What's New - NorthStar 4.7a

Release: 4.7a

This document summarizes the major new features and improvements in the NorthStar 4.7a release and serves as a quick reference to these new items. For more complete information, please refer to the ticket number shown.*

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New Features and Improvements

Issue No.	Summary	Configuration	Operation
Adjustments
OE-10849	Add Memo on Adjustments Adjustment reasons can be configured to allow or require a memo to be added when an adjustment is applied. Memo can be edited.	ECM > Financial > Adjustment Reasons Select an adjustment reason Click the Memo dropdown to select the desired memo option: None - Memo cannot be added Optional - Memo can be added; not required Required - Memo is required to be added	Scenario 1: Memo is required for adjustment reason Order an item; tap the icon On the flyout menu, tap Adjust On the Adjustments page, tap a reason that requires a memo The Memo window will display with a keyboard for entry Cancel will dismiss window; Clear will clear entry in textbox Save is enabled when text is entered Scenario 2: Memo is optional for adjustment reason On the Adjustments page, tap a reason where a memo is optional To display the memo pop-up, tap the item, tap the red icon before the comp reason Add memo will be revealed Tap Add memo The Memo window will display with a keyboard for entry Edit existing memo on adjustment On Adjustments page, tap the menu item; comp will display in Applied Adjustments panel Tap the red icon before the comp reason Edit memo will be revealed Tap Edit memo to display the memo window and edit the memo
Advance Orders
OE-11301	App: Advance Orders check search - set date range to 30 days by default. Changes current default setting on Advance Orders Search from 1 day to 30 days (Note that day 1 is tomorrow. To search advance orders for the current day, tap Take-out Orders on Location Menu)	N/A	From Location Menu, tap Advance Orders Date range will default to 30 days (day 1 is tomorrow)
ECM Admin/Configuration
OE-11221	Set Adjustments by Menu Item Category Make an entire menu item category eligible for specific adjustments	ECM > Financial > Adjustment Reasons Select menu item categories eligible for the adjustment reason	Adjustment reasons for selected menu item category are available for menu items within that category.
Item Quantity Countdown
OE-10078	Item Quantity Countdown When an item is low on stock, the quantity available can be entered in Menu Manager. Quantity is shown on the app. As items are sold, the quantity will decrement accordingly until the item is no longer available and cannot be ordered. (Quantity does not increase for sent items that are voided or refunded.)	ECM > Users > Jobs Select permission: Can 86 an item, component or serving option from the menu	Set quantity remaining: Tap Menu Manager (Cashier Menu) Tap relevant menu to display items in menu Note: Tap the right-facing caret to go to the components screen Tap in the field next to the relevant menu item Enter the quantity remaining of the item Tap Publish Changes Note: Use the Show Unavailable Items toggle to show or not show Items that are out of stock/depleted; if shown, they will appear disabled/grayed out The quantity is shown on the menu item on the Ordering Menu As items are sold, the quantity will decrement on both the Ordering Menu and the Menu Manager References: /wiki/spaces/ED/pages/724926467
Meal Breaks
OE-9466	Start [break] button always enabled when Active breaks are available Staff can take breaks as needed any time after clocking in; not restricted to an established break time	N/A	When a user clocks in, the buttons for the available breaks are enabled.
