Panda Software Product Summary

Panda Software is a fully integrated and modular system specifically designed for school districts. It was developed as a full Windows application with off-the-shelf Windows tools and with true multi-user network capability.

The Panda Software system incorporates easy-to-use modules which perform all the standard functions for Point of Sale in the single and multi-lane environments, Student Application Processing, Eligibility Determination and Verification, System Administration and reporting. All of these functions work to increase participation, insure the proper delivery of services, and provide accurate reporting and more timely reimbursements.

From the point-of-sale transaction terminal to the systems and software, Panda Software is thorough. Nearly every facet of the food service process is streamlined and tracked. Even state and federal reporting chores are automated. For elementary and secondary schools, Panda Software speeds and simplifies eligibility screening, and automatically generates accurate reports on meal counts for government claiming.

Panda Software was the first system of its kind to be truly Microsoft® Windows™ based. It’s visually oriented and easy to follow. Panda incorporates a standard database so you can share information with your existing systems, with other administrative software such as word processing and accounting spreadsheets, and very importantly, with your Student Enrollment or Information databases. With Panda Software, your computing functions are completely compatible with other district applications.

Generous Training and Support

With Panda, you get everything you need from one source, Pacific Triangle Software, Inc.. We provide all hardware, software, pre and post installation planning, comprehensive training, installation, service and ongoing support to keep your food service system running smoothly. You’ll be pleasantly surprised at how logical and easy it is to use, even for computer novices.

Three (3) full days of on-site training are available for the office. Two (2) full on-site days are provided for each school. The first day is regular, hands-on type training. The second day is the day you begin meal service. We don’t train you and leave you. We’re right there with you.

Single or Multi-Lane Point of Sale

Panda Software works for elementary schools with single or dual-lane service set-ups and for secondary schools with multiple service lanes. The system can identify students with your choice of bar coded or magnetic stripe ID cards, bar coded rosters, keypad entry of student ID number or by entering the student's name. The system can also provide an on-screen picture (Photo ID) for further identification and, in future releases, will offer fingerprint identification.

You won’t believe how easy it is to record transactions. Panda Software automatically tracks meals served by meal type and student eligibility. At mealtime, both prepaid and free students simply use the method of ID chosen by the district with no other input required. Students paying exact change require just one keystroke. Students can prepay for all items, including reimbursable meals. Panda even accepts prepayments in the food line, and a la carte sales can be made easily.

Panda Software offers several options when determining the type of point of sale terminal which best meets the needs and the budget of the district.

State of the art, network PC-based POS terminals are available with touch screen capability, or lightweight POS terminals connected to a single PC in the cafeteria office can be used. These devices do not require a 110V power outlet and can be utilized in those hard to reach service areas. Each of these POS stations can have its own customized menu template with over 150 items.

We also offer wireless/remote POS terminals for your roaming food carts or other remote service areas.

At any school, Panda Software categorizes and reports on all sales. If you want to know how many you sold of a particular item or see the total sales figures for a certain period, Panda Software can show you. Panda Software also tracks adult sales and calculates and reports sales tax for you.

Communications between the Central Office and the Schools can be completely automated. Transactions and cash information are sent to the district every day, with updated student information returned each night. Kids eat at their appropriate eligibility every day. Communication can be accomplished by telephone modem or by district local or wide area network.

Student Applications/Eligibility/Verification

A household with multiple students requires only one application. New student applications can be easily added, and once enrolled, students can eat right away. Directly certified students don’t need to submit an application at all. Verification couldn't be easier! You choose the sample type — Panda Software does the rest.

When households respond, you enter the verified data into Panda Software. It updates the students’ status and prints the appropriate notification letters, freeing up a substantial portion of the time you currently spend on application processing. Panda prints notification letters for each household in English or Spanish.

Administration

With the Panda Software system, you can quickly and easily generate all the information your district or the government may need. You can do it faster than ever before.

The Administration Module interfaces to your enrollment and attendance systems to insure that services are being provided to the correct recipients at the correct locations while greatly reducing application processing time.

You can set meal prices and discount structures, if you use them, as well as reimbursement rates in any number of ways to meet the needs of each school and the district. The communications portion of the Administration Module automatically retrieves transactions and daily totals from the school sites. It also updates new enrollment data and free/reduced meal eligibility information. Each student’s account status, payment history, and other pertinent information is stored. Several individuals can use the system at the same time. The Panda Software system also allows you to email from the district to the school sites. Even the cafeteria(s) can become a part of the information highway.

Reporting

Panda Software’s standard reports include daily meals served, cash reporting, sales analysis, over-short, government reimbursement, participation statistics and more. Periodic reporting of these figures is also possible and you can generate summaries by time period, school, or student categories.

Because of the seamless Windows interface, Panda Software lets you easily generate custom reports using any Windows spreadsheet, database, or word processing application. We also offer custom report generation.