PixelPoint POS Installation Guide

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2 Publication Details Documentation Details This document was developed by PAR Technologies, PixelPoint Software Group. For content revisions, questions, or comments, contact the writers at Copyright PAR Technology Corporation. All rights reserved. This product and related documentation are protected by copyright and are distributed under licenses restricting their use, copying, distribution, and de-compilation. No part of this product or related documentation may be reproduced in any form by any means without prior written authorization of PAR Technology and any requisite licensors. Version Version 11.0 October 2011 Printed in Canada Trademarks PixelPoint, PARTech Inc., the PixelPoint Logo and the PAR logo are all trademarks of PAR Technology Corporation. PARTech Inc. may have patents, patent applications, trademarks, copyrights, or other intellectual property rights covering subject matter in this document. Except as expressly provided in any written license agreement from PARTech Inc., the furnishing of this document does not give any license to these patents, trademarks, copyrights, or other intellectual property. Other product names may be trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective companies and are hereby acknowledged. Disclaimer PAR PixelPoint has thoroughly reviewed this document and believes it to be reliable. However, this document is provided for informational purposes only and PAR PixelPoint makes no warranties, either express or implied, in this document. Information in this document is subject to change without notice. Risk of use and responsibility for the results of use of this document lies with the user. Technical Support Software technical support from PixelPoint is available to certified Business Partner technicians with support contracts. In addition to telephone support, online support in various forms is also available to technicians through the MyPar Partner Center web site. Document Revisions Revisions to this document are posted on the MyPar Partner Center. Check with your PixelPoint Business Partner for current PixelPoint product information. Further information can be acquired through the official web site: 2

3 Table of Contents Welcome... 5 What's New... 6 CHAPTER 1. Concepts System Components System Configurations Modules & Agents Station Numbering CHAPTER 2. Installation Preparing For Installation Pre-Installation POS Software Installation Station Installation DataMiner Installation Running PixelPoint Steps To Success CHAPTER 3. Configuration Configuration Tips PixelPoint Startup Windows Printing INI And DLL Options Languages Taxes Changing Station Numbers Custom Transaction Receipts Custom Credit Slips Custom Order Chits Barcodes Graphics CHAPTER 4. Additional Functions Peripherals Print Emulator Till Management Sales Summary Report DataMiner Client Report Viewer Credit Authorization Inventory Overtime Agent Enterprise PocketPOS Overview WebToGo Overview Alert Manager

4 CHAPTER 5. Maintenance Backup Redundancy LiveBackup Utility Clear All Sales FixPixelBase Network Test Module Trim Database Utility Troubleshooting Preventative Maintenance CHAPTER 6. Advanced Programming Feature Codes Deposits Size Up and Size Down Shift Products Hold and Fire Kiosks Data Import Utility Glossary Index

5 Welcome Thank you for using PixelPoint POS. This guide is intended for installers setting up PixelPoint POS on a point-of-sale system. It presumes that you have a basic knowledge of Windows operating systems, TCP/IP networking and the fundamentals of a restaurant point-of-sale system. The table of contents and the index will be of great help to you in locating the information you are looking for. You are advised to make extensive use of both of them. In addition, this printed document includes an extensive glossary in the back matter. This will aid you if any concept is unclear. For information about front-end operations, see the PixelPoint POS User's Guide. For information about back-end programming, see the PixelPoint BackOffice User's Guide. 5

6 What's New This section summarizes important new features and changes to major features and functions in PixelPoint Version 11.0 software. Software Branding Update The appearance of all software components has undergone an update to better reflect current PAR EverServ branding. The default color scheme now utilizes the PAR blue and all default logos have been updated as well. LiveBackup Utility LiveBackup is an automated backup and recovery system designed to ensure that the database is always up and running. There are three components to this system: A mirrored log file maintains a current copy of transactions. A secondary database file maintains a backup copy of the database historical data and programming. A restore function pulls the first two components together to resurrect the POS quickly and efficiently. Refer to Chapter 5.3 for further information. Data Import Utility A new utility called Importer.exe allows you to import data into a PixelPoint database. The Importer enables users to perform batch insert and/or update on a list of selected tables from the PixelPoint POS database. It will also work in Auto Mode where it is ready to accept CSV files to insert and update the database. It will allow you to import data that would be applied to Stock Item Setup, Member Setup and Product Setup. Refer to the Chapter 6.7 for further information. Overtime Agent Overtime agent has been enhanced to accommodate various state/provincial laws. This is managed by defining a set of overtime rules that can be applied on a set day basis, consecutive day basis or weekly basis. Refer to Chapter 4.9 for further information. 6

