Even after tech advancements in the hospitality industry, we find people using traditional ways to take orders. Times have changed and with that, the way we take orders should also change. Now, it’s the right time for the hospitality industry to embrace technology with open arms.
For those who don’t know, a kitchen display system (KDS) is a technology-based process of punching orders in the system that reaches the kitchen directly. Traditionally, restaurants used to take orders using tickets which is extremely time-consuming and prone to error. However, now, with tech advancements, Modern kitchen display systems have replaced the age-old kitchen order tickets (or paper).
It’s an undeniable fact that technology has made a grand entry in the hospitality industry due to COVID-19. Technology not only helps you achieve minimal social interaction but also makes your business run smoothly and effectively.
And to help you figure out why a KDS is helpful for your business, we’ve listed the benefits of the kitchen display system.
1. Let the Machine Do the Math
When we talk about the benefits of the kitchen display system, the most important one we can think of is its ability to minimize human error. During the busy hours of the day, the orders keep on multiplying and it can get difficult to keep track of the number of orders via traditional kitchen order tickets. That’s where the kitchen display system comes in.
With a screen displaying all the orders, it becomes easier for the chefs to know the exact count of hot dogs they need to prepare, cakes they need to frost or coke they need to pour. Also, the system can help in segregating the order based on priority and types. It can use different colours to display urgent orders and can also specify which order is to be a hot meal or a cold beverage. This way the chefs know what they are supposed to do. They can simply focus on preparing delicious meals, rather than counting the numbers all the time.
2. Makes the Entire Process More Efficient
While the traditional method of using paper tickets has been working effectively for restaurants all these years, KDS has made it more efficient. When we talk about the benefits of a kitchen display system, increased efficiency is the most important one. Due to these systems, the order directly reaches the kitchen and in no time the chef starts working on it. So, it saves a lot of time and reduces your waiting time as well. From the restaurant’s point of view, the quicker the service, the more customers they can serve in a shorter time frame.
3. Helps in Managing the Inventory
Another benefit of the kitchen display system is the fact that the system can monitor the usability of ingredients and the volume of supplies a restaurant requires. From this data, they can manage the product information and identify the right amount of supplies and train staff accordingly. Through this data, restaurants can easily reduce wait time and manage the staff shortage issue during peak hours.
4. Leads to Reduction in Resource Wastage
Wastage, however, small it may be, is still a wastage, and preventing it is always a big step any restaurant needs to take. With kitchen display systems, restaurants save a lot of money on paper kitchen order tickets. While to a customer the wastage might seem trivial, but restaurant owners know how many paper rolls they’ll save with these systems. Switching to digital ordering systems saves wastage of time, money, and increases efficiency as well.
5. Tracks the Order Fulfilment Times
Another benefit of the restaurant kitchen order systems includes easy tracking of the time required to fulfil each ticket/ order. Yes, the POS system offers kitchen reports that help you understand the time required to prepare each meal. This data has proven to be insightful for restaurants that want to focus on areas they need to put more effort in. The reports showcase a wide array of information, including details about the most efficient staff members, the peak hours, and the need for additional staff training that may benefit the restaurant.
6. Streamlines FOH and BOH Workflow
Also, KSD comes with tablets that servers have. With these tablets, they can get instant notifications when the orders are ready. In case there are no tablets, the servers can also receive notifications on their cell phones. This extra help not only reduces the movement of the staff but also helps the customers enjoy their meals as soon as they are prepared. The tablet interface is user-friendly and is multilingual. These features help you choose whatever language your staff uses the most. With these instant notifications, you can easily streamline the operations at the restaurant to be more seamless.
7. Integrates the Process of Online Ordering
The restaurant kitchen order system benefits do not limit themselves to dine-in orders but also extend to online ordering. With KDS, servers can route all the orders directly to the kitchen without the need for any manual support. If needed, the POS can also get the manager’s approval on online orders before moving them to the kitchen to avoid inconvenience or miscommunications. This way, you can streamline your online orders and process them properly without any extra manual help.
Final Remarks
With changing times, it is almost necessary to be adaptive & practical and the kitchen display system is the way to go ahead. The Post-COVID times will demand maximum social distancing for an undefined time and restaurateurs understand the need to reduce manual involvement. With all the benefits of Kitchen display systems that we have talked about, we can’t even call it a leap of faith, since the chances of its success are 100%. Restaurants of all sizes can benefit from this touchscreen kitchen order system.
