Revised Investigation of Stakeholders
Context of APPetite: Introduction to Design Context
The dining industry today is largely comprised of dine-in restaurants, arguably most of which do not take reservations. This can be for several reasons. Some restaurants choose not to take reservations because they are too small to reserve tables and sacrifice eating space. Other restaurants may be quite large, but choose not to take reservations as well because they want to increase traffic and revenue through the restaurant, and having tables “reserved” cuts into potential customers. Whatever the reason may be for the restaurant not wanting to take reservations, the only other alternative they have is to have a waiting list for walk-ins. This presents a potential inconvenience for people who decide they want to eat at a restaurant that doesn’t take reservations, such as P.F. Changs, Chili’s, The Cheesecake Factory, etc., because it can take up to 30 minutes to an hour after they arrive at the restaurant to be seated. This presents an annoyance for people who made the trip for the purpose of eating at that restaurant because they are forced to wait an extended period of time to do so.
Our proposed software would allow people to put their names on a waiting list before they arrive at the restaurant. This would save time for the user since they would be able to check the wait time before hand, and if they are told by the application that the wait time is half an hour, they know how much time until they need to arrive at the restaurant instead of waiting outside. It also lets users know before going to a restaurant if the wait time is too long for them, and if they want to dine somewhere else as an alternative. If they decide that the restaurant they had in mind is not something they want to go to given the circumstances, the application will also present them with other options that may be along their first choice.
This application would provide a great deal of convenience to both people on foot to decide where to eat nearby, as well as people who are seeking to drive to a specific destination for meal. This application would also help businesses by increasing productivity in that people’s names will be more easily put on waiting lists for their restaurants. It also helps smaller and lesser-known restaurants receive more business by getting attention via the application and patrons who decide they are looking for an alternative to a better-known restaurant.
An application that has the potential that this one would have will also have many stakeholders involved. Stakeholders in the application would include application users, hostess/hosts, and the restaurant/manager. In the next few pages, stakeholders for this application are described with their current practices and how they would respond to the introduction of the application.
Our proposed software would allow people to put their names on a waiting list before they arrive at the restaurant. This would save time for the user since they would be able to check the wait time before hand, and if they are told by the application that the wait time is half an hour, they know how much time until they need to arrive at the restaurant instead of waiting outside. It also lets users know before going to a restaurant if the wait time is too long for them, and if they want to dine somewhere else as an alternative. If they decide that the restaurant they had in mind is not something they want to go to given the circumstances, the application will also present them with other options that may be along their first choice.
This application would provide a great deal of convenience to both people on foot to decide where to eat nearby, as well as people who are seeking to drive to a specific destination for meal. This application would also help businesses by increasing productivity in that people’s names will be more easily put on waiting lists for their restaurants. It also helps smaller and lesser-known restaurants receive more business by getting attention via the application and patrons who decide they are looking for an alternative to a better-known restaurant.
An application that has the potential that this one would have will also have many stakeholders involved. Stakeholders in the application would include application users, hostess/hosts, and the restaurant/manager. In the next few pages, stakeholders for this application are described with their current practices and how they would respond to the introduction of the application.
Common User
One stakeholder for this application would be the everyday user. This person can be anyone pedestrian be they purely seeking for dining options, or others who have been shopping and decided they would like to dine out, or people who decide they would like to go to a restaurant from their home.
Most people who are the common users are individuals who are on the go, like to dine out, and are looking for ways to reserve a table. They are people who choose to go out on the weekends, or are people who eat generally 2-3 times a week outside the home. The user is often someone who chooses to call ahead and make arrangements for reservations. They are also people who have to be put on a wait-list if they are at a busy time at a restaurant. He/she uses rewards and point systems that restaurants offer to get discounts and promotions. Also, they are users who interact with the restaurant and the hostess if they are dealing with any problems or service.
