Epson Singapore, a company that provides point-of-sale (POS) and labeling printers, presented its newest POS solutions at Food&HotelAsia2016 (FHA2016), a major trade show in Asia for food and hospitality products. Their aim was to demonstrate how these solutions could make operations smoother and more cost-effective for the food and hospitality sectors.

At FHA2016, Epson collaborated with system integrators Enterprise Advance System Intelligence (EASI) and POS Square to design their booth as a theme park. This interactive setup included ticketing and food and beverage (F&B) scenarios, illustrating how Epson’s POS and labeling printers could be seamlessly incorporated into hospitality and F&B businesses. The demonstration showcased solutions for both front-of-house and kitchen operations, allowing staff to prioritize customer service and business efficiency.

The scenarios provided attendees with a sneak peek of the compact TM-m30 receipt printer and the adaptable TM-P80 portable receipt printer. These were the first previews of these products in Southeast Asia, which are planned for release later this year. Both are well-suited for tablet POS setups, as the TM-m30 can connect wirelessly through Bluetooth or Ethernet, and the TM-P80 connects via both Bluetooth and Wi-Fi.

In the theme park simulation, visitors could order tickets and meals using interactive touch screens or tablets. Recognizing the increasing labor costs and tighter job market, along with the rising popularity of self-service options, Epson partnered with EASI. Together, they introduced a self-service kiosk concept at FHA2016 for the first time. This kiosk allowed attendees to quickly order, purchase tickets, and make payments. It provided convenience and control for customers while also reducing staffing needs.

After payment, an Epson ColourWorks TM-C3510 label printer instantly produced wristbands for children and adults, as needed. These wristbands were then scanned at the turnstile, granting entry to those with valid tickets.

Orders for meals included in the theme park package or placed at a restaurant were transmitted wirelessly to the Epson TM-m30 receipt printer. This process enabled order tickets to be printed immediately, allowing kitchen staff to begin food preparation promptly.

The booth also highlighted a setup where a tablet could be mounted above an Epson TM-T82 receipt printer, creating a compact and modern cash register system. Additionally, kitchen staff utilized an interactive touch screen powered by the TM-T88V-DT. This screen could control other POS equipment, such as the Epson TM-m30 receipt printer, wirelessly to manage orders. Staff could mark orders in progress and ready for pickup. Once marked ready, the TM-m30 printer would print a collection ticket for the order. At the same time, the TM-T88V-DT would signal the collection counter, displaying the order number for customer pickup.

The versatility of the wirelessly connected receipt printer was also showcased as it printed various tickets to manage workflow efficiently. Beyond order tickets, it could indicate when food was ready for collection and when it had been picked up.

Featured Epson products included the TM-P80 mobile receipt printer, TM-m30 receipt printer, TM-T82 all-in-one receipt printer, TM-T88V-DT all-in-one printer, ColourWorks TM-C3510 label printer, and the TM-T70II receipt printer.

Tan May Lin, Epson Singapore’s General Manager (Sales, Marketing & Customer Service Division), emphasized the need for F&B and service businesses to adopt technology to streamline processes, automate manual tasks, and enhance productivity. She expressed confidence that Epson’s range of POS solutions would provide an integrated, efficient, and less labor-intensive solution to help their customers focus on their customers and their bottom line.