Ideally, the full setup of the Information Technology network needs to be drafted out even before the cabling is specified and the rack space is planned. It is essentially the blueprint to the whole of the restaurants IT system. We know before we start planning that the heart of the network will be the coms cabinet. First we work out where the cabinet will be placed. Next we decide where all the devices will be placed around the building. Like the organs in our body they need to be placed in the best locations to fulfil their functions and maximise restaurant workflow. Our goal is not simply IT in nature. It is also to make things as easy as possible for the restaurant staff to offer first class, efficient service to their customers. After all, this is key to creating profit and making the venue a success.
As with the cabling infrastructure and the space in the cabinet racks, we need to know the location of all the devices that are initially being setup within the restaurant. Once this has been planned and documented, it then needs to be double checked with a 'measure twice, cut once' mental approach. We do not want to miss any key devices or systems at this early stage of the process. Following this work we need to future proof all parts of the network as best we can. Modern restaurants are not static. Things change. More systems go in and we cannot yet assume that all systems will be fully mobile and WiFi compatible. Also, many devices that are designed with both wired and wireless interfaces, work faster and more robustly when attached to the wired Local Area Network (LAN). Added to this, saving wireless bandwidth for the devices that must use the wireless LAN is often advantageous to overall network efficiency.
