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This article discusses the changes that businesses are entering with the use of tablets. Restaurants in specific are using tablets to make serve and sell your food. the article further explains the ways in which restaurants are or will be using tablets. Lastly the article also discuses hoe "idevices" are being used in more than just restaurants, it's planned to be used in supermarkets and is currently being used in factories (chocolate factories to be exact).  This article is interesting because it gives more details about the current and future use of tablets in general. I like the fact that restaurants are using tablets to increase business and i like that in society in general technology will really start to be increased in its use. However how will this effect all the non tech savvy people?

POS system specializes in easy to use, fully customizable Point of Sale Systems and POS Software to meet the needs of almost any business environment. Especially in restaurant, the POS system could instead of battling other servers to get hand-written tickets to the kitchen; restaurant servers enter the information into the POS system, which sends it to the kitchen automatically for speedier, more convenient service. The convenience of the POS system may come at a price. If your computer system goes down and your staff has no training to process orders manually, or isn't used to doing so, you could lose a lot of money while waiting for the system to go back up--either because you have to close or because your staff makes too many mistakes. POS system records each and every transaction and can help to manage inventory and reduce shrinkage.

Breadcrumb, the iPad POS system, and its impact on daily operations are discussed in this article. This POS system has sped up daily operations and made them less difficult for restaurant staff. An upgrade has been released and it was formed by "conversations with hundreds of merchants and insights from millions of restaurant, bar, and cafe transactions". The new version offers some very helpful features such as smart swipe, less keystrokes for PIN-based access to terminals, single touch order modifications, and splitting checks has been simplified. Breadcrumb 1.2 is really helping restaurants to make the dining experience seamless and hassle-free for customers and employees.

As mobile devices become more advanced, particularly cell phones and tablet devices, more pressure to keep up with mobile and social trends is placed on the hospitality industry. People are using their mobile devices more now than they have in the past. So much so, that "two thirds of Americans sleep with their mobile device in range, something we cannot say about desktops". A world of information is at your fingertips because of the capability of mobile devices. Information that can help us make decisions about anything. Even last-minute decisions about hotels and food. More people are using their mobile devices to book rooms and many of the people that do this, are booking a hotel for the same night. The fact most of the people who do this are under 30 means that it is very likely that this trend will increase. People are expecting the technology to be there so that they can pick a hotel and a restaurant to go to if they are unfamiliar with a city. They are expecting a hotel chain to have a mobile site or better yet an "app" that will not only allow them to book a room, but, one that will give them directions from where they are to the hotel. The same can be said for restaurants. Potential customers want to be able to look over the menu and determine if they want to come to the restaurant, all from their mobile device. Mobile guests are also using customer review sites to determine where they will lodge or dine. They are using sites like TripAdvisor which allows you to post comments about your stay. The sight even allows the guests to post pictures. "Customer reviews are also important to the hotel industry, but the jury is still out on exactly how hotels should react with people who post reviews." It is always great when a guest posts a positive review of the hotel, but imagine how one bad stay could tarnish a hotels reputation. And what if there are cleanliness issues that the guest can photograph and upload to the site? Exactly what to do in this type of e

This article breaks down why POS systems in multiple restaurants still are not relevant due to the price of them and how some restaurants prefer the old fashioned way instead. It also explains the major benefits of POS systems in restaurants and how it can make tipping harder.

Americans eat out at restaurants almost as much as they eat at their own houses. Customers would prefer to eat at a certified green restaurant than one that is not. Americans do care about the environment and want to do things that can help it survive longer. For restaurant the Green Restaurant Association has steps to help you make the changes necessary to become green certified. Some little things that can be changed immediately are using recycled paper products or purchasing locally grown foods. There are immediate and long term savings that are a positive to this as well. Some of these include: installing an energy efficient lighting system, and fixing gaps in any doorways to prevent air from leaking out making the system run harder to produce the air.

The easiest and the most costless way for Green--by the local food.