7 Custom Receipts & Slips There are several new variables that can be applied when creating customized slips and receipts. Balance_Prepaid This is for PixelReceiptLayout.txt. It prints the remaining balance of a prepaid gift card. Sub_Total This is for PixelAuthLayout.txt. It prints a sub-total of the check amount plus gratuity. New Report Variables The End Of Day Summary and Employee Cashout layouts now offer many new variables and sections along with an expression feature that allows you to perform custom calculations using these variables. Authorization Manager When a credit batch settlement is completed, the system will now save settlement.txt to \PixelPOS\PixelReq\SettleHistory. This will allow you to refer back to previous batches which were normally overwritten. Note that each entry in SettleHistory is date stamped and may require periodic purging. Report Viewer 3 Report Viewer 3 is now available as a standalone program. This allows you to run it directly from a Windows Desktop shortcut rather than through BackOffice. Along with this are numerous new features such as the ability to schedule reports, the ability to have multiple report present on their own tabs, a fully updated report tree and the inclusion of the customer s logo (see Company Logo) within the reports. Refer to Chapter 4.6 for further information. Inventory Inventory processing and stock management has been enhanced to streamline depletion processing and now includes logging to a new audit trail. Located in Pixel32.ini is an entry called AuditInvPOS=Y. External Ordering SDK PixelPoint now offers a Software Development Kit that allows third party systems to process orders in the POS as if it the order was entered through a normal station such as websites and call centers. If you are in a situation which requires such third-party integration, contact your PAR account manager to set this up. 7

8 ======= Following are new features in BackOffice ======= Company Logo Located in the Company Info tab in System Setup is a new field that allows you to add a graphic image which can be included in Report Viewer reports. Gratuity Auto Gratuity (System Setup / Orders Tab) has two new enhancements: The first is to calculate the gratuity before or after taxes. The second is a check box to determine whether the application of a coupon can affect the gratuity amount. Coupon Groups You can now group coupons together allowing you to apply a common setting to multiple coupons. Security Settings Adding Products After Coupon This applies a security level to frontend users who wish to order additional products after a coupon has been applied to the check. Remove Discounts (Coupons) This applies a security level to frontend users who wish to remove a discount that has been applied to a check. Access To Detailed Button This applies a security level to front-end users who wish to use the Detail Info button on the table layout screen. Adding Coupons This applies a security level for front-end users who wish to apply any coupon to a check. Employee Setup The check box of [Invisible To POS Functions] has been enhanced to a dropdown field allowing you to set it as Visible, Invisible To POS Functions or Invisible And Cannot Login. This third option is designed for employees who would have access to BackOffice, such as an accountant or system administrator, but not be able to perform any tasks on the front-end (including clocking in). 8

9 Also, the employee password has been masked for tighter security. A file called SystemSetMenu.ini (located within \PixelPOS) controls BackOffice menu visibility. Refer to the Employee Setup section of this manual for further information. Themes You can now change the color scheme of PixelPoint. Located in Form Manager, is a new filter located within the [Other] selection. It is called Themes. There are several color schemes available. Create a new theme and the system will prompt you to import one of these. Upon doing that, you can save and apply it globally (under System Setup) or by station (under Station Setup). Yellow Task Bar The contents of the yellow bar are no longer fixed items and can be manipulated in Form Designer. With that said, there are now several new buttons that you can apply anywhere. Security Levels Security Level Setup has been enhanced to include two check boxes; [Log Security Activity] will apply this activity to the System Log. [Ask For Reasons] will allow you to specify which reasons can be applied to this action. 9

10 Policies CanOnlyVoidLastItem If activated, will limit the ability to pre-void the last item on a check. ChargeGratuityHandling Determines how a gratuity is applied to the transaction. (0) The gratuity is determined based on BackOffice configuration, being forced or suggested. (1) The gratuity is set to suggested, meaning that the bottom-line total does not include the gratuity. (2) The gratuity is forced, meaning that the bottom-line total includes the gratuity and must be paid. (3) The system prompts the user whether to make it forced or suggested. CombineAllChecksFunction Determines how to combine all checks in the split check screen. (0) Enable combine all checks. (1) Enable combine all checks, skip saved credit card info. (2) Enable combine all checks no confirmation. (3) Disable combine all checks. DeleteFiscalData This allows you to determine the number of days the POS will delete from the FiscalData table. The values are anywhere from 0 to 365. This pertains to the retention of fiscal printing for auditing. DisableTableLayoutScreen In a quick service environment, this redirects [System] from the table layout screen to a special function menu window containing [Your Settings], [Billboard] and [Manager Functions]. LockDownItemsAfterPrint This determine how the system handles a transaction once the receipt has been printed. (0) Do not lock down. (1) Does not allow further ordering or moving of items on the check. (2) Does the same as (1) but allows for security override. OnceCouponAppliedToCheck This determines how products are ordered once a coupon is applied to the check. (0) Allows further products to be ordered. (1) Allows further products to be ordered but requires security override. (2) Does not allow further products to be ordered. OpenDrawerOnPickup This determines when the cash drawer will open when performing a pickup or cash drop. (0) Open before prompting for an amount. (1) Open after prompting. TransViewDetailButtonHandling This determines whether security authorization is needed to use the [Detail] button on the transaction view screen. 10

