Over the past year the use of contactless payments has increased significantly. Businesses should have the facility to receive contactless payments. The use of cash is being discouraged by most companies and governing bodies, so why should the takeaway sector be any different? This solution provides a takeaway business with an efficient method to receive contactless payments.
By using contactless payments, the company will ensure that its profits from sales are safe as the money is transferred directly to the bank account of the business. The problem with cash payments is that the delivery driver can end up carrying large sums of cash on a busy night. This can make them a target for gangs and thieves. The drivers are often targeted late at night when the potential rewards are high for the gangs. This results in the profits of the company being affected when a robbery occurs. This is a viable reason for businesses to implement a contactless payment option. It also prevents the driver from receiving counterfeit notes from customers who pay with cash. The driver may not have the time or a device to check the legitimacy of notes handed over by customers.
Investigation of the initial workflow was conducted to identify aspects of the operation that could be improved. Staff from a local takeaway restaurant were interviewed to obtain information. Information gathered included the order in which various deliveries were completed and how long they took.
In order to improve the delivery aspect of the business, a web-based prototype was developed.
These deliveries were then entered into the prototype and an efficient order route was then calculated. Measurements were then taken and compared to the initial metrics, see figure 1.1.
Figure 1.1 - Reduction in Distance