Release date:January 6, 2019

CONTENTS:

Version Release

Current software release available for NorthStar:

Intended Audience

Clients utilizing the NorthStar Point-of-Sale software; both server and application.

Customer Support

For technical support and any questions regarding NorthStar and other products that are not addressed within this document:

NorthStar Support Webpage: https://northstarrestaurantpos.com/contact/

Order Entry Support: 866-590-1411

NOTE: If your distributor provides technical support for this product, please contact them for support rather than Custom Business Solutions

1. Introduction

This document provides information about the latest updates for NorthStar for your restaurant's point-of-sale system.

To learn more about the NorthStar product:

• Webpage and product information

• NorthStar Order Entry documentation and related documentation is located below

2. Special Considerations During Upgrade

The NorthStar Server upgrades are scheduled and then deployed via our cloud software to all restaurant locations during the end-of-day process.

It is important that the server at the location meets the proper system requirements while maintaining constant internet connectivity or the server will not receive the proper scheduled upgrade.

Please adhere to the System Requirements page to make sure that your current system hasn't encountered any changes that could fluctuate, i.e., limited hard drive space and firewall allowances.    

3. New Features

NOTE - Some new features and improvements require activation on accounts that wish to use them. Contact your account manager to discuss and activate, if applicable.

Note that some issues listed are just a portion of the work required; these will be completed in a future application release.

• Declared tips will need to be equal to or greater than credit card tips. 

• Ability to exclude a specific sales category when calculating Tip Share. 

• Components are configurable to print to a specific prep printer. 

• PX7 or PAX Terminal with customer display now compatible with Order Entry.  

• Multiple servers can now be grouped into Server Teams to allow for handling of one group of guests.

• Hot Schedules - Labor schedules imported from HotSchedules also allows for setup of Grace Periods and Schedule Enforcement within Job setup. 

• When the option of Local Printer is flagged, Items will print to the Printer set for the Device or the Printer set for the Location instead of the Prep Printer.

• Upcharges can now be applied to Prevailing Price Combos.  

• Ability to set up and flag Reporting Categories for DSR and Cashouts. You can also choose to have either Sales Category reporting or Reporting Category reporting within site setup.

• We've included a more efficient way to add a loyalty member by utilizing the Use Payment Terminal button to access an external device for the card swipe. 

4. Improvements

NOTE - Some new features and improvements require activation on accounts that wish to use them. Contact your account manager to discuss and activate, if applicable.

Note that some issues listed are just a portion of the work required; these will be completed in a future application release.

• Ability to take Alternate Payments for Web Orders. 

• Text of Cash Owed and Tip Share has been clarified so as to avoid confusion. 

• Server Teams needs to have active servers assigned to it before being assigned to a location.

• Servers cannot be assigned to a location that has a Server Team already assigned to it. That server will need to be assigned to that team or re-assigned to another location. 

• Alert message will display if you attempt to delete a Server Team that has open transactions.

• Menu Items now display the required components, serving options, seat numbers, and serving options of a component without server having to navigate through set defaults. 

• Net Sales displays in Sales Category report under DSR.

• Server Teams are arranged and displayed in ascending order for better tracking.

• Staff can utilize multi-select on menu items that have already been sent to the kitchen.

• Web Order API background improvements

• Seat numbers are aligned properly on chit when "consolidate like items" is enabled.

• Guest UI suggested gratuity calculates properly. 

5. Fixes

• Discount and refund adjustments are correctly calculated when a refund is applied to a discounted item.  

• Users with multiple jobs are able to login into the system properly even after their jobs have been changed after clock in. 

• Jobs can only access areas it  

• Discounts removed from split checks no longer display an error message and checks are adjusted properly.

• Item Summary and Item Summary Enhanced report calculates totals correctly. 

• A server with multiple jobs and one has access to adjust punches that they currently aren't logged in with, will no longer be able to adjust punches while on break. 

• Multiple shift cashout report no longer combines all shifts during the first cashout.

• Rules for max allowed and max unique under Components are now properly honored. 

• Adding a new tip or additional tip no longer displays check balance error message. 

• While in Guest Facing when tapping Place My Order with no menu items ordered, it no longer kicks the user out to the screensaver with an error message. 

