How Domino’s Pizza Innovatively Uses Technology to Beat Rivals
Domino’s is dominating the pizza world by investing in technology. Employees often say that they work at a tech company that sells pizza. This is backed up by the fact that Domino’s IT department is the largest in the company with over 400 people. Domino’s has used its investments in technology to make advances in mobile ordering and delivery which has enabled it to stay ahead of the competition. From allowing customers to order by tweeting to testing self-driving cars for delivery, here is just a sampling of a few ways Domino’s is using technology to win the pizza wars.
Self-driving cars for delivery. Domino’s teamed up with Ford to test using self-driving cars for delivering orders. The tests are taking place in Ann Arbor home of Domino’s head office. Customers need to agree to participate in the test and they receive a test message alerting them when their food has arrived. Once they know that the pizza has arrived customers walk outside and retrieve the pizza from the car. The test is giving Domino’s valuable information on what customers like and dislike about the service. For example, how will customers feel if the weather is bad and they have to go outside to retrieve their order? Ford’s goal is to develop a fully driverless car by 2021.
Pizza delivery by drone. In 2016 Domino’s was the first company to complete a commercial drone delivery of pizza. The order took half the time it would normally take if it was delivered via. motorcycle. A pizza loving couple in New Zealand were the first customers of this test. Domino’s believes that drone delivery will be an essential part of its delivery service in the future.
Simplified ordering. It is hard to keep up with the number of ways customers can place a Domino’s order. Take Twitter for example. To order by tweet customers must first create an online account with Domino’s and save their favourite Domino’s order. Once complete customers can order by tweeting @dominos the pizza emoji. Upon receipt of the tweet Domino’s tweets back confirmation and the order is placed.
Domino’s was also the first pizza and quick service restaurant to allow customers to order digitally using voice commands, via Amazon’s Alexa enabled devices such as the Echo. If a customer says “Alexa open Domino’s” then the customer is led through the ordering process.
Customers can also order via text, Facebook, Facebook Messenger Slack and their Apple Watch.
Domino’s investments in technology have paid off. More than 60% of Domino’s orders come through digital channels and it surpassed Pizza Hut in sales for the first time in 2017.
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