11 CHAPTER 1. Concepts This chapter discusses and explains basic concepts and ideas you should be familiar with before starting to plan a PixelPoint POS installation. These concepts include the basic components that go together to make a PixelPoint POS system, the major types of hardware configurations you can use, the difference between PixelPoint agents and modules, and the way station numbering works. Specifically, this chapter's contents are: System Components (Page 12) System Configurations (Page 14) Modules & Agents (Page 16) Station Numbering (Page 17) 11

12 1.1. System Components The PixelPoint POS system is made up of three main parts. They are the shared PixelPOS folder, the server components, and the station software. Shared Folder The shared folder is located on the server directly off the root directory. The name of this folder is PixelPOS (C:\PixelPOS). This folder contains all of the executable (EXE), configuration (INI) and plug-in (DLL) files for the POS system. It also holds all graphic images, templates and reports. The only PixelPoint files not located here are the database and log files (located within the "PixelSQL" folder) as well as the station identification file ("PixelStation.ini"), which is located within the "Windows" folder. The PixelPOS folder must be shared with full read/write access for everyone in order for PixelPoint files to be used at all stations. Server Components The server part of the system is made up of four components. The first is the SQL Database Engine. This manages the exchange of information between the database and the stations. This engine is installed automatically as part of the software installation process. A shortcut for it is installed in the startup folder on the server. Make sure it is running whenever the POS system is running. The second component is the PixelSQL folder. As mentioned above, the database and log files are located in this folder. Like the PixelPOS folder, where most PixelPoint files are located, the PixelSQL folder is also off the root folder of the server PC. The two files in the PixelSQL folder are called "PIXELSQLBASE10.DB" and "PixelSqlBase10.LOG". The DB file is the master database file and contains all sales, printing and messaging data, as well as all of the programming information. The LOG file contains a track record of all changes to the database. The third component is the License Manager. This works with the software key (dongle) to manage all licensing rights to the software. License Manager is the 12

13 link between the software and the key, enabling you to program the number of stations and to access PixelPoint modules and agents. The fourth component is the PixelPoint program itself. This program is installed onto the server in the shared folder. It is not installed on other stations. Stations that use the program access it using the next system component the Station Software. Station Software Station software is made up of two files. The first is the POS Station shortcut, which is loaded into the startup folder on each station. This shortcut points to a program called "PixelPointExec.exe", which is located in the shared PixelPOS folder on the server. This is the program that actually launches the POS software. The second file is "PixelStation.ini", which is located in the station's Windows folder. This file contains the station's station number. For example, when "PixelPointExec.exe" is run from Station 3, the INI identifies it as being Station 3, and causes the program to automatically apply all Station 3 configuration programming to it. 13

14 1.2. System Configurations There are three basic types of PixelPoint POS configurations. Each of them is explained and illustrated below. Dedicated Server The dedicated server configuration is designed for large sites of around 5 or more stations or with heavy customer traffic. The three system components (shared folder, server components and station software) are retained on a PC located in the back office, which is dedicated to the operation of the POS system. Each of the stations at the front-end contain the station software. In this environment, the server PC is not used for front-end operations. Aside from managing the system, it can also be used for programming the POS system, running PixelPoint modules (inventory management, employee scheduling, etc.) and generating back office reports. Non-Dedicated Server The non-dedicated server configuration is designed for sites of around 2-7 stations or sites with moderate customer traffic. One of the front-end stations acts as the server, containing the three system components (shared folder, server components and station software). The other stations contain just the station software. 14

