The document discusses research into a prototype e-menu system for Thai restaurants, summarizing suggestions from interviews to improve the system's features, such as allowing ordering by quantity, adding customer comments, separating set menus, and making it easier to request the main course. The suggestions aim to address issues like usability, language support, and kitchen communication in order to better meet business needs and customer satisfaction. Overall, the research seeks to identify additional requirements and solutions to further develop the e-menu software.

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

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

3. 3 OBJECTIVES
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
4
ON E - MENU SOFTWARE
No Issues Description Countermeasure
Doesn't support Chinese language
1 Language Design e-menu to support multiple languages.
Doesn't support Thai language for chefs
Cannot enter quantity on the main menu Design e-menu so that users add quantity on the main
2 Order quantity
screen menu.
Customer order
3 Cannot enter a customer order comment Design e-menu so that users can add comments.
comment
4 Request main course Difficult to request "Main Course" Add a button to request "Main Course".
Cannot separate set menu to actual Design new database to support separating items for
5 Order set menu
menu items for chefs 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.
Cannot combine tables based on
8 Combine dinning tables Add function combining tables in the web application.
reservation
Sorting of menu
9 Drinks should be the first category Move the "Drinks" category as the first item.
categories

5. 5 1 . LA N GU A GE
ISSUES
- Order transferred to kitchen is English language in stead of Thai.
- The system cannot support Chinese language.
Suggestions
1. The system should support Thai language for chefs to
prepare food and communicate within a kitchen.
2. The system should support Chinese language for
Chinese customers.
Reasons
1. Thai chefs are not familiar with English language.
2. Chinese customers are a target group of Thai restaurants
in UK.
Solutions
1. An application used in the kitchen should use Thai
language instead of English.
2. Design software to support multiple languages
Benefits
1. Be easy to understand and communicate
2. Support Chinese customers
3. Reduce human error

6. 6 2 . OR D ER QU A N TITY
Issue: The system cannot order by quantity on the “main menu screen”
Too Many
Steps Steps Suggestion
1. Select Item 1. The system should be easier to enter an order quantity
2. Click “Qty” textbox
on the main menu screen (first screen).
3. Enter Order
2. There are too many steps to fill an order quantity.
Quantity
4. Click return Reason
Main menu screen 1. 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
1
Solution
1. Provide a button for entering order quality
on the main menu by a picker.
Benefits
2 1. Reduce time to order
2. Make system be easier to use
3 4

7. 7 3 . C U STOMER OR D ER C OMMEN T
Issue: The system cannot enter customer order comment
Suggestion
1. The customer should be able to enter a comment
of a particular order item e.g. no green pepper.
Reasons
1. Some customers cannot eat particular
ingredients because of health reasons.
2. Some customers would like to modify the taste or
ingredients e.g. change from pork to beef.
Solution
1. The system can put only some specific comment
using pick up or drop down list.
Benefit
1. Increase customer satisfaction

8. 8 4 . OR D ER SET MEN U
Issue: The system cannot well support ordering a “set menu”
Recommendations
1. The description of set menu can not be shown
completely.
2. The system should separate a set menu into actual items
when an order is transferred to Kitchen.
Reason
The description of 1. Set menu includes many menu items e.g. SET Menu C
set menu is shown includes starters, main dishes and drinks but the system
incompletely
can show only one item.
Solutions
1. Separate set menu into actual items.
2. Reduce font size of menu description
Benefit
1. Chefs find it easier to prepare food.
Set
menu C
The system cannot separate
a set menu into actual items
Crispy Egg fried Tea or
Mixed
deep-fried rice or filter
Starter
fish rice coffee

9. 9 5 . R EQU EST MA IN C OU R SE
Issue: Customers are difficult to request main course.
Suggestion
1. The system should easily allow customers to request main
course on the main menu screen.
Reason
1. It is difficult to request serving main course because it
requires many steps, whereas “Requesting Main Course”
is an important process.
Solutions
1. Add “Request Main Course” button on the top of screen.
2. Show status of calling main course.
Benefit
Requires too many steps 1. Make it easy to request main course.
(Call main course is an important function)

10. 10 6 . C OMB IN E D IN IN G TA B LES
Issue: System cannot combine dinning tables based on reservation
Suggestion
1. The system should be able to support combining and
separating dining tables
Reason
1. The restaurant would like re-arrange tables with
regards to reservation.
Solution
1. Make another page to manage table e.g. setting a
number of seats.
Benefit
1. Make the system more flexible to manage dining
tables.

11. 7 . SH O W PR O G R ESS STAT U S
11
W H EN B EIN G PR O C ESSIN G D ATA
Issue: System cannot show loading status
Suggestion
1. The system should be able show a progress status when
processing data.
Reasons
1. The customers don’t know when data is being processed.
2. The customers may click the same button many times
because they think that the transaction has not been
operated.
Solution
1. Use loading image to show progress status
Benefits
1. Prevent program running slow because of clicking same
button many times.
2. Increase software usability.

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

13. 13 9 . MEN U C ATEGORY
Issue: “Drinks” category should be placed before “Starter”
Suggestion
1. The category of “Wine & Other Drinks” should be
placed first.
Reason
1. Customers are most likely to order drinks first.
Solution
1. Move “Wine & Other Drinks” category into the top of
list.
Benefit
1. Customers can easily to order drinks first.

14. 14 OTH ER R EC OMMEN D ATIONS
1. The e-menu could show advertisement of food, drinks and
restaurant promotions when customers are dining.
2. The restaurant could create an application, which can be
installed on customers devices to order takeaway food online.
3. The system could support online booking
4. The system could support mapping between an order item and
ordering person to make it easier to serve.