management system
• Launch a maintenance checklist or inspection form
• Trigger a job or service request
• Take the user to a defined step in a workflow

This means field technicians and on-site teams can move straight from scanning a physical asset to taking action, without searching, navigating menus or manually entering information.

In asset management, deeplink QR codes are especially powerful because they connect the physical world directly to live digital workflows. A single scan can surface real-time asset history, kick off a digital maintenance form or open a page to register an asset for warranty – all from a smartphone.

What Are the Different Types of Barcodes?

Different barcode formats serve different purposes depending on the industry and assets being tracked. Some common types are:

EAN-13

European Article Numbers (EAN) use 13 digits and are the most widely used barcode globally for retail products.

UPC-A

12-digit Universal Product Code (UPC) barcodes are used mostly in the US and Canada for retail products.

ITF-14

These codes are used in warehouses for cartons that contain a specific quantity of product.

GS1-128

These barcodes encode a variety of details about a product shipment and are used for logistics and compliance.

QR Code

Quick Response (QR) codes are the most versatile barcode and can contain almost anything, including deeplinks. They are especially useful for asset management because they can link directly to dynamic, cloud-based records.

What is Happening When You Scan a Barcode?

No matter what type of barcode you use, when it’s scanned, a series of actions happen in less than a second. Once your device captures the barcode, software decodes the code’s pattern into text or numerical values which the system matches to existing records in your database. Item details then appear almost instantly, with information like location, repair history and status.

Depending on the systems you have in place, scanning a barcode can also trigger workflows such as updating stock counts or assigning jobs.

What Are the Benefits of Mobile Barcode and QR Scanning?

If you are not already using mobile barcode scanning in your work processes, now is the time to start. The benefits include:

• Real-time visibility and tracking accuracy
• Reduced manual data entry and errors
• Faster audits, maintenance checks and stocktakes
• No specialised scanning equipment needed
• Works anywhere, whether on-site, in the warehouse or in the field
• Reduces lost assets

Can I Customise Workflow Automations with Mobile Scanning?

With comprehensive asset management platforms like mendrhub, the way you integrate mobile scanning into your workflow is entirely up to you. Each scan feeds straight into a series of automated actions that can be customised to:

• Link physical assets to their digital records
• Automatically capture asset details
• Launch specific checklists, maintenance forms or safety prompts
• Instantly record condition photos and notes
• Trigger job creation or servicing
• Auto-update asset details like location, status or warranty

Can I Integrate Barcode or QR Code Scanning into Asset Tracking?

The short answer is yes. Barcode scanning is most useful when integrated into a wider asset management system, so that every scan automatically updates the asset history. This capability allows teams to track details like where the asset is, when it was last serviced, who serviced it, and when it needs to be inspected or replaced. Mobile scanning means that everyone, from field technicians to facility managers, are operating with the same, real-time information.

To Wrap Up

Mobile barcode and QR code scanning is a simple way to completely transform the way your organisation tracks assets. This is the future of asset management, and it’s already in your pocket, waiting to be utilised. They help eliminate manual, error-prone processes and replace them with a single source of truth that provides a faster, more efficient way to maintain visibility and control.

Guest writer Cathy Goodwin is an expert FoodService Equipment Consultant with 35+ years of industry experience. She runs a highly successful Food Equipment Consultancy business, and her career has spanned fields ranging from hospitality to product development.

The summer holiday period in Australia is a very prosperous time for the hospitality industry. It is a time when family and friends get together to celebrate, often eating and drinking out. Cafes, restaurants and fast food venues get very busy, so planning ahead is imperative to ensure you enjoy the fruits of your labour and don’t pour your hard earned profits down the drain.

After all, you would never take a long road trip without checking your vehicle for fuel, water, oil, wiper blades and tyre pressure. Expensive catering equipment is always on a long road trip, and the consequences of a breakdown during the Christmas and New Year holiday period can be catastrophic to your business.

Here are my tips to ensure you reduce the risk of a problem and what you can do to be prepared if there is a breakdown and avoid the dishes piling up.

1.Do preventative inspections and servicing now

Get all your major equipment inspected and serviced by a professional now if it has not already been done. This will not guarantee it won’t break down, but will significantly reduce the chances.