15 The non-dedicated configuration is very common in establishments where the volume of transactions is not excessively heavy. It is recommended that the server PC be the least busiest station. The back office functions which would be performed on a dedicated server are available on this station, however, it is recommended that you refrain from performing these during busy hours of operation. Heavy use of the station for management functions or excessive order usage could affect the speed and performance of the overall system. Remember that the unit has a dual role as both server and station. Standalone Server The standalone server configuration is designed for small sites in which one station would be enough. The three system components (shared folder, server components and station software) are retained on the station. Some of the many benefits of this configuration over an electronic cash register are as follows: (1) You can perform remote printing (such as orders to a kitchen and/or bar). (2) You have superior reporting and transaction management capabilities. (3) You have the ability to manage employee timeclock functions. (4) You can apply all of the additional functions available with a POS system (such as inventory management, integrated credit authorization, etc.). (5) you will have much tighter security. 15

16 1.3. Modules & Agents A module is an add-on program that you must access in order for it to function. An example of a module is FixPixelBase (See page 167). This is a program designed to perform database maintenance functions. However, it needs a user to operate it. An agent is an add-on program that runs on its own. An example of an agent is Authorization Manager (See page 101). This is a program that you run to interact with a third-party credit card verification system. Though it may require some setup when you run it for the first time, it does not require you to do something each time you want to process a credit card. It will remain open and operate in the background, transparent to regular system operations. Since modules require user intervention and agents do not, their shortcuts must go in very different places. Shortcuts for modules should be placed on the Windows Desktop. When you need to use the module, double-click on the shortcut icon on the desktop. Agents, however, should start up automatically and run in the background. Their shortcuts should be placed in the Windows Startup folder or specified in the Configuration Startup screen (See "PixelPoint Startup" (Page 47)). Whenever you boot up the PC, then, the agent will start up as well. Some examples of modules are: Backup, Clear All Sales, DataMiner Client, FixPixelBase, Report Viewer, System Setup and Trim Database. Some examples of agents are: DataMiner Report Server, License Manager, Overtime Agent, Authorization Manager, PixelKDS, Pixel RemoteDevice and Pixel Stock Manager. 16

17 1.4. Station Numbering During the installation process you are asked to give each station (including the server) a station number. There is no limit as to the number of stations you can have on the system (licensing permitting) and you can assign a station any number so long as it is not assigned to any other station. Master Station The master station is the front-end station that is used to launch the POS at the beginning of the day and to run the End of Day process at closing time. This station must be designated as Station 1. It is recommended that you have a station that is conveniently accessible to management as Station 1. Stand-Alone System In stand-alone system configurations, the single station must be designated as the master station. Non-Dedicated Server System In this system, the server (the station containing the shared folder and server components) must be designated as the master station. Dedicated Server System Here, the server cannot be Station 1. Another station must be. The main reason for this is that End of Day reports, which are generated at the master station, are designed for front-end printers, and there cannot be a front-end printer connected to a dedicated server. Select a front-end station that is conveniently accessible to management to serve as the master station. This will not affect the ability to generate back-office reports on the dedicated server. The dedicated server does need to have a station number. You can use any unused station number for it, but PixelPoint recommends that you designate it as Station 20. There are 20 station records already created by default, so assigning the server station 20 uses the last record. A good reason for doing this is that not many installations have 20 or more stations, so using station 20 will not interfere with numbering front-end stations, even if you add more stations in the future. 17

18 CHAPTER 2. Installation This chapter has sections dealing with all aspects of the installation process. It covers everything from steps that should be taken before starting, to the process of installing the software, to how to start up PixelPoint POS when installation is completed. This chapter also has a checklist you can refer to during the process to make sure you do not miss critical steps. This chapter's contents are: Preparing For Installation (Page 19) Pre-Installation (Page 21) Software Installation (Page 26) Station Installation (Page 31) Running PixelPoint (Page 34) 30 Steps To Success (Page 41) 18

