QSR and KDS Troubleshooting Steps
Routing Schemes – Creating and Editing DataSets
Under Routing Scheme – mapping department id to an item type can be done by department id on item or TerminalId.
Using Pre-configured DataSets
Preconfigured DataSets are files for preconfigured routing schemes. These are generally .XML files featuring configurations for routing to specific terminal configurations. For example, a site set up with 2 Coffee Monitors and 1 Bagel monitor makes use of a preset that we have labelled "2Coffee1Bagel.zip".
Although this preset comes with many settings pre-configured, users may need to make additional adjustments to ensure it is working.
If routing does not appear to be occurring as expected, or settings have been changed and not easily reversible, it is possible to download and use default presets. If you do not have datasets downloaded, go to Dropbox, and download the corresponding DataSet.
This data set is essentially a template for Bagel and Coffee monitors, and comes with the IDs pre-configured.
For example, users may download 2Coffee1Bagel.zip . This will be your dataset if you are not creating new ones.
Opening Datasets
- Copy your dataset from the downloaded location.
- Navigate to C:\ProgramData\QSR Automations\ConnectServers\KitchenServer\Datasets.
- Extract the archive for the DataSet, and paste its contents in this directory.
- Next, open Kitchen Builder Pro.
- Upon startup, you will see a prompt to select an order set:
- Choose: Open an existing dataset.
- Select the dataset that was created and renamed earlier.
- Choose: Open an existing dataset.
- Click Continue. The datasets will be applied, and certain mappings will already be done.
To avoid potential confusion with selecting the incorrect DataSet in the future, users may opt to delete the default DataSets from the DataSets folder.
Choosing the wrong dataset may lead to overwriting the current mapping information on the terminal.
Routing Items
The dataset, while pre-configured, may still require additional manual adjustments to configure routing items properly.
This section will walk users through routing of all menu items.
Routing Categories
Routing Categories is used to configure item orders routing (i.e. Coffee items are assigned only to designated Coffee monitors).
This is necessary as sites typically make use of multiple monitors with specifically designated Menu Items. The most standard setups consist of one or more Coffee monitors and a Bagel monitor.
Routing scheme mapping department id to an item type can be done by department id on item (by Item), or TerminalId (by Terminal).
In other words, routing can be accomplished either by the Menu Item that is being ordered, or based on the purpose of the POS Terminal.
Routing from POS Terminals
Context:
- Typically, an item needs to be routed from one terminal to another;
- The purpose of this routing is that you do not want the order to show up on both screens, but rather, route to the correct, specific screen; routed to one of two machines
- This is accomplished by routing the item by Terminal ID.
- The bagel monitor is typically only one station at a restaurant (as opposed to coffee stations, which are two or more stations). Terminals are not routed specifically to the bagel monitor.
- As for coffee monitors, we want items to only show up on one of two coffee monitors; you must specifically set this to show up to Device 1 or 2.
Control Point Diagnostics Tool
The diagnostics tool feature allows us to troubleshoot issues with Bump Bars and their inputs.
In this screen, two tabs exist: Basic and Bump Bar.
Basic Tab
In this tab, users may diagnose if Bump Bar buttons are functioning as expected. It also provides the following information:
- Hovering over each button indicates whether or not it was ever used.
- It also states the associated mapping of the button presses.
- "Bump Bar Actions" will state a full history of all button presses performed on the Bump Bar.
Bump Bar Tab
Users can Check the Bump Bar screen to review mappings, and verify if the Bump Bar has been associated with the corresponding QSR device.
Select the buttons on the left side (the Operations section) to check various fields.
RDS Console Diagnostics
RDS details pending – Should cover:
- Where to see bump bar and screen status
- How to bump a transaction from the server
<tbd>
Change Colors and Headers
Colors, Headers, Footers, and other kitchen display elements can be configured
Routing Categories
Routing Categories is used to configure item orders routing (i.e. Coffee items are assigned only to designated Coffee monitors).
This is accomplished using ConnectSmart Kitchen Builder Pro, through use of Routing Categories functions.
The left pane will display the routing settings.
- Navigate to Routing Categories (8th option under Kitchen Settings).
- Add Routing Categories will appear. For example, users may set a routing category to "Coffee" to indicate that it is being routed to one of multiple potential coffee monitors.
- Set the ID to 2.
- In Category Value, choose either TERMINAL or DEPARTMENT NUMBER. Then rename the routing category to Bagels.
- Department Number should likewise be set to 2.
- The "Show Advanced" option can be used to configure additional Category Values.
- You can add "Bagels", then you can set Terminal ID to 2, which creates more subcategories. We want to put them all into one category, optimally, so that it does not cause confusion.
- Next, go through the advanced method of routing by routing terminals one to the next.
- In the Scheme Name section, select Routing Categories.
