AI: The Topping to Improve Your Pizza Experience
Domino’s is the leading pizza restaurant chain since 2019 in the USA. You might be wondering, what’s their secret ingredient? How did they have the ability to get this ranking?
The answer lies in a little AI.
AI, or artificial intelligence, refers to a system or machine that mimics human intelligence to perform tasks in a more streamlined and effective way than any human ever could. It can iteratively improve itself based on information collected. This can manifest in a number of forms through chatbots, AI assistants, and automated recommendations based on prior search history.
Domino’s Pizza is a company that has utilized this technology to its advantage on two fronts: 1) to ensure that their customers are satisfied and 2) to guarantee that their products comply with the company's quality standards.
AI is used for CRM (customer relationship management) in ensuring that customers have the best experience when they place an order at Domino’s. AI helps to give the customer a better estimate of when their order will be ready, improves their phone ordering experience, and routes orders more efficiently so that the order is delivered in the quickest way possible.
Domino’s has also begun using self-driving, automated robots to conduct their deliveries––another application of AI.
Domino’s is also using AI to increase the efficiency of their in-house pizza prep and order organization. One major strength of Domino’s is their high-quality product. How can they control for and ensure that every pizza is up to par?
They do this with the help of Dragontail Systems’ DOM pizza checker, an AI machine that uses technologies to check the quality of each pizza and improve the standards across all the different franchises.
Currently, DOM is being used in 850 stores across Australia and New Zealand and is making its way to the US very soon.
DOM uses computer vision to capture and interpret images or videos of pizzas as they are placed on the cutting bench. These images are then analyzed to ensure the pizza meets Domino’s quality standards. If it passes the test, the system will match the pizza to the correct order and assign it a corresponding quality score. If a pizza fails to pass this test, the system will alert the manager with a visual popup and a sound and then display the problem detected. At this point, the manager can decide how to proceed, either agreeing with the computer and reloading the order or overriding the computer and sending it out for delivery.
Interestingly, the system doesn’t stop there. The customer is sent a thumbnail of a picture of their order which also allows them to track and check on their pizza throughout the packaging and delivery process.
This entire process takes only 2 seconds, from the moment the pizza is placed on the cutting bench to the DOM’s analysis and the pizza’s packaging.
The DOM AI is not only helpful in this small-scale endeavor; the amassed data is then used to rank and rate each franchise. With this data, Domino’s headquarters can decide how to allocate training and resources as deemed fit.
This machine has also been useful during and after the COVID-19 pandemic by ensuring that health and cleanliness protocols are adhered to in the kitchens.
These are just some of the ways Domino’s has used AI to improve their customer’s pizza experience. Still, they continue to delve into the world of newer technologies to maximize their potential and deliver on their promises.
Does Domino’s Pizza take advantage of AI? “Oh Yes, They Did”!
