Feature Focus Guide: Course Ordering Table of Contents About Course Ordering ........................................................................................................... 3 Configuring Course Ordering .................................................................................................. 4 Adding the Course Button to the FOH ................................................................................. 4 Configuring the Chit Paper Cut for Course Ordering ........................................................... 5 Refreshing Data ................................................................................................................... 7 Using Course Ordering ........................................................................................................... 8 Assigning Courses ............................................................................................................... 8 Ordering Courses............................................................................................................... 14 Printing Course Ordering ...................................................................................................... 19 Troubleshooting Course Ordering......................................................................................... 22 Feature History .................................................................................................................... 22 Page 1 Copyright ©2008, Radiant Systems, Inc. The information contained in this publication is confidential and proprietary. No part of this document may be reproduced, disclosed to others, transmitted, stored in a retrieval system, or translated into any language, in any form, by any means, without written permission of Radiant Systems, Inc. Radiant Systems, Inc. is not responsible for any technical inaccuracies or typographical errors contained in this publication. Changes are periodically made to the information herein; these changes will be incorporated in new editions of this publication. Any reference to gender in this document is not meant to be discriminatory. The software described in this document is provided under a license agreement. The software may be used or copied only in accordance with the terms of that agreement. © Radiant Systems, Inc., 2008. All Rights Reserved. ALOHA® is a U.S. Registered Trademark of Radiant Systems, Inc. Microsoft®, and Windows® are registered trademarks of Microsoft, Inc. IBM® is a registered trademark of International Business Machines Corporation. Other products mentioned are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective companies. Course Ordering Page 2 About Course Ordering Course Ordering at a Glance Core Product Separate License Required? Other References Aloha Table Service No Aloha Table Service Manager Guide; Aloha Table Service Reference Guide; Aloha Table Service Server Guide, Delay Send Feature Focus Guide Course ordering refers to the sequence of food deliveries to the table to complete a multi-course meal experience. This type of ordering is very common in banquet environments and fine dining restaurants, however, the types and number of courses vary depending on geographical location and custom. The following is a common sequence of a multi-course meal: 1. 2. 3. 4. Soup course Salad course Main course Dessert course The server monitors and regulates the timing of each course or follows a timed regimen. When the guest finishes a course, the server clears and prepares the area for the next course until all courses are complete. Prior to this enhancement, course ordering was accomplished through database manipulation. One method utilizes a separate order mode per course number. Another method used modifiers for each course number, and the corresponding modifier was attached to each menu item. These manipulations proved ineffective and caused extensive database programming and unnecessary training issues. With the Course Ordering feature in the Aloha system, there is no major database manipulation, and ordering courses is easy to train. In this document we discuss various course ordering methods used in the industry. You can choose the method that best suits your establishment, or you can change your existing method to take advantage of some of the features available in the POS system. We should also state that the course ordering environment often utilizes pivot seating, which uses a designated seating position for all tables in the restaurant. Course Ordering Page 3 Configuring Course Ordering This section details the configuration requirements for course ordering. You must access several functions to complete the configuration. If you are an experienced user, refer to Procedures at a Glance for abbreviated steps. If you prefer more detail, continue reading this document. Procedures at a Glance: If you are viewing this document using Adobe Acrobat Reader, click each link for detailed information regarding the task. Click Previous View to return to this location and proceed to the next step. 1. Access Maintenance > System > Floor Plan > Panel Editor and add the ‘Course’ button to a customized Action Item panel. This panel is located in the lower right row of the FOH Order Entry screen. 2. Select Maintenance > Store Settings > Printing Chits group > Chit Content and select ‘Cut between Chits’ for regular chit printing environments, or select Maintenance > Store Settings > Printing Chits group > Chit Style and select ‘Print between Cuts’ for expediter chit printing. Using these settings, the system provides a paper cut on the chit between each course. 