Six findings before a self-built POS system went live
- Client
- a new Cologne restaurant built around digital ordering
- Industry
- Hospitality
- 6
- Findings before opening
- code and architecture
- Reviewed
- three tracks
- Action plan
- none
- Changes to the running system
Starting point
A new Cologne restaurant is built around digital ordering. The team built its POS and ordering system itself, with AI tools. Shortly before opening came the question every self-built system faces: can this go live as it is? Someone from outside was to check, without touching the system.
Solution
I read code and architecture and checked them against what can go wrong when a cash register is in operation: security, data protection, operations and the legal requirements for a POS system. I did not touch the running system. The result is a report with all findings and an action plan in three tracks: immediately, before opening, and modernise step by step afterwards. The plan separates what the team can fix itself with an AI assistant from what needs a professional, the tax advisor or a lawyer. For the urgent points the report includes ready-made instructions for the AI tool the system was built with.
Result
Six findings that had to be fixed before opening, among them:
- interfaces reachable without login
- credentials in plain text
- missing legal requirements for the cash register
Track 1, immediately: close the open interfaces, replace the credentials, make the price check reject anything doubtful.
Track 2, before opening: harden the existing system, from the legal requirements for the cash register through monitoring and backups to printer redundancy.
Track 3, after opening: modernise step by step, without rebuilding the system before launch.
With the instructions in the report, the team can tackle the urgent points itself.