2.Collect user manuals

Find your equipment user manuals or download them from the manufacturer website. Put them where you can find them. Most user manuals have a troubleshooting section and often you can resolve problems quickly yourself.

3.Set expectations for emergency costs

Have the phone number of a 24/7 emergency repairer available (plumber, electrician, catering equipment repairer). Contact them before the holidays start to understand what information you will need to provide to them to be able to help you should the need arise, and how much it will cost you for an after hours call out.

4.Check fridges and freezers

Check if the gas pressure is okay, if fans are all working, the condenser is clean, drains are clear and door seals are in good condition – no funny rattling noises!

5.Check dishwashers and glass washers

Make sure all the hoses and connections are in good condition, drain lines are clear, wash and rinse arms (top and bottom) are clean and clear, doors and hoods open and close easily, and there are adequate chemical supplies.

6.Check cooking equipment

Make sure all the hoses, power leads, connections and knobs are in good condition.

7.Check the ice machine

Make sure all the hoses and connections are in good condition, drain lines are clear, water filter is in date, condenser is clean and the evaporator is descaled and has been sanitized within the last 6 months.

8.Check countertop appliances

Make sure all appliances are clean and power leads are in good condition. Pay extra attention that the chains on any conveyor toasters are in good condition, too.

9.Have a back up plan

Have extra staff on stand by to come in and hand wash if the dishwasher stops working and be ready to move stock if a fridge or cool room goes down. Get the contact details of a portable cool room if you have no other option, and details for a bagged ice supplier if the ice machine stops working.

By following these simple steps, you can make sure your business is as prepared as possible for any unexpected breakdowns.

Considering implementing AI in the workplace? You’re not alone. As AI continues to become more powerful, more businesses are convinced that they’ll fail without it. In fact, according to this report from Accenture, 75% of executives fear going out of business within five years if they fail to scale AI now.

AI is advancing rapidly, and it makes sense that CEOs and business leaders want to capitalise on the technology now. However, as with any new technology, it’s important to carefully consider the potential challenges and drawbacks before implementation.

What assurances are there for accuracy and accountability?

Likely the biggest challenge with AI powered by Large Language Models (LLMs) at the moment is a lack of accuracy due to the phenomena of hallucination. Many AI programs have caused public scandal due to inaccurate information, with sources found to be completely made up. Most recently, Deloitte had to refund part of a $440,000 government report because multiple errors were found, including fake academic references and a made-up quote from a Federal Court judgment. There’s also the case of SaaStr, whose founder revealed that an AI coding assistant went rogue and wiped a database, then lied about it.

These cautionary tales are important to be aware of when investigating any new AI software. Ask questions about what data the AI was trained on, how likely mistakes are, and how information can be verified. If a business is implementing its own AI system, it will need to constantly obtain large volumes of fresh, high-quality anddiverse data to train the system – but this data needs to be obtained, cleaned, and checked for accuracy, which isn’t cheap.

Will it improve the customer experience?

If you’ve ever been stuck in a loop with an AI chatbot, frustrated and wishing you could speak to a real person, you’ll know how customers feel when AI isn’t working effectively. Any new AI solution needs to be tested from a customer experience perspective first. If the process incorporating AI can’t achieve a result that’s at least as good as the process without it, then it’s likely to only harm your brand’s reputation and lose customers. On the other hand, when AI solutions like chatbots work well, customers get the answers they need more quickly. You just need to determine what will be the most effective solution for your customers.

Is an AI solution aligned with your business strategy?

Before introducing an AI system into your company, consider whether it will help your business achieve its long-term goals. If you implement AI without a clear plan or understanding of how it will impact your business in the long-run, it’s far less likely to deliver ROI. The AI solution should integrate seamlessly with current processes, whether that’s automation, making customer experiences better, or using data to fuel better decisions. AI is not a quick fix – think ahead, and with the right consideration, it can be a crucial tool for business growth.

Do you have the team and resources in place to implement AI in your organisation?