19 2.1. Preparing For Installation Before installing the software, you will need to set up an environment suitable for a working computer network. Though this does not directly relate to the installation of the PixelPoint software, it has to do with your overall implementation and can have a significant effect on the performance of the system. Below are suggestions as to how you can best prepare for installation of a PixelPoint POS system. Mapping The Site Begin by looking at the floor plan and layout of the site. Determine where each station and printer will be and measure each cable run. It is a good idea to take a station and printer with you to make sure that the footprint and clearance will be enough at each station's location. If the site is in the middle of construction, then now is a good time to identify where holes may need to be cut to fit power and network cables. Make sure the holes are big enough to get the plugs through too. Discuss all printing requirements with management and map out the printer network. For example, you should discuss questions like "If I order a beverage from Station 3, what printer do I want it to print to?" See the Printing Concepts section in the PixelPoint BackOffice User's Guide for further explanation. Do not attempt to hook a printer up to the server, as this is incompatible with PixelPoint. When determining the cable runs, do not route too many printers from one station. Spread the printing workload out so that if one station goes down, it will not take all of your printers with it. In addition, avoid running cables near areas that may affect signal integrity, such as electrical panels. Power Power distribution and electrical noise reduction are critical factors in keeping your system operational. Avoid feeding power to your system through a line that feeds commercial appliances such as ovens and refrigerators. Though some higher-end power bars may make this a little more feasible, they are not enough to make sure that the power flow is clean and regulated. Instead, you should plug the POS system into Isolated Ground Receptacles (IGRs). An IGR is an independent and insulated ground terminal. Because these grounds are not bonded to the common ground (with the appliances), the IGRs will not pick up any noise or fluctuations. IGRs are typically identified by an orange triangle on the receptacle face, though some may use other means of identification. An Uninterruptable Power Supply (UPS) is also something you should consider, especially on the server. Without a UPS, your system goes down if the power goes down. A battery backup (i.e., a UPS) is critical in that it can carry your system through an outage or at least give your customer enough time to print checks and properly close down the system. 19

20 Staging Stage the entire POS system at your office before taking it to the site. Do not test, learn on, or experiment with the system at the customer site. Go in with a pre-configured and tested system, ready to go live. To stage a system, follow the steps below in order: 1. Load the operating systems. 2. Establish network connectivity and configuration. 3. Install PixelPoint on the server. 4. Install station software on all remaining PCs. 5. Program (or load) the database. 6. Test the POS system and all related printing. 7. Review the system with a client representative for approval prior to delivery. 8. Do a backup and keep a copy of the database. Operating Systems PixelPoint will work on all versions of the Windows operating systems. PixelPoint does not need all PCs on the POS system to have the same operating system. For example, the server could be running Windows 2000 Server while one station is running Windows 2000 Professional and another station is running Windows XP. However, mixing operating systems like this is not recommended. In addition, note that PixelPoint is not compatible with non-windows operating systems such as Unix or Linux. Before setting up the network, make sure that all PCs have a licensed version of Windows installed and that they all have the latest service pack upgrades. 20

21 2.2. Pre-Installation Before installing the software, you should set up and configure the PC network so that all computers can see and talk to each other properly. In addition, it is recommended that you configure the PCs to be able to use the default settings expected by the installation program. This will simplify the installation process and help prevent problems resulting from configuration oversights. Naming PCs 1. PixelPoint recommends that you name the server PC "POSSERVER". Though it is not mandatory that this name be used, it is the default name expected during installation. 2. Give each (non-server) station on the system a standard name that will correspond with its station number (such as "Station1", "Station2", or "POS1", "POS2", etc.). Note: To specify the computer name, right-click on My Computer in Windows and then select Properties. Switch to the Computer Name tab and select [Change] to rename the PC. Network Configuration PixelPoint POS requires functional TCP/IP in order to communicate with the database in a multi-station environment. Each station on the network must be assigned its own unique IP address (as shown in the example below). Make sure, however, that all stations are using the same subnet. 21

22 Though the above example uses the network ID of " ", you can use any acceptable network ID. Just make sure that the host ID (the last octet) for each station is unique (for example, "1", "2", "3", as in the image above). To configure the IP address and Subnet mask, right-click on your main network connection (for example, "Local Area Connection") and select Properties. Make sure "Internet Protocol (TCP/IP)" is present. Select it and click on [Properties]. Select 'Use the following IP address'. Fill in the 'IP address' and 'Subnet mask' fields with the IP and Subnet addresses you want to use. When you are done, select [OK] and exit the properties windows. 22

23 Upon completion you should be able to ping the other stations on the network. (To do this, type "ping" followed by the station's IP into a command line. (You can open a command line by selecting Run... on the Windows Start menu.)). General PC Configuration There are a number of other things you should do on each PC before beginning to install the PixelPoint software. 1. Set the "Administrator" Windows User profile for auto-logon. 2. Run Windows Update. 3. Remove all unnecessary icons from the desktop, system tray and quick launch menu. This includes Internet Explorer, Media Player, Sound Control and Language shortcuts. 4. Disable the screen saver, power management (except for monitor time), and automatic Windows update. 5. Install VNC or PCAnywhere software on the server and test each station. 6. Configure and calibrate the touch screen (if there is one). Creating The Shared Folder One last, but essential, item remains to be done before you can install the PixelPoint software properly. This is creating the shared PixelPOS folder, the folder where the PixelPoint software gets installed (See "System Components" (Page 12) for more information). To create the shared folder: 1. On POSSERVER, open Windows Explorer and select the hard drive. 2. Select File > New > Folder. 3. Name the folder "PixelPOS". 23

