Overview

This guide will provide you with details on how to modify your kitchen operations to accommodate scheduled orders sent to the kitchen remotely with OrderAhead. 

The 365Dining OrderAhead feature provides an opportunity for consumers to place orders with the operator's café remotely. This can be done via the 365Pay mobile app or the 365Pay site.

The system is ideal for a touchless system that allows consumers to order their food without requiring face-to-face interaction or physical interaction with an on-site point-of-sale device.

For information on the OrderAhead feature for the MM6 device, please see the MM6 - OrderAhead Operator Guide.

For information on the Staff view of these settings, please see the Order Ahead - KDS - Staff View article. 

Enabling OrderAhead

OrderAhead functionality requires the following devices:

• Meraki router
• Kitchen Display System (KDS)
• a ReadyTouch, MM6, and/or MM6 Mini device
• Optional: other desvices from the 365Dining platform

If you would like to make this available for your location, please reach out to your 365 Sales Representative at 888-365-7382 for more information and a quote.

Setting Up OrderAhead

There are various settings associated with OrderAhead throughout ADM. This section will cover the settings associated with the general order/consumer flow.

Required Settings

1. Log into ADM. 
   
   
2. Verify you have the correct organization selected in the upper right corner.
   
   
3. From the Location tab, select the desired location.
   
   
4. The Location Summary page will display. Select the Click here for location information and settings ( + ) button.
   
   
5. Scroll down and locate the OrderAhead Settings section. This should be on the right side of the screen. The fields are defined below.
    

Optional Settings

• Pmt Req at Time of Order - If Yes, the consumer pays at the time the order is placed (On by default)
• Show Dining Preferences - If Yes, the customers can choose between To-Go or Dine-In. You may also 
• Define Pickup Locations - If Yes, the consumer can choose their desired pick-up location. These locations can be displayed as text, or as text with images. Not available for mobile. 
  
  
• Mask Name/ Anonymous Order - If Yes, the customer name will not be displayed on their order. Only the order number will be visible on the KDS and Now Serving screens. 
• Send to Kitchen Prior to Pickup - determines the lead time for orders. For example, if this field was set to 15 minutes and the consumer selected a pick-up time of 12:30 pm, the order would display on the KDS for preparation at 12:15.
  • This setting is for the entire location. See the Setting Order Limits section for other settings. 
• Online Order Pickup Instructions - If there are any special instructions or mentions the consumer should know when picking up an order, place the text in this field

• Disclaimer Messaging -  used for disclaimers such as allergen information, announcements, or promotions

• Feedback Messaging - displays the Location's contact information

Geolocation

Geolocation for OrderAhead is already enabled and set up by 365. If you would like to change your  Geolocation settings, you may do so with the steps below. 

1. Log into ADM.
   
   
2. Select the desired location.
   
   
3. Select the blue Click here for location information and settings (+) to expand the location info section.
   
   
4. Verify the Address, Zip/Postal Code, City, State/Province, and Country fields.
   
   
5. Click the Generate button next to the Lat/Long field.
   
6. Click the Save button at the bottom of the page. The consumer will now see the location listing. 

Product Management

For a product to be added to a menu, the product must first be set up in the organization's Global Product database, as well as extended to the desired location(s) via ADM. The sub-sections in this section will go through individual product settings, setting the location's default print group, setting the location's product-level print group, and the upsell feature. After the desired products are added to the database and extended to the location(s), see the Menu Setup section of this guide to add the products to a cashier service or self-service menu. The mobile app and website will always use the Self-Service menu option. 

Adding Product to Location Database

Some settings can be configured at the individual product level, location level, or menu level. See ADM - Add, Edit, or Extend a Product for more information. 

Modifiers

A modifier allows customers to add additional items, such as a side or a topping for a product.  For more information, see ADM - ReadyTouch / 365Dining - Create and Link Modifiers.

Add Product Image

With OrderAhead, operators can add a product image to the product description on the 365Pay app. If no image is assigned to a product, only the product name with product details will display in the app.