Implementing any new tool or system into your business is typically a complex process. Integrating AI is no different. You’ll have to assess existing IT infrastructure to determine whether you have the computing power and storage capacity to accommodate an AI system. If you don’t have this, it may require costly upgrades or switching to a cloud-based third party solution – potentially requiring integration of an overhaul of your existing IT system. On top of this, you’ll also need to ensure you have the right people to implement it. That could look like hiring new talent, upskilling your current teams, or investing in continual training as the technology evolves.

What are the financial costs of implementing AI in your business?

LLMs are still a fairly new technology, so AI solutions driven by them can be expensive. The cost of training, integrating, testing and operating these systems must be considered upfront to determine whether it will provide appropriate ROI. The upside of implementing these cutting edge tools is that while upfront costs can be daunting, in the long-term, the automation of repetitive, time-consuming tasks and giving staff more time to focus on more important tasks can allow for higher profit margins.

Just consider the total cost of implementing AI before jumping in. Think about hardware, software, talent acquisition, ongoing training and maintenance – all big upfront and ongoing costs, but over time, you may find that an AI solution is the more economical option.

The decision to implement AI in your business isn’t a quick or easy one. It requires careful consideration around accuracy of the data, customer experience, goal alignment, and whether you have the team to implement it – or the funds to do so.

It seems that everywhere you look these days, automations are being put in place to make jobs easier. This is true for Point of Sale (POS) trade asset management too. Historically, POS trade asset managers have had to deal with complicated, manual processes that create bottlenecks, slow response times, and allow important details to fall through the cracks. Whether they’re completing an asset audit on-site, or organising the right technician for a job, their roles are only getting more complex.

The good news is that solutions now exist to simplify things. By embracing smart technology and automation, POS trade asset managers can streamline their processes, minimise risk, and ultimately end up with better performing assets and happier customers.

Here’s how automation is changing the game.

AI-Integrated Asset Audits

Gone are the days of clipboards and spreadsheets. Now, with AI-powered asset audits, POS trade asset managers can get real-time insights into their equipment. From condition and usage statistics to the overall performance of any asset in the field – managers can access all of this information on-hand. By taking a quick picture of the asset, you can access all the asset’s information and raise jobs on it.

Using integrated-AI for asset audits improves accuracy, but it also highlights trends that manual audits will often miss. By utilising this technology, managers are able to make better decisions around repairing or replacing equipment, and assets are kept in better condition for longer – maximising value for the customer.

Reactive to Predictive Maintenance

Traditionally, maintenance has been reactive – we wait for something to break or go wrong before sending out a technician to fix it. But with the smart use of automation, POS trade asset managers can shift this practice from reactive to proactive, fixing little issues before they become big problems. By keeping track of live performance data, it’s possible to identify potential maintenance needs long before they become critical, reducing expensive downtime and extending the lifespan of assets. By implementing smart automation technology capable of identifying problems far in advance, managers will receive notifications when a potential issue is flagged and be able to schedule maintenance to catch it early.

This automation technology can also be used to set up preventative maintenance schedules, which ensure that assets are receiving consistent, proactive, tailored maintenance. With these systems in place, POS trade asset managers have more control, resulting in minimal downtime and a better customer experience.

Automating Job Call-Outs

A big challenge for POS trade asset managers is finding the right technician, with the right credentials, to attend the right job – every time. Doing this manually leaves a lot of room for error, and costs time to find the right person. Automated job call-outs completely overhaul this frustrating process.

The right automation system will automatically match new jobs to technicians, based on their skills, location, availability, and whether they have the right compliance checks – think licences, insurances, accreditations and inductions. If a manager spends all this time manually trying to find a technician, only to choose someone who hasn’t had the induction check for the aged care facility they need to attend, all that time is wasted and the business can be exposed to unwanted risk.

By automating job call-outs, you can not only reduce the headaches from painstaking admin, but mitigate compliance risks. This automation ensures that all asset repair jobs are being completed safely, quickly and legally.

Should I Consider Automation?

Nowadays, manual processes just can’t keep up with the increasing demands of managing large fleets of POS trade assets. Putting automation into place – through AI-integrated audits, predictive maintenance and automated job call-outs – puts control back in the hands of POS trade asset managers, and helps them do their jobs faster, smarter and more effectively.

So yes, if you haven’t considered automation already, now is the time. Because for POS trade asset managers, it’s not just the future that’s automated – it’s the here and now.