Ordering/Check Mgmt
OE-10314	Components ordering: Show only added/removed components on expanded on-screen check and guest check Instead of showing all components of a menu item, only changes (components added/removed) will be shown.	Select setting on component category: ECM > Categories > Component Categories > edit a component category On edit page, select: Show only components added to or removed from menu item	Only components that have been added or removed will be shown on the check display and on the receipt. Example: With "Show all components ..." selected, the first image shows: Default component: Cheese 1 Added component: Cheese 4 w/priced SO The receipt will also show default and added components (removed components are not shown) With "Show only ... added ... removed ... " selected, the check display shows: First item: Cheese 1 - default component: not shown Cheese 4 - added component: shown Second item: Cheese 1 - removed component: shown Cheese 4 - added component: shown The receipt will only show components that are added or removed
Payment Processing
OE-11590	CC Pre-authorization to start a tab (External device)	Account feature toggle required: 4.7 Enhanced start tab ECM > Sites & Groups > Edit Site > Areas Tab > Add/Edit Area > Settings Select: Prompt for CC pre-authorization to start a tab ... Area > select location Select: CC Pre-Auth	The CC pre-authorization feature allows the site to pre-authorize a credit card on an external device when the guest starts a tab. At payment, the credit card information captured at pre-auth can be used without needing to swipe the guest's card again. Tap the location then tap Start Tab When the location opens, the CC Pre-Auth window pops up with instructions to swipe card Tap an external card reader icon When the device prompts, swipe the card on the reader and accept the pre-authorized amount (usually $2.00) When the pre-auth is accepted, the Guest Identifier window will open showing the last 4 digits of the card number Enter a guest identifier and tap Save; the guest's name is shown at the bottom of the check panel When the guest is ready to pay their tab, tap Payment On the Payment screen, tap Credit Card Tap Capture from Pre-auth The pre-authorized credit card will be applied toward payment
OE-12316	MPPG (FDMS) Using Bluetooth and PAX Devices MPPG (FDMS) can capture payment made using Bluetooth and PAX devices.	N/A	Process credit card payments for MPPG processor as usual using Bluetooth or PAX payment terminals
Printing/Kitchen
OE-11723	When check-level comp is applied, print guest check on Finalize Previously, when no payments were applied to a check (check was fully comped, discounted or voided), a guest check would not print after Finalize. This improvement is to print the check under these circumstances.	Adjustment reasons (comp, discount, void) are available Location is set to print after finalize	Order items Apply a void, fully comp or fully discount the check Apply Payment Tap Finalize Guest check prints with zero balance due
OE-11246	Time clock: User can designate the printer a POS device will use to print time chits By default, time chits print to the printer designated in the Time Clock settings. This improvement provides the option to print to a different designated printer.	Currently, time chits are configured to print at a printer specified in the Time Clock setting: This improvement allows the user to designate the printer a POS device will use to print time chits. ECM > Sites > select site > Devices > edit device > Device Peripherals Select the printer the device will use to print time chits	To print to a designated printer: Configure the POS device to print to a designated printer (specific printer) Time chits (clock in/out records, time card or other) will print to the designated printer If the setting to print to a specific printer is not selected, the time chits will print to the printer designated in the Time Clock setting
OE-10801	Receipts: Shorten length of guest check	The length of the guest check can be reduced by not printing the child items in a combo; only the parent combo name will be printed. Account feature toggle required: Hide combo child items on receipt ECM setting: Sites > Receipts > Show combo child items Yes (default) = child items in combo will be printed No = child items in combo will not be printed, reducing the length of the receipt	Physical changes made: Reduced font sizes Reduced/eliminated blank spaces To reduce the length further, users have the option to hide combo child items. Only the parent combo name will be printed, further reducing the length of the receipt. Setting: Show combo child items Left: No Right: Yes (default)
Staff/UI Improvements
OE-8825	Combo by Seat Number When items are ordered that qualify for a combo, the combo can be built by seat number for speedier ordering	Seat numbers must be enabled for the site (these are existing settings, not new): Account feature toggle required**: 4.0 G1c Seat Numbers ECM: Sites General: Enable Seat Number Areas/General: Enable Seat Number	Order items that qualify for a combo; assign seat numbers to each item as they are ordered Tap Payment; the combos that the items qualify for are shown in a pop-up Tap the desired combo On the combo configuration screen page, tap Combo by seat Tap the seat number to be used to build the combo Alternate: Tap Select all to build combos for all seat numbers listed The items ordered for the selected seat number (S2, in the example) will be used to build the combo Tap Confirm Alternate Tap Select all to build the same combo for all seat numbers listed Items are combined Payment screen reflects combos by seat Reference: /wiki/spaces/ED/pages/716111968
