Maybe Amtrak's "POS Solution" Is NOT set!

[OBS]

I usually blame these things on incompetence, but in this case, don't know for sure...

 

[Triley]

Those machines were the ones I was formerly trained on (never received formal classroom training on the "old" (AKA current ones)), and I'm glad they never made their way past a few test trains. Quite a few things would've driven us all batty, I think!

 

[rrdude]

Haven been a restaurant owner, and POS salesman, dealer, and now working directly for a POS s/w house, I am still AMAZED how much Amtrak has spent, no, I won't pull punches, wasted on the various POS escapades they have been on over the years. I can count at least four RFP's, one of which I was involved with. It' not rocket science.

They've tested IBM (early 90's on NEC) , NCR, (mid 90's) Micros, (mid 90's) and CacheBox. Plus the current system, which I don't know who the H/W or S/Wvendor is, or was.... Or when they began testing. IIRC, Amtrak California has had the most success..

When they came by our booth last may, I told them I would follow up with them. I didn't pull any punches when I did, either. I didn't expect a return reply, and didn't get one either. Copy of my email to them below..........

"..........I have to admit, I was literally floored when you and your co-workers stopped by our both at the NRA show in Chicago a few weeks ago.

.........As you may remember, I had worked for Amtrak as a "kid" from 1978 to 1981, as an LSA, operating out of the Chicago crew base.

..........................

I'll cut to the chase. Having an intimate knowledge of the f/s operations of all-things-Amtrak, (Commissary, PAR levels, different sets of equipment, replenishment, equipment bad-ordered en-route, "panic box" operations, inventory, employee theft, spoilage, non-revenue items, etc., etc. etc.) and the dreaded 896 report, the dealer I worked for in the mid-80's was able to win a proof-of-concept test on the Capitol Limited, and Lake Shore Limited, for the lounge cars only.

I knew it was critical to have the OBS staff's support for the proof-of-concept testing, as I had heard first hand of reports of LSA's on the NEC, actually dumping some of the previous IBM POS units out of the train, at speed. (I remember seeing all the IBM boxes, after they were pulled, piled up in a room at Ivy City) I worked with the a a gentleman named XXXXXX, who, at least a year or so ago, was still employed by Amtrak as a supervisor, on the Auto Train. A few of the the key factors that XXX and his group came up with for acceptance by the OBS employees, I think many may still be relevant today:

1. Easy to use. Virtually no training should be required
2. Easy to maintain/secure. (At the time, since it was only a proof-of-concept, the ECR had to be carried onto, and off the train, as there was no way to secure the units while the equipment sat unguarded in Sunnyside, Roosevelt Road, or Ivy City yards.)
3. Assisted the LSA in doing their job. (reduce check-out time at terminal)
4. Provided receipts for the passenger, if requested.
5. Provided controls for Amtrak Operations.
6. Provided sales totals and reports for Amtrak Operations and Marketing departments.
7. Had audit trails to protect integrity of data, employee, and reports. (Nonresettable totals)
8. Power fluctuations and disruption had to have little, or no effect on operations. (We included small Line-conditioner/Battery BackUp for each ECR)

After several trips between DC and Chicago, and between NYC and Chicago, the proof-of-concept was approved, and the RFP was updated to include several additional VBU's within Amtrak.

Several POS players, both legacy and upstarts, responded. Irony again played a role, as the dealer I worked for represented both NCR and Micros Systems, both of whom were responding to the new RFP. On the day that Micros was giving their presentation to the Amtrak executive board at Union Station, I had to excuse myself early from that presentation, to catch the Capitol Limited to Chicago, to finish training commissary staff.

Micros didn't win the RFP. NCR didn't win the RFP. An upstart POS company called Cache Box (now called "Ciao") won. The founder of Cache Box, XXXX, was very, very, very, versed in dealing with large government RPF's. Obviously, while Cache Box may have won the RFP, the solution failed to work, or your group would not have stopped by the booth in Chicago.

Amtrak was shortly reorganized, again, and the VBU's were disbanded, and the POS project stalled, again.

So here we are again today. Thanks to Congressman Mica, there is even a sharper laser-target on the f/s operations of Amtrak today. Back in the day when I was working the Superliner Diners, we had a staff at least twice as large as today's diners carry. So how does Amtrak improve f/s efficiency, lower f/s costs, and still provide a quality dining experience on corridor, LD, and NEC routes?

