NorthStar 4.9.1 Release Notes

Owned by Alger Alama
Last updated: Jul 20, 2022

Consolidated Server, iOS, and Windows.

NorthStar Order Entry Server and iOS Application: Current versions released with installation software

1. New Features & Improvements


iOS App 

The following new features and improvements have been made to the NorthStar Order Entry app on iOS.

Feature Area
Description
Documentation Reference
App Support

Allow CBS Support to to remotely connect to a site's iPad via Bomgar

Bomgar Remote Support via iPad
Banks/Drops

The banks and drops feature enables sites to set cash threshold limits for cash drawers; when cash limit is met, management is prompted to pull cash from drawers and record the amount pulled. Includes: 

  • Add early warning functionality when a cash drawer approaches the cash drawer limit
  • Allow input of starting bank amount and cash skim amount
  • Implement job permission for Banks/Drops button access
  • Revise limit warning messages 
  • Cashout and finalizing a drawer resets banks/drops amounts for that drawer
  • Audit Log (ECM) - Display when drawer cash limit met or exceeded

Banks/Drops User Guide

Cheetah

Cheetah Digital is a loyalty program and coupon service. Customers sign up on Cheetah's website and can receive rewards based on spend activity on NorthStar. Includes: 

  • Highlight Surprise and Delight rewards (Cheetah Digital)
  • Show attached customer’s current loyalty tier
  • When reward is set to exclusive and only 1 can be applied, allow reward to be applied to only 1 item on the redeem screen.
  • Display Cheetah Digital rewards

Payment#CheetahDigital-Loyalty

External Code & External Code 2


Dispatch

The dispatch dashboard is a web application that offers an above-store view of orders and communication with customers. It can be used to view and manage online/phone orders for delivery and pickup or orders from any area of the site configured to use dispatch dashboard.

  • Allow access to Dispatch Dashboard
  • Add Kitchen status to Dispatch Check when any item on the check is submitted to kitchen
  • Windows App: Allow access to Dispatch Dashboard from app (Username dropdown menu)

Dispatch Dashboard User Guide

Hourly Sales/DSRUpdate the application DSR Report to display Sold and Advance (sent and unsent) sales data.

Daily Sales Report (App)

Hourly Sales/DSRUpdate the application Hourly Sales Report  to display all hours and sales/labor grid

Hourly Sales and Labor Report (App)

iDynamo 6Allow iDynamo 6 contactless payment

Contactless payment - iDynamo 6

Payment processing

Quick Chip: Allow for "Insert Anytime" of credit card on PAX devices through EMV Quick Chip to speed up the check payment process. The customer can insert the credit card and it will be captured before the cashier completes processing the check.

Using "Insert Anytime" on PAX card reader (Quick Chip)

ReportsPush payment devices' serial numbers to the cloud

World View

Shift4 Credit CardsCreate new payment processor adapter for Shift4 integration

Online Ordering 

Text Loyalty Link

Allow staff to text guests a link to join the company's loyalty/reward program. Includes: 

  • Display or hide "Text to join loyalty" button based on ECM configuration
  • Display a popup view for mobile number entry
  • Create a web service that sends out a text message to the entered mobile number

Text guest to join loyalty program


Text NS Pay

Improvements to the Text to Pay feature

  • Enable text to pay button when orders are not yet added to a check. 

  • After successful text sent from guest identifier screen, the guest identifier closes and returns to Location manager or resets the orders and remains on ordering, based on settings.

Text to Pay

TruCommerceNorthStar integrates to TruCommerce to pull menu items and their barcodes into our system; items are not required to be set up individually in the ECM portal. When a barcode is scanned the items are added to the order. 

