NCR Developing Automated Drive-Thru And POS Printing Integrations
By Ally Orlando, contributing writer
POS providers could soon have the capability to integrate technologies that improve restaurant operations for their customers – especially quick service establishments with a drive-thru lane.
NCR Corp. – a leading provider of restaurant technology solutions – recently applied for a patent for two restaurant POS automation integrations, reports say. The patent application was made public on April 24.
One solution will enable drive-thru self-service kiosk capabilities via customer smartphones, and the other will automate receipt and check printing via handheld POS devices. NCR has developed POS and back-office software, customer engagement solutions and mobile technology support, as well as built-for-purpose hardware and drive-thru applications.
The company’s new drive-thru solution will be able to detect a customer’s smartphone or tablet while they are in the drive-thru lane or near a POS terminal and launch an ordering interface that enables them to place orders and complete transactions.
In its patent application, NCR notes that kiosk automation is an area of POS technology that has been left unexplored, aside from order confirmation screens and internal technology like wireless headsets.
"In fact, today's interaction at the drive-thru line is awkward and in many instances inconvenient for both the consumer and the employees of the establishment providing the drive-thru ordering system,” the application says, listing difficulty hearing, harsh weather, and inaccurate orders as road blocks. The company has set out to alleviate these issues by allowing patrons to place their own orders and perform their own transactions.
In addition, NCR’s receipt printing technology will allow restaurant employees to automatically transfer checks using handheld devices.
NCR believes the automated solution will solve the difficulties that restaurant operators and employees could face when connecting devices and printers. For example, the company notes that today’s connection options, such as a mobile printer that is paired to a handheld device by the end-user, have the potential to be problematic in a busy restaurant setting.
Specifically, the task of printing guest checks from a handheld device is often difficult because of the connection between the devices and printers. NCR also notes that users frequently experience issues when manually opening, retrieving and transferring checks on a handheld touch screen interface, namely entering accurate orders and maintaining eye contact and conversation.
These are currently multi-step, challenging processes that could result in “downstream operational problems and customer satisfaction issues,” the application says.
NCR says their innovations will expedite the process of opening or retrieving a check while simultaneously eliminating errors, such as assigning checks to the wrong table or performing actions against the wrong check.