How to Take Dine-in Orders and Fire Kitchen Order Tickets (KOT)

Kitchen Order Tickets (KOT) coordinate communication between the front-of-house service staff and the back-of-house kitchen brigade. In Innoventry, orders fired from tables route instantaneously to designated thermal kitchen printers, ensuring food preparation starts without delay.

1. Opening a Table and Punching Orders

Whether using the desktop POS terminal or the web counter interface, taking an order follows a streamlined process:

1. From the floor plan view, click on any Available (Green) table to open the order sheet.
2. Optionally enter the number of guests/covers to track per-cover metrics.
3. Search or click menu items from the categorized menu list (e.g., Starters, Main Course, Breads, Beverages).
4. Items appear on the right-hand order panel with portion sizes, quantities, and applicable tier rates.

2. Adding Cooking Notes & Preparation Modifiers

Special guest dietary preferences and preparation notes can be attached directly to individual order lines:

• Click on the Note icon next to an item in the order sheet.
• Type instructions such as "Make Less Spicy", "No Onion/Garlic", or "Serve Without Ice".
• These instructions print prominently in bold on the physical thermal kitchen ticket.

3. Firing the KOT (Kitchen Order Ticket)

Once the guest order is finalized:

1. Click Fire KOT (or press the keyboard shortcut Ctrl + K).
2. Innoventry analyzes the items in the order and routes them to their designated preparation stations:
   • Main Kitchen Thermal Printer: Curries, gravies, and rice dishes.
   • Tandoor Thermal Printer: Naans, rotis, kebabs, and tikkas.
   • Bar / Beverage Thermal Printer: Mocktails, juices, soft drinks, and beverages.
3. The table status turns Amber (Occupied). Newly added items are tagged as fired, and the draft list resets for subsequent courses.

4. Managing Running Tables & Repeat Orders

When guests order additional items later during their meal:

1. Click the Occupied table on the floor plan.
2. The existing order summary displays currently fired items alongside the running balance.
3. Add the newly requested dishes. These appear as draft additions.
4. Click Fire KOT. Innoventry generates an incremental ticket labeled KOT #2 (Running Order) containing only the newly added items, avoiding any kitchen duplication.

5. Audited Item Cancellations & Void Reasons

To eliminate unauthorized item cancellations and prevent staff pilferage after food has been prepared, Innoventry enforces a strict audit rule on fired KOT items:

• Unfired draft items can be removed freely before sending to the kitchen.
• Once a KOT has been fired, removing an item triggers the Delete Order Item Dialog.
• The user must select or enter an audited reason for cancellation:
  • Customer Changed Mind
  • Item Out of Stock
  • Excess Preparation Delay
  • Incorrect Item Punched
• A cancellation ticket is automatically printed in the kitchen to alert the chef to stop preparation.
• All cancelled items, timestamps, users, and reasons are logged in the Void / Cancellation Audit Report for owner review.