3. Access Utilities > Refresh Data to update the information on the FOH terminals, or wait for the End-of-Day (EOD) process to accomplish the data refresh for you. Adding the Course Button to the FOH To assign course numbers, you must add a button to the FOH, specifically on the Action Item panel located in the lower right row of the FOH Order Entry screen. Because the default Action Item panel is hard-coded with specific buttons, you must create a customized Action Item panel to replace the default Action Item panel, and add the Course button to the customized panel. Then use the ‘Set Order Screen’ event to activate the new panel. Teaching you how to create a customized Action Item panel is beyond the scope of this document. To learn how to create this panel, refer to the Customized Order Entry Screen Feature Focus Guide. You cannot include the Course button function in a script. To add the course button to a customized Action Item panel: 1. Select Maintenance > System > Floor Plan > Panel Editor. 2. Select Commands > Open Existing Panel > Order Screen and select the existing customized Action Item panel with which to work. 3. Double-click an available button on the Action Item panel to display the Edit Buttons - Table Service dialog box. Course Ordering Page 4 4. Select Course from the ‘Function’ drop-down list. Figure 1 Course Button Function 5. Type the description for the button, such as ‘Course.’ 6. Select the remaining options for the button function, such as text color, font, and justification, background color and highlight, using the preview window as a guide.To display text on multiple lines, insert \n without spaces for line breaks. 7. Click OK to add the button to the panel. 8. Select Commands > Save All Panels to exit the Panel Editor function. Configuring the Chit Paper Cut for Course Ordering The Course Ordering feature uses regular chit printing or expediter chit printing for the delivery of courses to the table. Because you divide the order by course, you must configure the type of chit you use in your environment to provide a paper cut on the chit for each course. Each cut contains header information indicating the course with which you are working. Course Ordering Page 5 To configure the chit paper cut for regular chit printing: 1. Select Maintenance > Store Settings > Printing Chits group > Chit Content. Figure 2 Store Settings - Chit Printing Group - Chit Content Tab 2. Select Cut between Courses. 3. Click Save and exit the Store Settings function. To configure the chit paper cut for expediter chit printing: 1. Select Maintenance > Store Settings > Printing Chits group > Chit Style. Figure 3 Store Settings - Chit Printing Group - Chit Style Tab Course Ordering Page 6 2. Select Cut between Courses. 3. Click Save and exit the Store Settings function. Refreshing Data After all settings are in place in Aloha Manager, you must select Utilities > Refresh Data to transfer the new information to the FOH terminals, or wait for the End-of-Day (EOD) process to accomplish the data refresh for you. After the data refresh is complete, all new settings become operational across the Aloha network. Course Ordering Page 7 Using Course Ordering This section discusses how to operate the Course Ordering feature. Course Ordering Rules • • • • • • You can only assign course numbers to unordered and held items. Items that are ordered (sent to the kitchen) cannot have a course number assigned. If you select the Course button and the check does not contain unordered items, an error message appears. You can assign course numbers on menu items only, not modifiers. All modifiers must contain the same course number as their respective menu item. If you touch the Repeat or Quantity buttons to copy an unordered item, the system assigns the new item with the same course number. If you touch the Repeat and Quantity buttons to copy an ordered item, the system does not assign the new item with a course number. You must assign a course number to the new item. You can assign up to 99 courses. If you assign a course greater than 99, an error message appears. Course information does not appear on video cells when using video display systems. You cannot assign course numbers to refill modifiers. Assigning Courses You assign courses after you enter the items on the guest check and before you order them, using the FOH Course Entry screen. When you are on the Course Entry screen, you can sort items in the on-screen guest check to help you visually organize the items better for large orders or for your preference. You can sort by the following views: Seat View The Seat View sorts the items by seat number, if pivot seating is in use. This is the default view when the FOH Course Entry screen appears in a pivot seating environment. Items you assign for the entire table and not to a seat, appear at the top of the list. Figure 4 Seat View Course Ordering Page 8 Order Entry View The Order Entry View sorts items in the order the server enters the order. This is the default view when the FOH Course Entry screen appears when you are not using pivot seating. Figure 5 Order Entry View Priority View The Priority View sorts items by the priority assigned to the item, if in use. Some restaurants utilize the priority feature to control how items print on the chit to the kitchen to indicate which items should be prepared first. For example, appetizers are usually assigned a higher priority so they appear at the top of the chit. To use item priorities, you must select Maintenance > Menu > Items > Items tab and assign each item a priority number. Figure 6 Priority View Course Ordering Page 9 Course View The Course View sorts the items by course number, once you assign a course number. Items in which you have not assigned a course appear first in the list. Use this view to visually check if all the courses are correct. Figure 7 Course View Assigning Courses Using Pivot Seating A pivot seating environment is commonly used in fine dining establishments where each table has a designated seating position in which to begin the order. From that seating position, employees take the order either clock-wise or counter clock-wise around the table. The order is trayed and delivered in this order, and eliminates the need to ‘auction off’ plates to the correct guest and disrupts the guest’s meal experience. When you enable pivot seating, you must enter the order by seat. Because the default view of the Course Entry screen is Seat View, the system indicates each order with a ‘Seat n’ header, where n represents the seat number. If you choose another view, the system precedes each menu item with an indicator of ‘Sn,’ where n represents the seat number. To assign courses when using pivot seating: 1. Start a table and enter items as normal. Do not send the items to the kitchen. Course Ordering Page 10 2. Touch the Course button. The FOH Course Entry screen appears. Select a view for sorting the items on the guest check. The FOH Course Entry screen displays all unordered items, by seat, in the guest check window. Figure 8 Seat View Using Pivot Seating 3. Select all unordered items for which you want to assign course number 1. 