1. USERS’ PERCEPTIONS OF THE E-MENU PROTOTYPE ON E-MENU FEATURES
Project:
Topic:
Content:
E-menu on iPad for Thai restaurant
Annotation: Research outcome
- Description of research & discussion of outcomes
- Users’ perception on the e-menu prototype
Created by
Traitet Th.
Created Date
19 Aug 2012
Revised Date
7 Sep 2012
Revision No.
1.0
Document Name
D02-001

2. USERS’ PERCEPTIONS OF THE E-MENU PROTOTYPE ON E-MENU FEATURES

3. OBJECTIVES OF THIS DOCUMENT
To answer the research question in terms of developing software to meet business requirements.
To summarise suggestions from restaurant staff
To summarise additional requirements after interview stage.
To provide solutions for those additional features.
All suggestions are based on software features after presenting the final prototype

4. SUMMARY OF SUGGESTIONS on e-menu softwareNo
Issues
Description
Countermeasure 1
Language
Doesn't support Chinese language
Design e-menu to support multiple languages.
Doesn't support Thai language for chefs 2
Order quantity
Cannot enter quantity on the main menu screen
Design e-menu so that users add quantity on the main menu. 3
Customer order comment
Cannot enter a customer order comment
Design e-menu so that users can add comments. 4
Request main course
Difficult to request "Main Course"
Add a button to request "Main Course". 5
Order set menu
Cannot separate set menu to actual menu items for chefs
Design new database to support separating items for set menus. 6
Progress status
Cannot show progress status
Add progress status when system is being operated. 7
User instruction guide
Doesn’t have user instruction guide
Add user instruction guide in the application. 8
Combine dinning tables
Cannot combine tables based on reservation
Add function combining tables in the web application. 9
Sorting of menu categories
Drinks should be the first category
Move the "Drinks" category as the first item.

5. 1. LANGUAGE
ISSUES
Order transferred to kitchen is English language in stead of Thai.
The system cannot support Chinese language.
Suggestions
The system should support Thai language for chefs to prepare food and communicate within a kitchen.
The system should support Chinese language for Chinese customers.
Reasons
Thai chefs are not familiar with English language.
Chinese customers are a target group of Thai restaurants in UK.
Solutions
An application used in the kitchen should use Thai language instead of English.
Design software to support multiple languages
Benefits
Be easy to understand and communicate
Support Chinese customers
Reduce human error
The feature can reduce human error because chefs might cook wrong because they misunderstand English language.
Furthermore, the current paper-based process, waiting staffs translate English to Thai language before sending order to the kitchen.

6. Issue: The system cannot order by quantity on the “main menu screen”
2. ORDER QUANTITY
Issue: The system cannot order by quantity on the “main menu screen” 1 2
Steps
Select Item
Click “Qty” textbox
Enter Order Quantity
Click return 3 4
Too Many Steps
Suggestion
The system should be easier to enter an order quantity on the main menu screen (first screen).
There are too many steps to fill an order quantity.
Reason
The system can support entering “order quantity” but a customer needs to select a particular item firstly, then enter an order quantity. It is difficult to fill quantity
Solution
Provide a button for entering order quality
on the main menu by a picker.
Benefits
Reduce time to order
Make system be easier to use
Main menu screen
Feedback from users: A requirement when customer order drinks is the system should help a restaurant customer to be easy to order a same items by using quantity. Although, the system can fill the quantity in the screen of menu details, the manager told that it is still difficult the put and he suggested that e-menu should allow a restaurant customer entry the quantity on the main menu screen.

7. 3. CUSTOMER ORDER COMMENT
Issue: The system cannot enter customer order comment
Suggestion
The customer should be able to enter a comment of a particular order item e.g. no green pepper.
Reasons
Some customers cannot eat particular ingredients because of health reasons.
Some customers would like to modify the taste or ingredients e.g. change from pork to beef.
Solution
The system can put only some specific comment using pick up or drop down list.
Benefit
Increase customer satisfaction
Comment by the restaurant manager
Some comment from customers might make chefs to be difficult to cook.
Therefore, the restaurant manager recommended that this feature should be used for specific options
e.g. rare, medium, or well done for steak.

