Computers in the Workplace: Food Service/Retail

          Information Technology has changed how our personal and professional lives operate daily.  The food/retail industry uses apps to promote deals, save money, keep track of rewards, order for pick up or delivery, and even different payment options.  Some places have self-checkout to help reduce lines or allow people to avoid conversations.  The food industry uses computers for people to order or place orders on their devices that automatically show up on computers in the kitchen- allowing people to make orders how they want, which is easy to read and consistent in format or order to speed the making process.  Everyone must be computer literate to order food or pay for items independently.  Employees need to know how to use these computers to help customers and be able to make food or ring up customers.  Most of the computers in this field are set up for quick and easy use.  For example, a POS (point of sales) computer has clearly labeled buttons for items to ring up and shortcut buttons for cash amount options.  Companies will update systems daily or weekly, removing or adding product options but also update to fix bugs and update software.  The kitchen monitors usually have fewer buttons like tap to silence the order and usually do this when they are about to make it.  The buttons would include:

• A bumping button to remove the order from the screen.
• A button to recall an order in case it needs to be remade.
• A button or option to hit screen to silence order when it comes in.  

    The kitchen computers can track how long it takes to make orders and sometimes shows if you keep orders within a goal wait time.  This information can help companies improve customer goals, keep track of inventory, look for food trends to help know how much food to have on hand, and so much more.  Registers can keep track of all sales and refunds and even require a login to prevent people from stealing or tracking errors for training purposes.  The registers can be linked to an electronic safe, keeping track of the amount of money being dropped and protecting money from people trying to steal.  The electronic safe keeps money safe by only allowing the company like Brinks to have access to the safe minimizing the amount of access to the safe less likely the money is stolen.  If employees or customers can operate the devices correctly, that can prevent the business from losing money or having inaccurate data, including inventory and cash.

In 10 years, registers will be replaced with tablets, and there will be no more cash sales.  Local servers will no longer be necessary because the tablets, order points, and other computers will use WIFI and update to corporate servers directly.  Customers can scan and pay with their phones, minimizing the number of employees focused on ringing customers.  Operating systems will have stronger security, and the devices will be smaller.  Tablets will have small attachments that can process cards or take Samsung or Apple Pay.