4. Enter course number 1, using the numeric keypad, and touch OK. To clear a course number before you touch OK, touch Clear. The system places the course number next to the selected items with a ‘C’ indicator. For example, if you assigned a Dinner Salad item as course number 1, the item appears as Dinner Salad C1. To remove a course number assigned to an item, select the item and touch Remove Course. The Remove Course button appears only after you select an item to which you assigned a course. Figure 9 Seat View Using Pivot Seating With Items Selected 5. Repeat Steps 3 and 4 until all menu items contain a course number. Course Ordering Page 11 6. Touch Done to return to the FOH Order Entry screen. The items appear with the course number indicator, by seat. Figure 10 Applied Courses Using Pivot Seating 7. Continue with “Ordering Courses” on page 1-14 to determine the method used by your restaurant for sending the order to the kitchen. Assigning Courses Without Using Pivot Seating If you are not using pivot seating, then servers have the freedom to enter orders at random, consolidate duplicate items, enter items in the order the guest gives the order, or any other method. To assign courses without using pivot seating: 1. Start a table and enter items as normal. Do not send the items to the kitchen. Course Ordering Page 12 2. Touch the Course button. The FOH Course Entry screen appears. Select a view for sorting the items on the guest check. The FOH Course Entry screen displays all unordered items in the guest check window in the order in which you entered the items. Figure 11 Order Entry View Without Pivot Seating 3. Select all unordered items for which you want to assign course number 1. 4. Enter course number 1, using the numeric keypad, and touch OK. To clear a course number before you touch OK, touch Clear. The system places the course number next to the selected items with a ‘C’ indicator. For example, if you assigned a Dinner Salad item as course number 1, the item appears as Dinner Salad C1. To remove a course number assigned to an item, select the item and touch Remove Course. The Remove Course button appears only after you select an item to which you assigned a course. Figure 12 Order Entry View With Items Selected 5. Repeat Steps 3 and 4 until all menu items contain a course number. Course Ordering Page 13 6. Touch Done to return to the FOH Order Entry screen. The items appear with the course number indicator and in the order in which you entered them. Figure 13 Applied Courses Without Using Pivot Seating 7. Continue with “Ordering Courses” on page 1-14 to determine the method used by your restaurant for sending the order to the kitchen. Ordering Courses In general, all items are ordered and sent to the kitchen when you select an order mode or certain buttons on the FOH Order Entry screen, such as Done, WWT button, Close, Print, and Reprint. You can also place items on hold to order on demand at a later time, or place items on hold to order by time, using the Delay Send feature. Restaurants utilize various methods of ordering courses and communicating with the kitchen. We list the most common methods: • • • Using a Designed Menu Structure Using Delayed Ordering by Time Using Delayed Ordering on Demand Using a Designed Menu Structure A designed menu structure describes a restaurant that follows a designed dining flow, such as appetizers served at 7:00, salads served at 7:15, entrees served at 7:30, and so on. This method is common at playhouses and theaters that want to dictate the dining process and ensure the guest is not late for an event. This method also utilizes multiple servers and expediters, and might not allow the guest to choose from a menu. Course Ordering Page 14 SCENARIO: An establishment has a designed menu structure that starts at 6:30 p.m.and a play that starts at 8:00 p.m. The server, or team of servers, takes the guest’s order at 6:30 p.m. and enters the order. The expediter, or chef, receives the chits, cut by course, and determines the time to prepare each course. At 6:45 p.m., the server delivers the first course to the table. At 7:00 p.m., the server delivers the next course, and so on. Using Delayed Ordering by Time Delaying course ordering by time describes a restaurant that does not follow a designed menu structure and the server regulates the dining flow of the guest, using a timed order process. The server times the order at their convenience using the Delay Send feature. With this feature, the server can stagger the timing of the order and the system fires the course to the kitchen when the time lapses. The server does not need to communicate with the kitchen when to prepare a course. Using delayed ordering by time is the preferred method for sending orders with course ordering. Refer to the Delay Send Feature Focus Guide for information on configuring and using the Delay Send feature. You can configure the Delay Send feature to utilize only one hold button, which has the ability to perform one timing, or use multiple hold buttons which have separate timings, such as 5 minute increments, 10 minute increments, and so on. CONFIGURABLE DELAY SEND BUTTON SCENARIO: The server enters the complete order and places course numbers on each item, using the FOH Course Entry screen. Before ordering the items, the server selects an item designated for course 1 and touches the configured hold button from the customized order