OE-12035	Cashout button on Cashier Menu	Changes made: Job permission: Allow user to use Cashout button from cashier menu Button added to Cashier menu: Cash Out Staff Button enabled when user has permission selected Button is disabled (grayed out) when user does not have permission selected	Currently, staff can be cashed out from the user options drop-down in the top navigation bar of the location map. This improvement adds convenience by providing a button on the Cashier menu to cash out staff. User must have job permission set for button to be enabled. From Cashier menu, tap Cash Out Staff List of employees who are logged in and have sales for the day is shown Tap name of employee to cash out On Cash Out report, tap Finalize to finalize the cashout Tap Previous to view previous cashout reports
OE-12003	Session owner: Allow user to change ownership of location Currently, the session owner of a location can be changed from the location map. (Long press on location, tap Session Owner, tap new owner.) This improvement adds convenience by providing a button on the Cashier menu to change the session owner of a location to a different owner.	Button added to Cashier Menu: Session Owner	Tap Session Owner Tap a name from the Select Owner list, which displays all users for the site Tap Done to save change
OE-11995	Option to show/hide location numbers in Check Search after finalize and show/hide order types in check panel When the option is selected: Location numbers are shown for finalized checks in Check Search Order types are shown in the check panel for each item When the option is not selected: Location numbers are not shown for finalized checks in Check Search Order types are not shown in the check panel for each item	Account feature toggle required: Show location numbers in check search Site setting:** Site > Areas > edit area > General > Show location numbers in check search after session is finalized	Setting option: Show location number in check search after session is finalized When option is selected: Locations are shown for finalized checks in Check Search Order types are shown in the check panel for each item To change order type for a menu item, tap the for the menu item then tap Change Order Type When option is not selected: Locations are not shown for finalized checks in Check Search Order types are not shown in the check panel for each item In this example, Take-out item order type was changed to Take Out In the example above, Take-out item order type was changed to Take Out. Per the setting, order type does not display.
OE-11614	Components: Do not display "Add" or "Extra" signifier on added components When components are added to a menu item, simply show the added component without additional wording to indicate added items.	N/A	Example: Ordered menu item with default component "Cheese 1" Added Crust 1 and Sauce 1 Check simply shows components; doesn't indicate which were added to item
OE-10891	Counter service: Quick access to designated locations and order types (Alternate Locations) Designed for counter service use, this speed-of-service improvement allows counter service users to easily switch between locations to place orders. Instead of using the standard behavior to select locations from the location manager; this improvement allows a user to select locations from location icons on the Ordering Menu instead. Operationally, areas can also be configured to represent various delivery services (GrubHub, Door Dash, etc.) Note: This is the primary ticket for the quick location access feature. Related tickets follow that further enhance this feature: OE-11567 OE-11565	Account feature toggle required: 4.7 Area icons 4.7 Easy Access (Alternate Locations) ECM settings: Areas - Select an icon to represent each area to be used for quick-access locations List includes icons for various order types, including phone orders, web orders and delivery services (GrubHub, Door Dash, etc.) Location - Each location within the area can be configured as a different order type: NONE, Delivery, Dine-In, Takeout If NONE is specified, the POS terminal will display a choice of order types (Delivery, Dine In, Take Out) Devices - Specify the alternate locations the device can quickly connect to: ECM > Sites ... > edit site > Devices > edit device > Alternate Location Click Add Alternate Location Select the location to be used as the default location the terminal will default to when a user logs in or completes a transaction Select the other locations to be designated for quick access by using the location icons Click Save The Edit Device page will display the default and other selected locations; the display order can be changed using the up and down arrows Save all changes and deploy	When the user logs in or completes a transaction, their POS terminal defaults to the location configured in ECM. In this example, it's counter service. To switch locations, tap the location number (CS200 in the example); the list of alternate quick-access locations is shown The default location is designated with a (D) Tap a location in the list to attach to it Tap Go to ... to go to the location manager If the selected location has a Default Order Type of NONE, a choice of order types is displayed (Dine In, Take Out, Delivery) To select another location, tap one of the icons below the order types After selecting a location, transact the order as usual When the order is paid and finalized, the POS terminal will return to the default location (counter service, in this example)
OE-11567	Quick access to locations: Add Cancel on Ordering screen to return to alternate location selection Navigation improvement to allow user to easily return to the default location specified for the device by tapping Cancel. Also allows user to reset a session by tapping Cancel.	Configure alternate locations on device: ECM > Sites > edit site > Devices > edit device > Alternate Location	After attaching to a location, tap Cancel to clear the location Tap the location number above the check panel to show the list of alternate locations available Tap a different location or tap Go to ... to return to the location map
