Applications of Information Technology Essay

ABSTRACTRestaurants argon construct of complex systems for buying, storing, preparing and merchandising food. Cuban Petes is a popular indep curiosityently owned eating place located in Montclair, New Jersey. The eating place offers a dynamic identity card of Cuban ethnic items and has received renowned recognition. The restaurant has 285 seats 195 of them in three sprawling dining rooms and 90 on an awaydoor(prenominal) patio decked takes reservations only for groups of six or more(prenominal) and gambols that two-hour handles not particular(prenominal) employs 40 PTEs and 15 FTEs serves 500 patrons on median(a) a day and generates $400K in revenue monthly. Over the past 16 months, in that respect has been a decrease in revenue and twin clients. Cuban Petes expects to mitigate operation efficiencies, contract damage, decrease client wait and sit times, increase customer satisfaction, and modify marketing.With no sure automated systems, this paper give discuss ho w the strategic, managerial, and operational control of a sm wholly restaurant line of merchandise plenty remedy with the implementation of forethought knowledge systems which coordinates everything from scheduling personnel to customer service. Systems to be discussed accommodate slur of Sale Systems, Customer Service worry (CSM) systems, and neighborly media for marketing and advance. abbreviated COMPANY HISTORYCuban Petes is an independently owned restaurant located in Montclair, New Jersey. It was established in 2006 and is owned by Dominick Restaino. With a history as a restaurateur and in revere of his Cuban heritage, Mr. Restaino named the restaurant after the hit 1946 Desi Arnaz films and as an establishment that would erect the fevered, anything-goes 24-hour fiesta that was pre-Castro Havana, Cuba. Mr. Restaino hired a supply of affable waiters and dressed them in bright Cuban sport shirts and narrow-brim Panama hats. He brought in a designer, Tony Ortiz, w ho had the exposed-brick and distressed-plaster walls painted in tropical yellows and reds and aquas. The menu consists of tapas and entrees that top out at $16.95. Although well sought for its dynamic joust of sangria offerings, Cuban Petes does not consent an alcohol license.BUSINESS PROBLEMRestaurants atomic number 18 built of complex systems for buying, storing, preparing and selling food. The line of merchandise problems to be solved leave include a restaurants need to reform operation efficiencies, squeeze cost, decrease customer wait and sit times, increase customer satisfaction, and lose real-time cognitive process monitor. Although Cuban Petes has received press accolades, there telephone circuit issues that need to be addressed immediately. In 2006, Mr. Restaino was arrested, pleaded guilty, and paid a fine for dowry alcohol in sangria without a license. Then, the original and well-known chef, Carl Ruiz, left over(p) the in 2008 and since the team of cooks have yet to achieve the same train of customer accolades. In addition, over the past 16 months, although there has been a recessional recovery, Cuban Petes has not experienced an increase in trading revenue and has experienced a decrease in repeat customers.Wait times are long and all reservations, seating, redact processing, and reconciliations are through with(p) manually and payments are not reconciled to orders. Although the bank line has a website with a widget that allows visitors to be added to the companys mailing list, there is no in-house practice of obtaining customer information, request of online customer satisfaction consortion or web follow-up. Finally, most marketing and business promotion is done mostly via word of mouth and in local unsandedspapers. Cuban Petes call for to improve operation efficiencies, reduce cost, decrease customer wait and sit times, increase customer satisfaction, and improve marketing. Major business problems to be resolved are* Incr ease in revenue* Attract new customers* Retain and engage repeat customers* Establish practices to streamline and automate business practicesWith no current automated systems, Cuban Petes to implementation of tip of Sale Systems, Customer Service Management (CSM) systems, and favorable media for marketing and promotion to demonstrate better strategic, managerial, and operational control.HIGH LEVEL SOLUTION strategical decisions are characterized by uncertainty and unstructured decision. These areas will include budgets, physical object markets, policies, and business objectives. Cuban Petes needs to implement automated systems that domiciliate data in real-time on food items ordered and comparisons of hebdomadally gross changes totals versus food costs, allowing planning for tighter cost controls. The management in like manner needs to implement automated operational controls of specific tasks through appropriate engine room such(prenominal) streamlining the customer transa ction process including order bring in, order processing, machine control, scheduling, and compensation. Further, to experience a return on investment, increase customer satisfaction, improve the financial reporting process, and enhance strategic planning and performance monitoring efficiencies, Cuban Petes needs to implement a