WSU students design software for special needs restaurant employees.

• Position: NORTHERN AREM

Ogden - A team of WEBER STATE UNIVERSITY computer science students created a new system to help a local restaurant fill orders more smoothly. RUNWAY RUBY'S, located on HILL AIR FORCE BASE, primarily employs adults with special needs.

"Walking into the restaurant, y011 wouldn't know that the employees have any disabilities," says Richard Fry, WSU associate professor of computer science. "But when the employees get flustered or things go totally wrong, you really see the stress and the problems."

The team developed a web-based queuing system to address those problems. Designed with the special needs of the employees in mind, the system will enable lunch rushes to flow more efficiently, increase customer satisfaction and lower employee stress levels.

The restaurant currently completes all orders by hand. "It's an opportunity for confusion, and it's time consuming," restaurant manager Scott Preston says.

In addition, little organization exists when the tickets reach the employees. With the current system, the tickets are hung up in a line, giving the employees too many options. "If an employee likes to make turkey sandwiches, and a turkey sandwich comes up, it doesn't matter if it's the 10th one in line," says Frank Eddy, WSU computer science student. "He or she will make the turkey sandwich and forget the pastrami one that's first in line."

The 10-member group of students had a number of issues to address. With a grant for equipment from PIONEER ADULT REHABILITATION CENTER (PARC), the nonprofit...