BOS — The Bison Ordering System
Introduction to the Problem Domain
Our app aims to improve the speed, efficiency, and environmental friendliness of the ordering process at the Bison. As of today, the Bison requires users of the grill to fill out paper forms indicating order preferences which are then placed in a basket at the station, where they are then picked up and completed by staff while the user waits for delivery of the order. The user must wait for the form and food to be delivered before checking out with a cashier because the form is required for that process. By digitizing the ordering system via an iPad app, orders could be placed from various locations within the Bison, minimizing inconvenience while also reducing the paper wasted each day.
Functionality offered by BOS App
The primary goal of our app is to allow users to have a fast, pleasant, and environmentally friendly ordering experience without forcing the Bison staff to undergo additional training or make changes to the existing point of sale (POS) system. For end users, our app features a streamlined interface which has been refined via multiple phases of prototyping and interviews with Bison customers, allowing for orders to be placed with no hassle. For Bison staff, our system (once completed) would continue to offer paper order slips, printed by a thermal receipt printer at the grill station, preventing the need for additional training.
The Interface
Our app separates the ordering interface in to two categories — breakfast menu and lunch menu — much like the current paper slip system. This keeps the two menus separate for Bison staff as they are today, and also helps to keep the user from being overwhelmed by options. The first video below shows the process of ordering a breakfast item, along with how to clear an order if you have made a mistake. The second video shows a lunch menu order, including how to add multiple of the same item.
Deploying our Product
In the time available to work on this project, we feel proud of what we have delivered. The app functions well and has very few bugs left to be addressed. All that remains to complete before deploying this product in the Bison is the addition of the ability to print the order tickets via thermal printer and the option to pull new menu items from a database. If we complete these two tasks, the product is ready for daily use.
Get the Code
If you are interested in working with the code that we have already produced for this product, grab a copy at the link below!