If the application was introduced, users would be able to reserve a table at a restaurant more efficiently. They would be able to get the application free, and or decide to buy the application if they wanted better service. Most users would use the application on their mobile phone because they are constantly looking at their phone for emails, text messages, etc. However, others might choose to use this application via a tablet computer, PC, or something else. Users would be able to find different restaurants that they have not known about in their area around them. They would be able to use the reward systems more effectively. They would be able to reserve a large party or small on the go whether it be walking or driving. In the end, the application for users will result in a better way to reserve a table at different restaurants. Users who think that the application is a success will then proceed to tell others about it.
(IMAGE SOURCE: http://event.msn.com/YearInReview/articles/detail/all/31970477)
Most people who are the common users are individuals who are on the go, like to dine out, and are looking for ways to reserve a table. They are people who choose to go out on the weekends, or are people who eat generally 2-3 times a week outside the home. The user is often someone who chooses to call ahead and make arrangements for reservations. They are also people who have to be put on a wait-list if they are at a busy time at a restaurant. He/she uses rewards and point systems that restaurants offer to get discounts and promotions. Also, they are users who interact with the restaurant and the hostess if they are dealing with any problems or service.
If the application was introduced, users would be able to reserve a table at a restaurant more efficiently. They would be able to get the application free, and or decide to buy the application if they wanted better service. Most users would use the application on their mobile phone because they are constantly looking at their phone for emails, text messages, etc. However, others might choose to use this application via a tablet computer, PC, or something else. Users would be able to find different restaurants that they have not known about in their area around them. They would be able to use the reward systems more effectively. They would be able to reserve a large party or small on the go whether it be walking or driving. In the end, the application for users will result in a better way to reserve a table at different restaurants. Users who think that the application is a success will then proceed to tell others about it.
(IMAGE SOURCE: http://event.msn.com/YearInReview/articles/detail/all/31970477)
Restaurant Staff: Hostess
The hostess is one of the stakeholder’s that is most involved with the process of taking down names and seating customers at tables as they become ready. Nearly every sit-down restaurant has a hostess at the entrance whose job is to accommodate incoming customers into the restaurant.
Hostesses have the job of looking at how full the tables are in the restaurant and then come up with a list for reservations along with wait times for the users. They are the ones who take down the user’s information about who is going to be at the restaurant. Hostesses give the user either a buzzer to get notified when their seat is available or they call the name of the party is a seat is available. They are there to help get customers what they want for an enjoyable dinner, whether that is for a specific need or just a window seat, they are there to help.
By introducing the application in the restaurant for hostesses to be able to use, the hostess would be able to take down names both by manually entering in a party’s name herself or by people using the mobile app to put their names down, all in real time. The wait time determination would be automated making it easier for the hostess to give a quick and accurate wait time response to incoming customers. It would be a switch that would take a little adjustment for the hostess, but overall would make the job easier and more efficient.
(IMAGE SOURCE: http://careertips.blogliterature.com/career-planning/career-details-for-restaurant-hostess.html)
Hostesses have the job of looking at how full the tables are in the restaurant and then come up with a list for reservations along with wait times for the users. They are the ones who take down the user’s information about who is going to be at the restaurant. Hostesses give the user either a buzzer to get notified when their seat is available or they call the name of the party is a seat is available. They are there to help get customers what they want for an enjoyable dinner, whether that is for a specific need or just a window seat, they are there to help.
By introducing the application in the restaurant for hostesses to be able to use, the hostess would be able to take down names both by manually entering in a party’s name herself or by people using the mobile app to put their names down, all in real time. The wait time determination would be automated making it easier for the hostess to give a quick and accurate wait time response to incoming customers. It would be a switch that would take a little adjustment for the hostess, but overall would make the job easier and more efficient.
(IMAGE SOURCE: http://careertips.blogliterature.com/career-planning/career-details-for-restaurant-hostess.html)
Restaurant
One of the main stakeholders in the use of this application would be the restaurant. Restaurants are the main attraction of the application to the users. Most restaurants rely on some type of system of seating people as they come in.
