Software & Technology: Page 304

Food Delivery Startup Deliveroo Expands with Business Tier for Corporate Accounts

Deliveroo for Business lets companies control how employees use the app to order food and get it delivered to the office.

Software & Technology

Robot Developed by Skype Founders Delivers Food in San Francisco

Starship’s “friendly sidewalk robots” are designed to deliver parcels, groceries and other goods within a 2-mile radius, the company said, operating as a local on-demand service, rather than competing with FedEx and UPS.

Starship Technologies is testing the robots in Europe with commercial partners like London’s Just Eat and Pronto food-delivery companies; the Swiss Post; and Germany’s Hermes delivery service. This month it partnered with Mercedes-Benz to develop and test Robovan, which will use the carmaker’s Sprinter vans as mother ships for eight delivery robots.

Software & Technology

USDA Announces Open Data Partnership for Public Health

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced the Branded Food Products Database, a free online resource for families, the food industry and researchers containing nutrition details on more than 80,000 name brand prepared and packaged foods.

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack made the announcement at the Global Open Data for Agriculture and Nutrition (GODAN) Summit.

Supply Chain Visibility

Foodservice Industry Embraces Supply Chain Management Software

Supply chain tools enhance forecasting, invoice auditing, demand planning and more.

Arrowstream’s OnDemand supply chain planning software allows a restaurant chain to see the inbound and the outbound distributor inventory.

Omnichannel Puts Food Supply Chains Through the Wringer

E-commerce grabs a bigger share of food sales, disrupting fulfillment strategies.

Because of the complexity of overhauling distribution and logistics, the technologically-savvy “pure-play” online retailers, known in some quarters as “basket bandits,” are eating the brick and mortar retailers’ lunch.

Grubhub Maintains Dominance in a Less Crowded Food Delivery Market

Since 2013, at least 25 food delivery companies have failed, according to data tracked by venture-capital research firm CB Insights.

With funding from investors harder to come by, it’s an open question whether these startups will be able to continue providing a service that can rival Grubhub in speed, reliability, and convenience at a competitive price.

Uber Tests Self-Driving Cars in Pittsburgh, Envisions Food Deliveries

The test represents Uber Chief Executive Travis Kalanick’s vision to have a fleet of autonomous vehicles replace the company’s roughly 1.5 million drivers and to ferry food, packages and commuters around urban centers.

Uber Self driving Pittsburgh 57dac00f81834

Software & Technology

USDA to Test Online Shopping Using Food Stamps

To help accomplish this complex goal, USDA officials are expected to announce Thursday a request for online grocery retailers to participate in the program, which is expected to begin next summer.

Online shopping has dramatically altered buying habits for most Americans in recent years, and now, the $75 billion federal food stamps program, officially known as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, is moving toward making that option available to the 43 million or so people across the country receiving benefits.

Independent Drivers Association Asks Court to Stop ELD Rule

On Tuesday, the OOIDA said electronic logging devices would violate the privacy of drivers by allowing employers and the government to track their movements.

The ELDs will be required for most carriers by late 2017 under guidelines released by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA). The FMCSA says e-logs will reduce accidents.

Fast Food Restaurants Ramp Up Mobile Ordering

Among fast-food restaurants, the frequency of customer visits increases by six percent and average spending per visit rises by about 20 percent when technology is used to place an order, according to a Deloitte survey released this week.

Visits tend to increase because technology makes it easier to repeat an order automatically, while repeat orders of custom or upgraded drinks lead to increased sales.

Software Solutions

Ensuring an ERP Deployment Reaches a Successful Conclusion

Overall, ERP projects will be more successful when they are treated as a “Business Transformation” project and the most successful projects enjoy management team support, driven from the highest level.

Robert Frost, Group CEO, LINKFRESH

Speed Limiting Devices Proposed for Heavy-Duty Vehicles; How Technology Will Enable Compliance

Fleet Advantage, LLC

Sandy Rosenfeld, manager of safety operations for Fleet Advantage, offered her insights on what the proposal will mean for the transportation industry.

Sandy Rosenfeld, manager of safety operations for Fleet Advantage, offered her insights on what the proposal will mean for the transportation industry.

Page 304 of 442