Drinks ordering app aims to improve ‘efficiency’

Science and technology company Cambridge Consultants has launched a new mobile-based ordering system for bars to “improve time efficiency and staff productivity”.

The Beam app uses near field communication to connect imbibers with their drinks

The newly launched Beam app encourages imbibers to order drinks from their tables using a smartphone. They will only be prompted to go the bar when their drinks are being created.

Once at the bar, the phone becomes the “centrepiece” of the transaction, with a projected stream of bubbles connecting the person’s phone to their order. Once all the drinks have been placed on the bar, the bubbles burst and the order is complete.

The process is said to create a “wow-factor experience” that replaces the “mundane act of ordering drinks”.

Rosie Parrish, user experience designer at Cambridge Consultants, said: “To stand out from the crowd, brands in many different sectors are striving to provide more than just a product or service. They want to create a memorable and meaningful experience for the customer. Blending everyday technologies in the right way is a great way to create these elevated brand engagements.”

The Beam app also handles payments for the drinks and uses near field communication (NFC) inside a smartphone to enhance the user experience.

The use of NFC allows the system to detect and track other items on the bar, such as bar mats. These objects can then interact with the virtual stream of bubbles and other graphics projected onto the bar.

Cambridge Consultants says the system removes the “time-consuming chore” of taking payments and addresses the problem of who to serve next.