24 4. Right-click on the new folder. 5. Select [Properties]. 6. Switch to the Sharing tab and share the folder. Different versions of the Windows family of operating systems use different field names and controls for sharing folders. As a result, the sharing tab on your PCs may look different than the one shown here; see Microsoft's help documentation for more information about how to share a folder on your particular version of Windows. 7. Modify the sharing permissions (by selecting [Permissions] on the sharing folder, for example) and give full control (read/write capabilities) to all users (Everyone). 8. Select [OK] to return to Windows Explorer. 24

25 9. Select Folder Options on the Tools pull-down menu. 10. Switch to the View tab. 11. Disable 'Use simple file sharing (Recommended)'. If you have configured the shared folder properly, each station will be able to see the folder in the Network Neighborhood. Every station must be able to see the PixelPOS folder in the Network Neighborhood. 25

26 2.3. POS Software Installation Install the PixelPoint POS software on the designated server only, not on each station. As mentioned in earlier sections (See "System Components" (Page 12)), stations access the main POS software installed on the server. To install the software: 1. Close all open Windows applications. 2. Load the PixelPoint POS Installation CD. The CD should start automatically (if your PC is set to do this). If it does not, run the "AutoRun.exe" file in the CD's root directory. 3. Click on either the PixelPoint title box or the red text reading "Click here to install" when you see the following window. 4. Click [Next] to continue when the installation wizard begins. The first screen is a welcome screen identifying the version of PixelPoint you are about to install. 26

27 5. The next screen is the End-User License Agreement. It is recommended that you read this to fully understand the conditions and liabilities of using the software. You must agree to the terms of the agreement by selecting "I accept the terms in the license agreement" before you can continue. Once you have done this, click [Next] again. 6. The next screen contains installation notes. You should read this to understand any special conditions to installing this software. These notes may change for new versions or builds so always take note of this screen's contents. 27

28 7. This screen indicates the installation's target destination. Windows likes to default installations to "C:\Program Files", so the path shown here will reflect this. You should not install to this default location, however. Select [Change]. 8. This screen enables you to define the destination path. Use the text field at the bottom (labeled "Folder name:") to specify a new path. 28

29 If your system involves a network, you need to use UNC (Universal Naming Convention) naming when defining the path here. If you named the server POSSERVER and created the shared PixelPOS folder off the root directory (as recommended in "Pre-Installation" (See page 21)), enter "\\posserver\pixelpos" as the path. If you used a different server name or folder location, change the path accordingly. If your system is a stand-alone configuration, do not use a UNC path. Install the software to "C:\PixelPOS". 9. Select [Next] to continue. If the path you specified is invalid, you will not be able to continue. 10. The wizard starts to install the system after you complete step 9. You do not need to do anything during this process. 29

30 11. The confirmation window below displays when the installation ends. Select [Finish] to complete the process. 30

31 2.4. Station Installation The station installation wizard automatically starts when the server installation finishes. The procedure below follows the station installation step-by-step. To install the station software on other stations, run "\PixelPOS\Station Install\Setup.exe" through the network (after the wizard completes installation on the server). The same station wizard shown below will execute. You can use either Windows Explorer or the browse function within the Windows Run application to find the file. Note: Before continuing, it is important that you have an understanding of how station numbering works and that you know how you are going to number stations on this particular system. (See "Station Numbering" (Page 17).) 1. The first window is a Welcome screen identifying that you are now in the Station Installation wizard. Click [Next] to continue. 2. The software license agreement displays. Again, you must agree to the terms of the agreement by selecting "I accept the terms in the license agreement" before you can continue. Once you have done this, click [Next] again. 31

32 3. The next screen identifies the path where the station software will be placed. This cannot be changed. Select [Install] to continue. 4. The system then installs the software to the designated destination. You do not need to do anything during this process. 32

33 5. When finished, you will be notified that a station number must now be assigned. Select [OK] to continue. 6. Enter the desired station number. As noted above, it is recommended that you review "Station Numbering" (See page 17) before selecting this number. Click [OK] to continue. 7. The confirmation window below displays when the installation ends. Select [Finish] to complete the process. 33

