The system AUTORESTAURANT/EAB is a product of Nessos Information Technologies S.A. and offers a complete solution for the automated management and operation of restaurants and canteens using smartcards. It consists of seven separate subsystems: Card Management, Users and Employees Management, Restaurant and Bar Management, Restaurant and Bar Sales and Report printing. All applications are multi-tier and are comprised of the Presentation Layer,the Business Logic Layer and the Data Access Layer.

 

The Presentation Layer is implemented with desktop applications using .NET Windows Forms technology, while for the implementation of reports Crystal reports have been used.

 

The Business Logic has been embedded in Web services. Thus, a distributed communication between clients and the server and easy updating of the system are possible, as the logic of the system is maintained centrally on the server and not remotely on each client.

The Data Access Layer is implemented by our using the Microsoft Data Access Application Blocks. Data is stored in D.B. SQL Server 2000 and an off-line mode ability is provided, while the communication between applications and   D.B is impossible, ensuring the uninterrupted operation of the system 24 hours a day. The execution of orders and transactions continues locally on clients and DB is updated automatically when communication is restored.

The Hellenic AEROSPACE INDUSTRY S.A. (E.A.B.), which was founded in 1975, is the largest State defence industry of the country.Its main mission is to provide services and products in order to support the flying means of the Greek armed forces, especially Hellenic Air Force, and other internal and external customers. The smooth functioning of the E.A.B. is based on perfect scientific and technical training of its staff, which includes about 2500 people. The nutritional needs of staff are met through canteens and restaurant of E.A.B. For automated operation of restaurant and canteens, E.A.B. invested in achieving an integrated technological solution, with a view to achieve more inexpensive, faster and most reliable service of the personnel.

 

For the E.A.B’s restaurant and canteens full automated operation , the integrated system of E.A.B ‘s Restaurant and Canteen automated Operation “AUTORESTAURANT/ EAB” ,developed by Nessos, was selected and set in productional function on 1/2/2006, achieving full and normal integration of the application on the operating environment of the company.

Within the context of the implementation, everyday tasks of E.A.B’s staff service and administrative functions of the restaurant and canteens are automated. The system consists of seven separate subsystems:

 

Εικόνα 2. Restaurant Sales SubSystem

• Canteens Administration Subsystem: It undertakes the management of the canteens’ products for sale and their prices.
• Restaurant Sales Subsystem:It performs the transactions between the restaurant and the employees . For each sale of goods and products all details of the transaction are recorded and both the database and smart cards (smartcards) are updated. There are workstations installed touchscreen installed in the workstations and bar code readers for the better facilitation of the users.The operations which are supported and carried out by the subsystem are management sales management , debit cards, residues hold, receipts printing and transaction cancellation.
• Canteens Sales Subsystem:It supports the same functionality as the Restaurant Sales Subsystem, and uses similar equipment, with the difference that is addressed to canteen’s products.
• Report Printing Subsystem: It produces dynamic reports with totals for all the movements of the system.Report View and printing is available. 

• Noticeable employee latency reduction in the queue. The course of processing the order, payment and delivery is done directly from the sales application using smart card requiring minimum actions by users and customers.
• Facilitation of the restaurant and canteens personnel’s work, who focus only on satisfying the wishes of the employees.
• Nullification of cases and cost of mistakes, which are involved in money transactions (cash opening, residue update, residue hold, change etc.)as all transactions are made electronically via smart cards.

• Disposal of restaurant and canteens’s Operation Statistical Data in administration. The Report Printing Subsystem operates as a Management Information System that helps in supporting the decision-making process, facilitating the timely and efficient programming of supplies, in accordance with the dietary habits of the staff and the demand of the products. The supported reports are:

• Restaurant/Canteen’s Products being available.
• Daily Disposal of Restaurant/Canteen’s products.
• Daily payment receives by cards.
• Status of issued Cards.

Εικόνα 3. Report Printing Subsystem