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When Pilot Travel Centers chose to deploy the NCR RealPOS workstations in 306 travel centers nationwide, it was a definite sign that POS has become a standard tool for the travel industry. Pilot operations are the largest sellers of over the road diesel fuel. Also initiated was the utilization of this and NCR's RSM (Retail Systems Manager) which monitors and manages retail operations remotely with a help-desk interface which ensure ongoing operations in the event of the onsite workstation is operation. Pilot commented that this technology ensures their commitment to customer service, and includes such features as self-service kiosks which allow OTR and RV customers to obtain receipts without standing in lines.

The article above describes a new innovative system for the typical small business owner. If you are in need of some simple, easy to use technology then this might be the article for you. It's called NCR Silver, a new POS system capable of performing all the necessary function of operating a business all with one solution. It has the ability to track sales, manage inventory and records, and review key data. With all these features at the disposal of a small business owner, it could do a great deal in helping them increase their businesses profitability. The software is a cloud-based system and has the ability to be used on all portable Apple products. It is like having your business in the palm of your hand, literally! NCR Silver is already being used in Georgia throughout the Atlanta area and is slowly gaining popularity. As the cloud-computing idea takes hold, I believe this software will be found nation wide. Below is a link that demonstrates the software in use. ENJOY! www.youtube.com/user/NCRSilver

I like the mobile being discussed here, can these be expanded into tracking devices I wonder. I don' t like the rather vague description being provided on there customer service polic. It makes me weary of using the software if I don't see any benefits listed under customer service or troubleshooting. Would someone be there to assist if I was trouble using there system or if goes down. What assurances are provided? Warranty, Insurance, etc. It should be more than just we provide customer service.

The multi-bilion dollar NCR Corporation has invested in a new and innovative barcode scanner for a mobile POS system from a company named Socket Mobile. Socket Mobile has 20 years experience in the industry and offers a variety of products that increase productivity and drive operational efficiencies. The barcode scanner will allow its users to offer a greater standard of service to customers. The barcode scanner can be wirelessly used and brought around place to place using bluetooth. A great example in the article it mentions the product could be used outside the store at say a farmers market or street fair. The product has a high level of technology and offers better features than a traditional wireless scanner.

Here, NCR reviews the how Mobile POS impacts customers, manager/owrners, and the staff beyond the general buzz and excitement of being able to pay for your dining via mobile device. Starting with the benefits to the customer, it is noted that there is added security for the customer because it is no longer required for the server to take the customer's card away from the table to take payment. The customer never loses sight of their card. As a result the guest is not overcharged for their tip, something that can happen often and they can be assured of the amount they are paying. Another added benefit for the guest is faster more attentive service, with expectations immediately set and met. If something is no longer available in the kitchen, it does not show up on the screen. Preventing the customer from setting an expectation for something that is not available. From a manger's perspective, Mobile POS shortens the order-to-service cycle. This shortens the wait time for potential guests and enables the establishment to serve more people more quickly. Also, having the ordering available table side, it will lead to fewer comps. So they are able to generate more money by serving more guests, and keep money because orders are taken and verified tableside. Having Mobile POS available also adds to the reputation of the establshment. It makes them seem more forward thinking and innovative. Finally, the article sites the benefits for the servers. It first helps server-to-customer relations by verifying every detail of the order right in front of the guest. The server is able to get the order right and be more attentive to the guest by having to do less walking. The server is able to have a higher level of productivity. And because they are more productive and able to provide better service, this results in increase tips and stronger attachment to both the customer and the restaurant.

The Aloha restaurant managed video as a service platform which is the leading exception reporting and theft deterrence tool for the restaurant owners. By utilizing Enysion's video, restaurant owners can monitor cash handling easier, identifiy potential suspicious activity faster and monitor the exception report effectively. Moreover, Aloha Restaurant Guard which invented by NCR corporation can identified the common scams through analyzes POS data and transactions. I think that combine Aloha Restaurant Guard to Envysion's video, the owner of the resturant may have a whole picture of the restaurant in their mind through easy used video web interface and secure video clip sharing, data from the two platform and intelligence reports. This is a good model for restaurants to reduce the profit losses from fraudulent activities. It smooth restaurants' daily operation meanwhile employees will regular their own behavior during the work period.