1. Log into ADM.
   
   
2. Click the Products tab, then select Global Products.
   
   
3. Search for and select the desired product.
   
   
4. Click Show Image.
   
   
5. Click Change under Large Image, then Upload Image. You may also upload a Small Image in the same manner, if you would like to display a thumbnail version (not required). 
   
   
6. Click Save at the bottom of the page. Perform a sync by clicking the Location tab, selecting the desired location, then clicking the Update Prices & Full Sync button.

For more information on adding images in OrderAhead, please see 365Dining - ReadyTouch POS - Add Product Images.

Tax Settings

If you are using OrderAhead in addition to other services, you have multiple types of taxes that must be applied to your products. See ADM - Tax Mapping and Creating Tax Rates to see how unique tax settings may apply to your needs. 

Upsell

The upsell feature is available on the 365Pay OrderAhead app and RT devices. It can can be applied in two ways: as a Transaction Level Upsell, or a Product Level Upsell. 

Upsell images are available for Transaction Level Upsells on ReadyTouch, MM6 Dining, and MM6 Mini Dining. They are not available on mobile. 

Product Level Upsell

The Upsell section will only be visible in the Product Summary if the product is extended to at least one OrderAhead location within the organization. 

1. Log into ADM.
   
   
2. Click the Products tab, then select Global Products.
   
   
3. Search and select the product you'd like to add an upsell to.
   
   
4. Scroll down to the Upsell section within the Product Summary (below the Modifiers section).
   • If you have existing upsells on the product, you can add or delete products from the Upsell list. The add and the delete button will show to the right of the product drop-down. You can also rearrange the order of products in the upsell list simply by clicking the arrow icon in the Order column, dragging it, and dropping it in the desired order.
   • If you have not created an upsell for the product yet, the Upsell section will not have any tabs to start. Click the + to create your first Upsell and continue to the next step in this section.
   
5. Give your Upsell tab a name and click Create.
   
6. Your tab will be created. You will then see the Tab Name and Tab Display Name fields. The Tab Name is only visible within ADM and should be the name you just entered in the previous step. The Tab Display Name will be used in the 365Pay app/website as the title of the Upsell screen.
   
7. Click Create New Upsell to create your first Upsell under the tab. Enter the Name for this first Upsell section. This Name will be the first section for upsells that the consumer sees on the upsell screen below the screen title.
   
8. Add one or more product upsells to this first Upsell section. You can add as many upsell sections as needed under one singular tab. In this example, “Salty Snacks” and “Sweet Snacks” are the two Upsell sections with upsell products below each section.
   
9. You have as many upsells sections under a tab as desired OR you can create another tab (upsell screen) to create an upsell “flow” in the 365Pay app.
   

 

Consumer View

Below is how the screens would flow depending on the ADM settings:

In the example below, the consumer selected Cheese Cake Slice and Dasani Water 16.9 oz as from the Need a little extra? upsell list. Both were upsells associated with the Hamburger.

 

Below is an example of a kiosk upsell.

Location Default and Product Level Location Print Groups

When assigned to a product, a Print Group determines which KDS the item will display on and which printer it will print to when ordered. A Print Group can be set in three different places - a location's default print group at the location level, at the product level within Location Summary, and/or at the menu level.

• If there are menu-level print groups set for a particular product, the menu-level print groups will override the default location or product-level print group setting.
• If there are NO print groups set at the menu level for a particular product, the default location or product level print group setting will be used.
  • If NO menu level print group is set, but a default location AND product level print group are set - the product level print group will take precedence.

This section will cover setting the location's default print group, as well as setting the print group for a product at the location level. Menu Level Print Groups will cover setting the default print group for a product at the menu level.

