Productivity Pulse Episode 4

Send us Fan MailHear directly from our experts—Sue, Simon, & James—who share real-world trends, new data findings, and actionable productivity insights. This month they are joined by special guest Ed Thompson We unpack how quick service restaurants (QSR) cut through rising costs and sharper peaks by separating delivery from dine‑in, scaling kiosks, and engineering seconds out of core tasks. Ed shares ground‑truth from trials that reveal hidden costs, smarter layouts, and why testing beats gut feel.• Defining QSR and why delivery changed everything• Price ceilings versus operational innovation• Separating driver pickup to protect space and speed• Hot hold units and lockers preserving food quality• Kiosks driving consistent upsell and lower labour• Loyalty and simple personalisation improving repeat visits• Micro‑layout tweaks multiplying capacity gains• Testing trials to surface hidden operational costs• Moving tasks out of peak to protect throughput• Staffing thresholds for sharper peaks and channel mixWe will be at the Retail Technology Show the 22nd and 23rd of April at the Excel in LondonWe’ve got the VIP party in partnership with Solvedby.AI on the 22nd April. Register here... VIP AftershowOur Productivity Forum takes place on 10th September in Birmingham. Register here... ReThink Forum 2026 Executive Wins PodcastThe Executive Wins Podcast features inspiring Executives who share their biggest wins.Listen on: Apple Podcasts   Spotify #theproductivityexpertsRegister for the 2026 Productivity ForumDownload a copy of our first ReThink Productivity Retail ReportConnect to Simon on LinkedInFollow ReThink on LinkedIn