the 1st flash point of sale

developing our in-house POS stands as a significant long-term initiative for FC, benefiting operations, marketing, and finance.

• Long-term cost reduction.
• Develop a customizable POS tailored to Flash Coffee's needs.
• Address pain points systematically and unify store data for a cohesive ecosystem.
• Implement features applicable across all markets and customize marketing solutions for enhanced rewards and promotions.
• Streamline order taking and optimize barista workflow.

1. Cost : Our current POS systems incur high expenses, including web order fees, commissions, and iOS and Android hardware purchases.
2. Utilization : Stores utilize existing POS features partially, estimated at around 40-50%. The system's complexity leads to inefficiencies, requiring considerable time for maintenance and troubleshooting.
3. Inflexibility : Our current SaaS POS systems lack customization options, hindering integration with FC's rewards, promos, and specific needs, as well as managing variants/add-ons.
4. Data Integration Deficiency : Some POS systems, like Storehub, struggle with syncing front-end and back-end data, leading to discrepancies. Integration with third-party delivery services also results in data deficiencies when extracting data into our own database.

the project started with a challenging timeline and the initial idea of repurposing the consumer app into a Flash point-of-sale system for baristas.

• Observe baristas' order handling from customer entry to order delivery.
• Understand baristas' interactions with POS in real settings and identify behaviors for inclusion in the new POS MVP application.

barista shadowing provided insights into current barista practices, revealing discrepancies between reported and expected behaviors.

• Internet connection issue: 
  Frequent disruptions occur with the sticker label printer when underground retailers experience unstable internet connections, necessitating settings resets and reconnections.

• Staff hardware deficiency: 
  Baristas juggle multiple devices simultaneously, such as POS (iPad), Foodpanda Terminal, Grab Terminal, ShopeeFood on Mobile, Barista App (Android), Inventory Hub (Android), Store Phone, etc. Manual entry of delivery transactions is required as the POS system doesn't automatically collect revenue, resulting in time-consuming and error-prone processes.
  
  
• Promotion management challenges:
  Existing POS systems lack promotion information, making it challenging to apply promotions to specific order types. Baristas resort to checking offer data on WhatsApp groups, causing delays and hindering customer engagement.
  

• Barista Authentication
  
• Store open & Close shift
  
• Order taking (3rd party delivery order & offline order)
  
• Customer information gathering
  
• E-receipt
  
• Order history
  
• Cash Sales Summary
  
• Applying promotions

• We needed to reuse as many existing components from the consumer app as possible to reduce the engineer's

• The workflow should be equivalent to what we now have on the consumer app.

• Due to existing discount logic, we can't integrate the menu page and order summary on the same page. This would require frequent fetching and validation of discounts, potentially impacting system speed.

• Review and understand baristas' workflow across various tasks:
  — Opening and closing shifts
  — Taking orders (third-party delivery and offline)
  — Adding promotions/discounts
  — Accessing order history
  — Deleting orders
  

• Compare average order-taking times using split/combined menu pages for simple and complex use cases.
• Review UI designs for accessibility and task completion ease.
• Gather feedback from baristas on system improvement suggestions to enhance efficiency.
• Assess new POS version usability across different barista types/criteria.
• Identify necessary information for baristas to locate specific completed orders in various scenarios.

• 1 head captains of the stores
  
• 2 experienced baristas (> 6 months, 44 hrs per week)
• 2 new-joiners (< 3 months, min 18 hrs per week)

• Baristas prefer scrolling to find items, finding it faster and more instinctive than using search or categories. 
• Our category names and groupings are confusing. 
• Baristas find text-only listings easier to skim than those with images.

• Baristas prefer a horizontal layout with large button selectors for ease of tapping. However, they also favor a vertical arrangement for step-by-step focus.
  

• Baristas usually utilize the 'Back Button' on the menu page for adjusting item customizations. However, they are unaware that this can also be done on the checkout page. They desire the ability to edit item details directly on the checkout page.
• They hesitate in selecting a payment option as using just the icon is unclear, leading to uncertainty and fear of making the wrong choice.
  

• The promotion modal lacks a type/category identifier, making it difficult for baristas to locate specific promos. 
• Baristas need to view offer details before taking orders, enabling them to verify promotions with customers, regardless of experience level. 
  

• Baristas request adding 'Payment Method' to the order table for easier filtering when multiple orders occur simultaneously. 
• Customer names are unnecessary for walk-in or third-party delivery orders, but crucial for app orders.
  

login & store open

order taking

order creating

3rd party delivery order

order transactions

promotion information

close shift & logout

• In Phase 1 of the POS, full integration with third-party delivery platforms isn't feasible. However, we aims to enhance it by addressing staff hardware limitations and human errors in manually inputting 3PD orders.
  
• Internet instability, especially in underground locations, poses a challenge, so Phase 2 will also focus on offline POS capabilities.