Categories: Restaurants

9 Key Benefits of Restaurant Kitchen Display Systems

Learn about the key benefits of implementing a restaurant POS system with kitchen display system to improve staff communication, ticket times and speeding up service.

Any kind of restaurant, be it full-serve, quick-serve, pizzeria or casual dining, their kitchens cannot function efficiently without a well-built kitchen display system.

By providing real-time order updates and clear communication, a restaurant Kitchen Display System can significantly improve your kitchen’s performance and optimize kitchen workflows.

Before delving deeper, let’s first understand what a KDS means.

What is a kitchen display system?

A kitchen display system for restaurants are those TV screens that you see inside the kitchen area to communicate the orders received to the staff. They display every detail of the orders like the customizations, add-ons and preparation time to make it easy for the staff to prepare the order.

They work in real time and help establish a seamless connection between the front of the house and back of the house. Instead of relying on handwritten or printed orders that could lead to order errors in some cases, kitchen display systems offer accurate order information displaying every order detail properly.

Since the KDS is already integrated with the POS system, they help improve staff communication and control the way food is routed to different prep stations.

Imagine a kitchen where orders are seamlessly routed, every kitchen order ticket is managed with ease, and staff can focus on preparing delicious food. A well-thought-out and executed kitchen display system will help achieve all of that.

How does a kitchen display system work?

To make the best use of a kitchen display system, it is equally important to understand the working of a kitchen display system.

Here is how a well-built kitchen display system will work

Incoming Orders: When a customer places an order through a POS system, online platform, or mobile app, it's transmitted to the kitchen display system.
Order Processing and ticket generation: The kitchen display receives and processes the order data. It also prints physical tickets for each order, providing a backup and visual reference for kitchen staff. These printed kitchen tickets include the order number, items, quantities, and preferences or allergies if any.
Prioritization Rules: The kitchen display system can be configured with various prioritization rules to determine the order in which items are prepared. These rules might consider factors such as:

Order Type: Priority can be given to specific order types, like dine-in, takeout, or delivery.
Urgency: Orders with tight deadlines, such as those for delivery or special events, can be prioritized.
Item Complexity: Orders with more complicated items or multiple preparation steps may require higher priority.

Station Assignment: Once an order is prioritized, the KDS routes it to the appropriate prep station within the kitchen. This is often based on the specific items in the order and the expertise of the kitchen staff.
Visual Display: The order details, including item images, quantities, and preparation instructions, are displayed on a screen or tablet in the designated kitchen prep station.
Status Updates: As kitchen staff begin preparing the order, they can update its status on the KDS. This might include indicating that the order is “pending”, "in progress," or "ready"
Completion Notification: When an order is fully prepared, the KDS can send a notification to the front-of-house staff, indicating that it's ready for pickup or delivery.

9 key Benefits of a Kitchen Display System that You as a Restaurant Owner Must Know

1. Bridge the Gap Between FOH and BOH

The days of handwritten orders and verbal communication between the front-of-house (FOH) and back-of-house (BOH) staff are over. These methods often led to errors, confusion, and customer frustration.

An ideal kitchen display system offers a more efficient and accurate solution for front and back of house. It communicates orders clearly and in real-time and offers clear visual displays, a KDS helps improve staff communication and eliminates the risk of misunderstandings.

Here is how a kitchen display system benefits FOH and BOH

Enhanced Efficiency: KDS streamline operations by clearly communicating the order to kitchen staff and help them prioritize orders to deliver them on this.
An optimized workflow is established between the front and back of house and this reduces wait times leading to increased customer satisfaction and better production times.
Reduced Order Errors: By providing clear and concise order information, KDSs help minimize human errors and improve overall accuracy.
This helps the kitchen staff to focus on preparing the orders and saves the serving staff from facing any customer backlash owing to order errors.
Cut down on food waste: By minimizing errors and ensuring accurate order fulfillment, KDSs can help reduce food waste and improve profitability.
This is achieved by reducing the likelihood of incorrect or excessive food preparation and minimizing the need for discarded food due to errors or customer cancellations.

Faster service, accurate orders, and reduced wait times, all facilitated by a KDS, directly contribute to increased customer satisfaction.

2. Avoid delays with real-time order updates

Real-time order updates are a crucial feature of a Kitchen Display System.

Alert kitchen staff by providing up-to-the-minute information about incoming and ongoing orders. This ensures that everyone is aware of their responsibilities in the kitchen and can work together to meet deadlines.

Instantaneous order notifications: As soon as an order is placed, it is immediately displayed on the KDS screens in the kitchen.
This ensures that cooks and prep staff are aware of the new order and can start preparing it promptly.
Priority order highlighting: KDSs can be configured to highlight urgent or priority orders, such as those with specific dietary requirements or tight deadlines.
Alert kitchen staff so they can prioritize their work, cut down on clutter and ensure that important orders are processed first.
Real-time updates on order changes: If an order is modified or canceled, the KDS will immediately update the relevant stations.
This helps to prevent mistakes and ensures that kitchen staff are always working on the most current version of the order.

