{"id":15022,"date":"2016-11-16T16:30:55","date_gmt":"2016-11-16T21:30:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/digital.hbs.edu\/platform-rctom\/submission\/digital-sushi-how-blue-c-is-innovating-the-restaurant-industry\/"},"modified":"2016-11-16T16:30:55","modified_gmt":"2016-11-16T21:30:55","slug":"digital-sushi-how-blue-c-is-innovating-the-restaurant-industry","status":"publish","type":"hck-submission","link":"https:\/\/d3.harvard.edu\/platform-rctom\/submission\/digital-sushi-how-blue-c-is-innovating-the-restaurant-industry\/","title":{"rendered":"Digital Sushi: How Blue C Is Innovating the Restaurant Industry"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Radio-Frequency Identification (RFID) is changing the way inventory is managed across the world.\u00a0 Serialized tags or chips are embedded or attached to inventory, databases are integrated between inventory locations and retail locations, and managers have real-time data on a full spectrum of inventory metrics.<a href=\"#_ftn1\" name=\"_ftnref1\">[1]<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Transmitters and computers are required hardware involved in the data transmission process.\u00a0 Transmitters, or RFID readers, are appropriately placed to only interact with chips once the inventory is moving from one location to another, sending a signal to a transmitter via radio frequency waves, then sending data to a linked computer.<sup>2<\/sup><\/p>\n<p>RFID technology is not just utilized for increasing accountability for inventory as it moves through the supply chain.\u00a0 It also provides a new set of data involving how quickly inventory moves throughout each step of the chain, specific inventory that remains stagnant (no demand), and how many employees interacted with that item along the way.<sup>3 <\/sup>\u00a0Furthermore, customers can now benefit from RFID technology.<\/p>\n<p>Blue C Sushi, established in Seattle with locations in Washington and California, is bringing RFID \u00a0straight to the table.\u00a0 Blue C promises to bring sushi to customers with the speed, frequency, and color spectrum of the Tokyo subway.<sup> 4<\/sup>\u00a0 Executing this style of offering to customers comes with a cost: a micromanagement of inventory (sushi) available every minute to perfectly match customer demand. In an industry of slim margins and desire to minimize food waste, Blue C sought to revolutionize the buffet restaurant industry by bringing technology to assist with inventory management to maximize profits, minimize waste, and ensure the best customer experience.<\/p>\n<p>Each plate, individually prepared, is embedded with an RFID chip.\u00a0 The plates are placed on a revolving belt that passes by customers.\u00a0 When the plate is removed from the belt, a signal is sent from the plate to the RFID reader to the kitchen, alerting the chefs to prepare another similar plate to replenish the belt.\u00a0 Similarly, a plate that sits on the delivery belt too long is tracked by the kitchen to signal a lack of demand and potentially a plate that is no longer safe for consumption.<sup>5<\/sup> This is not Blue C\u2019s first attempt to bring technology into the restaurant.\u00a0 They first experimented with barcode technology.\u00a0 The barcode system was only effective in the food safety element of ensuring sushi had not been out on circulation for more than 90 minutes.\u00a0 A manager could infer demand on that data, but there was also so much information valuable to a chef. <sup>6<\/sup> Blue C waited for RFID technology to be more affordable, but still took considerable efforts to integrate it into the kitchen, when it had previously been only in warehouse settings. Chip adhesion that withstand sanitization cycles and normal wear and tear meant cross-industry coordination with 3M to ensure the product had longevity.<sup> 7<\/sup><\/p>\n<p>Going forward, Blue C is ahead of the curve in integrating this capital-intensive technology into its supply chain.\u00a0 Most businesses use this technology on a global scale, but Blue C has transformed the intent to perfect just-in-time delivery, reduce waste, and ensure consumer safety is maximized.\u00a0 Blue C has built an operating model on the trust that this system functions properly 100% of the time.\u00a0 In this case, it is less risky given the assumed skillset to revert back to individual order management.\u00a0 Optimistically, Blue C could encourage this technology to permeate their entire supply chain from sea-to-table.\u00a0 Customers may find significant value in knowing where the fish on their plate originated from.\u00a0 The simplest answer is to tag every fish as it is sold at market, and track it to the table.\u00a0 Blue C is setting the precedence in the restaurant industry for an increased complexity in data management.\u00a0 Will anyone else be willing to take the leap into the digital age of dining? (655 words)<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"#_ftnref1\" name=\"_ftn1\">[1]<\/a> Intel Corporation, \u201cInventory Optimization Solutions Drive Revenue and Profitability,\u201d http:\/\/www.intel.com\/content\/www\/us\/en\/retail\/driving-revenue-through-inventory-optimization.html,\u201d accessed November 2016.<\/p>\n<p><sup>2 <\/sup>Sonia A. Joseph, and Joby N. J., \u201cAnalyzing RFID Tags in a Distributed Environment,\u201d <em>Procedia Technology<\/em>, Vol 24, 2016, pp. 1484-1490.<\/p>\n<p><sup>3 <\/sup>Intel Corporation, \u201cInventory Optimization Solutions Drive Revenue and Profitability,\u201d http:\/\/www.intel.com\/content\/www\/us\/en\/retail\/driving-revenue-through-inventory-optimization.html,\u201d accessed November 2016.<\/p>\n<p><sup>4<\/sup> Blue C Sushi, \u201cHow It Works,\u201d http:\/\/www.bluecsushi.com\/HowItWorks\/default.aspx, accessed November 2016.<\/p>\n<p><sup>5 <\/sup>Blue C Sushi, \u201cAbout Us,\u201d http:\/\/www.bluecsushi.com\/AboutUs\/default.aspx, accessed November 2016.<\/p>\n<p><sup>6<\/sup> RFID Update, \u201cSushi Restaurant Swimming in Benefits from RFID,\u201d <em>RFID Journal<\/em>, May 17, 2007.<\/p>\n<p><sup>7<\/sup> Ibid., <em>RFID Journal<\/em>, May 17, 2007.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Blue C is optimizing Just-In-Time delivery to better serve customers, and better manage food production.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2415,"featured_media":15023,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","template":"","categories":[2118],"class_list":["post-15022","hck-submission","type-hck-submission","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-rfid"],"connected_submission_link":"https:\/\/d3.harvard.edu\/platform-rctom\/assignment\/digitization-challenge-2016\/","yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.3 - 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