A waiter takes an order at a table, and then enters it online via one of the six

Question

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. 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.

Questions:

a)  In the light of the system, describe the decisions to be made in the area of strategic planning, managerial control and operational control? What information would you require to make such decisions?

b) What would make the system a more complete MIS rather than just doing transaction processing?

c) Explain the probable effects that making the system more formal would have on the customers and the management.

Explanation / Answer

It can help in redesigning the interior of the restaurant and how the service is being delivered to the customer. It can help improve customer service, and can improve supply chain management. In the area of managerial control, it will help the managers to allocate the working schedules of the employees and will help minimize labor overheads. In the area of operational control it will improve customer satisfaction by delivering first class customer service. With this system the managers can have an inventory of the stocks in real time and the phasing of each food item.
The everyday transactions will feed the information needed for the top management to decide which food item needs improvements, sales forecast and the information needed to improve customer service.
On the customer side, it will improve customer satisfaction by improving the service, fast service means a happy customer, and that will lead to high sales profit.

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