CHAPTER
ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 BACKGROUND OF STUDY
The online food
ordering system is one of the latest servicers most fast food restaurants in
the western world are adopting. With this method, food is ordered online and
delivered to the customer. This is made possible through the use of electronic
payment system. Customers pay with their credit cards, although credit card
customers can be served even before they make payment either through cash or
cheque. So, the system designed in this project will enable customers go online
and place order for their food.
Due to the great increase in the awareness
of internet and the technologies associated with it, several opportunities are
coming up on the web. So many businesses and companies now venture into their
business with ease because of the internet. One of such business that the
internet introduced is an online food ordering system. In today’s age of fast
food and take out, many restaurants have chosen to focus on quick preparation
and speedy delivery of orders rather than offering a rich dining experience.
Until recently, most of this delivery orders were placed over the phone, but
there are many disadvantages to this system.
It is possible for
anybody to order any goods via the internet and have the goods delivered at
his/her doorsteps. But while trying to discuss the transfer method of the goods
and services, attention is focused on the payment mode. In other words, how
possible is it to pay for goods and services via the internet? This then leads
to the discussion of the economic consequences of digital cash. What are the
implementations from the view point of economic? Since the world is fast
becoming a global village, the necessary tool for this process is communication
of which telecommunication is a key player. A major breakthrough is the
wireless telephone system which comes in either fixed wireless telephone lines
or the Global System of Mobile communication (GSM).
What I propose is an online ordering
system originally designed for use in college cafeterias, but just as
applicable in any food delivery industry. The main advantage of this system is
that it greatly simplifies the ordering process for both the customer and the
restaurant. The system also greatly lightens the load on the restaurants end,
as the entire process of taking orders is automated. Once an order is placed on
the webpage that will be designed, it is placed into the database and then retrieved,
in pretty much real-time, by a desktop application on the restaurants end.
Within this application, all items in the order are displayed, along with their
corresponding options and delivery details, in a concise and easy to read
manner. This allows the restaurant employees to quickly go through the orders
as they are placed and produce the necessary items with minimal delay and
confusion. The greatest advantage of this system is its FLEXIBILITY.
1.2 STATEMENT OF PROBLEM
As industries are
fast expanding, people are seeking for more ways to purchase products with much
ease and still maintain cost effectiveness. The vendors need to purchase the
products in order to sell to end users. The manual method of going to their
local food sales outlets to purchase food is becoming obsolete and more
tasking. Food can be ordered through the internet and payment made without
going to the restaurant or the food vendor. So there is need for a wide range
of publicity and enabling direct order, processing and delivering of food
through online system. For this system, there will be a system administrator
who will have the rights to enter the menu with current prevailing prices.
1.3
OBJECTIVES OF STUDY
This study lays
out a framework for a new system to be developed and brought to the market for
maximum use and to create an avenue through the web where users can log on to
our server and make a selection of whatever goods or food they like and
subsequently pay via the internet. The following are the objectives this would
bring:
1.
The
home page of this web interfile provides an avenue where customers will be able
to gather more and reliable information about what the fast food industry
really does.
2.
The
products and services offered would provide the customers with all the
different categories of available products that they can choose and select
from.
3.
This
will provide a user friendly environment between the customer and employee thus
increasing the efficiency of the food ordering system.
4.
There
will also be an online purchase form with which valued customers will be using
to get in touch with any of their request whenever the need arises.
5.
It
will also help for easy retrieval of orders made by the customers.
1.4 SCOPE OF STUDY
In this project, a
fast food company is designed and KRISPY FAST FOOD, AWKA is taken as a case
study to enable customers order for food and get it delivered accordingly and
also to reduce the long queues of customers at the counter ordering for food
and to reduce the work lord on the employees.
The following
things are among other things that are discussed and what the software would
handle:
vAbout the fast food company
vThe
fast food and the services offered there
vOnline purchase
vType of food provided.
1.5
SIGNIFICANCE OF STUDY
In view of the rapid development of computer
technology in almost all the fields of operation and its use in relation to
information management, it has become important to look into the development of
online ordering system for firms to meet up with demands of the customers.
Therefore, the food ordering and delivery system will help customers and
management to:
1.
Advertise
available foods in their company
2.
Reduce
the workload in the present system
3.
Reduce
time wasted in data processing
4.
Create
a platform for online purchase and delivery of fast food
5.
Keep
accurate record on purchased order and delivery.
1.6
LIMITATIONS
Due to time and
financial constraints, the software that is developed covers only the aspect of
food ordering and payments.
1.7
DEFINITION OF TERMS
FOOD: Any nutritious substance that people or
animals eat or drink, or that plant absorbs, in order to maintain life and
growth.
MENU: A list of dishes available in a restaurant
or the food available or to be served in a restaurant or at a meal for example
“a dinner-party menu”, “politics and sport are on the menu tonight”.
ONLINE
FOOD ORDERING: Online food
ordering services are websites that feature interactive menus allowing
customers to place orders with local restaurants and food cooperatives.
CREDIT CARD: A credit card
is a payment card issued to users as a system of payment. It allows the
cardholder to pay for goods and services based on the holder’s promise to pay
for them.
ORDERING SYSTEM: This is referred to as a set of detailed methods that
is being used in handling the ordering process.
RESTAURANT: (eating place) is a place where meals and drinks are
sold and served to customers.
CUSTOMER: Sometimes known as a client, buyer, or purchaser) is the recipient
of goods, services, products or idea obtained from a seller, vendor, or
supplier for a monetary or other valuable consideration.
TECHNOLOGY: It is the study of techniques or process of
mobilizing resources (such as information) for accomplishing objectives that
benefit man and his environment.
HAMBURGERS: A hamburger is a sandwich consisting of a cooked
patty of ground meat usually placed inside a sliced hamburger bun.
SHAWARMA: Shawarma is a Levantine Arab meat preparation, where lamb,
chicken, turkey, beef, veal, or mixed meats are placed on a spit, and may be
grilled for as long as a day.
BEEF:
Beef is the culinary name for meat from bovines, especially cattle. Beef can be
harvested from cows, bulls, heifers or steers. Beef muscle meat can be cut into
steak, roasts or short ribs.