• Gift Card payment correctly applies to the check in Order Entry and also through Slipstream Gift Card transaction. 

• Seat Number field on vertical keyboard now populates the seat number field on the menu item ordering screen.

• The Order Entry Desktop Reporting Tool now matches the Application's business date correctly.  

• 2-week payroll report for displays both weeks correctly.

• 2-week Payment Report report on iPad loads all data properly.

• Running a General Refund no longer displays an Invalid Data error message.

• When voiding a combo before sending to the kitchen no longer displays an error. 

• Applying payment to an active Mercury Gift Card no longer displays an "Invalid sate, resync in progress" error message. Sites with Mercury Gift Cards can run gift card sales properly now. 

• Taking a paid or unpaid meal break no longer crashes the application.

• Tapping the print icon while in Server Teams no longer displays an error message. 

• Team Sales Summary Report shows correct sales and tip distribution to newly added team members. 

• Prorated tips and tip totals display equate to the same amount on the Team Sales Summary Report.

• Sales and tip distribution display the correct totals on Team Sales Summary report when a team member is removed from Server Teams. 

• Setting a site's reporting is set to Reporting Categories, the total sales from the previous cashout are no longer added to the current cashout reports. 

• Server Teams with no finalized sessions will no longer display in reports. 

• "Consolidate like items" setting is now properly honored when printing to kitchen. 

• Spacing corrected on Component print routing chits. 

• HotSchedules employee data syncs correctly now. 

• Users are now able to override schedules using a mag card when clocking out late minutes. 

• Menu Items with tax-exempt applied to it can be moved to another check with no error messages displaying.

• Grace periods can no longer be included within already set employee schedules in HotSchedules. 

• Utilization of the VX805 device no longer produces an error message for sites on the Vantiv processor. 

• Canceling out of Team Assignment in Location Manager functions correctly and doesn't attempt to save your changes. 

• Deletion of Server Teams that does not have team members no longer displays an error message.

• Access to locations that have a Server Team assigned to it will no longer be accessible unless you are assigned as a part of that team.

• Guest Receipt and Log now correctly display the same reference number for a voided payment before finalization. 

• Server Team DSR filter prints correctly. 

• Server Team number displays as filtered on the DSR via the Order Entry application.  

• Area/Location filter in the DSR now displays properly. 

• Spinning loading wheel on the application no longer occurs when your Job doesn't have permission to override schedules and you attempt this action. 

• When tapping "End Rest" for Meal Breaks, it functions properly and no longer displays an alert message about the user being already clocked in.

• Server Time Cards display correct configured pay periods, be it one week or two week periods. 

• When creating Server Teams, all Order Entry applications receive updated Server Team information. 

• Payroll Report calculates the total hours properly if User has no job rate. 

• When the Checks button is tapped in Location Manager it will no longer display Paid, Unpaid, and Parked sections at the top of the search. 

• Hourly Sales and Labor Report properly displays label as Total Net Sales. 

• Ordering a menu item set with 2 or 4 placements no longer causes the application to crash.

• Component pricing calculates correctly even when ordering different default components with differing prices.

• Users flagged to only log in with a mag card are no longer able to login via the keypad.

• Component price rounding is set to 2 decimal places

• Cashouts no longer display blank after tip adjustments are applied. 

• Inactive components will no longer print on kitchen chits. 

• Application no longer crashes during Guest Facing when a component category with no active components is tapped. 

• Gift Card details display properly on application and Gift Card details are only printed when swiped on the Magtek swipe while in the Card Inquiry section.

• Gross Sales and Net Sales properly print for the Cashout DSR. 

• Rewards screen no longer freezes when loyalty card is swiped on PAX device.

• Payment gateway no longer displays an error when a general refund is applied for an EMV transaction.

• Declare Tips accepts negative amounts and no longer displays an error message. 

• Numpad for Time Clock Adjustments are now properly aligned. 

• Tapping on user's time record tip adjustment no longer crashes the application.

• Multiple devices can attach to a location without being detached after tapping Send Now. 

• Users are properly clocked out at the end of the payroll day.

• Menu Item Categories display correctly when favorites is selected under Table Service. 
  
  
  

6. Related Documentation

All NorthStar Order Entry documentation and how-to guides are located in the links below:

• 4.6 App and Server - Technical release notes

• User Guides