8. 4. ORDER SET MENU
Issue: The system cannot well support ordering a “set menu”
Recommendations
The description of set menu can not be shown completely.
The system should separate a set menu into actual items when an order is transferred to Kitchen.
Reason
Set menu includes many menu items e.g. SET Menu C includes starters, main dishes and drinks but the system can show only one item.
Solutions
Separate set menu into actual items.
Reduce font size of menu description
Benefit
Chefs find it easier to prepare food.
The description of set menu is shown incompletely
Set menu C
The system cannot separate a set menu into actual items
Mixed Starter
Crispy deep-fried fish
Egg fried rice or rice
Tea or filter coffee

9. Requires too many steps
5. REQUEST MAIN COURSE
Issue: Customers are difficult to request main course.
Suggestion
The system should easily allow customers to request main course on the main menu screen.
Reason
It is difficult to request serving main course because it requires many steps, whereas “Requesting Main Course” is an important process.
Solutions
Add “Request Main Course” button on the top of screen.
Show status of calling main course.
Benefit
Make it easy to request main course.
Calling main course is an important function because if customers do not call main course, chefs will not cook for them.
Therefore, calling main course feature should to be easy to use.
Furthermore, it should show status of calling main course on the screen.
Requires too many steps
(Call main course is an important function)

10. Issue: System cannot combine dinning tables based on reservation
6. COMBINE DINING TABLES
Issue: System cannot combine dinning tables based on reservation
Suggestion
The system should be able to support combining and separating dining tables
Reason
The restaurant would like re-arrange tables with regards to reservation.
Solution
Make another page to manage table e.g. setting a number of seats.
Benefit
Make the system more flexible to manage dining tables.

11. 7. SHOW PROGRESS STATUS WHEN BEING PROCESSING DATA
Issue: System cannot show loading status
Suggestion
The system should be able show a progress status when processing data.
Reasons
The customers don’t know when data is being processed.
The customers may click the same button many times because they think that the transaction has not been operated.
Solution
Use loading image to show progress status
Benefits
Prevent program running slow because of clicking same button many times.
Increase software usability.

12. 8. USER INSTRUCTION GUIDE
Issue: System should provide user instruction
Suggestions
The system should include user instructions of using e-menu application.
Reasons
Customers are not familiar with an e-menu application.
The waiters can easily to explain to customers how to use this application.
Solution
Make instruction guide on e-menu application e.g. How to order? How to send request? How to check order status?
Benefit
Customers can return to user instruction pages if they don’t well understand instruction explained by waiting staff.
Example of User Instruction for ordering

13. Issue: “Drinks” category should be placed before “Starter”
9. MENU CATEGORY
Issue: “Drinks” category should be placed before “Starter”
Suggestion
The category of “Wine & Other Drinks” should be placed first.
Reason
Customers are most likely to order drinks first.
Solution
Move “Wine & Other Drinks” category into the top of list.
Benefit
Customers can easily to order drinks first.
This is an implicit requirements:
Feedback from the restaurant manager: The system sorts menu categories from starter, main course and drinks, respectively. He also commented that the menu categories should start with drinks because customers are likely to order drinks firstly.
Potential benefit from the prototype:
Therefore, after the prototype was presented, it help the manager was easily to give comment and feedback. That is better than develop the final product then testing because it always difficult to change database design and source code.

14. OTHER RECOMMENDATIONS
The e-menu could show advertisement of food, drinks and restaurant promotions when customers are dining.
The restaurant could create an application, which can be installed on customers devices to order takeaway food online.
The system could support online booking
The system could support mapping between an order item and ordering person to make it easier to serve.