1. Log into ADM.
   
   
2. Verify you are in the correct organization in the upper right corner.
   
   
3. From the Location tab, click the desired location name.
   
   
4. The Location Summary will load. Click the blue Click here for location information and settings ( + ) button.
   
   
5. Locate the Default Print Group field and select the desired print group you would like to be set as the default for the location as a whole. This will apply any time there is not a product-level print group set in Location Summary or any time there is not a menu-level print group set.
   • The print group options you see in the drop-down are initially set up on the back end by 365. If you do not see any print group options listed, please contact 365 Support for assistance with setting them up.
6. To set the location's default print group, save any changes you made, then run a full sync.
   

Unique Print Group Settings

1. If some products at your location require a unique print group, complete Steps 1-6 above, then scroll to the bottom of the Location Summary and select the Products tab.
   
   
2. Click into the Print Group field for the desired product and select the desired print group.
   
   
3. Save your changes and do a full sync.
   

Consolidate Like-Items on Kitchen Chits

You can consolidate like-items on kitchen chits for the print group. This groups and numbers identical items and prints them in one line. For example, 4 cheeseburgers with ketchup will appear on the chit as one line, reading as "(4) Cheeseburgers with ketchup".

This allows for quick and clear communication with your kitchen staff, and additionally saves on paper costs.

1. In ADM, in the Location and Settings section under Default Print Groups, select Consolidate Like-Items on Chit.
   • When set to Yes, this will consolidate items 
   • When set to No, each item will print separately an individual line item

Menu Settings

If you have OrderAhead enabled, you will have additional features you can use to customize your setup and the consumer's flow. This section will cover the OrderAhead-specific menu settings. For other menu settings, see ADM - Setting Up Menus / Item Buttons

Hide Product on Zero Inventory

The Hide Product On Zero Inventory setting prevents a customer from ordering an out-of-stock item. It does this by making products invisible to the customer if their inventory is zero or below. Hide Product on Zero Inventory can also be applied to product modifiers.

This setting has to be enabled by 365. Once enabled, all products are hidden by default when inventory reaches zero. The setting can be adjusted for each product at each location. If a product in a customer's cart has been sold out before they have had a chance to purchase it, an error message will display, saying "One or more of your cart items are sold out. Please remove them to checkout."

If this setting is not enabled for a product, customers can still view and purchase the item, even if it is sold out. 

To enable this setting: 

1. Log into ADM. Verify your organization selection in the upper right corner.
   
   
2. From the Location tab, select the desired location.
   
   
3. The Location Summary page will display. Scroll to the bottom of the page, where you will see a series of tabs (these are below the Save and Sync buttons). Select the Products tab from these, as shown in the screenshot. 
   
   
   
4. In the Products tab within the Location Summary, locate the Hide Zero Inventory column. It is set to Yes by default. To adjust, simply click into the field and select Yes from the drop-down menu. If the setting has not been enabled by 365 yet, you will not be able to adjust this field.
   • If you are unable to see the column, it is likely hidden. Select Manage Columns to see the full list of columns available on the Column Chooser. The Hide Zero Inventory option is near the bottom of this list.
     
     
     
5. When finished with your changes, select Save, then Update Prices & Full Sync.
   

Add New Products to Menu

For Dining/OrderAhead, there is no limit to how many buttons can be created. For all of our other devices, you can fit a total of 10 buttons on the kiosk screen (either Item buttons, Menu buttons, or a combination of both). You can also add a total of 12 individual items on each Menu button.

Self Service

This would be used in a 365Dining environment. Used to display menu/product buttons on a ReadyTouch device when it is in Self Service mode. This is also the service that controls the menus/products displayed on the 365Pay app/mymarketaccount.net for OrderAhead. All items within a Self Service menu for a location will default to showing on the OrderAhead menu for consumers unless you exclude the item from OrderAhead or hide the entire menu for OrderAhead.

In an environment where this is used, the consumer would place their order on either the ReadyTouch device on-site or, if using OrderAhead, on the 365Pay app/mymarketaccount.net.

Setting Order Limits

After you have created a menu, you will see the option to set Order Limits for each day. Setting order limits allows you to control how many orders can be submitted to your kitchen for each pick-up time. If all spots for a given time period are full, consumers will not be able to select that time frame for pickup.

