Self-service ordering machine docking KDS back kitchen system | QUNMAO order circulation linkage scheme

Overview of the plan: The front office is fast, why is the back kitchen messed up instead?

New changes brought by the ordering machine

Under the traditional cash register mode, a cashier can only process one order at a time, and orders are delivered to the back kitchen one by one and at a uniform speed. After the self-service ordering machine goes online, multiple customers can order orders at the same time, and the rhythm of orders arriving at the back kitchen becomes faster and more concentrated, especially in the afternoon and evening peaks. The bottleneck in the front hall was opened, and the pressure point of the back kitchen was changed.

If the order receiving method of the back kitchen does not keep up, common problems will appear one after another: the receipt is printed and piled at the ticket exit, and no one tore it off in time; The drinks, hot dishes and cold dishes in the set meal are not separated, and each station waits for each other. Urgent orders are mixed in ordinary orders, and customers come back to ask after waiting for a long time. The order was changed or returned, but the kitchen did not received the update. These problems are not big on a single look, and when they are added together, they will eat up some of the efficiency advantages brought by the ordering machine.

QUNMAO program ideas

QUNMAOIt is a brand of Shenzhen Qunmao Display Technology Co., Ltd. and an OEM/ODM source factory for LCD commercial display. In the ordering machine program,QUNMAOThe front office ordering terminal and order push logic are designed as a whole: the ordering machine is responsible for receiving orders, paying and issuing tickets, the ordering software customizes the order splitting, routing and receipt according to the meal delivery process of the store's back kitchen, and the back kitchen can use the customer's existing KDS system or use the kitchen printer.

If you don't know the overall configuration of the ordering machine, you can look at it first.QUNMAO Self-service Ordering Payment TerminalProduct classification, or comparisonQUNMAO Self-service Ordering Payment TerminalwithQUNMAO order payment all-in-one machineTwo product pages confirm the model; For reference, please refer to the store location, moving line and online process.Self-service ordering machine store deployment guide。

What is KDS: from kitchen printers to kitchen display systems

KDS concepts and working methods

KDS stands for Kitchen Display System. It uses a display screen to replace the paper receipt in the kitchen: after the order enters the system, it is distributed to each kitchen screen according to the dishes and stations. the chef checks the order content on the screen, confirms the meal after it is finished, and then synchronizes the status back to the front hall. Compared with paper receipts, orders on the screen can be changed, timed, sorted, and not missed due to paper stacking.

How to choose a kitchen printer and KDS

The two methods can be used together: KDS is the main method, kitchen printer is used as backup, and orders can still be made when the network or equipment is abnormal.

The position of QUNMAO ordering machine in the back kitchen linkage

QUNMAO ordering machineIt has a built-in 80mm thermal printer, which is used to print the customer's meal receipt and issue the ticket immediately after the payment is successful. The display or printing of the back kitchen is undertaken by the KDS system or kitchen printer selected by the store,QUNMAOThrough ordering software customization, the order is pushed in the format, station and timing required by the back kitchen. This not only retains the store's existing investment in back kitchen equipment, but also allows the front office to order meals and back kitchen meals to form a coherent link.

Order flow link from ordering machine to back kitchen

From the customer's "confirmation" to the back kitchen to get the order, there are several links in the middle. Only by understanding what has happened in each link can we judge where problems are easy to occur and where to do the bottom line.

The complete process of order flow

1. Customer places an order.Select meals and confirm orders at the QUNMAO ordering machineTouch ordering interface
2. Payment successfulScan code, NFC or POS to complete payment, order status confirmationScan code · NFC · POS bit
3. Order Splitting and RoutingAccording to the attribution of dishes, distribute to the corresponding stationOrdering software customization
4. Rear kitchen display or printKDS screen display, or kitchen printer singleEthernet · WiFi
5. Meals and notificationsThe back kitchen confirms the meal, and notifies the customer by taking the meal screen or calling the number.Food receipt-call

Docking conditions of QUNMAO ordering machine

The ordering machine must be docked with the back kitchen system, first of all, it depends on what conditions the terminal has. The following table lists all the parameters in the QUNMAO plant specification:

Data source: QUNMAO factory specifications for each model. NFC is not listed in the 15.6-inch and 27-inch specifications. If there is any need, it can be confirmed at the project stage.

Why "payment success" as the timing of the issue

The time point when the order is issued should be carefully chosen. After the customer orders the order, it will be issued, which may lead to the waste of the customer giving up the payment and the kitchen has already started to prepare the meal. After the payment is successful, it will be issued again, which can ensure that every order made by the kitchen is a paid order.QUNMAOWhen ordering software is customized, the result of successful payment is usually used as the trigger condition for order routing, while special modes such as "order first and settlement later" are retained to meet the operating habits of different stores. For the docking and exception handling of the payment link itself, please referPOS terminalwithCashier SolutionSupporting equipment and processes in.