3. Never lose a ticket with all orders on a single screen

One of the key benefits of a KDS is the ability to display all orders on a single screen. This eliminates the risk of losing or misplaced any kitchen order ticket, ensuring that every order is processed correctly and on time.

Here are three ways a KDS helps you never lose a ticket

Centralized order management: A KDS provides a centralized location for all incoming orders be it for dine-in, takeaway, delivery or even future orders.
This means that all kitchen staff can see the same information at the same time, eliminating the need for multiple copies of order tickets or handwritten notes.
Clear order visibility: With all orders displayed on a single screen, it is easy for kitchen staff to identify, prioritize and organize orders.
This helps to prevent delays and ensures that orders are processed in a timely manner.
Online order integration: Most of the restaurants use well-known third-party delivery apps like Grubhub, DoorDash and Uber Eats. It is crucial that a kitchen display system integrates with these, so no order is missed.
By streamlining the third-party orders in one place on kitchen display systems, restaurants can improve efficiency, reduce errors, and enhance the overall customer experience.

4. Handle complex orders with multiple column arrangements

Multiple column arrangement in a kitchen display system helps to organize and display orders in multiple columns on the kitchen screen.

This feature is particularly useful for restaurants with a complex menu or high order volume like a pizzeria or a full serve.

An ideal kitchen display system offers the ability to arrange orders in multiple columns.

This helps the kitchen staff in a lot of ways as below:

Visualize multiple orders simultaneously: This helps avoid confusion and ensures that all orders are processed efficiently.
Additionally, multiple columns can make it easier for kitchen staff to identify and address any potential bottlenecks in the workflow.
Prioritize orders effectively: Orders can be grouped or prioritized based on urgency, complexity, or other criteria.
This allows kitchen staff to focus on the most important orders first and ensure that they are prepared and served in a timely manner, leading to better production times.
Better order preparation workflow: A well-organized display can streamline kitchen operations, send orders to the right prep stations and reduce the time it takes to prepare orders.
Multiple columns can also help improve staff communication in the kitchen, as they can easily see which orders are being prepared by other team members.

Overall, multiple column arrangement in a kitchen display system is a valuable feature that can significantly improve kitchen efficiency and reduce order errors.

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5. Prioritize orders with color-coded statuses

Color-coded orders in a kitchen display system is a visual representation of the order statuses. Different colors can be assigned to specific stages of the order fulfillment process, such as:

Pending: The order has been received but is not yet prepared.

In progress: The order is currently being prepared.

Ready: The order is ready for pickup or delivery.

Here is how the feature of color-coded orders of a kitchen display system benefits restaurant:

Improving visual clarity: Color codes can quickly and easily convey the order statuses, such as "pending," "in progress," or "ready". This helps kitchen staff prioritize tasks and avoid confusion.
Additionally, color-coded orders can help reduce stress and improve job satisfaction among kitchen staff, as it provides a clear and organized visual representation of the workflow.
Reducing errors: Color-coded order statuses can help prevent mistakes by providing a clear and concise overview of the order fulfillment process.
This can also help reduce food waste and improve the overall quality of service.
Improving customer satisfaction: Faster order fulfillment and reduced errors can lead to happier customers and increased repeat business.
This can also help to build a positive reputation for the restaurant and attract new customers.

6. Streamline item preparation with advanced item routing

Advanced item routing in a kitchen display system (KDS) is a feature that allows restaurants to automatically route orders to specific stations or chefs based on the items being prepared.

This can be particularly useful for restaurants with a complex menu or specialized stations (e.g., grill, pizza, sushi).

Benefits of advanced item routing:

Improved efficiency: Send orders to the right prep stations with automated routing orders based on factors like ingredient availability, cook times, and staff expertise, kitchen screens can optimize kitchen operations and significantly reduce order preparation time.
This leads to quicker service and higher customer turnover, boosting overall restaurant efficiency.
Reduced errors: By preventing incorrect order routing, the kitchen display system protects your staff from any confusion that could have been created.
The kitchen environment, owing to its busy nature, can tend to make errors but with kitchen routing, staff focus only on their part of the job instead of paying attention to many things at once. This proactive approach ensures that issues are addressed before they impact customer satisfaction.
Enhanced productivity: A kitchen display system communicates orders clearly and in real-time and helps automate repetitive tasks.
This empowers the kitchen staff to focus on high-value activities and reduces the time spent on administrative tasks. This leads to increased overall productivity and improved morale.

Overall, advanced item routing is a valuable feature that can significantly improve kitchen efficiency, reduce errors, and enhance customer satisfaction in restaurants with complex menus or specialized stations.