1. Click the Menu tab, then select Self-Service from the drop-down menu.
   
   
2. Next to the desired menu, click Set Limits (in the Order Limits column).
   (If you are already in the specific menu, simply click the blue Set Order Limits button in the top right.)
   
   
3. You will see the Order Limits separated by day and pickup location. The pickup location name will be displayed in blue text above the Max Orders and Additional Lead Time fields. The days will be displayed in black text on the right side of the screen. For each day you will see the following fields:
   1. Start Time and End Time: These are the time frames that the order limits will be in place.
   2. Timeslots: These are the time intervals between each pick-up time that consumers can choose.
   3. Max Orders (totals): The total amount of orders that can be taken for a pick up location during a certain time frame, calculated using the max orders, lead time, and additional lead time set.
   4. Max Orders: This is used to define the amount of orders that can be taken for each timeslot interval. Consumers will not able to choose timeslots that have already received their max order limit.
   5. Additional Lead Time: Additional Lead Time can be set for a specific menu by pickup location. Assuming the OrderAhead Settings under the Location Summary for Send to Kitchen Prior to Pickup is set to 15 (minute lead time), the first available pickup time will be 15+ minutes later than actual ordering time depending on timeslots and additional lead time for the pick up location selected. 
      
      Example: If a consumer chooses a 2:00PM pickup time slot for The Main Cafe location on Monday on the app, the lead time is 15 minutes, and the additional lead time is set to 15 minutes, then there would be a minimum total of 30 minutes lead time. This means that the orders for that timeslot would be sent to the kitchen for preparation at 1:30PM.
      
4. Click Save.

"All" Menu Button

When creating menus, products typically are placed into various categories such as Sandwiches, Sides, Beverages. However, we offer the ability to display all menu items in one singular tab on the consumer end. The All menu button allows you to show all your menu items in one place on the mobile app or on mymarketaccount.net. If a customer taps on that button they will then see all the items to choose from without having to go category by category.

1. Log into ADM.
   
   
2. Click the Menu tab, then click Self Service.
   
   
3. Select the desired menu.
   
   
4. Verify Show is selected for 'All' Menu Button. If Hide is selected, consumers will not see the All button in the app or on the website.
   
   
5. If you would like to rename the button, hover the option on the menu page and click Edit. Rename the button and click Done.
   
   
6. If you would like to change the order of the menu categories, you can simply drag and drop them into the desired order (see Editing Products in the Menu).
   
7. If any changes were made, click Save. Then go to the Location Summary and run a full sync.

Excluding Specific Items From Your Menu

This feature will give you the ability to hide a particular product from the OrderAhead menu, Kiosk menu, or both. This means that the item would not be available for purchase on the mobile app/website or ReadyTouch device depending on the selections made.

1. Log into ADM.
   
   
2. Click the Menu tab, then click Self Service.
   
   
3. Select the desired menu.
   
   
4. Click Expand All in the menu category of your choice. You will see Exclude from Menu with checkboxes next to Kiosk and OrderAhead. The item will be hidden from the menu depending on the selection made.
   
   
5. If any changes are made, click Save. Then go to the Location Summary and run a full sync.
   

Show/Hide Entire Menu for OrderAhead

By default, Self Service menus are shown for OrderAhead (on the mobile app and website). This feature will give you the ability to hide an entire menu from the OrderAhead menu. This means that menu would not display on the mobile app/website. The setting can be toggled on or off as needed.

1. Log into ADM.
   
   
2. Click the Menu tab, then click Self Service.
   
   
3. Select the desired menu.
   
   
4. Locate the Include in OrderAhead setting. If the white circle is closest to the Include in OrderAhead text, the menu is shown for OrderAhead. If the white circle is further from the Include in OrderAhead text, the menu is hidden for OrderAhead.
   
5. Click Save.

Schedule KDS Reboot

Standard maintenance of the KDS should involve periodic reboots, which can improve long term function of the device. Learn how to schedule these reboots via the 365 Dining - ADM - KDS Scheduled Reboot article.