A Chef is only as good as his sharpest knife. A simple idiom that says skill without effective tools is wasted potential. In today’s kitchen, a knife is one among many tools available to the chef. A chef is dependent on the front-end staff like the servers and expeditors to give customers the best Guest Experience.

Here’s where IT comes in - the introduction of a simple Kitchen Display System acts as a mediator between the front-end and back-end staff, thus greatly improving the efficiency of your restaurant. Their most essential feature is to display information to the chef based on preparation requirements in a timely manner.

KDS is essentially a set of display monitors positioned at multiple points in the kitchen. They are integrated with the POS software in order to display the orders that have been placed on the POS system. Explore the many ways in which a KDS integration can help optimize your kitchen environment.

Communicate Effectively in Real-time

The KDS keeps track of all dishes being prepared, displaying specific information about the dish on the screen. The orders are automatically sent to different kitchen stations at relevant timing so that the chefs can see the ingredients needed to prepare the dish on their display systems. Also, the waiter can see the time required for the said dish to be prepared on their POS systems.

With a steady and uniform stream of information exchange between the front end and back end, both sides can work together without any friction or huddles. This holistic approach allows your staff to co-ordinate efficiently without exchanging a word.

Experience True Accuracy with Digitization

Every time an order goes missing, the ticket printer gets low on toner or the order is misread, it’s costing you money. Let’s face it, paper is far too unreliable to be dependent on while running a restaurant. A KDS system integrated with POS software completely digitizes the ticketing process, making the paper system obsolete.

Orders placed on the POS are instantly displaced on the KDS, ensuring that whatever is inputted is exactly what the chefs will cook. The waiting staff can add in customer instructions in Real-time so the chef can adjust the dish accordingly. This smooth back and forth flow of information ensures that speed of service is maintained throughout.

Take Inventory Management to the Next Step

A POS integrated KDS system automatically keeps track of order volume and inventory levels. One of its functions is to alert you when inventory starts falling below the safe level, ensuring that your kitchen has all the necessary items and ingredients.

The waiting staff can also use this information to remove items from the menu with respect to ingredient availability thus enabling them to plan ahead and increase efficiency and speed. Make the entire process of menu, to kitchen, to table swift and sweet.

Gain Deeper Insight with Data Analysis

While KDS makes the running of operations smooth, they also make managing one easier. It is capable of giving your in-depth reports of the kitchen operations from average time taken to fulfill orders to resource usage, by using data such as average cooking time, real time speed of service, resource tracking, etc.

KDS is not just a boon to your staff but to you as well, since it adds another layer of visibility into your business. Using essential information such as this, you can address key problem areas and increase restaurant productivity.

The Sharpest Knife – A Kitchen Display System

You would be horrified to find that according to the Consumer Reports National Research Center, 62% of customer complaints are for a wrong meal brought to them whereas 51% are for slow service. All these problems arise when there is a lack of a cohesive system that binds the chefs, servers and expeditors together. A KDS can help with that.