onePOS Mobile for Dummies

What Mobile POS Technology Is

Restaurant Mobile POS Technology, aka Handhelds, is the ability to process customer orders at the customer using a handheld wireless device. Some examples where mobile POS excels:

• Taking an Order at the Customer's Table - direct entry eliminates wrong orders, forgotten guests, and immediate notification of 86'd or count down items.
• Accepting drink orders in a busy waiting area - incremental sales opportunity to service waiting patrons in a timely manner. Not only does it decrease the guest's frustration waiting for a table, it increases high profit liquor sales.
• Bars and Nightclubs - immediate ordering to customer drinks dramatically reduces order to delivery times. The cocktail server no longer needs to write down several orders, go to a terminal and ring them then, then wait for the bartender to process them. By the time the server gets to the bar the drinks are ready.
• Line Busting in Quick Service - By taking credit card orders without a physical counter, staff is able to increase its order-taking throughput during peak times without wasting valuable space during normal operations.
• Handling Large Venues - such as stadiums, movie theaters, patios, or marinas where the physical layout or size of the location make using fixed terminals impractical.
• Management Console - managers can keep a handheld on them at all times to run flash reports, overtime warnings, make adjustments to guest checks without disrupting other tasks, and help out order and line busting in peak times.

Until very recently, the hardware required to be able to deploy a mobile solution has been very costly, and the back end software typically costed more per handheld than a fixed terminal after you added on all the 3rd party requirements. onePOS has re-written its core product, the onePOS Terminal Application, to be able to target a variety of devices, including Windows Terminals, Windows CE Handhelds, and Windows CE Terminals without any special 3rd party software or solutions. The onePOS Mobile Terminal is built from the exact same software that builds our full Windows Terminal solution, so virtually the full onePOS solution is available no matter how it is accessed, and as new features are added to our core products, they are automatically added to our mobile solution as well.

In addition to taking orders, a mobile solution also allows you to take payment right at the guest's location. Not only does this speed up service and increase table turns, it dramatically enhances card holder security as the card never has to leave the guest's sight. Credit Card vouchers can be printed at strategically located printers in the building or on a blue tooth belt printer worn by the server.

What Mobile POS Technology Is Not

Due to the size of a mobile device (excluding tablet computers which are normally considered too large and bulky to be effectively used) there are some usability tradeoffs with handhelds.

• Small Screen Size - all handhelds have small screens, and some employees with poor vision might find them challenging to see. Some screens are noticeably smaller than others, with the larger handhelds using 4" or greater displays.
• Screen Proportion - the dimensions of the screen are always going to be tall rather than wide, making it impossible to have the full POS solution displayed in some circumstances. onePOS has achieved a great balance of usability on handhelds that have a 272 x 480 pixel display, but will run acceptably well on traditional 240 x 320 sized displays.
• Connectivity Issues - since mobile solutions preclude wires, all communications must be over WiFi. Interference issues such as electrical equipment and microwave ovens can sometimes present challenging and changing conditions. A good site plan with overlapping WiFi coverage circles will go a long way at avoiding most common issues.
• Sunlight Readable - to save cost and extend battery life, the screens themselves are not normally super bright preventing them to be used outside in direct sunlight. Some manufacturers have sunlight readable displays and almost all have an option to increase the brightness of the display (but this decreases battery life).
• Battery Life - battery life is dependent on a number of variables including brightness of the screen, strength of the WiFi signal, and frequency of use. Most manufactures offer hot swap capabilities making it easy to double or triple runtimes during a shift with enough spare batteries. Some manufactures offer extended run time batteries as well, but these make the unit thicker and heavier.
• Size of Unit - the handheld must fit well into a server's hand and be secure enough so that it will not be dropped. Most manufactures have straps on the backs of their units that wrap around a server's hand for better security, and some include drop cords that are clipped to the unit and the server's belt loop preventing the handheld from making contact with the floor if dropped. Consider the size of the unit for extended operations, one that is the size of cell phone might be easier to carry, but will be more likely to slip from your hand during use.

How to Sell Mobility

Now that the price of a mobile solution is roughly the same as a fixed terminal solution (assuming 2 handhelds for each fixed terminal), operators can choose mobility on the merits of the technology (see What Mobile POS Technology Is above). Because it is new to most owners, putting a handheld terminal into their hands and letting them ring orders is key to adoption.