This article basically talks about four different types of POSs for restaurants, a brief overview of the main contenders and considerations.  The one of the interesting POS systems in the article is The Rail which is introduced last month, a digital bill folder that enables restaurant customers to self-swipe credit or debit cards at the table without the cards ever leaving their possession, thereby protecting against credit card and identity theft.  The basic Rail system includes POS integration, the BaseStation, a secure wireless system, a set of Rail devices (generally 1 device per every 3 tables), and monthly maintenance. Basic Rail devices incorporate a credit card swiper with encryption, billing touch screen display, bill splitting, tip calculator, signature field, NFC payment capabilities, LED stage lights, and receipt email program. The other POSs in the article are Card Case, Tabbedout which are a mobile payment system with smart phone, Square which is mobile card reader, and Chain-Specific Apps which permit the patron to call up menus, locations and nutritional data, as well as to order and pay on-line. Nowadays, many mobile payment systems tailored for restaurants and other food vendors are being introduced. Since they are new and challenges to restaurateur, considering what the pros and cons are and what kinds of POSs best fit to their establishments will be necessary and critical to remain competitive with others.

The new Facebook app is the result of a partnership with restaurant reservation service OpenTable. Mobile users can now check out a restaurant's Facebook page and then make an instant reservation at any of the 20,000 restaurants that are part of the OpenTable lineup.Making a restaurant reservation can't get much easier than this. The app should help bring in business for restaurants that are part of the OpenTable network. A potential downside: It's now equally easy to for mobile users to cancel their confirmed reservations with a quick tap on their smartphone screen. The second app, a social gifting app dubbed Gratafy, promises to create an as-yet-untapped revenue stream by letting users purchase specific food and drink items for their Facebook friends without ever stepping foot in the restaurant themselves.

Yes i do agree with you on this. However, for example in China and Japan the whole concept of making reservations is not a common thing yet and i as well believe that it will never be. People just tend to walk in to restaurants as and when they please....This app would not really serve the purpose in these kinds of cultures....

Introducing the new dining app Reserve. It creates a seamless dining experience by storing a customer's credit card info upon reservation and immediately charging it once the meal is completed, also charging the customers' preferred tip. That way customers do not have to wait for the back and forth that occurs once they are done with their meal and servers collect payment. While the idea seems amazing, I am worried about the safety of storing people's credit card information on this app.  I also think that with the tipping already pre-included, the incentive on the wait staff's part to deliver great service is diminished. It is also a negative for the client because even if they are not satisfied with the service (or on the other hand if they feel that their server went above and beyond), they are not able to adjust the pre-arranged tip accordingly.  I do think that it is a great way for restaurants to make a nice profit through bids for "highly-sought-after reservations" because people will be more willing to spend a lot to to ensure they get a table at fancier restaurants. 

This article touches on how it is critical for restaurants to embrace technology in order to maintain a loyal customer base. What I found to be the most important point was the importance of compatible technology. The article recommends having technology that can track inventory, reservations, sell, manage employees. The value of this is measured and 2.1 times the ROI of a traditional onsite POS. The article recommends online ordering, points out that 2/3 of fast casual customers plan to order online this year, and that the average ticket size is 26% over the regular order. I agree with the author that a restaurant owner's choice to embrace technology can make or break their business.

The article discusses the numerous benefits of the self-order kiosk. Before, old iPads were used, but now, restaurants of any size can afford these kinds of devices. The article talks about a restaurant owner who were frustrated with an old POS system, who said that when his POS system crashed it costed him $8,000 to replace and update the system. But with the tablet-based system, you no longer need $10,000-20,000 up front for a POS system. The article also mentions the efficiencies boosted with the tablet-based system. For example dividing a bill used to take 30 minutes, now it takes 30 seconds. Also, some customers experience "line anxiety" when people are waiting in line for them to order, so they sometimes pass on the complex orders in favor of quick ones. But with the self-ordering system, customers are more likely to order complex options such as adding bacon or avocado. The article states that at one restaurant, the average guest check through the kiosk is nearly two times the average placed with a waiter. The restaurant can focus on service and the food, and less on the ordering and its accuracy.

This article introduces three reasons to upgrade POS system. Most restaurant owners think traditional POS system is good enough to use because they already used to the system and it has not bothered their business seriously. Even though there are some malfunction problems on POS machine, they just chose to keep using them. However, below three reasons support why restaurant owners need to upgrade POS system. First, owners sometimes neglect small hardware malfunctions such as fuzzy monitors, printers, or connectivity issue. Yet, it will not be fixed automatically and it might cause the worst scenario which affects business negatively. Not only this reason but also the advantages of cloud-based POS system can give more efficiency and safety. By easily replacing the hardware in the event of damage or failure, information can be stored safely. Second, upgraded POS provides the unified system. Even though it still needs third-party apps, these resources are well unified into the core POS software and owners can operate system seamlessly based on user-friendly, and on-brand manual. Third, it is a security issue. Traditional POS system requires simply login/password combination, but advanced system can be protected with stronger security system such as fingerprint scanner or ID card logins. Therefore, important business information can be secured safely and it can prevent the possibility employee accidentally change key settings or information. To sum up, customers demand is changing fast and technology is developing fast to meet the new trend, so it is the time for restaurant owners to check their POS system and update it when it is needed.

