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Test the routine with the person using it
Choose five familiar items and let the cashier place an order without being talked through every click. Ask them to check quantities before sending the KOT. Repeat with a second order while the first remains visible in the kitchen.
Record confusing steps instead of relying on a speed claim. Does the cashier notice the selected item? Can the cook distinguish two similar tickets? Can the counter find an order when a customer asks about it? These are concrete questions to answer in a live demonstration.
Measure the handoffs, not just the cashier's typing
Run a supervised rehearsal with three small orders using your own menu. Start the second while the first is in preparation, then introduce a quantity correction on the third before it is prepared. Use paper food markers if you are testing only the software; record that this excludes actual cooking time.
Have an observer write down the same five checkpoints for each saved order reference. Use one clock and define each checkpoint before starting. This separates counter entry, kitchen receipt, preparation and collection instead of attributing every delay to the POS.
Scroll sideways if needed to see all columns.
| Checkpoint | What the observer records | What a gap can help investigate |
|---|---|---|
| Order confirmed | Customer's requested items read back and accepted | Menu ambiguity or repeated customer questions |
| Order saved and sent | Saved reference and completed send action | Entry corrections or uncertainty about whether to retry |
| Kitchen receives it | Cook identifies the matching reference and current items | Ticket visibility, routing or connection issues |
| Order ready | Team confirms all current items are ready | Preparation bottlenecks or missing components |
| Order collected | Correct order handed to the collector after agreed payment checks | Packing, payment or collection confusion |
Fix one repeatable problem, then repeat the same test
Suppose an illustrative order is confirmed at 12:00:00, saved at 12:00:20, acknowledged by the kitchen at 12:00:25, ready at 12:04:25 and collected at 12:05:00. That is 20 seconds to save, 5 seconds to kitchen acknowledgement, 4 minutes in preparation and 35 seconds to collection. These invented timings explain the measurement; they are not DeccanPro performance figures or targets.
A long interval identifies where to look, not the cause. Check what the observer actually saw: a printer out of reach, an unclear portion name, missing food or a collector who arrived later. Choose one correction and repeat the same menu and scenario with the same checkpoint definitions. Record mistakes and coaching as well as elapsed time; a faster run with the wrong order is not a successful result.
Position the kitchen information where it is used
A paper ticket is useful at a preparation station; a kitchen display provides a shared view of open orders. DeccanPro can use both, with printing independent of the open-ticket display. Test visibility at the actual working distance and with the room’s normal lighting.
Try arrival sounds and spoken details only where they help the team notice a ticket. Do not increase volume to cover an unclear order process. A long order may be shortened in speech, so the full paper ticket or display should remain available.
Download a checkpoint log for the first run and retest
Use the free Excel checkpoint log linked below to record three overlapping sample orders twice: once before a correction and once after. Each order has five rows matching this guide. Enter its saved reference, full local date and time, observed problems or coaching, and the person responsible for follow-up. Use the same clock throughout and leave a checkpoint blank if nobody observed it.
Record the menu, shift, observer and whether you used real cooking or paper markers. Keep guest names and payment credentials out of the worksheet. Choose one change to retest, then compare the same checkpoints and any mistakes. This is a manual observation log with blank entry fields, not an automatic POS export or an orders-per-hour calculator.
Practise an exception and a handover
A smooth standard order is only the first test. Change an item, cancel another and ask the incoming cashier to review an open order. Use the kitchen information and the final bill to confirm that everyone understands the current state.
If your operation needs kiosks, customer token displays, delivery integrations or central control across outlets, list those requirements separately and request a demonstration. The verified workflow on this site covers restaurant billing, table orders, captain mobile, KOT printing, kitchen display and voice announcements at a flat annual software price.
PUT IT INTO PRACTICE
Your checklist
- A cashier-led order without coaching
- Three overlapping orders with saved references
- Five checkpoints recorded using the same clock
- Correction acknowledged before preparation
- Wrong items, retries and coaching recorded
- One observed problem corrected and the same test repeated
- A shift handover with an open order
