Maybe Amtrak's "POS Solution" Is NOT set!

[rrdude]

While working the NRA show in Chicago this week, a delegation of four Amtrak personnel came by our booth, ostensibly interested in POS options for both Cafe and Dining care service.

I quizzed them extensively about WHY they were shopping, when it was speculated that the POS roll out was to happen "soon".

They represented DC (IT department) and Bear, DE (Operations)

Stay tuned, as I will try to learn more. If anyone has any updates, please post.

 

[neroden]

Oy. Maybe the last proposed version fell through.

 

[Triley]

They've been saying "soon" for years. Though, I will say that they have had the new POS on a handful of Regionals for testing.

 

[Thirdrail7]

I regret being cryptic, but I'm going to place this statement here so when things are publicly released, we can have a dialogue. Things may change. There is something floating around and it almost completed.

Stay tuned, indeed.

 

[pebbleworm]

Point of sale? Piece of...? I am confused.

 

[Ryan]

I hope something is completed, it'll be a huge step forward.

Yes, POS = Point of Sale

 

[CCC1007]

The machines used by McDonald's could use either of the definitions of the acronym

Speaking from 3 1/2 years of experience

 

[Thirdrail7]

Does anyone here remember that song How Soon Is Now by The Smiths?

I would have paid top dollar to see the Smiths Reunite for any reason. I may have even boarded a plane if the concert was held overseas.

Keep your eyes open. h34r:

 

[WICT106]

While working the NRA show in Chicago this week, a delegation of four Amtrak personnel came by our booth, ostensibly interested in POS options for both Cafe and Dining care service.

I quizzed them extensively about WHY they were shopping, when it was speculated that the POS roll out was to happen "soon".

They represented DC (IT department) and Bear, DE (Operations)

Stay tuned, as I will try to learn more. If anyone has any updates, please post.

Good thing the link indicated it was the Restaurant Association show. At first I thought it was a National Rifle Association meeting.

Does anyone here remember that song How Soon Is Now by The Smiths?

I would have paid top dollar to see the Smiths Reunite for any reason. I may have even boarded a plane if the concert was held overseas.

Keep your eyes open. h34r:

Yes. See link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hnpILIIo9ek

"I am human and I need to be loved, just like everybody else … … "

 

[HenryK]

NRA, POS, CHI, EMY, ABC, DEF . . . we in this forum love acronyms so much that sometimes it's difficult to tell what members are talking about. "Saves time," some say. True, but that also thickens the fog, especially for newcomers.

 

[neroden]

Well, this is a case where it's *much* better to go slow and make sure they have a *good*, flexible point of sale system which meets all their needs, rather than grabbing the first thing they see. A good system could work wonders; a bad system could be terrible.

There are some really good systems in restaurants these days; I've been impressed at the ability of waiters to type in *special requests* and substitutions on the better systems.

 

[neroden]

NRA, POS, CHI, EMY, ABC, DEF . . . we in this forum love acronyms so much that sometimes it's difficult to tell what members are talking about. "Saves time," some say. True, but that also thickens the fog, especially for newcomers.

Standard newspaper style (which is good practice) is to spell out the TLA (three letter acronym) the first time you use it, and then to use the TLA freely in later sentences.

 

[willem]

NRA, POS, CHI, EMY, ABC, DEF . . . we in this forum love acronyms so much that sometimes it's difficult to tell what members are talking about. "Saves time," some say. True, but that also thickens the fog, especially for newcomers.

Yes! And it only saves time for the person posting. If there are even a minimal number of readers not familiar with the terms, then it costs time overall.

It amazes me that someone would ask a national group (and I'm not trying to marginalize the international reader, but most participants are in USA) a question about an obscure station identified by three letters. Sure, I can go to Amtrak and decipher it, but not nearly as quickly as the person asking for information can type the station's name.

 

[Palmetto]

Point of sale? Piece of...? I am confused.

Me too. Could someone explain this notion, at least in broad terms?

 

[Ryan]

Cash register.

 

[Bob Dylan]

Computerized Ordering System and Cash Register!

It's not Rocket Surgery,it's 2015!!

 

[Palmland]

I don't understand why this is hard for Amtral to launch. Point Of Sale is used by about every restaurant I visit. At least Amtrak has figured out connectivity issues since they can now swipe your credit card for purchases. Maybe it's an employee training issue?

 

[Hal]

I don't understand why this is hard for Amtral to launch. Point Of Sale is used by about every restaurant I visit. At least Amtrak has figured out connectivity issues since they can now swipe your credit card for purchases. Maybe it's an employee training issue?

It is not an employee training issue. The employees can learn any POS system. All they need is a POS that works on a train.

 

[jis]

For the sort of small purchases that are expected to be made using the POS system on a train, it is an issue of how much you are willing to place at risk by using a delayed reconciliation system for charges - i.e. the charge goes through immediately without talking to the acquirer if the network is down, possibly after checking the card against pre-loaded list of invalid cards, and then actual reconciliation with the acquirer happens when the network becomes available, automatically in the background. The reconciliations that fail, well, the POS owner gets to swallow those as cost of doing business.. Airlines for example have used delayed reconciliation systems on POS for duty free sales on international flights for ages. Attempting to run an immediate reconciliation system over very unreliable network is not easy to do reliably and in a timely manner for obvious reasons.

 

[Bob Dylan]

Excellent post from one who knows!( for those that don't know, jis knows mucho about this stuff!)

 

[Triley]

I don't understand why this is hard for Amtrak to launch. Point Of Sale is used by about every restaurant I visit. At least Amtrak has figured out connectivity issues since they can now swipe your credit card for purchases. Maybe it's an employee training issue?

You don't know everything that the current POS units do, though. It's not just selling. Every unit needs to be able to be docked on the train and in the commissary, that way that particular train's stock is inputted and can be tracked. It also needs to be able to handle keeping track of FDA required test temperatures and sanitizer solution checks, back orders, food condemnages. It also needs to be able to check register clearance on the fly (without a date connection), that way day...I can't walk onboard OBS' Cafe , swipe my ID, and operate his register.

They also want to be able to process credit cards directly through the POS (part of the failed experiment with the "new" POS units that were briefly tested on a few Regional Cafes (the current Acela POS units process cards no different than any other food service car in the system.))

Anyway, I have heard several different things, and I have been told they are working on a complete redesign of the POS, in a much smaller and better package. I won't say how long I was told they hope to have them out by, because we all know it'll take longer then that anyway.

 

[jis]

Triley, thanks for the info. Some if it I did not realize before.

 

[Triley]

Triley, thanks for the info. Some if it I did not realize before.

No problem, it's all good. And there's a few more things I'm probably forgetting, but I won't lie to you..I haven't worked it since mid-September, and since July before that. Lol So I'm having trouble remembering.

Oh right. It has to be able to transfer the stock from one LSA to another, and print out all the associated paperwork for both LSAs.

 

[OBS]

The "new" POS machines they purchased about 2 years ago that can process credit cards, and they had all Acela LSA's come in on their day off for training....Had to be scrapped because they did not come with enough "Bandwith"..........amongst other reasons....

 

[Bob Dylan]

Was this due to incompetence or corruption on the part of Amtrak Management and/or "Consultants"?