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Studying the Types of Input Devices: Restaurant POS Equipment 

Point of Sale (POS) Equipment: Keyboards and touch screens

One of the first choices you will have to make about your POS equipment is whether to go with a touch screen or a programmable keyboard. Most businesses choose touch screens. The only market where keyboards are mostly used is grocery stores, since it has the ability to program individual keys for specific item codes and prices.

Touch screens are more intuitive to use than keyboards for many users. Touch screens also provides flexibility in the user interface and programming, where it eliminates costly staff training. You will find most touch screens these days are based on flat-screen LCDs instead of traditional CRT monitors. While LCD touch screens are a bit more expensive (typically $600 - $1,000 instead of $400 - $500), they are sturdier, saves electricity, and saves up space. They even look much better. When purchasing touch screens, avoid touch screens that are overlayed on top of regular monitors - aside from being prone to breakdowns, they can also add unnecessary complications to your system.

For keyboards, some has the standard 101-keys model that you can find with any computer. The flat-panel membrane keyboards are smaller and more POS-specific device which is you often see on fast food outlets. Often, they come in with built-in magnetic stripe readers for processing credit cards. Most programmable keyboards usually ranges between $150 and $300.

It doesn't matter which you use, just make sure to take in consideration the environment where you would like to use it. You'll find both keyboards and touch screens have varying levels of spills and dusts proofing.

Scanners
POS scanners reads bar codes and sends the information back to the computer. Typically, scanners connect to the system through Y-connectors called wedges that make them function as an extension of the keyboard. Bar code scanners improves speed and accuracy during checkout.

Low quality scanners are made based on CCD technology. They cost less, but usually have a very short range - an item being scanned needs to be 1 to 3 inches from the scanner. In a typical retail setting, this should be fine.

Laser scanners uses a beam of light in order to read bar codes, they offer much better scanning ability since they are able to scan at long ranges. There are also "autosensing" laser scanners that turn themselves on automatically when an item is placed in front of them for scanning, and then turn off again. While omnidirectional scanners can send out 15 or 20 lasers simultaneously, letting you scan bar codes from any angle. The top of the line scanner is the embedded scanner, which are omnidirectional scanners that are installed below a counter, commonly seen in supermarkets.

Properly use different types of scanners to serve customers. If you do not usually have more than a customer or two in line,. A fairly constant flow of customers might call for an autosensing model, and very high volume businesses should investigate omnidirectional or embedded scanners. Prices range from below 0 for the most basic CCD scanners to 0 or more for omnidirectional laser scanners.

Handheld POS
The latest type of input device is the handheld, wireless terminal. Essentially a PDA, it can take orders and wirelessly transmits it back to its base station. A great advantage this POS equipment can provide to a restaurant is that they increase the amount of time servers spend on taking orders on the floor and interacting with customers, because it eliminates the need to go back to a terminal to process orders.

Newer still are write-on handhelds: instead of trying to fit a touch-screen interface onto a tiny PDA screen, these devices allow servers to simply write the orders down. Handwriting recognition software parses the order then sends it on to the kitchen and bar as needed.

Handheld terminals are understandably more expensive than traditional touch-screen order terminals. However, these devices can make up for their cost by allowing your servers to spend more time up-selling customers with more desserts and drinks. If you are evaluating handheld terminals, make sure you ask about the "drop test" - units are rated for toughness according to how much they can survive a fall. To find out if your business is a candidate for handheld POS terminals, compare POS equipment from multiple dealers to learn what products and services they offer.

Need more information or perhaps an online resource?

Go to POS-For-Restaurants.com

The author of this article is the Vice-President of Customer Relations at POS-For-Restaurants with over 20 years of experience serving restaurants of all types throughout the U.S.

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