34 2.5. DataMiner Installation If you are following through the installation process on POSSERVER, the DataMiner installation wizard will automatically start when the station installation finishes. This process does not start up if you have just completed the station installation on any other station. It is only required when installing on the server. The procedure below follows the DataMiner software installation process step-bystep. 1. The first window is a Welcome screen identifying that you are now in the DataMiner Installation wizard. Click [Next] to continue. 2. The software license agreement displays. Again, you must agree to the terms of the agreement by selecting "I accept the terms in the license agreement" before you can continue. Once you have done this, click [Next] again. 34

35 3. The next screen identifies the path where the DataMiner software will be placed. Select [Next] to continue. 4. The system then installs the software to the proper destination. You do not need to do anything during this process. Though you can change the path, it is not recommended for most installations. 35

36 5. The next confirms your settings. Select [Install] to continue. 6. The system then installs the software to the designated destination. You do not need to do anything during this process. 7. Upon completion, you are presented with this screen (below). Select [Finish] to return to the Installation menu screen. Then reboot the server. 36

37 2.6. Running PixelPoint When you boot up the server, there are four shortcuts in the Startup Folder: PixelSQL Engine, License Manager and POS Station. You may recall that there are three components in the server part of a PixelPoint POS system. Each of the shortcuts in the startup folder opens one of the server components. See "System Components" (Page 12) for more information. PixelSQL Engine PixelPoint uses Sybase SQL Anywhere (Structured Query Language) to manage the flow of information to and from the database. This program is critical to the operation of the system and must be running in order for the POS system to work. This should be the first program to run when starting up the system. License Manager The PixelPoint License Manager controls the authorization of the software. It works in conjunction with a USB dongle (also included with the software) to identify the purchased software components and grants access to them. If you maximize License Manager, the window on the left will show you what the system is licensed for. License Manager reads this information directly from the dongle. 37

38 When you first load the software, this dongle will be blank. You must program key codes into it to license your software components. To load key codes: 1. Plug the dongle into a USB port. 2. Make sure that the License Manager program is running. 3. Double-click its icon in the Windows system tray. 4. Select [Update Lock]. The license programming screen displays. 5. Look on your PixelPoint software box for the sticker with four alphanumeric codes on it. Enter those codes into the four fields on the license screen. Should you need to apply additional stations or software modules to the License Manager, contact your account manager at PAR PixelPoint for updated codes. 38

39 If the License Manager is having problems reading the dongle information, you can reset the License Manager by selecting [Reset]. This reinitializes the connection, but you must restart the POS system after doing this. Note: In order for the PixelPoint system to work, it is vital that the dongle be in the USB port all of the time and that the License Manager be running. Should the dongle be lost or faulty, the License Manager will allow you to use the system for 2 days. This should give you enough time to get the dongle working or replaced. POS Station This is the executable file that runs the PixelPoint software. Make sure that POSSERVER is running. When you start up Station 1, the program presents the POS startup screen. The remaining stations will not be able to start PixelPoint until Station 1 has completed this process. Click [Start Point-Of-Sale] to start the POS system. Clicking this button presents the Open Day's Receipts screen, asking you to verify the date and time. You can change the date and time using the buttons on the screen. 39

40 This screen determines the posting date of your sales. If you ever start the day and this screen does not come up, this means that the previous night's End of Day routine did not successfully execute and that the current day's sales may post to yesterday's date. See the Posting Date section in "Troubleshooting" (Page 175). The POS Station shortcut is the only shortcut that appears on all other stations (2, 3, 4...). Once the POS has been started on Station 1, then POS Station will automatically start up on the other stations when they boot up. These stations will go the PixelPoint Login Screen. 40

41 Steps To Success When performing a PixelPoint installation, it is a good idea to have a check list handy to make sure that you have covered everything. Here are 30 recommended steps that you should consider and check off when doing your installation. INSTALLATION 1 Staging: Pre-stage and test the entire system at your office before on-site delivery. 2 Site Power: Make sure Isolated Ground Receptacles and a UPS have been installed at the site. 3 Internet: Test firewall, anti-virus and remote support software (such as VNC or pcanywhere). 4 Latest Files: Run FixPixelBase and select [Software Update for V11] to get the latest PixelPoint files. 5 Licensing: Apply and check the key codes to make sure all required modules are present. 6 Recovery: Some form of automated backup and RAID solution is installed. 7 Install Path: The install path is: "C:\PixelPOS" (for stand-alone systems) "\\POSSERVER\PixelPOS" (for multi-station configurations). 8 Server Configuration: Allocate memory cache to the SQL Engine shortcut. 9 Station Configuration: Set stations to have no background, screen savers or power management. 10 Network: Make sure all stations can see the PIXELPOS folder (It must be fully shared, with read/write access for all users). 11 Network: Run the Network Test Module. If no problems are found, continue to step