Point of gross revenue System and utilize neighborly media for marketing and promotion.BENEFITS OF SOLVING THE PROBLEM automation has its advantages. By implementing MIS, Cuban Petes will experience a drop-off in manual labor and human error, an increase customer feedback to attend waiters service the customers, and improved  capabilities for view of sales figures, menu planning, and cost write up details. By implementing the following systems, Cuban Petes will attract more customers, improve wait times, streamline processes, and ultimately experience an increase in revenue and customer satisfaction.TECHNICAL APPROACHInnovation continues to improve the port companies do business. As a relatively modest establishment, Cuban Petes needs a low-cost solution  improve business. The best room to improve business would be the implement a Point of gross revenue System (POS) and utilize social media channels.* POSThis team suggests relish iPad POS. Considered the cash evince for the 21st century, this mobile POS software provides up-to-the-minute reporting to track the sales, orders, payments, staff and patrons in real time. There is no back-of-the-house master of ceremonies needed, no mandate contracts, and no hidden fees or charges. Revel Systems POS System provides* Employee Login. Each employee has a set up login that is different from managers. This allows owners to track not only when employees clock in and out but also what they do in the system. * Order Taking. The order taking process is simple just choose your items from the categorized list and build the customers order. * Order Details. Details about the order, such as item voids, deletions, special requests, force outs, holds, etc. are always available. * hire Processing. Customers potentiometer pay using all study trust tease or gift cards and choose if they want receipts e-mailed or printed. * Cook View / Expedite View. If you want to go completely paperless, orders can show up on the iPad in the Cook View quite a than printed in the kitchen. An Expedite View is also available so servers can see what has been cooked and ready to be served. This POS also provides Back Office deliver that will improve business as well. Some of the features include* compromising Menu and System Configuration. Cuban Petes will have the strength to customize the categories and items of their menu to suit their needs. As well as skip the layout of receipts, specify tax rates to meet local requirements, desexualize surcharges, set discounts and much more.* Real-time Inventory Control. As items and ingredients are sold, Cuban   gunstock levels wi ll automatically be deducted and available for inventory count comparisons to pronto detect theft, loss or waste. * Employee Scheduling and Reporting. With tall employee turnover and seasonal doldrums, Revel Systems provides the cap office to view metrics on employee data, such as work scheduled versus work performed number of voids, discounts by employee, and employee productivity and sales volume.* Real-time Reporting and Analytics. Revel Systems provides a variety of reports to help Cuban Petes run business, including sales summaries, transaction details, ingredients sold, and much more. Cuban Petes also needs to improve and manage customer satisfaction. Revel Systems POS also provides Customer Relationship Management (CSM). This system will allow the business to acquire your customers e-mail addresses from e-mailed receipts and export these addresses to a spreadsheet. Other necessary technical features that this POS provides include * Real-time Reporting. Revel Systems provid es a host of reports that are secondmently available and accessible from anywhere, with the ability to commit access to managers, accountants or other professionals.* Centralized Management. With an established website, Revel Systems will allow Cuban Petes to centrally manage and monitor business from one website. All information is captured in real-time, and will get instant visibility to track sales volume, staff productivity, and help manage business effectively and economically.* Cloud Computing. Data management and storage can be expensive for a small business. The Revel System POS also provides impregnable Cloud Computing. This System reduces the information technology burden on Cuban Petes business in both time and money. There is no longer a need for a back office server to store data or to worry about software upgrades and maintenance.* allowance Card Industry Compliant. But security is also a major issue of business and customers. Revel Systems is Payment Card Industr y (PCI) Compliant. Revel Systems built security and compliance into its products from the onset to ensure that everything from the hardware, software, and network were all PCI compliant.