Top 5 reasons for using KOT software in your outlet
The Kitchen order ticket (KOT) is an essential document used in restaurants to effectively communicate the details of customer orders to the kitchen staff. This document plays a crucial role in ensuring accuracy and efficiency in food preparation by including information such as the table number or name, order time, specific products ordered along with their quantities, and any additional customizations requested by the customer. It serves as a pivotal link between the front-of-house and back-of-house operations, facilitating a seamless flow of information and ultimately enhancing the overall dining experience for customers.
Kitchen Order Tickets (KOT) are generated through a variety of channels, including traditional desktop POS systems, mobile POS devices, and online order portals. When customers place their orders using any of these platforms, the requested items are automatically printed in the kitchen. This streamlined process enables kitchen staff to quickly and accurately identify the items that need to be prepared, thereby expediting meal preparation and ensuring prompt service to customers.
Traditional KOT in restaurant business
In comparison to the modern automated KOT process, the traditional method stands out with its distinct characteristics. The traditional KOT process is known for being notably lengthy, requiring a considerable amount of time, and demanding a significant human effort to complete. The traditional KOT method, which involves manual order processing, presents various inefficiencies and challenges in contrast to the modern automated KOT process.
Process of traditional KOT
In order to serve the food promptly and efficiently to the customer after accepting their order, it is essential to follow a set of sequential steps that have been established within the traditional service process.
- The server will write down the requested items and any other necessary information in a notepad using a pen.
- Traditional method needs three copy of KOT, to generate three copies of an order, the conventional method requires the use of carbon paper along with pen and paper.
- One copy is sent to the kitchen to begin preparing the ordered food. After the food is served, this copy is utilized to finalize the daily audit in the kitchen.
- Second copy will be held by the waiter until the food is served to the customer, at which point it will be transferred to the cashier in order for them to begin entering the order into the system.
- The third copy is still in the KOT notepad. Numerous notepads like this are made and organized. In the end, all of them are disposed of in the recycle bin.
All the steps mentioned above not only demand extra human effort and time but also give rise to a multitude of problems and uncertainties when faced with even a single instance of human error.
Disadvantages of traditional KOT system
- Time-consuming: As previously stated, the process becomes more time-consuming as the waiter has to perform all the tasks manually. This includes writing down the orders and notifying the kitchen and cashier separately. In comparison to the new automated KOT system, it requires a significant amount of additional time.
- More human effort: In the event that your shop experiences a lower volume of customers, it will not pose any issues. However, when there is a significant influx of customers, effectively managing all the orders becomes a challenging task for the waitstaff, kitchen staff, and cashiers.
- Customer dissatisfaction: As a result of human errors such as torn paper and incorrect orders, delays may occur in the kitchen when the kitchen staff does not comprehend what the waiter has written in the KOT. Additional time is required to transfer the information to both the kitchen staff and the cashier, ultimately resulting in a delay in serving the order to the customer. Consequently, this can lead to customer dissatisfaction.
Benefits of using automated KOT software in your outlet
Incorporating automated KOT software in your restaurant offers numerous advantages for your business, encompassing the benefits outlined beneath.
1. Reduces human effort
By integrating an automated system into your operations, you can significantly reduce the workload on your wait staff. This new approach eliminates the traditional method of manually jotting down orders on a notepad and then communicating the information to both the kitchen and cashier. The automated KOT system now seamlessly handles these tasks. With this system in place, all ordered items can be promptly and accurately transmitted to the respective kitchen and cashier printers, streamlining the workflow and boosting the overall efficiency of your establishment.
2. Faster process
The Kitchen Order Ticket (KOT) will be promptly generated at both the kitchen and counter in a matter of seconds, ensuring no unnecessary delays. The automated KOT system demonstrates a much quicker performance in contrast to the conventional method, all thanks to its efficient functionality.
3. Enhanced dining atmosphere
As a result of incorporating this automated process into the restaurant’s operations, unnecessary sounds such as wait staff forwarding orders to the kitchen and counter staff, as well as correcting any errors in KOT documents, will be effectively eliminated. Finally, this streamlined approach will create a peaceful and pleasant dining environment, allowing your dedicated staff to perform their duties effectively. Furthermore, customers will be able to enjoy their meals without any interruptions.
4. Online integration
Online sales are now a crucial part of the restaurant sector in the current digital age, as an increasing number of patrons opt for the ease and availability of placing orders through online channels. When you integrate automated KOT software with your online store, orders made online will effortlessly synchronise with the POS software, simplifying the entire order management procedure. As soon as a cashier approves an order, the corresponding KOT for the kitchen will be promptly printed, ensuring a seamless and punctual preparation of the requested meals.
5. User-friendly
There is no need for any specialized training related to this feature. All employees are to perform their usual tasks, for instance, waiters taking orders via a mobile pos, kitchen staff preparing food according to kitchen KOT, and cashiers inputting orders at the counter to produce bills. No extra work is required. This can be seamlessly implemented in your restaurant.