- Any items that have that, that are coming from a specific terminal, will be routed in there.
- Routing categories are used to direct specific items to specific screens.
- You will be using the Department ID from this screen to enter into BackOffice.
- Click Apply.
- Click Okay.
- Navigate to Routing Schemes. This is where you will set the items to assign to the selecting routing categories to a particular routing scheme.
- Change the Scheme name. In this example, we create the "Bagels" scheme.
- In this case, we want to select the routing category that we created previously, "Bagels". Select the Category and press the right green arrow to move Bagels from the "Available" pane to the "Selected" pane.
- Once you have completed, click Apply.
- Click OK.
- Navigate to the Activity Levels tab.
This is where you will create your screen for the Xceed and eXpert devices.
The templates that you are not using should be removed from the Kitchen Stations tab to avoid confusion when setting it up in the future.
Accidentally using the wrong template and syncing up can potentially overwrite existing settings on a live monitor.
- Open the first keypad.
- The way the OrderReady screen works is that there are two columns. One for the order while it is being made, and one for when the order is ready for pick-up.
- On the bump bar, the top row is always for the waiting orders, and the bottom bar is always for the bumping of orders from the top bar.
- All settings pertaining to the bump bar can be adjusted on this screen.
- Click Apply.
- Click Save.
- Open the first keypad.
Chef Screen
Navigate to the Chef Screen.
- Set the Station ID to match the ID that you previously created.
- Double click on the screen.
- You may name the screen sections here.
Under the Input Tab, you will be assigning the top row of the keypad to manage customer waiting orders.
- Under Station 1: Virtual Keypads, select Waiting Orders.
- Under the Routing tab, if you have different routings, you will select the appropriate routing for this screen.
- Under the Bumping tab, you are going to select the screen that you are bumping the orders to.
- The Bump From and Bump To Screen:
- You must have two screens checked off in this case, Order Ready on Customer Screen, and Order Ready on Chef Screen. This indicates that when a Chef is bumping an item off the Chef Screen, it appears in the Order Ready section of the Customer Screen.
- Click OK.
- Double-click in the bottom section of the screen now.
- Under the Input Tab, you will assign the Bottom Row of the Keypad to the Customer Order Ready screen.
- Under the Routing tab, you won’t have anything checked off here, because you don’t want things to appear in this section unless they have already been bumped.
- Under the Bumping tab, you are going to make sure under Bump From: Customer Order Ready, and Bump To: no selection.
- Click Done.
- Click Apply.
- Click Ok.
Organize the Order Ready Screen
This section covers editing and arranging the Order Ready Screen.
This screen works the same way.
- Double-click the desired side.
- Under the Routing tab, click the default routing scheme.
- Under the Bumping tab, everything should appear empty.
You will now have to send these changes to the screens themselves.
- Click Tools.
- Select Copy Current to Runtime.
- Click OK.
- Restart both your servers in the Services app.
- Hit Refresh.
Visual Editing with View Settings
Grid Header Templates – Rearrange Layout of QSR Screen
Users may arrange layouts of parameters on the QSR screen using the Grid Header Templates module.
Although these visuals are typically determined by the site. To do this in Kitchen Builder Pro:
- Go to "Grid Header Templates" from the left side, under View Settings.
- The corresponding window appears. Choose the Template to edit from the tree on the left (e.g. select Quick Service Template).
- To add parameters to the screen, select the parameter, select a column/row representing the screen, and add them in using the green arrow icons.
- Typical fields that may be rearranged include the Terminal Number and Transaction Number.
- If the resolution of the device's window is not wide enough, drag the Grid Header Templates window
Destinations
Destinations allow for assignment of items of "Destination IDs" to Sale Types. Sale Types are configured in the Volanté BackOffice.
To access this screen in ConnectSmart Kitchen Builder Pro:
- Under the Transaction Manager section, select Destinations.
- The Destinations screen will open.
- Set up the Destinations and their associated IDs
Sale Type
- Destinations are mapped to set numbered IDs. Destinations need to match the IDs listed.
- For example, in the list above, "DRIVTHRU" ID is 5.
- The Destination matches under Sales Type under General Setup > Sale Type. ID must match.
- In the example, we go to General Setup > General Settings.
- Check the Sale Type IDs.
- On the POS, we then add the "Sale Type" on the POS.
Editing Visuals – Colors and Images
View Settings
The View Settings options are all aesthetics.
Change Colors – GRDS Color Schemes
In ConnectSmart Kitchen Builder Pro, users may make use of the GRDS Color Schemes feature to adjust colors and other aesthetic touches (including background graphics).
- Go to Kitchen Builder Pro
- In live production environments
- Do not pick the default layout normally; you will want to pick the site-specific one
- IF you choose the wrong run time/environment, your screens will change to whatever the selected default was.