Master-backup design of network

Order transmission depends on the network, once interrupted, the kitchen will not receive orders.QUNMAO ordering machineAt the same time, Ethernet and WiFi are supported, and 3G/4G can be selected. It is suggested that stores should be mainly wired network, WiFi should be used as backup, and conditional stores should be added with cellular network to form three links. When the ordering machine and the kitchen equipment are placed in the same LAN, the transmission of orders does not rely on the external Internet, which can reduce the impact caused by fluctuations in the external network.

Order Priority and Meal Order Design

Each station of the back kitchen may face dozens of orders at the same time. How to sort directly determines the waiting time and satisfaction of customers.QUNMAOThe ordering software will first confirm the sorting rules with the store and then write the order routing logic.

Basic rules: first-in, first-out, and then overlay priority.

The most basic rule is first-in, first-out, queuing in chronological order of successful payments. On this basis, the following priorities can be superimposed:

• Order type:The time limit for dining, take-out and take-out is different. Take-out needs to be matched with the rider's time to arrive at the store, which can be appropriately advanced.
• Urgent Order:Urgent orders marked by the front office or store manager are directly placed on the top and clearly marked on the screen or receipt.
• Order complexity:Orders with a large number of dishes and a long production process can start meal preparation in advance to avoid the whole meal time being delayed by the slowest one.
• Make an appointment to pick up the meal:For orders that make an appointment to the store, push back the time of production according to the time of taking the meal.

Package Splitting and Station Splitting

A set meal often contains drinks, hot dishes, cold dishes and snacks, which are made by different stations. If the whole order hits the same exit, each station will wait for each other. A more reasonable approach is to split the list according to the attribution of the dishes: drinks are sent to the beverage station, hot dishes are sent to the hot dishes station, cold dishes are sent to the cold dishes station, and finally collected at the exit.

The order splitting depends on the "corresponding table of dishes and stations" in the ordering software ". This form needs to be provided by the store before going online,QUNMAOCustomize the routing rules accordingly and verify them one by one during the on-line test. If the layout of multiple stores of chain brands is the same, they can share the same corresponding table, and stores with different layouts can be adjusted separately. The overall selection and management of the ordering system can be combined.Self-service terminal solutionto plan.

Color and Threshold: Let the Kitchen See the Priorities at a Glance

Whether using a KDS screen or a paper receipt, it is recommended to use color or logo to indicate the order status. The common practice is to use regular colors for newly arrived orders, warning colors for orders close to the meal time limit, and eye-catching colors for orders that have expired. The threshold value needs to be set according to the length of the dish production time, for example, the time limit for drinks is short, the time limit for hot dishes is long, and different thresholds are adopted for different stations to prevent all orders from becoming "overtime" or appearing "normal".

Overtime warning and food reminder

Meal overtime is one of the main sources of customer complaints. Let the back kitchen see the overtime, let the front office can urge the order, let the manager can resume the offer, are the three things to be solved in this part.

The item item item indicates the length of the meal.

First set a target meal duration for each dish, and then start timing from the moment the order enters the station. The target duration should not be one size fits all: hot dishes cooked on the spot are very different from pre-made cold dishes and drinks. Stores can be set according to experience first, and then adjusted according to actual data after running for a period of time.

Countdown, Escalation, and Timeout Handling

When the order is close to the target duration, the screen or receipt will give a reminder. After exceeding the target duration, it will be upgraded to an overtime order, prompting the store manager or the person in charge of the outlet to pay attention. The reason for overtime orders needs to be recorded, whether the material preparation is insufficient, the station is too busy, or the order is missed. These records are the basis for subsequent optimization of the station and scheduling.

Urge food process: front office initiates, back kitchen responds

When customers come to inquire, the clerk needs a clear reminder entrance instead of running to the back kitchen for oral communication. The ordering software can provide order reminder operation: the front office marks the order reminder, the order reminder mark appears on the back kitchen screen or receipt synchronously, and the back kitchen returns the status after processing. The time and processing results of each reminder are recorded, which not only reduces the confusion of oral communication, but also provides a basis for the resumption of service quality.

Multi-screen collaboration: ordering, back kitchen, outlet and pick-up screen

A store that uses self-service ordering usually has more than one screen: the screen for customers to order, the screen for receiving orders from the kitchen, the screen for summarizing meals at the exit, and the screen for notifying customers to pick up meals. The four screens perform their respective functions so that information flows smoothly.

In addition to the order-related screen, the store's menu display screen and promotional advertising screen can also manage the content in a unified way. ThroughDigital Signage CMS Solution, stores can update the menu and activity screen centrally to keep the information of the ordering machine, menu screen and food pick-up screen consistent.

