Equipment customization has seemingly become a lost art in a cookie-cutter world, leading restaurants to adapt their operations to the equipment available, rather than the other way around.
In today’s environment, where dramatic and rapid change has been foisted on the restaurant industry by the COVID-19 pandemic, flexibility and the ability to respond nimbly may mean the difference between survival and extinction.
Recent years have seen fewer and fewer manufacturers willing to take on unique projects that require building to specs outside of their standard product line. Their engineering systems include pre-set limitations for the work they can do, and by working only within those parameters, they can easily mass produce their products and speed up production time.
But these advantages come with a major tradeoff. When customers need something besides an off-the shelf solution or need to pivot to meet an emerging need, they need a partner that can respond quickly.
Major manufacturers like Ford and General Motors have demonstrated remarkable flexibility by switching from making cars to making ventilators to support the healthcare system’s needs—a prime example of the benefits of building adaptability into the manufacturing process.
LTI is another manufacturer offering customized solutions for unique needs—from the single-unit restaurateur setting up a dedicated delivery and takeout assembly line to a chain outfitting hundreds of units with updated equipment, and everything in between.
LTI’s engineering utilizes a system that offers unsurpassed flexibility. This gives the company the ability to take restaurant projects to the next level by offering a product customized to the facility’s needs—it adapts equipment to the customers’ needs, just as a restaurant adapts meals to fulfill diners’ requests.
Customization ensures restaurants get what they need to operate as efficiently and effectively as they want, all without increasing maintenance costs. An ideal solution doesn’t have to be overcomplicated, and LTI equipment can still be maintained or serviced by operators’ regular equipment technicians.
The customization process is simple for the customer. It can start with as little as a napkin sketch. With that, LTI is able to interpret the customer’s biggest needs and design a solution. A series of tweaks, reviews and drafts ensures every detail is set to the customer’s specifications. After a final check to confirm the engineering is 100% accurate, manufacturing begins.
Customization refers to more than just the design. Equipment is customized throughout the production lifecycle, down to the on-the-fly changes that may occur on the manufacturing floor. LTI’s skilled, experienced labor force (LTI employees have an average of 18 years of experience is able to produce the kind of fit and finish that customers typically expect from high-end, high-budget jobs.
When it comes to finding ways to make equipment meet specific needs, increase durability, save spaceor even just make it more aesthetically pleasing, customization is by far the best approach. While more manufacturers continue to favor mass producing stock equipment instead of customized jobs, LTI remains committed to turning customers’ ideas into reality.
To learn more about how LTI products can support restaurants, visit lowtempind.com/industry-solutions/chainaccounts/.
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