| When was the last time you saw an old-fashioned | | | | them to the commercial pos environment. |
| cash register in a store checkout line? Can't remember | | | | Today we all have access to touch screen |
| right? Well, those days are over, and so are the days | | | | technology through our mobile phones. While there is a |
| of dedicated keypads and mouse click menu PC-style | | | | learning curve that requires some time to become |
| terminals. Touch screen pos systems are now the | | | | acquainted with the technology, we can quickly pick up |
| expected technology for any checkout application. | | | | faster ways of navigating using touch commands. This |
| The obvious advantages of touch screen systems | | | | speed becomes second nature in the mobile phone |
| are speed, accuracy, and flexibility. Consider how each | | | | environment, and today has become an expectation |
| of these factors has developed in pos systems over | | | | when using pos terminals. |
| the last few generations of equipment. | | | | Instead of being tied to a design that calls for strict |
| Early pos terminals were extensions of mini and | | | | menus, messages, and entry fields, today's touch |
| micro-computer technology. Either dumb terminals or | | | | screen capabilities free the system designer to create |
| personal computers with specialized software installed, | | | | a system that works with the user rather than telling |
| these systems were designed by engineers for data | | | | the user how to work. Data flows are more natural |
| delivery and data capture. Ergonomics and ease of | | | | and system feedback is easier to provide, either |
| use were an afterthought. The key was to provide | | | | through audible or visual cues. |
| transaction processing data and the capability to | | | | Designing any pos system can now start from the |
| complete a transaction using a specified information | | | | user's natural data flow and enhance that process, |
| flow. | | | | rather than impose a process that comes from the |
| The next generation of pos systems gave us the | | | | system designer's perspective. For example, in the |
| familiar mouse click menu-driven model, which is still | | | | restaurant environment, a floor plan of the dining room |
| popular on personal computers today. The drawback | | | | replaces table numbers for a host to use when |
| here is that menu designs are sometimes random, and | | | | assigning guests to a table. Or servers can see photos |
| they can make it difficult for users to navigate to the | | | | of dishes to order. This visual cue selection by hand is |
| correct choice. Also, combining menu choices with | | | | also faster than using any pointing device. |
| data entry is not the fastest way to complete a data | | | | Self service terminals today regularly allow using either |
| entry task. | | | | pointing devices or touch screen capabilities. Will this be |
| Dedicated touch screens are not new - they have | | | | the trend going forward, or will we see pointing |
| been with us for many years. Using heat sensitive | | | | devices go away entirely? It's hard to say, but the |
| screens or by capturing finger location using other | | | | convenience and familiarity of touch screen pos |
| techniques, touch points have been captured by | | | | makes it hard to bet against it taking over entirely. |
| computer systems and used for data selection and | | | | To buy, and to find out more about pos, please visit |
| entry. The important development comes from | | | | touch screen pos and retail point of sale. |
| expanding the touch screen capabilities and adding | | | | |