INFORMATION SYSTEM FOR RESTAURANT

Information System for Restaurant

Information System for Restaurant



Introduction

For implementing the Information system in the restaurant, consider the following case. A waiter takes an order at a table, and then enters it online via one of the six terminals located in the restaurant dining room. The order is routed to a printer in the appropriate preparation area: the cold item printer if it is a salad, the hot-item printer if it is a hot sandwich or the bar printer if it is a drink. A customer's meal check-listing (bill) the items ordered and the respective prices are automatically generated. This ordering system eliminates the old three-carbon-copy guest check system as well as any problems caused by a waiter's handwriting. When the kitchen runs out of a food item, the cooks send out an 'out of stock' message, which will be displayed on the dining room terminals when waiters try to order that item. This gives the waiters faster feedback, enabling them to give better service to the customers. Other system features aid management in the planning and control of their restaurant business (Holland, Light,2009,12-75). The system provides up-to-the-minute information on the food items ordered and breaks out percentages showing sales of each item versus total sales. This helps management plan menus according to customers' tastes. The system also compares the weekly sales totals versus food costs, allowing planning for tighter cost controls. In addition, whenever an order is voided, the reasons for the void are keyed in. This may help later in management decisions, especially if the voids consistently related to food or service. Acceptance of the system by the users is exceptionally high since the waiters and waitresses were involved in the selection and design process. All potential users were asked to give their impressions and ideas about the various systems available before one was chosen.

Discussion

Until recently, there was a need of information technology. Companies were content with their old and traditional handling of information necessary to their growth. Source documents or data collected on forms or paper was their best medium for shoring information.

In today's global environment information itself is considered a important asset for the firms in which they need to store and share large amounts of data by having direct access to it from virtually any spot or location in the world.

All these changes taking place in the business environment call for the use of information systems. The system that is used is the computer based information systems (CBIS). By definition, CGIS is the systems that rely on computer hardware and software for processing and disseminating information. Moreover, it facilitating the work of companies and mattes the managers' life easier. It purpose is to collect, star and deliver information from an organization's environment (competitors, customers, etc...).

In order to get best out of an information system, the company in need for a system that is called inter organizational systems that automate the glow of information across organizational boundaries and link a company to its customers, distributors, or ...