1.1 Project Specification

Contents

1.1.1 Problems of the Current Interface

1.1.2 Design Objective

One problem with this interface results from the use of decades-old technology. The speaker/microphone system does not work effectively: it is hard to understand the employee, and the user must speak loudly and very clearly to be understood. As a direct result of this, orders are often misunderstood, and have to be corrected at the window, or mistakes are not noticed at all. This is tied to the fact that there is no feedback verifying th e order immediately after it is given.

Another problem with the current interface is the menu presented to the customer. While it contains a complete listing of menu items, it lacks a lot of other important information. For example, there is no room for pictures of the items, only names. Also, information such as nutrition data, typically displayed inside the store, cannot be presented in the drive-through. Finally, options and specials are generally not listed, because the contents of the sign displaying the menu are fairly static.

Other difficulties in using the current interface are tied to human factors. For example, the user often feels pressured to order immediately because as soon as he or she drives up, the employee immediately says, "May I take your order?" Besides this, many people feel uncomfortable speaking into the microphone without being able to see the order-taker.

The final two issues are financial in nature. On the user's side, there is only one method of payment: cash. This is inconvenient in general at fast food restaurants, but especially so in the drive-through, because dealing with coins and putting away change while in the car can be an unpleasant experience! Support for payment through credit cards would be a great improvement. On the employer's side, a great deal of labor time is spent in providing drive-through services. Usually it takes two employees to do all of the necessary tasks: taking orders, gathering food/drinks, taking money, providing change, etc. With an improved interface, the work could most likely be done by a single employee, or perhaps none at all.

1.1.2 Design Objective

• make use of multiple media to create an enjoyable, useful environment
• provide ease-of-use and convenience for customers
• be installed in multiple instances, so that several customers can order at once
• give the customer total control of the ordering process
• provide many levels of information detail on menu items
• present immediate feedback on orders for customer verification
• allow multiple methods of payment

Back to Phase I index

On to requirements specification