And the companies selling computer systems (of all kinds,
in many businesses) usually push the possibilities to get
such data as big advantages with their system. But is it
worth the effort? In many cases, a headwaiter would
probably know most of what really matters anyway from
experience or rule-of-thumb.
Management, not headwaiter buys software, and results of this software most likely used by management to do right decisions. And what if headwaiter leave company, hit by a bus, abducted by aliens? It is better to have data in computer harddrive/tape/dvd.
Although, this is not an excuse for making something 4 clicks instead of one (i.e. to replace crossing something with a pen)
I think you missed a great takeaway from the article: that it doesn't matter if the software calculates these things if it can't collect that data in the first place.
1) Nobody uses a useless and awkward system as intended, 2) so the data is not collected, 3) so there is nothing to analyze, 4) management cannot base their decisions on data that does not exist, 5) time and money was wasted for no productive purpose.
Although, this is not an excuse for making something 4 clicks instead of one (i.e. to replace crossing something with a pen)