Digitalizing corporate catering from choosing a meal to picking it up
A digital ecosystem that connects employees, employers and restaurants into one simple process — from choosing a meal to picking it up in the restaurant.
DOXX Meal vouchersClient
FoodTech Employee BenefitsIndustry
Custom Software DevelopmentSolution
Web and mobile appPlatform
2021 to 2022Delivery
One lunch, three different needs
Corporate catering may look simple at first glance. In reality, a single lunch ties together several different processes.
That is why the goal of eKantína was not to build yet another meal ordering app. The ambition was to build one digital ecosystem that connects everyone involved in the process — from choosing a meal to picking it up in the restaurant.
Employee
Needs to choose what and where to eat.
Restaurant
Needs to know how many portions to prepare and who to hand them to.
Employer
Needs to manage and evaluate the whole catering process for its employees.
From an employee benefit to a digital ecosystem
eKantína changes the way corporate catering can work. Employees can browse the offer of participating restaurants, choose a meal and order it in advance — up to 14 days ahead. An employee no longer has to sort out lunch at the last minute every day.
At the same time, the restaurant knows in advance how many portions of each meal it needs to prepare. And the employer gets a digital system for managing corporate catering.
One platform. Three types of users. One connected process.
From choosing a meal to picking it up
The employee chooses a meal
The employee can browse available meals and the menus of participating restaurants. When choosing, they can take their preferences, allergies or dietary restrictions into account.
They order lunch in advance
A meal can be ordered up to 14 days ahead. The whole lunch is planned before the employee even arrives at the restaurant.
The restaurant receives the order
The restaurant sees the orders being prepared and gets a more accurate overview of how many of each meal it will need to prepare.
The employee receives a QR code
The order is linked to the user's digital identification. When picking up the meal, the employee identifies themselves with a QR code.
The restaurant scans the QR code
Restaurant staff scan the QR code using the app. The system then identifies the specific user and their order.
The meal is ready for pick-up
The restaurant confirms the order and the employee collects their meal. Without paper lists and lengthy searching for orders.
Choose
Order
Scan
Collect
One system, several user interfaces
One of the main challenges of eKantína was to build a system for several very different users. Each of them needs something else from the platform. So it was not only about creating a single app, but about building a connected digital solution.
Lunch without unnecessary planning
- checkBrowse the offer of participating restaurants
- checkView current menus
- checkOrder meals in advance
- checkPlan lunches up to 14 days ahead
- checkManage their own orders
- checkSet dietary preferences and restrictions
- checkAccess from desktop and mobile
- checkUse a QR code when picking up a meal
A better overview from the order to the pick-up
- checkCreate and manage menus
- checkAdd available meals
- checkTrack incoming orders
- checkSee the numbers of portions ordered
- checkPrepare for expected demand
- checkManage orders
- checkScan customers' QR codes
- checkConfirm meal pick-ups
Ordering in advance gives more accurate information about the expected number of portions — it helps with capacity planning and potentially also with reducing the amount of food prepared unnecessarily.
Corporate catering with less administration
- checkCorporate catering management
- checkUser administration
- checkReporting
- checkDocuments related to payroll processing
- checkEmployee access to participating restaurants
Corporate catering can thus turn from an administrative duty into a modern employee benefit.
The QR code as the link between the order and the pick-up
One of the important parts of eKantína is linking the online order with the actual pick-up of the meal. When collecting an order, the user identifies themselves with a QR code. Restaurant staff simply scan it using the app and the system identifies the user and their specific order.
The online process thus connects naturally with the physical world.
A complex system hidden behind a simple interface
The biggest challenge with a product like this is not to build as many features as possible. It is to build a complex system whose complexity the user never has to notice.
An employee does not need to understand the restaurant's processes. The restaurant does not need to deal with the employer's administration. And the employer does not need to run the day-to-day operation of individual restaurants. Every user works only with the part of the system they need — the platform connects everything else in the background.
What eKantína brings
Choice of meals and restaurants
Users can browse the menus and offers of participating venues.
Ordering in advance
Lunch can be planned up to 14 days ahead.
Menu management
Restaurants can create and manage their current offer.
Order management
The system provides an overview of ordered and collected meals.
QR identification
Digital identification links the online order with the physical pick-up of the meal.
Mobile app for restaurants
Staff can work with orders and scan QR codes straight from their phone.
Dietary preferences
The platform can work with users' preferences, allergies and dietary restrictions.
Reporting for employers
The system provides the data needed to manage and evaluate corporate catering.
Custom software built around a real business process
eKantína is an example of a project where custom development does not mean only building a user interface. The solution has to connect several separate processes and user roles.
User application
Restaurant selection, menu browsing, ordering and lunch management.
Restaurant management
Managing the offer, orders, preparation and meal pick-up.
Company administration
Managing employees, catering and reporting.
Digital identification
Linking the user with a specific order through a QR code.
Backend
Synchronization of users, restaurants, menus, orders and individual states across the whole system.
Technology stack
The complete journey of a company lunch in one digital ecosystem
The result is a platform that connects the entire corporate catering process.
Employee
Easier meal choice and lunch planning.
Restaurant
A better overview of upcoming orders and a simpler pick-up process.
Employer
A digital solution for managing corporate catering and the related administration.
Digital transformation is about the process, not just about the app
Digital transformation does not have to mean only replacing an existing app with a new one. Sometimes it is necessary to look at the whole process and redesign the way its individual participants communicate with each other.
eKantína connects employees, employers and restaurants into one digital ecosystem. From Codium's perspective, the project shows the ability to turn complex operational and business requirements into a digital product that works in the real world.
Do you have a process that could work more simply?
We design and develop digital products built around real business needs. Let's build your next digital product.