panel to display the FOH Enter Release Information screen. The server enters the time to wait before sending course 1, such as five minutes, and touches OK. All items in course 1 inherit the five minute increment. The server selects an item from course 2, and touches the hold button. The server enters the time to wait before sending course 2, such as 10 minutes, and touches OK. All items in course 2 inherit the 10 minute Course Ordering Page 15 increment. The server continues the procedure until all courses have a staggered designated time to fire. When the time lapses, the items fire to the kitchen. If the guest requires more time, the server can return to the order, select the item and touch the hold button, then alter the time to send the order. The staggered delay times appear before each item in the guest check window. Single Hold button used for determining timed orders. Figure 14 PRESET DELAY SEND INCREMENTS SCENARIO: The standard operating procedures of the restaurant recommend that course 1 be served in five minutes, course 2 be served in 10 minutes, course 3 be served in 15 minutes, and course 4 be served in 20 minutes. The server enters the complete order and places course numbers on each item, using the FOH Course Entry screen. Before ordering the items, the server selects an item designated for course 1, and touches the configured incremental hold button, 5 Min, from the customized order panel. All items in that course inherit the five minute increment. The server selects an item designated for course 2, and touches the incremental hold button, 10 Min. All items in course 2 inherit the 10 minute increment. The server repeats the steps for each remaining course, using the appropriate incre- Course Ordering Page 16 mented hold button. When the time lapses, the items send to the kitchen, according to their timing. If the guest requires more time, the server can return to the order, select the item and the incremental hold button, and alter the time to send the order. The staggered delay times appear before each item in the guest check window. Preset multiple hold buttons, by intervals, placed on a secondary customized order screen panel. Figure 15 The Delay Send feature has the ability to use multiple order modes, however, you cannot assign multiple order modes with course ordering. If you try to select another order mode while assigning a delay send time to the item, the system displays an error message to select a single order mode. If you select a different order mode than you assigned to a course, the system reassigns all courses with the new order mode. We recommend if you are using the hold button for course ordering only, to preset the order mode, such as Dine In, so you are not required to choose an order mode for the Delay Send feature. Using Delayed Ordering on Demand Delaying course ordering on demand describes a restaurant that does not follow a designed menu structure and the server regulates the dining flow of the guest, by demand. The server sends the order, by course, and must communicate to the kitchen or expediter when to prepare the next course. DELAYED ORDERING ON DEMAND SCENARIO: The server enters the order and places course numbers on each item, using the FOH Course Entry screen. The server exits the FOH Order Entry screen, which sends the entire order to the kitchen. The expediter or kitchen receives the chits, cut by course, and determines how to prepare the order. The server monitors the table. When the time comes, the server returns to the kitchen and tells the expediter or kitchen when to ‘fire’ the next course. Another option to perform delayed ordering on demand is by disabling the Auto-ordering feature. Autoordering is a Table Service feature that enables you to order all unordered items when you exit the FOH Order Entry screen to ensure the employee does not leave items unordered. Once disabled, you can send Course Ordering Page 17 courses to the kitchen using an order mode that only sends selected items. When you select an item with an assigned course, all the menu items for that course are ordered with it, even if one or more items for that course are placed on hold. Using this method negates the course ordering printing feature. To disable Auto-ordering, select Maintenance > Store Settings > Order Entry group > Options tab, and clear ‘Use Auto-ordering.’ DELAYED ORDERING ON DEMAND WITH AUTO-ORDERING DISABLED: The server takes the order at a table, enters the order, and places a course number on each item, using the FOH Course Entry screen. The server selects the items for the course 1, touches the order mode, and exits the FOH Order Entry screen. The rest of the order remains unordered. The expediter or kitchen receives the chit and determines how to prepare the course. The server monitors the table. When the time comes, the server recalls the check, selects the next course of items and touches the order mode. The server repeats the process until all courses are sent to the kitchen. Course Ordering Page 18 Printing Course Ordering When you order by courses, the chit prints in the kitchen with a leading header for each course. Each course is separated by a paper cut, as shown in the following examples: Figure 16 Course Ordering Printing Examples with Pivot Seating (left) and Without Pivot Seating (right) Course Ordering Page 19 For expediter printing, the chit prints to the expediter as shown in the following examples: Figure 17 Course Ordering Expediter Printing Examples with Pivot Seating (left) and Without Pivot Seating (right) Course Ordering Page 20 If you enabled the system to consolidate like items, the chit prints as shown in the following examples: Figure 18 Course Ordering Consolidated Items Printing Examples with Pivot Seating (left) and Without (right) Course Ordering Page 21 Troubleshooting Course Ordering There are no troubleshooting hints for course ordering at this time. Feature History Supported Versions Enhancement Description Aloha Table Service 6.1 and above. Implemented Course Ordering for Table Service. Course Ordering Page 22