POS Restaurant Management systems market are expected to generate a $30 bn revenue by 2026. The cause of the demand for mobile POS systems is driven by the increasing demand and the rapidly growing popularity of wireless technology. Overall POS systems are essential in registrations of payments, sales operations, and icreases work effiency by reducing time and cost.

This article described the benefits an iPad POS system can offer over a traditional POS system. There are some benefits that I thought were great and can prove to be useful. The remote reporting is great for owners so they can check in without having to actually be there. The system does update periodically throughout the night so when items are no longer available the system will update this will prevent a lot of confusion for both the sever and the guest. One of the best features is the offline mode that allows the system to work even when the wifi goes down, this will allow service to continue which is crucial for peak hours. The cost of iPad system can also be less because updates are automatic and there no need for additional equipment.

This article highlights how digital menus can help some restaurants, but at the end of the day, the concept and the hefty investment are not for all restaurant owners. The usage of digital menus can provide customers a more clear view with the menu and it's easy to adjust it to coordinate with POS systems. Restaurant owners also have the benefit of taking items that are not available of the menu within minutes, preventing many customers the trouble of wanting something they cannot have. On the other hand, some restaurant owners just simply do not have the money for the investment and they also do not believe in they will capitalize on the ROI. This helps to explain much of the chalkboards coming back bring the old school style. Customers ultimately decide which kind of menu they are more comfortable with.

This article mainly compares cloud-based POS versus traditional POS. While cloud-based systems are easier to access and are supported through any tablet or smartphone, it explains how traditional POS systems are more difficult to access if you are away from your restaurant. Cloud-based point of sale systems have made it easier for employees to access data from outside of the office, decreased operating costs, and have made it easier for system updates. Although, the only advantage that a traditional POS might have over a cloud-based POS is that it does not rely on the internet.

Unattended POS systems in fast food restaurants like McDonalds can significantly improve their efficiency and remove the pressure from their staff. Restaurants like these are often short staffed. They feel significant impact when they do not have enough staff to support the amount of business that comes through their doors. The cashier often will have to assist in making orders as well, causing a further delay in the line. Adding this and their new drive through initiative, McDonalds will be able to maximize profit, produce more orders in one day and keep their customers waiting minimal amounts of time.

This article focuses on the enhanced technology that fast food chains such as McDonald's are embracing to enhance their service and increase their productivity. An example of this is the self-service kiosks that many McDonald's have installed inside their restaurants. Consumers have adapted well to this technology because data shows that this has increased revenue over time, therefore proving how the unattended POS technology is helping companies be more cost efficient and increase sales.

Linga is a B2B software company that introduced a new product called LingaROS which is a restaurant or retail operating system. This system includes premium features that integrate the hotels property management system (OPERA) with the restaurants and retail stores within the property. This software aims at improving the guest experience and increase efficiency in operations.

Week 6 Diigo - This article was all about how the use of mobile devices can grow a restaurant's business. The four tactics that were discussed were engaging with customers on their level, offer mobile ordering,stay connected with customers, and offer loyalty programs. Engaging with customers includes posting and responding to customers on social media websites, creating a personal connection with customers. Offering mobile ordering allows for customers to have quick and convenient access to your food. This gives them the ability to still choose your restaurant even if they are on a time crunch. Staying connected with customers involves sending out reminders to customers about specials, coupons, etc to encourage them to remember your restaurant and choose to go to it. Lastly, offering loyalty programs will encourage customers to visit your restaurant more than usual just to receive the free perks that come with the loyalty program.

This article discusses several critical factor in the process of using an HRIS in a restaurant chain. It notes that there is little research specifically discussing this area for the hospitality industry. The article examines the factors that should be considered by a restaurant chain in making the decision to use an HRIS. Also, the article discusses a study of issues that will contribute toward the successful implementation of HRIS for restaurant chains.