Restaurants provide users the atmosphere in which they can dine in at. In addition, they serve as a communication area in which hostesses communicate with the users for reservations. While all nearly all restaurants take walk in customers, where they differ is whether they allow people to make reservations for specific times, or whether they do not take reservations and only put people on a waiting list to be seated from walk ins. Many restaurants choose not to take reservations by calling ahead or using online features, and prefer to only take in walk in customers. Having tables reserved for certain parties, especially large ones, can significantly decrease the amount of customer traffic a restaurant may receive. Due to the fact they have to keep a table open for some time before the party with the reservation arrives, it is inconvenient for the people who might have been present at the restaurant with no reservation ahead. This overall can backfire of the restaurant itself by loosing valuable costumers who refuse to wait. The app would allow people to much more easily put their names on a waitlist before they arrive, so that less time is wasted, or they could go to another restaurant after seeing the wait time. In addition with the application present, the restaurant can promote themselves on it by offering different discounts and promotions for frequent users. Also, this application would improve the flow of the restaurant and would make reservations easier with the use of buzzer system included also. User, hostesses and restaurants can all have an easier use to communicate with each other.
(IMAGE SOURCE: http://www.panoramio.com/photo/22055406)
Restaurants provide users the atmosphere in which they can dine in at. In addition, they serve as a communication area in which hostesses communicate with the users for reservations. While all nearly all restaurants take walk in customers, where they differ is whether they allow people to make reservations for specific times, or whether they do not take reservations and only put people on a waiting list to be seated from walk ins. Many restaurants choose not to take reservations by calling ahead or using online features, and prefer to only take in walk in customers. Having tables reserved for certain parties, especially large ones, can significantly decrease the amount of customer traffic a restaurant may receive. Due to the fact they have to keep a table open for some time before the party with the reservation arrives, it is inconvenient for the people who might have been present at the restaurant with no reservation ahead. This overall can backfire of the restaurant itself by loosing valuable costumers who refuse to wait. The app would allow people to much more easily put their names on a waitlist before they arrive, so that less time is wasted, or they could go to another restaurant after seeing the wait time. In addition with the application present, the restaurant can promote themselves on it by offering different discounts and promotions for frequent users. Also, this application would improve the flow of the restaurant and would make reservations easier with the use of buzzer system included also. User, hostesses and restaurants can all have an easier use to communicate with each other.
(IMAGE SOURCE: http://www.panoramio.com/photo/22055406)
Revision Explanations
Context
The revisions are italicized. The purpose of this revision was to further focus the intent of our design context, highlighting the importance of stakeholders.
User
Each refinement is italicized. Most of the refined explanations were done according to the user and his interview. This was done in order to describe how the user interacts with restaurants without the application and then how the user would react with the application. As mentioned above, the interview notes from the user shaped the stakeholder description and were more consistent.
Hostess
The refinements are italicized. Here the refinement was done to describe what the hostess does specifically. The refinement was to get rid of any repetitive meanings and get to the main point of what the hostess does. In addition, the refinement was done by taking some of the information from the hostess interview.
Restaurant
Refinements are italicized. These were done in order to be consistent with the restaurant interview. The interview had a lot of information on how the restaurant runs, and that information was summed up in the restaurant stakeholder description. Also, before the stakeholder description for the restaurant did not have much information about the use of the application and now it does.
In addition to these refinements, one image from each stakeholder was deleted in order for formatting purposes.
The revisions are italicized. The purpose of this revision was to further focus the intent of our design context, highlighting the importance of stakeholders.
User
Each refinement is italicized. Most of the refined explanations were done according to the user and his interview. This was done in order to describe how the user interacts with restaurants without the application and then how the user would react with the application. As mentioned above, the interview notes from the user shaped the stakeholder description and were more consistent.
Hostess
The refinements are italicized. Here the refinement was done to describe what the hostess does specifically. The refinement was to get rid of any repetitive meanings and get to the main point of what the hostess does. In addition, the refinement was done by taking some of the information from the hostess interview.
Restaurant
Refinements are italicized. These were done in order to be consistent with the restaurant interview. The interview had a lot of information on how the restaurant runs, and that information was summed up in the restaurant stakeholder description. Also, before the stakeholder description for the restaurant did not have much information about the use of the application and now it does.
In addition to these refinements, one image from each stakeholder was deleted in order for formatting purposes.