OE-11565	Quick access to locations: Specify display order of designated locations on Ordering Menu	Configure alternate locations on device: ECM > Sites > edit site > Devices > edit device > Alternate Location Save settings	Change the display order of the locations by clicking the up or down arrows on the right On the POS device, tap the location name (above the check panel) to display the list of alternate locations The alternate locations will be displayed on the POS device in the order set in ECM
OE-11400	Notify guest: Send SMS text message to guest when their order is ready for pickup Only available for Bematech KitchenGo allee kitchen display with Twilio cloud communications platform. Sites can enter a mobile number in the Order Entry guest ID window. When an order is sent from Order Entry to the KDS, Bematech notifies Twilio. When an order is bumped from the Bematech KDS (order is completed by the kitchen), Bematech notifies Twilio. Twilio sends an SMS text message to the guest according to its configuration. Twilio can be configured to send a message when the order is sent and/or when the order is bumped and ready for pickup.	Requirements: Bematech kitchen display Account with Twilio; text message is managed and sent by Twilio Enable text messaging: ECM > Areas > edit area > Settings > Select Guest Identifier Required Select Enable text messaging	Order items Tap below check panel to launch guest identifier window Guest Identifier window is displayed with mobile number field and keypad Enter guest name (optional) and 10-digit phone number Numeric entry only Error message will display if entry is less than 10 digits Tap Save Tap Send Now or Submit Order When items are sent to the kitchen, the XML file generated includes the mobile number When order is ready, Twilio will notify the customer via SMS text message
OE-11397	Menu Item Button Name Allows site to define the name of the button used on the Order Entry app. The name can be different from the kitchen name and the item name on the printed guest check. Button label only appears on staff-facing app UI.	Adds new field to: ECM > Products > Menu Items > select menu item > General New field: Button Label Default: If no name is entered in Button Label, the button will display the text from the Name field Edit: if button label text is edited and the change deployed, the button will display the new text Delete: If button label text is deleted, the button will display the text from the Name field Global/Site button labels A button label can be added to the menu item at the global concept level and a different button name can be added at the site level. The site-level button name will be shown on the POS device.	In staff-facing, the button on the Ordering Menu will display the name entered on the Button Label field. If the site-level button label is different, the site will display the site-level label:
OE-10919	Counter Service - Check Search: Use alternate locations feature to quickly find, sort and select open transactions	Account feature toggle required**: 4.7 Enhanced check search ECM setting: ECM > Site > edit site > Areas > edit area > Select Use Enhanced Search	After transactions have been entered for various areas, tap Check Search (Location Menu) Default: All checks are shown Tap Table Service location icon: Table service checks are shown Tap Counter Service location icon: Counter service checks are shown
OE-9448 OE-11938	Manage Tips: Add tips to multiple transactions To improve efficiency and speed of service, checks can be finalized and tips added later through a single Manage Tips screen. Manage Tips:Enhanced tip entry This ticket builds on OE-9448 to add the following enhancements: Add panes to show approved and declined tips Remove check from list of transactions after entering tip	To use this feature, the user must have the following job permissions enabled: ECM > Users > Jobs > edit job > Permissions tab Allow user to adjust tips on payments Allow user to view and edit tips on all transactions	Tap Manage Tips (Location Menu) to view a list of transactions that do not have a tip added (zero amount) Default: Show $0.00 tips only Tap the tip field for a transaction and use the keypad to enter the tip amount; tap OK to save entry Add other tips as needed If an amount is incorrect, tap Clear on the keypad Click Apply to apply the tip amounts Transactions will display in either the Success or Declined panes Turn toggle off to view all transactions, tipped and not tipped Turn toggle on to view all remaining non-tipped transactions
Time Clock
OE-12015	Users with open checks can clock out without first performing a cashout Job permission can be set to allow a job user to clock out without cashing out first. Any open checks will remain open when the user clocks out. Tip declaration rule must be set to "None" to use this feature.	ECM job permission required: Can clock out without cashout (user not required to cash out before clock out) Important To use this permission, the Tip Declaration Rule must be set to "None." If any other tip declaration rule is selected, a warning message will display: Cashout required for selected tip declaration rule. Cashout is required for this tip declaration rule. To use this selection, the job permission "Can clock out without cashout" must not be selected for this job.	Pre-condition: User has open checks Tap user name; tap Time Clock Time clock displays Tap Clock Out on time clock Declare Tips window will pop up; enter tips if desired; tap Confirm User is clocked out