TruCommerce Integration Setup and Use 

UX

Loyalty program

  • Allow customer to provide date of birth during new member registration 

Customer Loyalty/Redeem Member Rewards




Other 


Advanced Customer Display 

  • Show default components removed from order on customer display
  • Do not display screen saver on customer displays during ordering, check review or payment process 

Advanced Customer Display (iPad as a Customer Display



Advance Orders

  • Send advance orders automatically to the kitchen on date/time scheduled 

Advance Orders


Area icons

Add an Area


Combo orders

  • Add setting in combo menu item configuration to use auto combo in the staff UI.
  • When selected, ordered qualifying menu items are combined to create a combo automatically on the payment screen that will provide the best value to the guest.

Combo: Auto combo (Best value discount). 


Components and serving options

  • New setting on component category and serving options category configuration: 
    Automatically add menu item to check when component requirements/serving option requirements are met
  • When setting is selected, menu items are automatically added to the order when the minimum component and serving option requirements are met 

Add Component Category

Add Serving Option Category


CC Pre-Auth

  • Allow the CC Pre-Auth window to pop up when the user starts a tab

Start Tab - Credit Card Pre-authorization


Drive Thru

  • Send order on submit (Set by Area) 

Drive Thru Order Workflow

Add an Area  


Drive Thru Check search  

  • Add ability to see closed checks in drive thru 
  • Add "All" filter to allow display of all drive thru checks regardless of status; set as default

Drive Thru Order Workflow


Drive Thru Locations

  • Add Locations setting (for Drive Thru locations only) that provides the option to either display the Drive Thru Orders check search screen or to display the ordering screen after tapping Payment Complete, Parked or Finalized 

Locations (Edit an Area)


ECM Reports

  • Display and round at N decimal places for time records. 

Employee Reports


EMV Payment 

  • Added Cancel to Insert or tap card pop-up to allow process to be canceled
Credit Card Payment - Basic Workflow

Guest Facing

  • Disable "Place my order" when there are no items to send to kitchen
Guest UI - Ordering Overview

Guest Identifier

  • Allow guest identifier pop-up to display first 
  • Change "Person" label to "Shirt" label 
  • Control guest identifier speed screens by area
  • Add icons for guest identifiers
  • Guest identifiers display in consistent order: 
    User input (keyboard)
    Pre-defined text selection (from guest identifier categories)
    Color selection 
    Icon selection 

Guest Identifier Speed Screen 

Guest Identifier


Kitchen printing

  • When the Order Type of a menu item is changed, print the new order type on the kitchen chit (more than one order type can be printed on the chit) 

Order Types for Locations

Kitchen Chits


Loyalty account privacy 

  • To comply with local laws and enhance user privacy, a feature toggle and setting allows a site to mask loyalty member info by area (app/receipt) on guest receipt, kitchen chit, and app screens

Add an Area


Loyalty search

  • Allow phone entry and/or email to be hidden on loyalty search
Staff Facing

Loyalty rewards

  • Print loyalty rewards summary information on the guest receipt 
  • Split quantity ordered into individual items to apply rewards 

Receipts - General

Customer Loyalty/Redeem Member Rewards#Redeemrewardforitemsorderedbyquantity


Scanning

  • Can use Bluetooth HID scanner (in addition to external scanner and iPad scanner) to scan QR/barcodes for logging in, menu item ordering, adjustments, coupons, gift cards, etc.



Barcode scanning

  • Support type 2 barcode scan support 

Scan Type 2 Barcodes (iOS app) - Videos


Scheduled orders

Operational Improvements on scheduled orders (advance orders, take-out orders and web orders):

  • When an order is scheduled, the check is parked and available in check search and behind the take-out button (no longer attached to a location)
  • Tap Open instead of Go to Location to access a check quickly 
  • This reduces/eliminates the need to create multiple locations for scheduled orders. (WOAPI users may no longer need the Area setting: Finalize when sent to kitchen.)

Advance Orders 

(Related: Check search)


Survey codes 

  • Provide ability to print survey codes on all guest receipts in SMG format 

Receipts - Codes


Time Clock

  • Add Log out and Return buttons to Time Card Details 
  • iOS App - New Time Clock UI - Auto-fill selected user name when adding a time record (CFG)
  • IOS App - New Time Clock UI display current user instead of all users on time record details (CFG)

Time Clock - UI Redesign


Time record reports - App 

  • ECM: New setting on Reports page to allow user to set number of decimal places (2 - 6) to round and display hours 

  • The decimal place setting applies to:
    Time Record report
    Payroll Summary report
    Labor Summary report
    Tip Distribution report

Employee Reports

Windows App

The following new features and improvements have been made to the NorthStar Order Entry app on Windows.

  • Improve Menu Manager (Item quantity countdown)
  • Apply ECM scheduled price changes
  • Improve page load time for ordering, menu item customization, adjustments, payments and navigation between pages
  • Show only clocked-in users by default and add toggle to show all users for:
    • Cash drawer assignment
    • Table assignment (Assign Server)
    • Team assignment
    • Session Owner assignment
  • Add functionality to refund gift card and alternate payments
  • Pre-Auth
    • Allow Pre-auth (start tab) 
      • If pre-auth is successful, use cardholder's name as guest identifier
      • If guest identifier has been entered prior to pre-auth, retain the guest identifier name entered 
    • Allow Pre-auth with eDynamo/iDynamo
  • Loyalty
    • Allow customer to provide date of birth and password during registration
    • Allow member information to be masked onscreen
    • Allow phone entry and/or email to be hidden on loyalty search
  • Reports
    • Daily Sales Report - Improved to allow 30+ days to be run
    • Daily Sales Report - Display Sold and Advance (sent and unsent) sales data.
    • Hourly Sales and Labor report - Display all hours and sales/labor grid
  • Allow user access to available menus (job permission setting) 
  • Require tips to be declared at clock-out (job permission setting) 
  • Add test card reader function to Settings (Test Card Reader (Win App)) 

2. Fixes

Server

Payment

  • iDynamo no longer displays 'Unknown Transaction" error message during payment.
  • NS Pay processes payment properly with a location configured "Send to kitchen when finalized".
  • Able to adjust tip on an offline payment when Override site payment signature is enabled.
  • Voided credit card payments before check finalization no longer incorrectly refund credit card.

Receipt

  • Emailed receipt displays bar code image.

Printing

  • Guest Identifier on kitchen receipt wraps correctly.
  • Small chit no longer prints after Finalize is tapped.
  • Credit Card chit prints Amount/Tip section properly. 
  • Check memo prints on receipt.

Menu Items

  • Item Quantity Countdown updates number quantity after check is paid and finalized.
  • Combo qualifier items display on the menu screens.

Cash Drawer

  • Cash Drawer Assignment correctly clears user after cashout.
  • Compulsory cash drawer no longer displays as perpetually open when actually closed.

Reports

  • Newly created site's DSR processes even if Timeclock is disabled and Pay Period is not set.

Advanced Customer Display

  • ACD no longer displays a session error message when utilized to take orders and not just a customer display.

Windows App

  • Automatic Log Off displays when Bar Service Location goes idle.

iOS App

  • Inactive Gratuities no longer display in the application.

Web Order API

  • Payment validation total calculates check balance even when adjustment or gratuity is applied to check.
  • Cardfree order that's sent to Order Entry with paid greater amount than amount owed no longer displays error message.

iOS

Payments

  • Payments on ACD no longer display 'Object Reference Exception' errors.
  • After creation of multiple checks Create a New Payment, Add Tip and Print Receipt no longer redundantly display after check is paid.
  • Send Text to Pay displays on Guest Identifier screen in Drive Thru mode.
  • Can remove cash payments and apply new payment type after.
  • No tip setting is honored in ACD setting.
  • QR code payment through ACD process has been adjusted for a better workflow.
  • Quickpay with Cash no longer crashes the ACD.
  • Navigating to the payment screen on a reopened check no longer crashes app.
  • Finalizing a drive-thru order no longer causes a loading spinning wheel on the app.
  • Older iDynamo MSR functions on InfineaSDK application.
  • Finalized payment screen displays in Guest Payment screen after transaction completion. 
  • Able to swipe in iDynamo Magtek and apply gift card payment utilizing Guest Payment Screen.
  • User can properly remove payment when a transaction is paid with a gift card with no balance using PAX terminal. 
  • Use External Card Reader only functional if connected or paired to iPad. 

Adjusments

  • "A balance still exists on one or more checks" message no longer displays when a reopened check is refunded. 
  • Refund adjustment only available to users with permission and only after a check is reopened to be adjusted and not before or during.

Staff Facing

  • Order Types options display when tapping 'Change Order Type'.
  • Finalization of a check no longer redundantly displays menu and add-check screens a second time.
  • Check Search displays and is accessible after check is finalized in Drive Thru mode.
  • Drive Thru exclusive checks display in Drive Thru mode.
  • Enhanced Search displays in conjunction when.
  • Error Code 0 message no longer displays when starting Order Entry application.
  • "Object Reference" error message no longer displays when Done button is tapped in a drive-thru location.
  • Guest Identifier Speed Screen updates data correctly when check is reopened.
  • Accessing parked checks in drive-thru causes application to crash.  

Menu Items

  • Combo qualifiers are available as long as they are active menu items and not required to be on the current accessible menu.
  • Auto-Combo properly combines items when payment is tapped for a parked check, reopened check, or when multiple checks are involved.
  • Menus display correctly in Alternate Locations.   

Loyalty and Gift Cards

  • Paytronix properly redeems items at check level when applied.
  • Re-applying rewards on an adjusted check displays correct rewards details. 

Kiosk

  • Guest Identifier now correctly displays on Kiosk when enabled. 
  • Tap "Place my Order" once to send order into system.
  • Entering tent number no longer crashes the application.

Receipt

  • Changing "email receipt to" destination no longer reverts it back to default email address attached to membership account on the check.
  • Tapping "no receipt" will not print a receipt.

Time Clock

  • New Time Clock UI displays schedule of current selected employee and not all.
  • Adjusting or adding a new time record in the New Time Clock mode will display the correct month/date.
  • Adjusting a time record will remove corresponding breaks.

PLU/Barcodes

  • Able to properly enter manual barcode number of open dollar items.

Windows Application

Staff Facing

  • Able to attach to a location in Location manager without error message.
  • Auto Log Off correctly displays in Bar Service.
  • Takeout NorthStar Online Ordering checks are accessible in search. 
  • Able to add and access multiple checks.
  • User can access Time Clock from Cashier Menu without having to be attached to a location.
  • Tapping the back button navigates back to the staff main page.
  • Counter Service checks no longer disappear once created. 
  • Check Search shows checks with tax included in their totals. 
  • Location Manager displays locations maps without an error message. 

Payment

  • External card reader correctly accepts card swipes. 
  • Signature clears after payment when switching.
  • App detects eDynamo when External Card Reader is selected.
  • Reopening a check no longer displays "Invalid Check"
  • Entering text into the search bar no longer incorrectly displays "Session has ended" error message. 

Adjustments

  • Can apply voids properly with a memo without "Value cannot be null" error message.
  • Reopened checks for refunds no longer creates a negative balance. 
  • Voids and Discounts display on tickets. 

Time Clock

  • Correct user name displays when clocking out.

Reports

  • Pay Period is calculated correctly for Time Clock Details, Payroll Reports, and Time Report. 
  • Cashout report correctly reflects all transactions.
  • Able to perform entire house cashout even with pending cashouts remaining.
  • Disabled users' time records can be viewed.
  • Cashouts no longer display duplicates.

Menu Items

  • After applying voids and/or discounts to ordered items all ordering menu items are accessible without error message "Cannot find scanned item".  
  • Items with components are correctly calculated.
  • Limited quantity items are added or subtracted in the order menu display their proper amounts.   

Publishing

  • Deploys to Windows Application no longer causes it to force close. 


3. Release reports