This article gives a good short look at the pros and cons of the Aloha POS system. The system is one of the most popular POS systems used in the industry. Aloha is currently used by small independent restaurants, local franchises, and national chains. The system is said to be a blend of many systems. NCR recently purchases Radiant Systems the developer of Aloha. The system includes both hardware and software. Some of the benefits of the system include the large number of training modules. Operationally the system has a "intelligent tracking system including on-screen dashboards that update in real-time to assist in management decisions in both FOH and BOH areas". In addition, the system can "personalized service by identifying repeat customers, remembering their preferences and keeping track of VIP guests". Back office features that are included with the system are labor assignments and work schedules. The systems also can keep track of maintenance, cleaning schedules, and daily duties. On the management side the system is said to provide "complete system control". Some critics of the system say the disadvantages are that the costs are too high and that restaurants pay for every upgrade. The quality of service depends on the quality of the local vender. Hardware may need to be changed with new upgrades is software adding to the high costs than expected by customers. After reading this article my feeling is that for an small independent restaurant the Aloha system might not seem like a good choice after considering the total cost of the system. Smaller, less complex systems seems like the way to go.

Smokey John's Bar-B-Que is a family-owned and operated restaurant. Current owners Brent and Juan recently installed a POS system to aid in the processing of day-to-day operations and data-gathering, including but not limited to table assignments, sales, orders, and server flow and timekeeping. The result has been savings in overtime by being able to track it more accurately; ability to track revenue streams between catering and in-dining; calculation of taxes; implementation and tracking of a loyalty program; and wireless credit card processing that has improved the overall customer experience.

This article discusses the 10 Best POS systems of 2019. These POS systems include Square, Vend POS, Bindo POS, Erply, Intuit Quickbooks POS, NCR Silver, Shopify POS, Shopkeep, Lightspeed Retail POS, and Revel System POS. It also discusses the different benefits to each POS system and why it is important to choose a good POS system. There are also some negatives that come with these POS systems. This article also offers steps on what to do if the POS system fails and how important it is to have product support. "A backup solution is essential here and that's especially true in the case of cloud-based POS systems. These systems can suffer not only from software problems but also from internet connectivity issues." This states how essential it is to have a backup solution if the POS system goes down, and ensuring the POS system will be there to assist with any issues that may arise. Choosing the right POS system is very necessary when owning a business and being able to properly take advantage of everything that the system offers.

Aloha has a mobile pos that has been proven to increase turnover, customer spending, and customer satisfaction in restaurants.

This article was very interesting because it talked about how you can avoid network treats when it comes to your hospitality business. I like the first step in misconfigured remote access tools, which allows hackers to really guess the password that you put. They had an idea in where if you were to guess the password right, you still have to do something a second time just to make sure that the person is not an impostor. You have to always check that your software security is up to date because if not people can really affect your compare, which is not good at all. If you have everything up to date, you most likely will not get any virus that will make your computer/system slow. You should also always secure your WI FI because a person does not have to be in a restaurant to use the WI FI and get into the restaurant system. So you always want to have separate critical network from wireless network. We also learned in this article that in the computers in a restaurant you should always have antivirus so that you do not catch anything that might get infected. You should not plug in anything that you know has been infected by virus into your companies company because they computer will catch it and thief's can get into it. You should restrict access to the Internet form the internal network. Your goal is to keep any virus or make it hard for a hacker to get into your system in your company to steal your information especially guest personal information, which is very important.

I-pad POS system may become a future trend of the hospitality industry.

Theft is a huge challenge in the restaurant industry and it's an expensive one. Now the POS system can assist with security by flagging suspicious transactions and identifying theft behaviors and flagging on video. This is an enormous help to the industry. The greatest area of impact is that having a system with this capability deters theft. The second area is that managers do not have to be present in order to catch theft and can do so at any time through device notifications and internet-based cameras. Video is flagged so there is now no need to watch hours of tape in order to find suspicious activity. Simply by the fact that Subway is now recovering $1.6 million in less than 1 year, it is clear that this system has huge value and will continue to positively affect finances in the restaurant industry as technology advances.

Very good post...and interesting one.

