Features and Improvements - ECM Release 2021-05-10 (175.2)

Dispatch Dashboard - ECM configuration

This describes only the ECM configuration. The POS application will be available in an upcoming NorthStar App/Server release. 

The dispatch dashboard is a web application that can be used to view and manage online/phone orders from one dashboard for efficient expediting and order management. When completed, the dashboard web page will display all open (non-finalized) orders and their current state. Staff and guests will have the ability to communicate via text message. Text messages can be preset for easy selection. 

Pre-condition - Make Dispatch Dashboard application active

CBS system administrator must enable the Dispatch Dashboard application in the client account.

• Customer Accounts > edit account > Applications tab
• Select Active and click Save.
• An access token is generated on Save. Token never expires. 
• If Active is unselected, the access token is removed.

ECM Access and Job Permission 

• Only authorized users can access the Dispatch Dashboard application. Permission is granted by Role (see Roles) and by Job.
• Role setting
  • Path: Dashboard > Users > Roles > ECM Access tab - Select Can access Dispatch Dashboard 

• Job Permission 
  • Path: Order Entry > Users > Jobs - Select Can access Dispatch Dashboard

Site Configuration

• Go to Sites and select a site to edit.
• Click the Dispatch tab (only available if the application is enabled and active).

Dispatch Areas

• Select the areas in which the Dispatch Dashboard will be available. 
  • To select all, select the checkbox at the top of the column.
• Areas can be sorted
• Click Apply to apply changes and remain on the page or Save to apply changes and exit. 

Preset Text Messages

• Add message:
  • Click Add Preset Text Message to add a new message.
  • Enter text in the input box. Maximum characters allowed: 1000. 

• Edit message:
  • Click existing message and revise text in the input box. 

• Message position can be revised using the up/down arrows. 
• Click Delete to remove a message from the list. 
• Click Apply or Save to save changes. Click Cancel Changes to discard changes. 

The Item Sales by Area report is a new ECM report. 

• Can be run by user whose Role is permitted to run the Item Sales by Area report (See Roles.)

Description: 

• Shows sales in real time reported by area
• Can be run for 1 or more stores (Sales in the same area name will be combined for multiple stores.)
• Each area can be expanded to show Sales Category detail:
  • Sales Category
  • Quantity
  • Cover Count
  • Net Sales
  • Comp
  • Discount
  • Gross Sales
  • Percentage  
• Each Sales Category can be expanded to show menu item sales detail:
  • Item name
  • External Code
  • Quantity
  • Cover Count
  • Net Sales 
  • Comp (dollar amount)
  • Discount (dollar amount) 
  • Gross Sales 
  • Percentage (item percentage of sales in area) 
• Report totals include non-revenue sales (gift card sales, deposits, etc.) and will not match Sales Summary report totals. 
• Can be exported to Excel, PDF and CSV formats. 

Expanded by sales category: 

Expanded menu item sales detail by Sales Category:

Collapsed view: 

This improvement allows Admin users to select the number of decimal places to use when rounding employee hours on time record reports. These reports include: 

• Time Record report
• Payroll Summary report
• Labor Summary report
• Tip Distribution report

This feature is only available to an Admin user. 

• Added icon to Reports pages. Click to open Report Settings: 
  
• In Report Settings, select the number of decimal places to round and display hours: 

• Save selection.
• Reports (in ECM and exported files) will reflect hours rounded to the number of decimal places selected. 

NorthStar Order Entry release 4.8.3 includes a new feature for employees to acknowledge adjustments made to their time cards by management. The Time Record Adjustments report has been improved to reflect these acknowledgments. 

• Go to Reports > Time Records Adjustments 
• Expand an employee name to view the adjustments made to the time record
• The Acknowledgement column will display one of the following statuses: 
  • Requires acknowledgement - Employee has not acknowledged the adjustment 
  • Confirmed - Employee has confirmed the adjustment 
  • Declined - Employee has declined the adjustment 

The new Time Record Details report expands upon the Time Records report. The report reflects each employee clock-in, clock-out (including breaks) and adjustment to employee time records. The report can be run for one or more sites and for a range of one or more business dates. 

Individual records can be expanded to view the details by job and date. 

Expanded record detail: 

Several improvements made to the Areas page in the Sites configuration. These settings allow each area to be configured as needed when using guest identifiers. 

• Prompt for guest identifier before ordering 
  • When guest identifier is required, select to launch the guest identifier prompt at the start of an order (after server attaches to a location) instead of at the end of the ordering process. 
    • If number in party is required, prompt appears after entering number in party. 
    • If no default order type is defined (Dine In, Take Out, etc.), prompt appears after selecting order type for location. 
      
      
• Use guest identifier speed screens 
  • Select to use Guest Identifier speed screens in the area. (Example: Show in drive-thru area but not at table service areas.)
• Use icons for guest identifier selection 
  
  • Select to display pre-configured color selections and vehicle icons on the guest identifier speed screen for this area. 
    Test example: 
    

• Prompt for number in party before ordering 
  
  • Label change. Previous label: Ask for number in party

Guest Identifier names are now limited to 27 characters. This allows names to be printed in full on the guest check. 

• There are two paths to enter Guest Identifier names: 
  • Categories > Guest Identifier Categories > Guest Identifiers tab 
  • Categories > Guest Identifiers 
• Click Add Guest Identifier and enter a name in the field. 
• If the name exceeds 27 characters, a message appears stating the maximum characters allowed is 27 characters. 

New setting added for combo menu items: Auto combo in Staff UI 

• When this setting is selected, if menu items that qualify for a combo are ordered on the app, NorthStar will automatically create a combo.
  • Combo is triggered by tapping Send, Print or Payment
  • Combos are created by seat number (if applicable) 
  • If new items are added, the combo will be re-triggered on Send, Print or Payment to the new best value
  • Items will not be automatically combo'd if payment exists on a check

• Revised setting: Auto combo when scanned 
  • When this setting is selected, if menu items that qualify for a combo are ordered on the app and then a code is scanned, NorthStar will automatically create a combo. 

Path: Sites > edit a site > Receipts > Codes tab

When this feature is enabled, a site can make the following selections on the Codes tab: 

• Print survey code on receipt - Specifies that a survey code be printed on the customer receipt
• Print area - Select the area of the receipt the survey code is to be printed (five options) 
• Format - Currently, the allowed format is SMG format (SMG is a third-party provider specializing in experience and customer feedback management.)