What is a KDS?

A Kitchen Display System is a digital screen used in place of or alongside printers in the restaurant to help you track and manage food production for orders coming from the front of house, online and phone.

Rezku Smart KDS is an advanced solution using modern hardware and software, with more functionality and ease of use than legacy KDS systems.

KDS Terms

• Bump -- You bump an order from the screen when it is complete
• Unbump -- Move a bumped order back to the main screen and unmark as complete
• Timer -- Tickets are timed from when they are received. The timer doesn't stop when the ticket is bumped.
• All Day -- The number of orders entered for batch prepared items like burger patties.

Requirements for the KDS App to Work:

• Both the POS and the KDS must be open and on the same network
• An iPad can not be used as both a KDS and POS at the same time.
• If the POS and KDS can not communicate, and error will appear at the top of the KDS screen.
• At least one print queue must be designated as a KDS queue in Back Office > Product Management > Print Queues to use the KDS app.

Install and Setup of the Rezku Smart KDS App

The Rezku KDS app is available in both the Apple App Store and the Google Play store and works with compatible iPads and Android tablets and touch-screens.

NOTE: Unlike Apple iPads, there are many types of Android tablets on the market with customized versions of Android. Due to these unknown differences, Rezku Technical Support can only provide basic guidelines for using Rezku Smart KDS with Android tablets.

Rezku Smart KDS Installation

• Open the App store or Google Play store on the tablet to be used as a KDS
• Search for Rezku Smart KDS and instal the app.
• Tap Rezku Smart KDS to open the app.
• Select the queue name to assign this station or set up as Expediter.

KDS Settings

When launching the SKDS app for the first time you will see the settings screen. To return to settings at any time, tap the Settings Button at the top right of the KDS screen.

Appearance:

• Set the time limit before a ticket turns ORANGE
• Set the time limit before a ticket turns RED
• Set the font size
• Set the Ticket Width

Sounds: 

• Set the Alert Sound (when a new ticket comes in).
• Set the Rush Sound (when expo rushes a ticket).

Printing:

• Toggle the option for Ticket Printing (expo only)
  • Choose the print queue to use for expo ticket printing.
• Toggle the option for Product Printing on (expo only)
  • Choose the print queue to use for expo product printing

NOTE: Printing devices are configured on the POS. To print from the KDS the print queue and printer must first be set up to work on the POS.

Support:

• Quick reference contact information for Rezku support.

Reset KDS -- Return to the screen where you choose the station associated with the KDS or Expo

Refresh -- Resets the KDS with the station settings it currently has.

Save -- Save the current settings

The Main Screen and Ticket Information

The main screen area is where the tickets appear, including the items in the order, courses (if used) and seat numbers if there are seats.

Additionally, the order type (dine-in, pick-up, etc.) is displayed at the top of the ticket. When order type colors are enabled. The ticket number (top left corner of the ticket) will also display in the selected order type color.

Next to items that have recipes enabled you will see an icon that can be tapped to show recipe information.

Long tickets may continue into another column.

Managing tickets

• Tap a product to mark it as "Done"
• The items will appear with lines through the text

• Tap Bump to bump a ticket
• Tap Show Finished to see a list of bumped tickets.
• From here, you can un-bump a ticket
• Tap last to views the last bumped ticket
• Tap Print to print the ticket to an attached printer
• A ticket that is too long will be continued to the next column
• A RUSHED ticket will appear with a red outline
• A canceled ticket will appear crossed out with red Xs

Examples:

Main Screen Example

Continued ticket example:

Completed Items Example:

Canceled Items Example:

Example: Tap an item to mark done or rush. Rushed tickets have a red outline.

Accessing Product Recipes

If a product has an associated recipe, you will see a small icon next to the product. Tap the icon to view the product recipe. You can also adjust the text size of the recipe. TIP: Add recipes to products in Back Office > Product Management > [Click product to view product properties] > Edit Recipe.

KDS Station Bump

For production workflows that bump station to station, such as a pizza make-line, you can set up station bumping. When configured, tapping bump on a ticket will bump it to the next station. Un-bumping the ticket will recall the ticket from the KDS screen it was bumped to.

NOTES:

1. Bump to KDS station is set up in Back Office > Printer Queues > [KDS Queue Name] > Edit Details

2. Only one level of unbump is available. If a ticket was bumped down the line two stations, the ticket can only be recalled back one level.

The All Day Function

Each time products are ordered that have a component attached, it will increase the count on the right of the screen. the count will decrease as items with this component are marked DONE.

• All day items only appear when products with Components are sent to the station.
• This is used to help stations batch their cooking. For example, with burger patties on the grill.
• Components must be configured for the products in Back Office > Product Management > Components.

Expediter KDS Special Abilities

Setting the app as an Expediter KDS gives additional functionality not available on the other KDS stations.

NOTE: When set up as a Expo, the Settings button at the top changes to a More button.

As expediter, you can:

• See all tickets and products sent to all other stations, and their status.
• Rush, mark items done and bump tickets at other stations.
• Print orders from the KDS to a designated printer.
• Manage inventory and 86 items from the menu.
• Send order ready text messages to pickup customers.

KDS Direct Printing (Expo Only)

The Expo KDS can print directly to a specified print queue. This can be a paper printer or a sticker printer used for labeling to-go orders.

• In KDS settings, set the printer the Expo KDS will print to.
• To print a ticket, tap the Print button on the order you want to print.
• To print a product, tap a product and select Print in the popup menu.
  

Updating Product Inventory (Expo Only)

You can update inventory and 86 products from the KDS.

• Tap the More Button at the top right of the screen.
• Choose Update Inventory.
• Enter your PIN (inventory update permission must be enabled in back office)
• Search for the product you wish to adjust by name or scroll through the alphabetical list.
• Tap to select the product name and adjust the stock level or 86.

Ready Button (Expo Only)

From the expediter KDS an order ready notification can be sent to customers via SMS. When enabled, the "Ready" button replaces the expediter's "Bump" button. Tapping the Ready button also bumps the order from the Expo screen.

To enable the Ready Button, there are a few requirements that must be met first:

1. The order must be a pickup order tied to a CRM customer with a phone number
2. The Ready Button only appears on the Expediter (in expediter mode)
3. SMS messaging must be enabled for your Rezku POS account (additional service fees apply)
4. All POS iPads must be updated to the current or later version of Rezku POS (January 2023).

Switching The KDS View (Expo Only)

During initial setup you choose a station to assign the KDS to. Or you can set it as the expediter. Non-expo stations are locked to the station queue they are assigned. However, the Expo KDS also has the ability to switch to and manage the tickets at each station.

To switch the station viewed on the Expo KDS:

• Tap the All Day button in the top left corner of the screen
• You can now switch the view to any of the other KDS stations.
• Expo can mark items done and bump tickets in this view and it will ALSO perform the operation on the selected station KDS.

Re-Sorting Of Tickets

The default order that tickets come in is chronological, based on promised fulfillment time. However, the ticket order can be changed a few ways:

• If an order is RUSHED it will appear at the front
• If a ticket is BUMPED and then UNBUMPED it will appear at the front
• You can manually sort tickets via drag and drop

To manually change the ticket order:

1. Tap and hold on the control bar at the top of the ticket with header information. (You will see an arrow icon near the top)

2. When drag is active, the ticket appears as a dotted outline

3. Move to where you want it, and release.

Note that the new order is only reflected on the current station.

Example of ticket drag and drop: