Factory canteens: pre-ordering and meal collection by Face ID

The canteen of a multi-shift factory tends to face the same set of problems: the kitchen does not know how many meals to prepare, workers queue at peak time, some collect on the wrong shift or collect twice, and at month end administration cannot reconcile meals served against meals ordered.

This post describes how pre-ordering combined with face recognition or QR codes deals with each of these problems, from the moment an employee chooses a dish to the reconciliation report.

Pre-ordering by shift

With pre-ordering, staff open a web app on a phone or computer and choose the dish, the line and the shift. Administrators publish daily menus, schedule a week ahead and set reserve quantities per dish. The system checks reserves before accepting an order, so the kitchen always knows exactly how many meals each shift needs.

The web app runs in Chrome, Microsoft Edge and Firefox on Windows and MacOS computers and on Android and iOS phones and tablets, with nothing to install. Staff can add a shortcut to the phone home screen and open it like an app. In one live configuration, staff order for the following week under Next week and can change their choices until 23:59 every Friday.

Visitor meals and overtime meals

Not every meal is ordered the week before. Users authorised by an administrator can order for visitors or book overtime meals. The system checks the reserve: if meals remain the order is accepted, if not it is refused, so extra orders do not leave the kitchen short.

Collection by Face ID or QR

After a successful order the system issues a QR code. At the counter, staff look at the face recognition terminal or scan the code. Matching takes under a second and works with a mask on. The counter screen shows the employee and the ordered dish so the server hands out the right meal.

1. 1Go to the line chosen when ordering
2. 2Look straight at the Face ID terminal with the face inside the frame, or tap the dish image for the current shift to show the QR code and present it to the terminal
3. 3If the dish and shift are correct, the employee's photo appears on the counter TV

Duplicate lock

As soon as a meal is collected it is marked as served. A second scan, the wrong shift or the wrong line triggers an error and the meal is refused. This is the difference from paper vouchers or manual roll calls.

Each person collects one meal per shift. The system also raises an error when an employee has not registered or tries to collect the wrong dish, so the server can deal with it at the counter instead of checking a paper list.

Reports and reconciliation

Administrators get meals ordered, served and not collected by shift and by day, with a chart comparing orders against actual collection. Reports are viewed on the web or downloaded to reconcile with the catering provider.

Deployment at the factory

• Runs on the factory's own server or on the cloud
• Counter devices store data to keep working during outages
• Staff imported by plant, department, section and employee ID
• Pilot on one counter before rolling out to every line

Frequently asked questions

Which roles does the system have?

There are three roles: users, meaning staff and workers; administrators; and the kitchen. Each role only sees the functions it is permitted to use.

Can staff collect by Face ID while wearing a mask?

Yes. The counter terminal recognises faces with a mask on, and staff can still use the QR code instead.

What if an employee forgets to order?

The system reminds staff who have not registered when they log in. After the deadline, a user authorised by an administrator can book an extra meal while the reserve lasts.

Does the counter stop if the network goes down at mealtime?

With the optional counter sync and storage feature, the counter machine keeps authenticating from locally stored data during an outage.