Data made Digital

Taking inventory can be a time consuming and a tedious task. But to simplify this aspect of your business, I would recommend utilizing a database. A database is a collection of data or information that is organized in a manner that allows access, retrieval, and use of that data. This system can make the process of collecting and analyzing your inventory very efficient.

Many people argue that they do not feel comfortable trusting a computer to hold all of their data in fear of a crash or accident. But databases are very durable. The most recent changes that you have made can be found in most cases, using a recovery utility. The recovery utility allows the user to use logs and backups to restore the database using rollback and rollforward techniques. Continuous backup is also available.

Plus, with the ability of databases to preform a validation, you can ensure that the data that you are entering is correct. For instance, you can set the preferences to preform a range check (to make sure you ordered 11 cartons of eggs instead of 111, an easy mistake to be made when entering a lot of numbers quickly). A consistency check would also be useful in our needs in the Hospitality field.

Even though databases have so many great applications, you should be cautious when using them. Since databases are distributed, they can be accessed multiple places, and sometimes, can fall into the wrong hands if you are not careful. Therefore, make sure that you understand the risks as well as the benefits before accessing or preforming a web database.

Behind the Scenes of Networking

If you want to get anywhere in the world, networking is the way to go. But with so many hundreds of ways to network, how do you know which avenue to chose? Especially with the advancements that have been made over time, the use of natural language in communications has made incredible bounds. Now, we no longer have to use little beeps and series of sounds to communicate, but technology has advanced so much that we can have face to face contact with people that aren't even in the same country as us! Keeping in touch with the people you meet on a day to day basis is imperative in life, and I'm here to help you figure out which systems are best for you.

Deciding to have internet access within your business is a given. Since you can find practically anything online, it is crucial to your business to find a reputable and reliable internet service provider. If you are running your business out of your home, a home network may be just what you need. Through a home network, you can connect to the internet with multiple computers at the same time, access files and programs on the other computers in the home, share peripherals such as printers, scanners, etc... and even use VoIP. But if you are a larger operation such as the restaurant example that I have been using, you may choose to use a wireless modem, or a network card. I have had much experience in the past with network cards. If you are using a laptop with the card, all you have to do is insert a portable device into your usb drive and the computer will connect you to the internet. This device is very handy as it can be used almost anywhere, and is great for businesses that have to travel a lot.
Besides just deciding on what type of digital modem you would like to invest in, you must also decide on how much bandwidth you need. Bandwidth is the channel transmits capability. A cable modem has more bandwidth than a dial-up modem. This should definitely be taken into account when making your decision. Latency should also be a deciding factor. Latency is the time it takes a signal to travel from one location to another on a network. Common things that interfere with latency are distance that the data must travel, type of transmission media, and the number of nodes that the data must travel over the communications channel. My best advice is that your bandwidth should be high, while your latency should be low.
Once you have decided on the source of internet access that you want, you must know what type of computer communications that you will be using. Computer communications allow you to transfer data, instructions, and information. You can go about this using anything from text messaging, blogs, emails, video conferencing, and wiki's. many software products provide a means for you to collaborate with other users as well. For the restaurant industry, I would highly recommend Groupware. Groupware is a software that allows you to work on projects together, share information, and even partake in screen sharing. Skype is a great option as well. This program is available on the internet and allows people to video chat with other skype users. This ability has the potential to save your business thousands of dollars in travel fees because you will no longer have to pay for transportation to send your employees to trainings or corporate meetings.
Knowing your computer needs will help you to determine what type of networking you would like to participate in. By recieveing the exact package and capabilities you desire and no more or no less will save you thousands of dollars in the long run. Best of luck on your search!!!

Podcasting

When you enter a restaurant, your senses are overwhelmed with the aroma's leaking out of the kitchen, the dim lights illuminating your table, the sounds of pots, pans and laughter... but most of all the taste of carefully prepared dishes touching your tongue. Restaurants have mastered the technique of marketing their restaurants on their websites, but they can't express how good their diners expirence really is unless you take the time to visit their establishment. So far, the leaders in the industry, such as Carrabba's, have utilized the technological advancements available to persuade guests into their dining rooms to learn more. Their most successful form of advertisements are their pod casting.


Carrabba's is just one example of a restaurant that is experimenting with transforming information in the real world into something that can be stored in a computer. This process requires digitization. For instance, in order to switch information from analog to digital, you need an ADC converter. The devices that take in a signal and create a real world experience via the Internet are called transducers. Presently, there are transducers for light, sound, and motion. Pod casting is an example of a transducer because you are able to speak into a microphone, then record your voice onto a computer in small segments, then edit that information how ever you'd like, then upload onto the web for others to hear.

As great as these advancements are, there is still room for more growth in the industry. There are no transducers for the sense of taste of touch. Perhaps this is because these senses are based on chemistry, and the different reactions that your body has. Software programs such as ZNose are still in development. Game controllers are getting closer with the sense of touch as they simulate the feeling of hitting a brick wall in Motor cross or Wii fit being the prime example.

If we could create the technology to have a transducer for the sense of taste, I can guarantee that there would be a huge impact on the restaurant industry. As well as uploading the menus to your businesses web site, how cool would it be to allow guests to sample each dish? I feel as though your revenue would reach exceptional rates with this advancement.

Regardless of our hopes for the future, it is imperative that restaurants remain open to the tools that we already have. Pod casting is a prime example of an underutilized tool that should be embraced by our industry. Try it out, it's simple!