* SOCIAL MEDIASocial Media allows businesses to engage timely and direct end-consumer contact at relatively low cost and higher levels of efficiency than achieved with more tralatitious communication tools. Thus, this team suggests  Cuban Petes utilize standard social media platforms such as Facebook and Twitter, but also implement mobile social media (MSM). According to Juniper Research, the market for mobile web 2.0 evolutions will capture from $5.5B to $22.4B by 2013. MSM applications are expected to be the main driver of this evolution and are estimated to account for over 50% of the market.Further, Pew Research, a Washington, DC based think tank, estimates that by 202, a mobile device will be the primary internet connection for most people in the world. Therefore, this team suggests that Cuban Petes, intensifyd with the Revel System POS, adopt a MSM application. This permit opens standards (e.g. a transition to the TCP/IP protocol) and flat-rate systems. It also allows for upgrades to radio receiver Frequency Identification (PFID) tags that will be able to automatically connect to mobile phones and send URLS to them, similar to text messages.BUSINESS PROCESS CHANGESCuban Petes is a manual business. Although they have a website, the business relies on manpower for all of its business transactions. Customers are checked in manually wait times are long. Waiting staff takes orders manually, paper orders are handed off to cooking staff, credit card payments are entered manually none are aligned or reconciled to management, distributors or cling to the privacy and security of customers. The business needs to improve operation efficiencies, reduce cost, decrease customer wait and sit times, increase customer satisfaction, and have real-time performance monitoring.OVERA LL RECOMMENDATIONToday everything is about the ability to provide business effectively and efficiently. Over Cuban Petes boast about long wait times as an indication of the high nifty the business performs, most customers want good food, access and capacious service as well. To do this proficiently, effectively, and in the most cost efficient manner, Cuban Petes needs to secure a POS and utilize social media channels. Some industry specialists claim that if business is not participating in Facebook, YouTube, and Second Life, it is not part of cyberspace anymore. Social Media allows firms to engage in timely and direct end-consumer contact at relatively low cost and higher levels of efficiency than achieved with more traditional communication tools.HIGH-LEVEL effectuation PLANThe technical approach involves management information software intentional by POS Professionals. Revel Systems is a user friendly point of sale intentional by hospitality professionals. This software was d esigned by end users who have worked in the bar and restaurant industry. This particular software is designed specifically with the end user in my mind. Expectations are an easy and miasmal transition to the new software system. New POS system will have the following features* HostHostess functions including reservations, waiting listguest folio* Online food ordering* One touch order split and combine* Multiple check tender Support* Visual Floor Management* Advanced CRM such as gift card, house account and popular buyers* 100% Touch Operated Point of SaleCommunication Systems and Mobile Devices.* cardinal Inventory system that is visible to you and suppliers. This will increase order despatch efficiency, ensure better decision making regarding scheduling, purchase orders, shipments and invoices. * Transportation tracking will give the location of shipments as they are en-route and send out alert messages when shipments are late. * Invoice visibility will allow invoices, payments , and credit arrangements and limits to be viewed with a single touch.Social Media.Sites such as Facebook Places, quartet Square and Latitude give Cuban Petes a great opportunity to take advantage of social media. By uploading photos of the live entertainment, nimbus and videos of satisfied customers, potential customers can gain a live, up and close perspective of the restaurant. We can offer customers a small discount for checking in at Cuban Petes. Just check in on your Facebook Page and you get $4 off your bill and or 5% off your next visit if made within 30 days. This excess exposure is marketing the restaurant without spending large sums of money on advertising.SUMMARYCuban Petes needs to improve operation efficiencies, reduce cost, decrease customer wait and sit times, increase customer satisfaction, and improve marketing. With no current automated systems, by implementing strategic, managerial, and operational control this small restaurant business can improve with the imp lementation of management information systems which coordinates everything from scheduling personnel to customer service. Two primary systems to immediately improve business includes of a Point of Sale Systems that will automate business and include Customer Service Management (CSM), cloud computing, real-time reporting, and secure Customer Payment Industry (CPI) payments. Another means to greatly improve business would be to utilize social media for marketing and promotion.REFERENCESCorcoran, D. (2006). Crowds in count of a Fiesta. New York Times. Retrieved from http//travel.nytimes.com/2006/08/13/travel/13njdine.html?_r=0 Draft, R.L. & Legel, R.H. (1986). organizational information requirements, media richness, and structural design. Management Science, 32(5), 554-571Kaplan, A. (2010). Users of the World Unite The challenges and opportunities of social media. argument Horizons. 53, 59-68Toffler, A. (1980). The third wave The Classic Study of Tomorrow. New York, Bantam Books. www.cubanpetes.com