In this article, mobile POS systems are discussed. Popularity of these devices such as iPad and other tablets are constantly growing. Point of sale computers can cost upwards of $20,000 which is a pretty penny for a restaurant. If restaurants were to switch to tablets and mobile POS systems, the cost wouldn't be the only benefit. With the iPads and tablets, owners and managers can track how many guests enter the restaurant on a daily basis. Inventory is kept up-to-date and is easily accessible for corporations. An interesting point made in the article is "In the same way that some customers continue to write checks in an age of online banking, some merchants will continue to use the older point-of-sale systems out of habit." The times are changing and technology is improving every day. The mobile POS systems allow for small businesses especially to use the money saved for something that can benefit the restaurant- perhaps new equipment for the kitchen. This article describes a program that PayPal recently began to offer. PayPal agreed " to waive transaction fees for the remainder of the year if a business replaces its cash register with an iPad operating PayPal's free mobile-payment technology." The top three tablet POS systems are Groupon, Square and NCR. Each of these have their pros and cons, but over all, they are significantly less expensive than the only bulky POS system.

Being a technology kid it is interesting to see how things use to be even just a few short years ago. The different 10 years can make in the POS systems restaurants use is a huge. As times continue to change, most restaurants will be going from POS terminals to POS tablets. Changing to tablets is much more cost effective especially for smaller businesses that need to save wherever possible. Just like when POS terminals came out, there are now a number of tablet POS systems to choose from. Big companies like Groupon and Square have POS systems created for different hospitality segments. Although there are some wonderful creations with the tablets, this form of technology is not made for every business. It gave an example of a company who opened with tablets but within a year forked over much more for the traditional POS system.

Accept credit cards, gift cards, bitcoins and more. Track inventory and connect with customers through built-in loyalty and email marketing programs.

This article describes the introduction of the cash register to the retail world after discovering a need to improve security of his cash transactions. Over the years, this evolved into our modern-day POS systems. Cash registers became more successful as technology improved. This meant anything from adding touch screens , to introducing sophisticated mobile technology. These advances benefit both the business and the consumer. Businesses are find affordable POS options at a fraction of the cost from decades ago, and customers are given convenient options for mobile ordering or self-service.

This article is giving the reader a look into the new check in procedures being implemented by hotels across the world. This "speedy check-in" allows for guests to by pass the traditional front desk check in and instead opt for check in via kiosks located in the lobby or even checking in before arrival. The automatic check in trend began as a way to relieve guests from having to wait in long lines when arriving at their hotel to check in . The option for speaking with front desk associates is still there but would rather serve as more of concierge, with suggestions on restaurants and questions regarding any leisure activities within the city or hotel itself. Some hotels are also taking the approach of personal greeters who approach the guest upon arrival, making the check in process more like a welcoming into a friends home. Overall I love the idea of being able to bypass hotel lines, especially during holidays when lines tend to get quite long or when arriving to a hotel fairly late in the night. Being able to arrive and head straight to the room allows for smoother check-ins and more efficient use of front desk associates. The personal greeters also provide more of an at home feeling. Guests can feel like they are personally being cared for as opposed to just being another occupied room. 

As we move into a technology focused society hotel needs to follow the trend of what travelers want and how to streamline using technology. This article describes how hotels are implimating kiosk in their lobbies to offer their guest a quick and easy way to check-in without having to make the line at the front desk. The hotels goal is to leave the "hotel embassador" and/or front desk for guests that have special requests or questions about their stay. They reference a hotel in Boston that has taken the electronic checkin a step further. They email the guests prior to arriving at the hotel two codes. The first code is to be used at the front door to enter the hotel, and the second code to enter into their hotel room keypad. They interviewed President and General Manager of NCR Corporation's travel business about these types of services. He stated that they offer travelers the same speed and quick services as ATM machines at banks or kiosks at the airport for quick checkin. He went on to say that they expect that type of service when traveling. Mr. Craig even touched on how a travelers feedback is even more important due to social media. One bad review can affect the hotel instantly after they tweet, post, etc. In the article they also interviewed Glenn Haussman, editor of the online trade magazine Hotel Interactive. He stated that with the use of the kiosk and express check-in the front desk staff can offer a more personal experience by doing other tasks. For example they mentioned a late check guest might want a snack or something to relax after a tough flight. By the staff not needing to check them in can go get the guest a coffee, or something to eat; this making the experience feeling more personal. The article states the Hyatt chain has implemented their kiosk in almost all their properties in major cities. They still offer a more traditional check-in as well. They went on to say some chains are using greeters with ipads to check guests in as they ente