I’m looking for something that I can only describe as a visual communication link between two to four iPads / iPhones for food sales. Sort of a dummied-down visual texting, perhaps, or a menu ordering system, but without a checkout function.
If a person selling snacks in a kiosk needs re-supply from the kitchen, they’d press a button to say “I need ice!” and then on the other tablets, the “I need ice!” message appears and the person who’s bringing the ice can optionally press a button to say “OK, I’ll bring ice.” The ability to modify a request would be useful as well, so the kiosk could request two bags of ice if it’s busy, for example.
The kiosk probably only needs a half dozen to a dozen or so pre-defined “I need…” buttons. It needs to be dedicated and visual - trying to call the kitchen won’t work as staff changes through the day, so the person in the kiosk won’t know who to call, and that’s assuming the person in the kiosk has a phone. Plus, the environment they’re in is noisy.
Does anything like this exist, and hopefully for free or really cheap? I’d search the App Store, but I’m drawing a blank on how to best describe it in a search field. Best I can come up with is “visual soundbox” but that doesn’t really make sense.
Or, how about skipping the tablets entirely and doing something with pushbutton switches - kiosk person presses a button labeled “ICE” and it starts flashing a light in the kitchen. The kitchen can acknowledge the request by pressing their button - this will either make an “On the way!” light go on at the kiosk or just extinguish the light entirely.
Use voice. Most industrial communications is on short range radios. Add a quality discrete earplug and lapel microphone. Even in the middle of a steel mill I’ve used Motorolas to call for assistance and or talk someone through an issue. Snack seller speaks into mic saying “I need two bags of ice.” Ice deliverer responds “two bags of ice on the way.” Simple and cheap. Nobody needs to look at a screen to get a message. People wearing radios are fairly common in many establishments and will not be seen as out of line.
The idea of radios was floated and shot down, mainly because they’d have to be purchased or rented, when we’ve already got iPads and iPhones, plus there’s the issue of multiple people at either end, especially at the kitchen. There’s no one dedicated responder there, which is why the idea of being able to hang or stand up an iPad that would light up and display messages seemed appealing.
I just realized what we’re after is very much like the ordering system at most fast places, but the display in the kitchen will be driven by pressing buttons rather than multiple registers/terminals on a POS system.
if nothing else, now I know what the name for this thing is. That’s pretty much exactly what we’re after, but the whole thing needs to be free or cheap, and preferably, something that can run ad hoc between two tablets without a backend server or full-on POS system.
$400 or more per year to license the backend app plus hardware to run it on is a budget blower for something that’s not going to see daily use in a real restaurant. our needs are more for making life easier for us at random charity events.