| A cashier scanning bar coded merchandise at the | | | | quickly to return to work or visitation. After all, if |
| check-out point of any retail store is a very familiar | | | | patrons have to wait in long lines to pay for their Grab |
| and expected occurrence. Whether items are waved | | | | n Go items, the convenience of pre-packaged food |
| in front of a standing devise, scanned by a hand held | | | | offerings would be completely lost. |
| model, or swept across an in-counter scanner; bar | | | | A traditional retail store monitors and tracks inventory |
| code scanning is a standard part of any retail | | | | and sales as merchandise is scanned and sold at the |
| environment and POS system to help get customers | | | | cash register. Similarly, the hospital cafeteria needs to |
| on their way fast. The retailer gains many operational | | | | monitor sales as well so that kitchen production can be |
| benefits when bar code scanning is used together with | | | | in synch with the speed and quantity at which food |
| a POS Inventory Control system, including the | | | | items are being sold. It's all about getting out the right |
| adjustment of inventory levels as items are sold or | | | | food, in the right amount, and at the right time. Imagine |
| returned, and tighter control and management of | | | | the hospital healthcare worker who finally has a few |
| merchandise pricing. | | | | free minutes in their busy day to run down to the |
| Although highly common in virtually all areas of retail, | | | | cafeteria to get a quick sandwich, only to find that the |
| bar code scanning was not widely used as part of a | | | | Grab n go cooler is completely out of sandwiches. Or |
| POS System in hospital cafeterias until fairly recently. | | | | worse; consider the hospital employee who regularly |
| After all, most of us don't think of food as being | | | | heads to the nearest fast food restaurant to eat |
| "inventory," and therefore don't see a logical connection | | | | because the cooler in the cafeteria is frequently out of |
| between a UPC bar code number and a yogurt | | | | their favorite soda flavor. Over the span of a year, |
| parfait. The increasing number of cafeterias offering | | | | that lost business translates to lost revenue. In today's |
| pre-packaged "Grab n Go" items, however; has | | | | economy, that's something no retail area wants to see |
| changed this traditional view. | | | | happen. |
| "Over the past few years, more and more of our | | | | Hospital cafeterias are not limiting their use of Bar |
| hospital cafeteria customers have added a "Grab n | | | | code scanning to just Grab N Go items. Most POS |
| Go" section as a convenient way to offer appealing | | | | Software can capture and recognize the |
| yet quick food choices to their employees and guests," | | | | manufacturer's UPC bar code information on |
| said Kathy de la Torre of ARBA Retail Systems. By | | | | everything from canned soda and bottled water, to |
| offering a varied selection of pre-packaged food items | | | | chips and candy bars. Some hospital cafeterias have |
| which can be purchased quickly, the cafeteria attracts | | | | taken the next step in retail automation, and have set |
| patrons who otherwise would not have enough time to | | | | re-order points within their POS Software for these |
| eat. The added traffic definitely helps increase | | | | items which are consistently re-stocked. |
| cafeteria revenues, which more and more hospital | | | | The best way for a cafeteria to have an accurate |
| retail areas are required to attain. Placing a scannable, | | | | picture of what's selling, in what quantity, and at what |
| bar code label on each food item in the Grab n Go | | | | time is with the use of bar code scanning technology |
| section means the purchase can be quickly scanned | | | | combined with a good POS system. |
| at the point of sale, getting patrons on their way very | | | | |