WMG Academy Trust is a University Technical College specialising in engineering and engineering design. The Trust introduced self-serve kiosks to create a faster, more efficient lunchtime experience, helping to reduce queues and improve service.
As a University Technical College specialising in engineering and engineering design, WMG Academy Trust is committed to creating efficient and innovative experiences for its students. When the academy expanded its intake to include year 9 students, it faced the challenge of serving an additional 100 students during lunchtime without increasing congestion or waiting times. To meet this challenge, the trust introduced self-serve kiosks, creating a faster and more efficient lunchtime experience for students and staff.
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Preparing for a growing student community
WMG Academy Trust expanded its student intake by introducing a new Year 9 cohort. This brought an additional 100 students onto the site each day.
The increase created new challenges for the catering team. More students needed to move through the dining hall within the same lunchtime period. The academy needed a solution that could maintain a positive student experience while improving service efficiency.
Creating a faster route to lunch with self-serve kiosks
To meet this challenge, WMG Academy Trust introduced self-serve kiosks.
Students use the touchscreens to browse menu options, place their orders and pay before collecting their food. The system provides a simple and familiar experience that students quickly adopted.
The kiosks also give the catering team valuable data. As a result, staff can track demand, review ordering patterns and improve stock control. This helps them plan more effectively and reduce waste.
“The kiosks in all honesty, have a fantastic ability to be able to give you numbers as and when you need them. So every single night, I update the numbers on the system. I know exactly what the team and myself are doing the next day and the best thing about what is I can go back week by week and then reference to see where I can bring my stock control back into play.”
Jamie James, Catering Manager
Giving students more time to enjoy their break
The self-serve kiosks have helped create a faster and smoother lunchtime experience.
Students can check menu availability before ordering. This means they spend less time waiting in queues and more time enjoying their breaks.
The academy has also reduced lunchtime by five minutes while continuing to serve students efficiently.
“It’s genuinely way quicker now because you just scan it, get your receipt, get your food and then go off and enjoy your lunch.”
“Before, I would use my whole lunchtime waiting in a queue. But now, my time can be spent doing something I actually enjoy.”
Supporting a more efficient catering operation
The self-serve kiosks have delivered benefits for both students and staff.
Key outcomes include:
- Faster lunchtime service
- Reduced queueing
- Better visibility of menu availability
- Improved stock control and forecasting
- Greater operational efficiency for catering staff
- More time for students to enjoy their break
Delivering a smarter lunchtime experience
By introducing self-serve catering kiosks, WMG Academy Trust successfully supported its growing student population. The solution helped improve service speed, reduce queues and create a better lunchtime experience for everyone on site.