Single drop and heavy hit mechanism

It is inevitable that there will be abnormalities in the process of order transmission: network jitter, software restart and wrong station routing configuration will make the back kitchen not receive the order. The goal of designing the bottom-up mechanism is to make every paid order finally visible to the back kitchen.

Common reasons for dropping orders

• Network interruption:The network between the ordering machine and the kitchen equipment was interrupted for a short time and the order was not delivered.
• Software exception:The ordering program or the back kitchen system is restarted during the delivery process, and the order status is lost.
• Routing error:A new dish is missing from the dish and station correspondence table, and the order cannot be distributed.
• Equipment failure:The order failed to print because the kitchen printer is out of paper, is stuck, or is offline.

Receipt, reissue and reissue

Reliable order transmission requires the coordination of three actions: the back kitchen returns a receipt to the ordering machine after receiving the order; The ordering machine will automatically resend the receipt if it does not receive the receipt within the set time. If multiple retransmissions are still unconfirmed, a reminder will be triggered and a backup order issuing method will be enabled, such as making up a paper receipt in the back kitchen. Every issuance, retransmission and confirmation should be recorded so that you can trace what happened to each order afterwards.

Dual Channel Backup

For stores with large orders, it is suggested that the back kitchen should use the dual-channel mode of "KDS as the main part and kitchen printer as the backup": KDS is only displayed on the screen when it is normal. Once KDS does not receive a receipt for a long time, the system will automatically issue the order in the kitchen printer.QUNMAOThis switching logic can be implemented in ordering software customization, and withSelf-service ordering payment terminalThe network master and standby design of the, so that the order transmission more layer of protection.

Scale Deployment Cases and Meal Efficiency Measurement

QUNMAO official website announced the deployment of the ordering machine project

The need for linkage between the ordering machine and the back kitchen has become more prominent as the scale of deployment has expanded. The difference between a dozen orders in a single store can be made up by labor. When dozens of stores and hundreds of equipment are running at the same time, the order rules must be unified and the circulation must be traceable. The following three projects are from the project case page of QUNMAO's official website, announcing the region, format, number of equipment and completion time:

Project information source: QUNMAO official website Self Service Kiosk Case page. The project's back-kitchen order method is subject to the customer's actual system, which is not described in detail in this article.

From the deployment scale to see the requirements of the kitchen linkage

The following analysis is based on the operational characteristics of these three types of formats and is used to illustrate the common requirements for the deployment of ordering machines of different sizes on the flow of orders from the kitchen.

这三个项目的共同点是：设备数量多、分布广，点餐机的联网、软件和外设配置必须标准化，才能批量交付、批量运维。QUNMAO作为源头工厂，从整机硬件到点餐软件定制都可以按项目统一规划，这也是连锁品牌选择点餐机时看重的能力。门店采购前的机型选择，可以对照Fast food restaurant, dinner, milk tea shop ordering machine how to choose。

如何衡量联动后的出餐效率

点餐机与后厨联动是否真正起了作用，需要用数据来判断，而不是凭感觉。建议门店在上线前后各取一段时间，使用同一套指标对比：

对比时要注意：上线前后取相同类型的时段（例如同为工作日午高峰），避免节假日等特殊因素干扰；先看趋势，再看绝对值。门店间的横向对比，也要考虑工位数量与客流差异。

选型与对接注意事项

点餐机与后厨联动的项目，前期把以下事项确认清楚，上线阶段会顺畅很多。

• 后厨显示方式：确认门店使用KDS系统、厨房打印机，还是两者并用，以及现有设备的品牌与接口。
• 点餐机机型：按空间选择15.6寸台式、21.5寸或32寸落地、27寸壁挂（可加底座），可对照QUNMAO Self-service Ordering Payment TerminalwithQUNMAO order payment all-in-one machine产品页确认。
• 网络条件：优先有线RJ45，WiFi作备用，必要时选配3G/4G，并确认点餐机与后厨设备在同一局域网内。
• Systems and software:选择Windows 10/11平台，确认点餐软件使用QUNMAO自有软件，还是对接客户已有系统。
• 菜品与工位对应表：上线前提供菜品清单与各工位分工，作为订单拆分与路由的依据。
• 出餐时限：按品类设定目标出餐时长，并确认颜色阈值与超时处理规则。
• 异常兜底：确认回执、重发、补打的规则，以及备用出单方式。
• 培训与验收：安排前厅与后厨的操作培训，并准备高峰模拟、断网、重复订单等测试场景。

需要把前台收银与点餐终端搭配规划的门店，可以参考Cashier Solution；点餐机与扫码点餐的取舍，可以看Which is better, self-service ordering machine or scanning code ordering?；更多自助终端设备与行业方案，可以查看自助终端机全产品线指南。

Frequently Asked Questions