From AI implementation to impact with John Raguin from CrunchTime, Tim Cross from Caffè Nero UK, and Andrew Winter from SSP Group plc

<p>In this episode, we&#39;re joined by Tim from Caffè Nero, Andy from SSP, and John from CrunchTime for a no-nonsense conversation about AI in hospitality. What&#39;s actually delivering ROI, what&#39;s failed, and what the future looks like for operators on the ground. Less LinkedIn hype, more real talk.</p><p><strong>What&#39;s Actually Working</strong></p><p>AI forecasting is the clearest ROI win — CrunchTime saw adoption jump from ~1% to 50% of locations in 12 months</p><p>Caffè Nero is piloting AI-driven stock availability and assisted ordering</p><p>SSP is using AI for labor forecasting, trading hour optimization, and upsell recommendations</p><p><strong>The Data Problem</strong></p><p>Bad data kills AI results — CrunchTime&#39;s own support AI was 3% accurate until they cleaned up their data sources</p><p>The sweet spot for forecasting data: 400 days (more doesn&#39;t meaningfully improve accuracy)</p><p>82% of UK operators use tech forecasting, but average accuracy is only 62%</p><p><strong>Change Management is the Hard Part</strong></p><p>John: The #1 reason implementations fail isn&#39;t the tech — it&#39;s change management in operations</p><p>Andy: SSP is shifting from technology-led to business transformation-led change</p><p>Keep humans in the loop — let GMs enrich AI forecasts, not just override them</p><p><strong>What&#39;s Coming</strong></p><p>Voice-based AI for managers: ask your phone for stats or tomorrow&#39;s forecast, no back-office report needed</p><p>Managers move from the back office to the floor — John&#39;s timeline: 5–7 years for widespread adoption</p><p><strong>One Piece of Advice Each</strong></p><p>John: Pick a small pilot with engaged managers and start there</p><p>Andy: Understand the business problem first — don&#39;t implement tech for tech&#39;s sake</p><p>Tim: Find an internal AI subject matter expert; you don&#39;t need a Head of AI</p>