For on-site presentations, onePOS makes it easy to demonstrate mobility without the complications of setting up a WiFi infrastructure. Simply copy over the onePOS folder from the server to the root drive on the handheld (or NAND Flash directory). If there is not enough free space, you do not need to copy the Images folder or Start / Start.NoAlc folders in the Data folder. If there is still not enough free space, you might need to install a SD memory card and name it NAND Flash.

To run the onePOS Terminal software, navigate to the onePOS\Exes folder and double click TerminalCEArm.exe. You can click and hold on the icon and then use copy / paste shortcut to place it on your desktop for easier access. Tapping the bottom status bar (white bar) will toggle the screen from left to right. Other than that, it is virtually the same as using a fixed terminal.

Order entry has been slightly re-layed out so that it works better on a small / non standard screen. The Speed Menu is shown with the guest check, and clicking a Speed Menu button will move the screen to display item buttons on that screen. A tap on the white status bar will move you back to the guest check (there is an INI option to automatically return the guest check after ordering an item as well). On tall handhelds (272 x 480 resolution) a small guest check showing the last item ordered and its modifiers is displayed under the item buttons. The server can use this small check to review what they just ordered as well as make changes to default sides or modifiers.

If you are selling virtually, over a GoToMeeting type solution, you can use the ScreenMode INI command to put the regular POS Terminal Application into handheld mode. ScreenModes 0, 1, and 2 are handheld sizes. If selling a 272x480 sized unit, use ScreenMode=1, if not use ScreenMode=2.

Getting it Installed

Installing a robust WiFi network can be a challenge, especially given the dynamic interference possibilities that are in a typical restaurant. Access points should be installed as high as possible so that other equipment, furniture, even guests are not able to block the signal. You should also try to overlap access points so that there is good, redundant coverage at a site. For a restaurant the size of an Applebee's, I would place an access point on the back left side of the center bar, and then another on the front right of the center bar. This will effectively give 2 cones of coverage in the site with the only far left back corner, and far right front corner under the coverage of a single access point. These access points should have their channels set to fixed and spaced as far apart from each other as possible. We have found a normal access point is good for 40-50 feet of range inside, and higher powered outside access points can be up to double that. It appears that the lower power radios used in some handhelds limit ranges longer than this even though a laptop or fixed wireless terminal might be able to work at much greater distances.

onePOS has made the setup of the handheld itself a snap. A quick copy over of the application and a small terminal.cfg file is all that is needed to get it operational. Setup of the handheld's personality is done just like a fixed terminal but using a HHSET ini as opposed to a TTLSET ini. There are no changes required to the database to be able to use handhelds, it uses the exact same menu layouts etc as a fixed terminal. Because of this, you can setup a handheld at a customer's site and show them it working live on their database in minutes (starting with version 2.9.05).

Using and Training Mobility

Since the onePOS mobile solution is based on the fixed terminal application, it is best to train employees using a fixed terminal first and then show them the difference (primarily toggling the screen using the status bar). Keep in mind, a mobile solution will never be as fast and as easy as using a fixed terminal due to the screen size, so it is crucial that the owners / management be strong advocates of the servers using the handhelds or they will be tempted to simply walk into the kitchen and used a fixed terminal.

Changes to overall restaurant operations might also be warranted. Servers can now easily work 1 or 2 more tables than before since less time is spent in transit to a terminal to place, print, and close the guest check. Food runners could enable servers to always be present on the floor and constantly be available for guest service.

Products we Recommend (certified onePOS)

Handhelds:

• Partner Tech OT-100 - Larger unit with a large 272 x 480 screen. Fits nicely in a servers hand and has a large screen that supports ScreenMode 1. Battery, charging cradle, hand strap, and belt strap included. Bluetooth belt printer options. Coming soon MSR credit card reader and sunlight readable screen.
• WideFly WF35 - Smaller unit with a standard screen. Small size allows unit to be comfortably placed into a pocket. Battery, hand strap included. Bluetooth belt printer and MSR options.

Access Points:

• TrendNet TEW-653AP - Small unit the size, shape, and look of a smoke detector. Can use PoE (Power over Ethernet) so that you do not need to run a power cable to the unit when using the TPE-101l injector. Moderate range. (available at Provantage)
• TrendNet TEW-455APBO - Large, weather hardened unit designed to be bolted to the side of a building. Includes PoE (Power over Ethernet) injector so that you do not need to run a power cable to the unit. High range. (available at Provantage)

Belt Printers:

• None currently are functional with the solution, check back in a week.