iPads Can Now Run the Kitchen
By 
Restaurants have been using the power of the touch screen for quite some time, especially as it relates to entering and viewing orders as well as point of sale transactions. This utilization makes the iPad and other touch screen tablets a perfect addition to these environments. ISISPOS has released The Kitchen Display Solution (KDS), a new remote order management system that promises to revolutionize the way orders are managed.
The new ISISPOS system can be used with a single iPad or combined to function with multiple iPads at once.
Beyond the basics of entering and viewing orders, KDS can be configured to keep track of allocated and required prep and cooking times and display or sound alerts as those times approach extinction or expire. Set priorities for rushing orders, VIPs, or void status and review customers by table configuration or orders.
Aside from ease of use, low maintenance requirements and reasonable total cost of ownership (TCO), this system makes restaurants and their staff more efficient and effective communicators which is the real key to success in that industry.
We have been closely watching other uses for the iPad in restaurants. A New York City restaurant actually went so far as to replace their waiters with iPads, encouraging you to either place your order online or through a kiosk where the staff will guide you through the experience. An Australian restaurant actually replaced their traditional paper menus with iPads showing a digital menu which is an expensive if not innovative way to help customers decide what to order. An Atlanta restaurant has a similar setup, though they actually allow ordering direct from the tablets placed on each table.
No matter the exact implementation, the common theme shows iPads (and other tablets) to be a useful business tool for those in fast-paced customer-service based environments.
Have you encountered any restaurants with a really clever or innovative approach to using the iPad?
