Micros Touchscreen Designer 1

[MZ117]

System: Micros 3700
Version: 4.9.4.3103

I'm hoping someone can answer this question, and I'm going to try to explain as simple as possible! Trying to update the Food Screen (main screen where you have options like Beverages/Entrees/Appetizers/Liquor/etc.) and I want to have the receipt show on the same screen. <u>I know I can do that by going to "Touchscreens" and changing "Template" from TableObject to Detail2...</u>

My question/issue is this... All of the templates take up too much space and I want to have buttons under where the receipt would be (like a next seat/clear last/etc)... Is there a way I can insert a button under TouchScreen Designer using the TableObject template and specify a specific size for the receipt using categories/functions as opposed to a specific layout?

There must be some way to do this because a Google Image search shows SEVERAL designs where the receipt is only in say the top-left corner of the screen and the bottom 75% of the screen has server buttons, so there has to be a way to resize the actual size of the receipt somewhere....​

Any help would be much appreciated!

THANKS!

 

[Moregelen]

You can actually customize the themes too; we have a 'aloha like' theme floating around I think; I personally didn't like it because it was very bubbly and used a lot of primary colors... it did demonstrate though that it is very possible to change the background color. When I get into the office tomorrow I can flip through some of the themes our other branch office uses and link some screenshots so you can see if one of them is good for you.

As to that other one, you can do that through custom templates. You create touchscreen areas (the one I usually use has 3). All you would do is create a small touchscreen area below the check detail. As you can see in this image, you can create touchscreen zones below the checkdetail. To match that screen above, you would just move the check detail on the right hand side, and then make the touchscreen zone below it one button row smaller. Viola.

https://docs.google.com/file/d/0BzaFTAvm6SWoMk03aGFYSExuTDg/

That second point is one that, having worked at a quick service restaurant while in school, I would actually hate. I loved that the buttons never moved from where they are; I could literally keep eye contact with the customer while ringing in items because things never moved. In general I think servers hate when buttons move around, but I suppose that sorting could make sense. I'm OCD so it would bother me, but *shrugs* Something worth considering. It wouldn't be that hard too terribly difficult to add a step in the end of night that resorts based on item sales; unless your buttons are hard-coded. If they aren't, the script would just have to rank the items and then assign them the SLU Priority according to their rank.

 

[Moregelen]

I have my dyslexic moments.. you would move the check detail onto the left hand side and then modify the area to be two rows shorter. But I will assume you understood what I meant.

 

[MZ117]

You know, its interesting you said that. We're actually full service, but the templates we use on Aloha are mainly QuickService based. Don't know why, but it seems to work for us better. (Of course, you pick the table before the food order...)

That's the other big thing with Aloha, the table manager and ATO (Aloha Take Out) seem much more advanced than Micros'... But then, I love micros' KDS and back end customization...

If you could send that template, it'd be great!

 

[Moregelen]

The one in the image is standard; 203 Check Deatil U 2.
The area under the check detail is touchscreen area two.

I've never really had the chance to play with Aloha, so I don't really know much about it. The biggest thing we get complaints about are that people like the way Aloha doesn't require you to close credit cards as you go... granted, they like it until they lose the credit card slip and can't remember what tip they were left and get a charge back when they guess

As to the Take Out, I'm not sure what you mean. What does Aloha do for take out that Micros doesn't?

This is taken from a server still being staged in our office; its a bit crazy because they are doing Pizza Builder, Table Management, Fire Timing, etc. Our salesperson showed him the demo system that has EVERYTHING and offered it for either hours of programming time.. joy

https://docs.google.com/file/d/0BzaFTAvm6SWoRmZBamFrZUd6MUU

 

[MZ117]

lol! ATO is an optional module (literally a separate program from their interface) but you can do future orders/catering/parties, similar to GSS but much more advanced. Automatically gets caller id and saves the customer, has a very advanced pizza module (we sell lots of pizzas and do lots of to go's and catering) so to me ATO is literally one of the key selling points versus Micros. Aloha also can do pop up messages for servers (daily specials/sell more shrimp apps/etc.) and Micros Corp told me there's no way to do a pop up on login daily with their system.

Again though, if I was comparing to other restaurant owners (which I have repeatedly) I would say this: Micros is much more customizable (especially reports) and has a much better backend and kitchen system, but Aloha is much more "clean cut" and has a much better front end interface and very easy for servers to pick and seems to be faster, in my opinion. As far as back end though, Micros wins that 1000 to 1. But, once the system is configured, that's not too much of a big deal.

 

[MZ117]

And the U2 template isn't bad, but the resolution (even though its 800x600) is bigger (button wise) than the other template.

 

[Moregelen]

Pizza builder sounds like what you're doing with Aloha. It's pretty impressive.

Also, Micros corp gives you answers based on the idea that sims don't work. We do popup messages through a sim as part of the standard image. Very easy. If you want I can upload the sim for you and explain how it works.

Micros does have something that can do caller ID I believe but by the sound of it I think it is untrustworthy; so I'm betting Aloha wins outright there.

