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New Features in Aloha

Enhancement releases deliver good for the industry features to the users of Aloha products. Frequent enhancement releases throughout the year provide a high ROI to maintenance customers through functionality that focuses on speed of service, security/audit, and operational cost reduction. Maintenance customers can expect two to four enhancement releases each year. Maintenance customers can also anticipate one or more strategic releases that introduce new technology features, such as biometric technology and increased security. Check back often to stay current or join our email list and have them delivered to you personally.

Version 6.0

The following are the release 6.0 highlights:

» Quick Count Comes to Aloha TableService

Controlling food cost is a very important part of running a successful restaurant operation. In most cases, a small percentage of "high cost" menu items actually control the food cost for the restaurant. The very popular Quick Count feature previously only supported in Aloha QuickService is now available to all Aloha TableService users! Quick Count enables restaurants to track usage of inventory items and to review historical sales information by product. The Quick Count feature includes entering daily opening, closing, delivery, waste, and usage counts, displaying prep items on the kitchen video system, and prep production reporting.

» Break Reporting at the Front-of-House

Organizations need to ensure that labor break requirements are met within their store operations, but they do not want to add complication to the store manager's already full plate. With this feature, there are two powerful new Front-of-House reports that allow the manager to quickly assess whether employees are taking their breaks. The new Break Alert report lists any employee that needs to take a break. This report helps the manager to plan and schedule breaks, making it easier for stores to be in complete compliance with labor laws. The new Employee Break report lists any employee who has taken a break during the current date of business. This useful tool enables managers to quickly identify the employees who have already taken breaks for their shift. The manager can view or print both of these reports.

» Elimination of 10 Terminal Restriction

We implemented the Remote File Storage (RFS) feature which introduced some big architectural changes to overcome the 10 license limitation for file sharing in the Windows© 2000, NT, and XP Professional Edition operating systems. Aloha users can now support larger install environments without having to purchase expensive server-based operating systems and expensive Windows Client Access Licenses (CAL).

» Configuration Option to Print Signature Line Only When Over Predefined Value

With this enhancement, you can configure signature requirements based on the amount closed to a credit card. This new feature offers ultimate flexibility, as the restaurant can define the signature threshold amount and the input method, by tender type. For example, a busy quick-service environment may wish to streamline speed of service by requiring signatures only for credit card transactions that exceed a certain amount. A manually entered card might always require a cardholder signature, where a swiped card might only require a signature for amounts over a specific threshold value.

» Credit Card Address Verification

Many credit card processors now offer reductions in credit card fees to merchants if they submit their credit card transactions with the cardholder's zip code. The zip code check provides extra fraud protection for the cardholder, which benefits the restaurant, the credit card company, and the guest. Once activated, upon credit card swipe, this feature prompts the server/cashier for a zip code. The prompt is completely customizable so the operator can keep text consistent with their operations. Once the server/cashier enters the zip code, Aloha EDC transmits the zip code with the normal credit card track data.

» Enhance Customer Service for Credit Card Users to Automatically Detect Credit Card Type

Greatly enhancing speed of service, this new feature enables operators to configure a single button for all credit card tenders. You simply create a generic credit card tender, that is identified as a credit card lookup tender, to activate this great feature on the Aloha POS. Touching the new credit card lookup button from the Close Screen/QuickService panel, the Aloha POS quickly scans through its internal credit card glossary and tender prefixes to locate the matching credit card tender. All reports and employee checkouts quickly and accurately reflect the specific credit card type used.

» New Color Options for Substitutions on Kitchen Video

This new enhancement allows you to define color options for substitute items, similar to the color options available for items and modifiers today. This feature is robust - you can define the color, intensity, reverse (highlighted), or blink options for substitute modifiers, making it super-easy for your kitchen staff to easily identify changes needed for item preparation.

» Improved Kitchen Video with On-Screen Modifier Wrapping

The same wrap-around modifier options available for printing are now available with video! In previous versions of kitchen video, each modifier appeared on a separate line. With this new option, your kitchen staff can easily read item modifiers using a very simple, consolidated view.

Complete 6.0 Enhancement Release Content

Remote File Storage (RFS). This is a highly requested feature eliminates the 10 terminal POS limitation.

128-Bit Credit Card Encryption. Enhanced encryption supports a higher level of security protection for credit cards and passwords.

Biometric Support. Employees can now log in to Aloha POS on the new Radiant 1220 terminals using biometric technology.

Restrict Tender Usage by Employee Access Level. This feature allows operators to limit employees to specific tenders using access levels.

Quick Name Lookup for Orders or Tabs. A quick lookup for name feature allows TableService bartenders, cocktail servers, and QuickService cashiers to rapidly name a tab with the name of the guest.

Easy Order Release for QuickService Advanced Order. Early arrivals are a breeze - simply touch the check on the Advance Order screen, and then touch the new Release button.

Auto-Apply Check Reduction Promo. This feature eliminates the "Is this correct?" prompt, and the Aloha POS automatically reduces affected item prices in real-time, as items are ordered.