Restaurant Online Ordering

7. Prepare and serve orders on time with order countdown timers

Order countdown timers in a kitchen display system show the remaining time for an order to be prepared and served.

This can be particularly useful for restaurants with high order volume or strict deadlines like a fine dining restaurant.

Benefits of order countdown timers:

Improved Time Management: By setting up countdown timers for each item, the kitchen staff know well in advance the time they must prepare that item.
This helps them balance their speed of preparation accordingly. This proactive approach allows kitchen staff to take corrective measures and minimize disruptions for serving orders on time.
Consistency in Food Quality: Timers help maintain consistency in food quality by ensuring that each dish is cooked for the right amount of time.
This reduces the risk of overcooking or undercooking, leading to better customer satisfaction and a more reliable dining experience for repeat customers.
Efficient Order Tracking: Countdown timers make it easier to track and manage multiple orders, especially during peak hours.
This reduces the likelihood of missed or delayed orders, contributing to a more organized and efficient kitchen.

Overall, order countdown timers are a valuable feature that can significantly improve kitchen efficiency, reduce errors, and enhance customer satisfaction in restaurants with high order volume or strict deadlines.

8. Work on bottlenecks with item delay reports

Item Delay Report in a Kitchen Display System tracks and reports on items that are taking longer than expected to prepare.

This can be due to various factors, such as ingredient shortages, complex preparations, or equipment malfunctions.

Benefits of Item Delay Reports:

Optimizing Menu and Prep Times: By analyzing item delay reports, restaurants can identify menu items that are particularly time-consuming or complex to prepare.
This information can be used to adjust portion sizes, simplify recipes, or introduce pre-prepared components to streamline the ordering process and reduce wait times.
Proactive Problem Solving: In addition to identifying root causes, item delay reports can also help restaurants prioritize problem-solving efforts by focusing on the most significant contributors to delays.
This targeted approach ensures that resources are allocated effectively and that issues are addressed promptly.
Data-Driven Decision Making: Beyond menu optimization, item delay reports can also provide valuable insights into staffing needs and equipment requirements.
By understanding which items are most likely to cause delays, restaurants can allocate resources appropriately and invest in equipment that can improve efficiency and reduce wait times.

Overall, item delay reports are a crucial tool for restaurants to maintain operational efficiency, ensure customer satisfaction, and make data-driven improvements.

9. Optimize kitchen efficiency with analytics and reporting

One of the key benefits of a KDS is the ability to track and analyze kitchen performance through detailed analytics and reporting.

This data can be used to identify bottlenecks, optimize kitchen workflows, and make data-driven decisions to improve overall kitchen efficiency.

Here are three ways a KDS can help you optimize kitchen efficiency through analytics and reporting:

Identify bottlenecks: A KDS can track the time it takes to prepare each dish, helping you identify which items are causing delays.
By pinpointing bottlenecks, you can take steps to streamline the preparation process, such as adjusting staffing levels or improving equipment.
Optimize staffing: KDS data can help you determine the optimal number of staff needed to handle peak demand periods.
By analyzing order volume and preparation times, you can avoid overstaffing or understaffing, which can lead to increased costs or decreased customer satisfaction.
Improve menu engineering: KDS analytics can provide insights into the popularity of different menu items. This information can be used to optimize your menu by removing slow-selling items and promoting popular choices.
Additionally, you can identify dishes that are particularly time-consuming to prepare and consider making changes to the recipe or preparation method.

Conclusion

By eliminating the need for pens, printers, and paper tickets, kitchen screens help reduce ticket clutter and speed up service. This not only improves ticket times but also prevents lost tickets and ensures that every order is processed accurately.

Furthermore, a kitchen display system plays a vital role in optimizing kitchen workflows. By providing real-time order updates and clear instructions, they help kitchen staff work more efficiently and effectively.

All in all, a kitchen display system is an indispensable tool for any restaurant looking to improve efficiency, reduce errors, cut down on clutter and enhance customer satisfaction.

If you are looking for a robust and market driven KDS, check out the kitchen display solution of Vouch restaurant POS.

Vouch POS is one of the leading restaurant POS systems that offers a well-built and fully integrated kitchen display system that covers all the key features needed to help your kitchen staff prepare and serve delicious food on time.

With its restaurant-grade hardware, digital ordering integration, color-coded orders, advanced item routing and several other well-rounded features you are sure to get the best of kitchen displays for your staff.

Reach out at info@vouchpos.com to know more and talk to our experts.

by Smit Nebhwani

Smit Nebhwani is a tech entrepreneur with expertise in successfully building SAAS based products. Boasting over a decade of experience in the startup sector, he takes pleasure in sharing valuable insights on all facets of SAAS products. His extensive experience in the digital signage sector has established him as a reputable authority in the industry, and he channels this expertise through some valuable content. In his free time, Smit enjoys music, travelling and spending time with his family.

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