Catering Robot Introduction to an Restaurant Service to Improve Labor Productivity

In this study, catering robot system, using automate guided vehicle, is developed and introduced to an actual restaurant. Labor productivity of restaurant industry is lowest among service industries. Therefore, labor productivity enhancement is critical mission for the industry. Along with the system introduction, the restaurant staff change their operation; catering process is handover from human staff to AGV. After that, store manager of the restaurant changes weekly work schedule to reduce work hour input. As a result, it is possible to enhance labor productivity by reduction of work hour through the introduction of the system. Also, it is possible to recover robot investment cost by labor cost reduction through the introduction of the system. Further, the system improves employs motivation and teamwork. On the other hands, robot price should be reduced because service site scale is small, collaborative robot should be improved operation speed and safety spec, and multi task robot should be developed because there are many kinds of operation at service site. © 2023 Japan Industrial Management Association. All rights reserved.