A $90,000 investment in personal digital assistants (PDAs) and point-of-sale systems at his Race Course Road and Suntec City outlets has paid off for Mr Visvanaath A., chief executive of Muthu's Curry restaurants.

It has cut waiting time by half, to an average of seven to 10 minutes from the time orders are keyed in to when the food - including Muthu's trademark fish head curry - is served.

With the PDAs linked to kitchen printers and cash registers, it also prevents misplaced or wrong orders, and customer satisfaction has risen.

There is also a faster turnaround at outlets, and improved business has led to higher salaries for staff.

The equipment's introduction in 2006 was also a key reason why the company's annual turnover doubled to some $7 million a year later, he said.

Muthu's Curry, which also has outlets in the Dempsey area and 313@Somerset, was cited by the Economic Strategies Committee as one of the firms investing in new technology to improve productivity.

Mr Visvanaath, 38, welcomed its recommendations, including plans for a national productivity fund companies can tap to invest in new technology, saying: 'It will be very helpful in lowering my investment costs.'

This article was first published in The Straits Times.