Managing food safety compliance in one hotel is no easy feat, but expanding those responsibilities across multiple locations presents a whole new level of complexity. Imagine having to establish uniform standards and procedures across all hotels using traditional pen and paper methods, or attempting to analyse data to identify areas of concern across the board. It’s a virtually impossible task for hotel managers and operations directors, with inconsistencies in food safety documentation only the tip of the iceberg.
A gold standard in operational efficiency can be achieved once a business goes to paperless food safety, using software that transforms how hotels track, manage, and ensure compliance across a growing portfolio.
Here, we share three ways hoteliers can save on time and money by saying goodbye to paper trails in 2025.
Labour Cost Reductions
Paperwork can certainly be fiddly. Without an organised system in place, it may be difficult for staff to locate what they need to, when they need to, and then file it correctly. The nature of paper also makes it prone to going missing, which can land hotels in hot water when it comes to official inspections by an environmental health officer (EHO).
Once they’ve got the document(s) they need – which they may require multiple times a day – they then have to ensure they are completed and legible to anyone else who needs access. Manual food safety processes, such as logging temperatures, carrying out internal audits, and tracking cleaning schedules all require time and effort, and can quickly become an administrative burden while pulling employees away, for much longer than with a digital system, from customer-facing or higher priority responsibilities.
A paperless food safety system automates these repetitive tasks, creating a happier and more productive workforce. For example, smart sensors can monitor fridge and freezer temperatures in real time, eliminating the need for manual checks. Automated alerts notify relevant team members if any issues arise, allowing them to take action.
Digital food safety checklists can further streamline processes. Depending on the software provider, there may be templates (or the option to build custom templates) in place for the following:
- Temperature logging
- Food storage and preparation
- Kitchen cleaning and sanitation
- Inventory tracking
- Allergens and dietary requirements
- Monthly spot checks and internal audits
- Performance reports across multiple locations
These online documents do more than simply replace paper forms. They transform how hotels manage food safety – especially across a number of venues where consistency is key – and turn compliance into a strategic advantage by helping hotels be audit ready, 24/7.
Operational Efficiency Across Locations
Hotel chains generally have standardised procedures to ensure the same quality of service and safety, regardless of location. Paper-based systems make this difficult for hospitality businesses to achieve across the board, with inconsistencies and errors occurring from the manual input of data and headaches with updates and version control.
If any one venue starts to let standards slip, it’s not just its own reputation at risk, but the reputation of the entire brand. This can have a devastating ripple effect on finances if customers start to lose trust, driving them to explore competitors.
A digital food safety system mitigates this possibility by offering a centralised function which provides real-time visibility into the practices across all sites. This allows hotel managers and operations directors to quickly identify any specific locations which are underperforming, based on data and reports, and have much tighter control on any required document changes and updates.
More broadly, it enables management to spot any shared areas of concern, and take action. This may involve the retraining or upskilling of staff across the entire chain, driving a culture of continuous learning and improved customer service.
The environmental benefits of ‘going digital’ are equally compelling. By getting rid of paper-based systems, hotels can significantly reduce printing costs, paper consumption, and associated energy usage. While this may sound like a small drop in the ocean, we know that consumers are becoming increasingly eco-conscious, with sustainability continuing to play a key role in consumer choice in 2025.
Dedicated to their mission of being sustainable and customer-focused, The Bay Fish & Chips in Aberdeenshire partnered with Navitas Safety to switch to digital food safety processes. Here’s a quote from their case study:
“We’re using less paper and are more efficient. Switching to digital processes ensures there’s no mistake allowed and temperatures are always optimal. So it helps us cut food waste and paper use, a key aspect of sustainability alongside the sustainable local products we’re using” – Chief Director Calum Richardson
Minimising Compliance Risks and Associated Costs
Good digital food safety software is built with compliance in mind. With automated alerts and reminders for tasks such as temperature checks and cleaning schedules, it is intended to make it as difficult as possible for staff to ignore, or forget.
Non-compliance with food safety regulations can result in low hygiene ratings, costly fines, or temporary closure – all of which can damage a hotel’s reputation and bottom line. Media publicity can also follow, exacerbating the negative effects. A few months ago, Wong Kei restaurant in London hit the headlines after being given a £40,000 fine for a number of food safety offences. Westminster City Council’s environmental health team found issues with mice and cockroaches, cross contamination of raw and pre-cooked food, and unsanitary hygiene practices by staff.
In England and Wales, there is no cap on the amount a court can impose for breaches of the Food Safety Act. A prison sentence of up to two years is also possible for the most serious offences.
Paperless systems simplify maintaining EHO standards, with everything stored in one place, accessible at the click of a button. Hotels that follow digital compliance processes and protocols should have no issues being audit ready all of the time, as you never know when an inspector might call!
Tailored Digital Food Safety Solutions
Navitas Safety’s food safety software helps hotels achieve audit readiness with a range of ready-made templates, and custom options. We also have resources online, specifically to help hotels prepare for inspections, including our Health and Safety Checklist and Hotel Food Safety Checklist.
To learn more about how Navitas Safety can help your hotel reduce costs and improve efficiency with paperless food safety systems, get in touch with our team.