Also you can change the size of any of the buttons.

 

[Moregelen]

I'll have to make a video showing the pizza builder on our demo system; I can't find any on the net. I'll do it tomorrow that way you can at least see what Micros would do in terms of Pizza for you. They have other 'builder' modules as well.

 

[MZ117]

I know you can change the buttons, but for some reason (again maybe our display) if the button is "4 squares" (using the touchscreen designer) it looks double the size on RES (ws5a) even if they are both 800 x 600. I can't figure it out either lol but that's not a major issue, so it's all okay!

If you have a popup message, that would be great. AND... I have one other MAJOR feature that I have asked on the forums (a while back)....

Force Declare CASH Tips when Server Requests a Server Report​

[li]Yes, you can force the server to declare tips on clock out, however the payroll company we use doesn't have an interface for Micros so we have another small touchscreen (iPad) for clocking in/out in the kitchen. Our issue is making a popup to declare CASH tips BEFORE they get their server report to print.[/li]

Everyone I have asked said the only way to force the prompt is during clock out, but since they don't clock in/out, that prompt doesn't exist...

 

[MZ117]

Wow, thanks! Much more helpful than the corporate folks!

 

[Moregelen]

So I clocked in and then took a screenshot:

https://docs.google.com/file/d/0BzaFTAvm6SWoSUdkb0dfMENmMm8/

The SIM itself:

https://docs.google.com/file/d/0BzaFTAvm6SWoQ3NVMWpNT0FsbkU/

How to configure the information screens:

https://docs.google.com/file/d/0BzaFTAvm6SWoMWg3MUNUWmprMWc/

Where in the SIM to configure which screens to use:

https://docs.google.com/file/d/0BzaFTAvm6SWoNC0xV0NDZkxDWDg/

Yush.. you could do force declare tips before printing the employee checkout report. I'm assuming you do your employee check outs in this sequence:

- Employee Pressing Checkout Key
- Key triggers auto-sequence
- Auto-sequence checks for open checks
- No open check? Print 40 col report
- Increment shift

All you would have to do is make the button a SIM that checks if cash tips have been declared; no? Ask them for it. Yes? Continue on and press the auto-sequence button for them!

 

[Moregelen]

Oh. That SIM? Inquiry one is basically a way to give the server a button that says 'Print Specials'. Quite handy.

 

[MZ117]

That is beyond helpful. THANK YOU! I'll prolly configure that tonight.

Do you have a quick way to call the force tip out on auto-sequence? I'm familiar with SIMs, but I don't know how to program them...

 

[Moregelen]

Not really @ the just adding a step to the auto-sequence; I'm fairly certain it would involve at least one database query. Thankfully, I legitimately enjoy that kind of malarkey, so I'll take a look at what I can figure out

I enjoy screwing around writing SIMs, haha. I'd link you the google drive folder with all of my SIMs in it (I've only actually written 13 so far, but its a start), but some of them are experimental and only I really know which ones; I didn't mark them. Lol.

 

[MZ117]

lol Well, thanks! The info notice and the force CASH tip declaration are the two biggest issues I have had with Micros (and changing background color, which is possible somehow because I've seen other restaurants have yellow/white/graphics/etc). If you could help with the Force CASH TIP declared before server print out, that would be great.

Would it actually call the same command it does on clock out (so if it is like 21 cents and like 2.5% or whatever it gives an error and requires a manager) [its a setting inside Micros]?

 

[Moregelen]

I'm not sure if it would still enforce it if it wasn't done via the clock out..

Basically in SIM writing, you can throw in some logic, and then push buttons using macros based on that logic (you can only do the button pushing one time per event, though you can chain a lot of button pushes together).

So for example I believe the button we'd be looking for if they have no tips delcared is 655368. So we would push this button for them before allowing them to continue; this would then bring up the declare tips window. Now.. if they aren't clocking out, will it still enforce it? Only one way to find out! *dials into a server still being staged*

Hopefully my co-worker won't notice I was in his system messing around

And if it doesn't work, the way we would then have to do it is instead of directly pushing the button for them, we take them to our own numeric input screen, get the value, do logic checks against the value... value good? Push the declare tips button AND type in the value for them; value bad? Ask for a manager.

 

[Moregelen]

It does not check; so yes, you'd have to add that intermediate step if you still want it checking a percentage.

 

[MZ117]

Ok, I gotchya. And that would occur as part of the "Server Report" button press? That's great!

 

[MZ117]

Is that hard to do?

 

[Moregelen]

Hard to add logic to a button press? Nope. I had one crazy store owner who wanted a sim that for the first alcoholic beverage entered every single service round it required the bartender to enter the DOB on the license. Then it would either allow them to contiue ringing alcoholic beverages in for that service round, or prevent them from rining any in while giving a "too young" error. I made it work; I think his bartenders hate me

The real thing that needs to be investigated is where exactly micros tracks the declared tips for the current shift. It might be easy or impossibly hard to access that information; the micros database is like reaching into a mystery bag every time you go looking for where data is stored.