Studying the Types of Input Devices: Point of Sale(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 more popular is grocery stores, because it can program individual keys for specific item codes and prices.
Touch screens are more intuitive to use than keyboards for many users. They also provide more flexibility in the user interface and programming. Most touch screens sold today are flat-screen LCDs unlike the traditional CRT monitors. While LCD touch screens are slightly more expensive (typically $600 – $1,000 instead of $400 – $500), they last longer, doesn’t use much electricity, and take up less space. They even look much better. With both CRT and LCD displays, avoid “overlay” touch screens that are added on to regular monitors – they are more prone to breakdowns and add an unnecessary complication to your system.
When it comes to keyboards, some has the standard 101-keys model similar to any computer. The flat-panel membrane keyboards are smaller and more POS-specific device which is you often see on fast food chains. Often, POS keyboards come with built-in magnetic stripe readers for processing debit cards. Programmable keyboards usually go for between $150 and $300.
No matter which you use, just make sure you consider the environment where it will be used. Both keyboards and touch screens are available with varying levels of spill and dust-proofing.
Bar code 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 scanning has an improved accuracy and speed things up during checkout.
Low quality scanners are based on charge-coupled device (CCD) technology. They can be inexpensive, but usually have limitations – an item being scanned needs to be 1 to 3 inches from the scanner. In a typical retail setting, that 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. The omnidirectional scanners can send out 15 or 20 lasers simultaneously, making bar code scanning from any angle easy. The top of the line scanner is the embedded scanner, which are omnidirectional scanners that are positioned below a counter, as is common in supermarkets.
Choose a scanner based on your customer volume. If the counter line has only one or a couple of customers, the CCDs or entry-level laser scanners should. A fairly constant flow of customers might call for an autosensing model, and very high volume businesses should investigate omnidirectional or embedded scanners. Their prices may range from below 0 to 0 or more.
Handheld POS terminal
One of the latest and clever type of input device is the handheld, wireless terminal. For PDAs, which wirelessly transmits orders 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 the floor taking orders and interacting with customers, because it eliminates the need to go back to a terminal to enter orders.
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 more expensive compared to traditional touch-screen order terminals. However, these devices can make up for their cost by allowing your servers to spend more time up-selling more desserts and drinks. If you are evaluating handheld terminals, make sure you ask about the “drop test” – these units are rated for toughness according to how much they can survive a fall. You can easily find out if your business is a candidate for handheld POS terminals by comparing POS equipment from multiple dealers to learn what products and services they offer.
For more info and free POS quotes or perhaps an online resource?
Check out 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.
