WAITer Waiting Assistant Information Technology GROUP 1 Andrei Boutyline, Neetin Gulati, Ha Nguyen, Randy Shoopman.

WAITer

Waiting Assistant Information Technology

GROUP 1

Andrei Boutyline, Neetin Gulati, Ha Nguyen, Randy Shoopman

WAITer

Waiting Assistant Information Technology

WAITer is a handheld computer

application designed to increase the efficiency of the processes involved in taking a restaurant order. This process begins with a server taking an order and ends when a customer pays for the bill.

Our application will achieve this goal by revamping the ordering process to

provide quick service for customers while simultaneously ensuring a more cost

effective and efficient turnover of patrons for restaurateurs.

Presentation Overview

1. Current Problems & Proposed Solutions

2. Representative Tasks

3. Design Evolution

4. Final User Interface Description

5. Summary

Current Problems & Proposed Solutions

Problems:

• paper & pen order-taking process is inefficient

• customers do not like credit cards to be taken out of sight

• face to face communication w/staff can be challenging because continuously moving

• servicing multiple tables can become confusing

• servers must remember daily specials and suggest sides orders and drinks to complement main dishes

Solutions:

• wireless order submission & order status updates

• bills processed at table or anywhere else

• wireless messaging

• electronic organization of customers can keep orders separate and monitor table status automatically

• menu is continuously updated with specials and out-of-stock items removed; recommendations built-in

Representative Tasks

EASY: A customer has a complaint and wishes to speak with a manager. Contact Bob and ask him to go to Table 5.

Very straight-forward and serves as a good introduction to the system

MEDIUM: Four customers have been seated at Table 1. They already ordered 2 Cokes and an Evian water. Please add a turkey burger with no mayonnaise to the order, send all the orders off to the kitchen immediately and process a cash payment.

This task takes you through the entire process of serving a table, from ordering to processing the bill.

Representative Tasks

HARD: Cindy, a customer at Table 3 complains that her steak was overcooked. She doesn't want another steak so you need to subtract it from her bill. In addition, in order to comply with the restaurant policies, the customer is entitled to a free dessert. Cindy wishes to have the apple pie. Place the dessert order, but do not add the charge to her bill.

This task uses some of the more complicated features of the application, such as changing prices. It also

builds upon the previous task since users have to use the menu again and remember to send the order to the

kitchen.

Transition between Lo-Fi and Hi-Fi

• vertical toolbar merged w/ horizontal toolbar

• “flat” menu improved using eVB’s treeview ctrl

• “order” tab changed to “view order” due to confusion with “menu” tab

• associating ordered items w/ individuals removed since it slowed down the order-taking process

• messaging utility now has option to use keyboard input in addition to handwriting recognition

• messaging utility increased from 1 to 2 frames due to space required by pop-up keyboard

Transition between Hi-Fi and Final UI

• Price editing given its own screen

• A more functional order summary screen with additional options

Functionality Changes

• An easier, faster to use Price Editing screen with additional options

• A more functional order summary screen with additional features

• A drop-down menu with selection of usernames added to the login screen

Heuristic Evaluations

H2-4: Consistency and standards• "Custom" button changed to "Customize"• "Edit" button changed to "Customize"• "Checkout" button change to "Process Payment“

H2-5: Error prevention• added confirmation to deletion of items from the order

H2-6: Recognition rather than Recall• Log-in screen has drop-down list of known usernames

H2-7: Flexibility and Ease-of-Use• Order customizations can be modified after ordered• Number of items ordered changed from a drop-down menu a text box

with < > arrows

H2-8: Aesthetic and minimalist design• Larger buttons• Disabled tabs are now in a strike-through font

H2-10: Help and Documentation• added "Help" button to login screen

Heuristic evaluations gave us more suggestions then any other form of testing, which made them the most useful.

Final UI Description

What it can do?• enable waiting staff to input orders directly into a handheld computer which wirelessly communicates the customer’s order to the kitchen.

• wireless messaging between managers, wait staff, host/hostesses, kitchen staff, and bartenders.

• bills can be processed directly at the table using cash or credit card

• prices can be adjusted

• orders can be taken at once yet submitted to the kitchen at different times

• designed using Microsoft Embedding Visual Basic for PocketPC devices, such as the HP Jornada

How does it work?

The User Interface

quick, color-coded table links

table status,menu,

order summary, billing

user log-out

help utility

The toolbar on the bottom allows for transitions between global functions, like the restaurant homepage, waiter homepage, messenger, and help, as well as to change between specific table homepages

Table toggle

wireless messaging

employee homepage

(tips, schedule,etc.)

keyboard toggle

The User Interface

Tbl HomeShows table statusand any messages

MenuShows menu in tree formatAllows for customizations

View OrderShows current order

Here you send items to the kitchen

BillShows items ordered & prices

Allows for price changesCan process payment with

cash or credit card

NotesAllows waiter to write

notes regarding this tablefor future reference

Tabs allow for transitions between table-specific commands, such as taking an order, sending orders to the kitchen, and processing the bill.

Final UI Description

Additional Hardware

What’s Missing?• Help system

• Ability to split checks quickly and easily

• Allow notes and messages to be saved to an archive

• Recommendations for drinks and sides based on main dish

• Training Program / Tutorial

• Wireless LAN technology

• Integration of credit card reader into device to allow for processing at the table

• Integration with a belt-mounted printer to give the customer a receipt immediately

• Back-end server with management features, such as menu editing and statistics collection

Summary

•PROBLEM:

•Wait staff at restaurants are faced with the complicated task of remembering details about multiple tables while customers demand attentive customer service.

•In the digital age, everything must eventually be entered into a computer for accounting and record-keeping purposes.

•SOLUTION:

•WAITer – an innovative wireless electronic ordering system that fits in the palm of your hand.