- To revert it back, reopen
Change Background of the QSR Screen to an Image
Many client kitchen displays make use of a simple color layout. However, it is possible to change background graphics on the kitchen display screens.
To change the background of a QSR layout to an image instead of a color:
- Navigate to GDRDs Color Schemes > Styles
- Select Image. Choose an image file from the device's local directory (will need to be copied to the machine, i.e. via file sharing/Teamviewer copying).
GRDS Video Settings
Users may configure the screen in this section.
- General: Configure standard settings for the selected monitor. We are typically to leave most of the General Settings fields, but we may adjust the Display Settings (colors and text labels if appropriate) and number of columns and rows.
- Input: Assign Virtual Keypads (VKP) and Touch Panels to a monitor, based on the Station and Activity Level.
- Routing: Configure Routing Scheme setup by checking off the appropriate Routing box.
- Bumping: Set up bumping behavior, i.e. how items Bump To Views and Bump From Views.
- Allows configuration of bumping items from one screen to another.
- Designate monitors that will be bumped to and from.
- Can be used with Order Ready – allow for pushing of, say, soups, from one screen to the next.
- Printing: Configure printing to specific printers in this section.
- Currently unused by most sites. Some sites, such as Rogers and Amway Grand use it, but that is the exception.
- Advanced: Not used. Recipes are not used by our sites.
Configurations Completed
Once these are configurations are completed, save the configurations under > Tools > Copy Current Runtime.
- In your OS, return to Services.
- Start the Service to QSR ConnectSmart Kitchen Server.
- Every change made must restart the Kitchen Server Service to commit the changes.
- Now restart the devices.
Activity Levels
Once you have all your routings and everything is set, go to Activity Levels (next to Kitchen tab, at the upper left).
This section consists of:
- Activity Level Settings
- Virtual Keypads
- Kitchen Station
- Printer Stations
Button Layouts – Virtual Keypads
Reassign Keypad Mappings
To reassign Keypad mappings on the Bump Bar for each respective device, users can make use of the Virtual keypad feature.
- In ConnectSmart Kitchen Builder Pro, open the Activity Levels tab in the upper-left corner (instead of the Kitchen tab).
- Choose to edit or add an existing Virtual Keypad.
- Selecting an existing Keypad, and drag and drop items from the Action pane at the bottom of the window to the Bump Bar arrangement at the top.
Change Keypads on ePics
To change the keypads for ePics:
- Navigate to Virtual Keypads > Show Keypad Displays
- Add buttons from the Actions tab at the very bottom of the screen.
Building a Coffee Monitor Scheme
Open the GRDS Video Station Builder.
- Under General Tab – Make a change to the color scheme under Display Settings.
- Keep the header at the top, as it is typically used for displaying Menu Items.
- We can customize the number of columns and rows depending on the clients' needs.
Common QSR Troubleshooting Issues
What does "Network Inactive" actually mean for QSR devices?
This message means that a QSR Server is down.
Troubleshooting Duplicate IP Issues – "What happens if you have a duplicate IP with an xCeed?"
Upon restarting, and booting up, you will be notified on the monitor that another device may have the same IP address.
In addition, duplicate IP devices will keep flashing "Disconnect" on the ControlPoint screen.
To resolve this, change the IP in the Network Settings, then in the XML file.
Client says "items are showing up on the wrong screen".
This is possibly a routing issue. Users may be advised to change how the schemes are being routed, or how the screens are routed, if needed.
Ideally, we are to fix the template ourselves, instead of re-importing the previous one. This also allows us to understand what the actual issue may be instead of merely resetting the configuration.
For more details on adjusting routing using presets, see the section above on Pre-Selected DataSets.
Troubleshooting Tools
ControlPoint Client
This feature is a Screen Capture function for monitoring the QSR/KDS. It effectively allows users to view the screen for troubleshooting purposes.
To access this function, click the ControlPoint Client (screen monitor icon); this lets you see what's on their screen.
Note that, while this is a Screen Capture, and shows the state of the screen, this is necessarily a real-time view.
As such, xCeed and eXpert devices have VNC provided and built-in so that you can remote in for them as well to check the client in real-time.
Reviewing a Screen Capture of the terminal.
Orders not showing up or going to screen?
Open Service. Check if the corresponding QSR services are running or not.
- If services are actually running, open Control Point.
- ControlPoint should show if a particular station is offline; this is indicated by the Event/Logs box at the bottom of this screen (highlighted in red below).
- Check that devices are still connected. If not, perform the above troubleshooting steps on the corresponding terminals instead.
Additional Notes
Install Files for KDS
https://www.dropbox.com/sh/8e3lpi3pkc8hiqo/AADGOZxB-Ml3YAy2DyVJx8OBa?dl=0
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