COM Support for Promos. This feature extends the powerful promotion features in Aloha to handheld devices and our new order confirmation display (OCD).

Refills for Item. This feature prevents refills from being ordered without the original dish being applied to the check, thus ensuring the operation is getting the revenue for All You Can Eat items.

Single Order Mode per Guest Check. When enabled, the POS will not allow multiple order modes on a single check.

Select Individual Quick Combo Items on Guest Check. When you enable this feature, Aloha users can individually select items and modifiers from the Order Entry screen.

Disable Manual EOD Beyond Current System Date. This feature provides an optional control that disallows a manual EOD that will increment the DOB beyond the system date.

Manual EOD Reminders from POS. This POS feature displays a message reminding a manager to perform the manual EOD process at a specific time of day.

Adjust Tipshare % from POS. Managers can easily change the tipshare percent - on the fly - right from the POS terminal!

Define Tip Threshold % by Job Code. This new feature allows managers to define the 'Tip Threshold %' setting in Job Code Maintenance.

Configurable Row Width on Delivery Screens. This feature allows POS users to easily shrink/enlarge the columns on the Delivery screens.

Single Credit Card Payment Button. Operators can configure a single button for all credit card types.

Credit Card Address Verification. This feature allows you to capture the cardholder's zip code using a configurable prompt that appears when tendering the check.

Dial-Up support for Stored Value. This enhancement allows dial-up users to utilize SVS gift cards.

Support for ValueLink International. This feature is designed for international Aloha users that sell ValueLink gift cards.

Output Tax Exempt ID in Grind File. The system records a new TypeID in the GndTndr file for each check with a tax exemption.

GndAudit File. The new GndAudit contains transactions that are reported on the back office audit report, such as transfers and deletes.

Add System Date to Grind Files. The system now includes both the DOB on which the transaction occured and the system date in the Grind files.

Use Net Sales not Straight Sales for ALS Forecasting. This enhancement adds the option to generate labor schedule forecasts and reports from net sales.

New Employee Tip report. Aloha users have a new report to help manage tipped labor reporting.

Update Employee Filter to All Employee Functions. This feature enables a powerful filter option to exclude inactive employees for all key functions and reports.

Display Tip Information on Clock-Out Chit. This great new feature adds support for configurable clock-out chit footer information - such as tip declaration notification.

Report Fully Redeemed Gift Card Numbers on Checkout. This feature provides a control that prints the number of fully redeemed third party gift cards on the server checkout form.

Update Delivery Customer Lookup Screens. We redesigned the Customer Lookup screens by adding a Qwerty keyboard with special characters, and enhanced the look and navigation.

Debit Cards in TableService. This feature adds TableService debit card support for the RBS Lynk, NDC and Visanet processors.

Quick Count in TableService. The very popular Quick Count feature supported only in Aloha QuickService is now available to all Aloha TableService users.

Video Modifier Wrapping. By allowing modifiers to wrap on video, the kitchen staff can read the modifiers using an easy to read, consolidated view.

Define Color and Blink Options for Substitute Items on Video. You can now define the color, intensity, reverse (highlighted), or blink options for substitute modifiers.

Option to Print Signature Line Only When Over Predefined Value. We provide the ability to configure signature requirements based on the amount closed to a credit card.

Support Paid Meal Breaks. The Aloha system now supports paid meal period breaks.

Enforce Paid/Rest Breaks. The Aloha system can now require the manager to enter their password to authorize an employee to return from a paid break early.

POS Break Alert Report. This report helps the manager to plan and schedule breaks, making it easier for stores to be in complete compliance with labor laws.

POS Break Report by Break Type. This new report lists any employee who has taken a break during the current date of business.

Print Comp Slip when Applied. This new feature enables you to print the comp slip when you apply the comp, rather than when you close the check.

Print SKU Number on Chit. This feature increases efficiency opportunities by printing the SKU number, in addition to the item name, on the kitchen chit.

SLO Supports Field Level Lockout. The Store-Lockout-Field-File (SloFld.cfg) enables operations to prevent in-store personnel from adding, editing, or deleting any or all fields within a specific data file.

Show Date/Time Edit Punch was Performed on Labor reports. Back-of-House Labor reports now support a report setting to include the date and time of clock-in/out edits.

Pay Tipshare as an Open Amount. This feature allows servers to optionally pay in more money to tipshare.

POS Error Message when EDC Batch Settlement is Overdue. You can configure a real-time error message to appear on the POS terminals, to alert the manager of settlement failures.

Screen Timeouts by Job Code in QuickService. Now, QuickService operations can specify a screen timeout duration that can be specific by employee type.

AMEX Over IP. This enhancement allows Aloha operators the option of high speed Internet connectivity in processing American Express cards - a definite speed of service improvement!

Support Shift4 for Canadian Debit. By adding Shift4 as an EDC processor for Canadian debit, Canadian customers now have the ability to process debit cards over high speed.

Increase Number of Item Price Changes. This feature allows operators who manage item prices using price changes to modify up to 20,000 items with price change events.

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