Can technology really help? You bet it can. On the LD front, if Amtrak isn't thinking about table-side ordering w/ payment (Apple Pay, PayPal, CC, post to sleeper, etc.) , either by the passenger, LSA, or waiter, then you should quit now. Does Amtrak have money to throw away, again, on experimenting? Amtrak has already spent millions, literally, on POS, ECR's, and simple cash registers, and has precious little to show for it. (outside of California, which had their own money to budget for POS)

I hope that XXX XXXX, and the rest of the group you brought by our booth in Chicago can finally make a lasting change in Amtrak's f/s culture, when it comes to POS.

There are ways that technology can help Amtrak, on the road, without any internet connectivity. Virtually all of the "POS Benefits" that a land-based restaurant enjoys, are available to Amtrak. Often with no modifications at all.

................

Our assistance can be tailored to meet Amtrak's needs at several different levels:

• Consulting
• Solutions provider
• RFP assistance
• Technical advisors

The one area that xxxx cannot assist Amtrak in is the actual physical deployment, roll-out, and maintenance of an on-board POS system. xxxx could, but xxx will not. If this program is to work for Amtrak, Amtrak has to "take ownership" of the entire project, and develop a team to run it. Just like every multi-unit restaurant franchisee operation in the country does. That's sort of how Amtrak should approach this project, as a multi-unit restaurant operator, that "just happens" to have it's restaurants rolling across the country 24 X 7.


This involves IT, Operations, Loss-Prevention, Marketing, and others..........

XXX can operate as the lead technical advisor, provided XXX does not respond to any potential RFP that may be issued. If XXX were to respond to any potential XXX, the response would be for software, software integration, training, payment technologies, and consulting only. XXX would assist Amtrak is securing the proper hardware and other 3rd party services required. ("Spare-In-The-Air", etc., etc.)

The IT infrastructure has to be in place on the equipment, and has to be the responsibility of Amtrak, or this project will fail, again.

Amtrak has to have union and OBS "buy-in" on the project, or else the project will fail, again.

The project has to show a real and attainable ROI, or else the project will fail, again.

XXX has an interest in Amtrak finally succeeding in installing a system-wide POS system that works, and works for many years to come. POS and passenger railroads have been my livelihood for decades, and I have sat on the sidelines for years, watching project after project fail, and it has not always been Amtrak's fault.....

I want to see it succeed. If you'd like to discuss further, please feel free to contact me via any of the methods below.

XXX can help you, and will probably be the only vendor you come in contact with, that isn't "salivating about some large government contract", but quite the opposite, is truly interested in seeing technology provide Amtrak with a real, attainable, and long-term solution............"

----------------------

Nothing but silence, but that was totally expected........... think I was just a "wee bit" pompous? :giggle:

Yes, I did "sleep on it" before I hit SEND, it made it that much more satisfying to actually SEND it........

 

[Bob Dylan]

Well, telling the Emperor that he wears no Clothes isn't the way to fame and fortune!

 

[Thirdrail7]

Whatever they decide, it may have to be compatible with other products in the future. h34r:

 

[Ryan]

Hints dropping like bombs all up in here tonight!

 

[CHamilton]

Hints dropping like bombs all up in here tonight!

I'm going to make a total guess, but it lines up with the hints from both Thirdrail7 and Amtrak's Matt Hardison in his speech to NARP a couple of weeks ago. I think Amtrak is partnering with a company like Gogo to provide improved wifi, as well as streaming movies, in seat-back consoles or portable players of the sort one sees on airplanes. These services will, I surmise, be offered for a fee (thus the need for POS) and/or as part of the amenities offered on Acela First Class or in sleepers.

Okay, you can stop laughing now.

 

[Train2104]

Hints dropping like bombs all up in here tonight!

At this point I'm waiting for the OSU to show up somewhere...

 

[neroden]

Hints dropping like bombs all up in here tonight!

I'm going to make a total guess, but it lines up with the hints from both Thirdrail7 and Amtrak's Matt Hardison in his speech to NARP a couple of weeks ago. I think Amtrak is partnering with a company like Gogo to provide improved wifi, as well as streaming movies, in seat-back consoles or portable players of the sort one sees on airplanes.

That would be a spectacular waste of time and money for Amtrak.
Everyone brings their own movie and watches them on their laptop. Nobody will pay one red cent for "streaming movies". Honestly the only reason hotels still have 'em is so that bored businessmen can watch porn without an electronic trail on their work companies.

Improved wifi is great. Just make it plain vanilla, no-added-services. The only special thing anyone wants to look at is where their train is, which Amtrak already provides.