Barcode reader / food tabs

Just after some ideas on how to implement a sort of bar-code reader for a canteen, where i work we have about 750 employee's and my supervisor has asked me to get some stuff together for this sort of thing

Basically what we want is everyone will get a card with a bar-code or something (just to specify its them) and the canteen lady's will get a scanner or two. Lets say bob smith wants a sandwhich, we want to use this so they can put it on a tab and at the end of the month we bill them any ideas of software and hardware??

Howdy..

Location would be good, see i know of a few company's here in Australia, but you could be located in the U.S.A so these company's would be useless.

help us help you. ;)

well, we use software called eclipse to manage our library. It will read barcodes and manage check out and in. Its not really meant for paying for sandwiches, but its a place to start looking perhaps.

Aard~, do you remember a few weeks ago there was a big stink in the UK media about schools or Education Authorities using some sort of swipe card system to monitor school dinners?

Maybe that sort of software would fit the requirement?

My kids' school uses PayPAMS - it's targeted at schools, but it looks like they have solutions for corporate canteens as well. Afaik, they provide all the equipment free of charge; they get their revenue from a fee charged when people charge the account (5.6%).

What ever you choose I would implement a system that requires a pin. Otherwise if a card is dropped you could add up some ones tab.

We all have swipe cards here (government here) and they have our picture, the barcode will probably be added to these. We currently use software called cablesolve to manage our equiptment

OK scriptersx,

Government huh? that means that IT are bottom of the food chain:D

What I have seen in the EU, and I think acid~ was rererring to in OZ, are outfits that provide a comprehensive management system:

1. Access control (premises)
2. Attendance recording
3. Movement and location
4. Canteen & staff facilities
5. ID.
6. Functional control (equipment)

and so on. My first start in your position would be to look at what else is offered by the system you are currently using, as these things tend to be modular, and it is way cheaper to add modules to an existing system, than to find something new.

I got the impression that you are talking of a weekly/monthly billing cycle, so I guess that we are talking permanent/seconded staff?

You could even handle guests/visitors by simply issuing a card where only the elements you wanted, such as the canteen, were included. That is why I prefer the magnetic strip approach as you can reissue them easily.

Your accounting system can easily handle charging cost centres and other locations/commands, providing details of the individuals concerned so that they can integrate the data into their systems.

:)