“To offer a safe, modern service that attracts young tech-savvy customers”
A need for pre-ordering
West Lothian Council utilised a CRB Cunninghams Fusion cashless system and iPay online payment across 67 primary and 11 secondary schools. They wanted to extend their solution to include contactless meal pre-ordering and collection.
When the council learned they could do both with CRB Cunninghams' pre-order meal app Fusion Online, they implemented the software before the 2020/2021 academic school year.
A truly contactless solution
Before COVID-19-related school closures, West Lothian schools operated on CRB Cunninghams cashless and online payment solutions and utilised pin pads and biometrics at the point of sale. WLC wanted to avoid as many touchpoints as possible from the typical dining hall routine to safely re-open schools.
They opted for CRBC contactless cards and launched the Fusion Online app to remove transactions from the dining hall and offer a contactless lunch service.
Implementing a grab-and-go style pre-ordering service
A grab-and-go meal service that offers meal pre-ordering, reduces queuing time, cuts food waste, and increases the overall speed of service by helping school staff prepare food in advance and removing time spent at the checkout deciding what to order.
Meal pre-ordering appealed to WLC pupils and enabled schools to compete with out-of-the-gate spending and increase school meal uptake. Jamie Fisher, Facilities and Support Services Manager at West Lothian Council, views the Fusion Online app as the next natural progression to “offer a modern service that attracts our young tech-savvy customers.”
Secondary school pupils use Fusion Online to browse school catering menus and pre-order their favourite lunches from their mobile devices to collect from a designated point at lunchtime. With all pre-ordered meals pre-paid, pupils can view their live cashless balance anytime, anywhere. WLC’s combination of Fusion Online and iPayimpact removed physical transactions from the dining hall in schools.
After successfully implementing a grab-and-go style food offering, Jamie said: “I can foresee a change in pre-order becoming the most popular way of obtaining meals. Children now want a grab-and-go service to avoid queuing.”
Control over traffic flow
To adapt their kitchens and lunch service and reopen schools safely, WLC schools implemented numerous collection points to control traffic flow throughout dining areas. With the Fusion Online collection feature, schools can set up multiple collection points throughout the building, which means WLC could successfully adhere to social distancing guidelines without compromising on speed or quality of service.
“The service enhancements have been key in helping us facilitate the return to school as safely as possible. The system also allowed us to offer school children and staff access to the government Eat Out Help Out initiative.” Jamie Fisher.
Launching the app
To encourage pupils to use the app, CRB Cunninghams provided promotional materials for West Lothian Councils to share with schools, including onboarding instructions before returning. The council gave parent communications and media teasers with instructions to alert pupils that the app would be available soon and included Fusion Online as part of their mitigating actions to assist children returning to school with additional safety measures.
Encouraging pupil uptake
Jamie noted that word of mouth had been instrumental in generating requests from pupils looking to sign up. He recorded that “from the 14,000 emails issued, within 24 hours, 26% have already signed up, and the requests keep coming. An average weekly uptake is usually only around 55%, so this is a massive achievement.”
The results
Fusion Online is now a vital part of West Lothian Council's lunch service, with benefits for staff, pupils, and parents. Staff who "received full comprehensive training" find the software "easy to use and production reports and order tickets easy to pick up.
Reduction in food waste
The Fusion Online meal app sends pre-ordered meal choices to the kitchen ahead of time, which means the catering staff can prepare meals in advance for pupils to collect at lunchtime, increasing the speed of service and reducing food wastage. Historical data is also available for catering teams to help predict trends, plan, and maintain better stock control.
“The ability to pre-order benefits our catering service as it limits production to only what is ordered and has reduced our food waste considerably.” Jamie Fisher
A successful implementation
Jamie found CRB Cunninghams "friendly and professional throughout the implementation process, with all departments pulling together and working effectively to deliver within timescales".
In closing, Jamie said:
“Many thanks to CRB Cunninghams for getting us up and running with the contactless cards and pre-order app. It was an excellent project and a pleasure to work with you all! I’ve had excellent feedback and expressions of thanks from senior officers, and more importantly, I have been inundated with requests from pupils wanting to sign up. I would highly recommend Fusion Online to other schools. I’m already advising other councils to implement the software.”
