to entering ordered items into a POS system.
The button, touchscreen approach requires servers to first determine what "group" an item is in. So, for example, if the ordered item is a Bloody Mary Cocktail the server would scan the order entry screen for a group that might contain the item. The server then touches the group button to obtain the screen with the items corresponding to the group. If the group button for the item is not on the screen, the server will usually page up or down through the groups until she finds it. At this point the server scans the items in the group looking for the requested Bloody Mary, and touches it to add it to the order. If the server is lucky, she can enter the item with 2 touches, one for the group, then one for the item. However, in many instances the server has to page up or down one or more times before finding the group with the desired item, sometimes requiring 4 or more button presses. This is especially true with larger menus. The problem is further compounded when one uses the handheld's small screen, requiring up to 8 button presses to enter a single item!