42 PROGRAMMING 12 Security: Change the supervisor s access, FixPixelBase access and Clear All Sales access passwords from "100". 13 Access: Assign employees to job positions & set up swipe cards for them. 14 Printing: Map, program and test each station's printing requirements. 15 Synchronizing Stations: Make sure that "SynchServerTime=Y" is in "Pixel32.ini". 16 Appearance: Review the floor layout and Form Designer templates and get them approved by management. 17 Credit Authorization: Send a test transaction and batch through to the credit service. 18 Tender Authorizations: Test all applicable methods of payment (including members, room charges, etc.). 19 Inventory: Test stock depletion and make sure Inventory Manager is reporting it properly. 20 Localization: Check that all necessary DLL and INI options (such as for taxes) have been applied. TRAINING 21 General Staff understand all front-end operations, how to cash out, clock out and assign/un-assign tills (if applicable). 22 Management understands all front-end operations, how to read cash outs, adjust time clocks & perform End of Day procedures. 23 Management: Select staff is trained in BackOffice programming, report operations, backup/recovery, as well as basic troubleshooting. 24 Operations: Conduct a mock live operation, challenging the staff with orders involving voids, transfers, split tendering, etc. 25 Initializing: Run Clear All Sales before going live. PROJECT MANAGEMENT 26 Sign-Offs: Make sure you have sign-offs for the delivery of the system, approval of programming and training of staff. In addition, you should have signed maintenance and upgrade agreements. 27 Documentation: All guides & any custom documentation have been delivered. 28 Archive: Make and keep a copy of the database, floor layouts and customized order templates. 29 Live Standby: You should be present for the first day of operation from Start of Day to End of Day. 30 Follow Up: Follow up with the establishment after going live and make sure you register the site with PAR PixelPoint. 42

43 CHAPTER 3. Configuration This chapter has topics about how to configure the PixelPoint POS system once it has been installed. It starts off with a few tips that will help your system run more efficiently and includes things like changing the Startup process to automatically run agents, setting and modifying custom receipts and credit slips, and using the establishment's own graphics for the log-in screens. This chapter is organized as follows: Configuration Tips (Page 44) PixelPoint Startup (Page 47) Windows Printing (Page 49) INI and DLL Options (Page 50) Languages (Page 52) Taxes (Page 54) Changing Station Numbers (Page 56) Custom Transaction Receipts (Page 58) Custom Credit Slips (Page 64) Custom Order Chits (Page 67) Barcodes (Page 69) Graphics (Page 71) 43

44 3.1. Configuration Tips This section discusses optional steps you may perform to make sure that the system you are configuring is performing as efficiently as it can. Memory Cache You can increase the system's cache of memory. This will increase the overall speed and responsiveness of the system. To do this: 1. Go into Windows Explorer. 2. Go into the Startup folder. 3. Right-click on the PixelSQL Engine shortcut. 4. Select Properties. 5. Add "-c 10M" to the target line to increase the cache to 10MB (or add "-c 20M" to increase it to 20MB, etc.). The end of the target line should now read "-x TCPIP -ti 0 -c 10M". Note: The suggested amount of RAM is approximately 20% of the database size. For example, if the database is 100MB in size, allocate 20MB to cache Allotting cache to the SQL database engine is effective if the server is running all of the time (24-hours a day), since the cache is normally cleared on shutdown or reboot. The server should only be shut down from time to time for maintenance purposes, however; otherwise leave it running. If the establishment is a non-24 hour operation and has a non-dedicated server, it is recommended that you change the value of "EODShutDown" in Policy Setup (under the Administrator menu in BackOffice) to "No" (N) for [Station1]. This stops the Windows shutdown option from appearing on the station during End of Day, and will make sure that the server is shut down as little as possible. Specifically, increasing the cache size significantly improves the speed and performance of Report Viewer and SQL queries. When the data is readily available in cache, it does not have to be queried directly from the hard drive. For establishments with large databases (200MB +), increased cache allocation will noticeably improve reporting and query performance. 44

45 Updated Files Always make sure that the system is loaded with the latest PixelPoint files. You can do this by connecting to the PixelPoint Update Server. To do this, run "FixPixelBase.exe" (in the "\PixelPOS" folder) and select [Software Update for V11.0]. Then select [Yes] in response to the warning message that appears. In addition, also make sure that Windows is up to date. However, you should deactivate the auto-update feature in Windows as this may disrupt the station startup process. If a critical Windows update is needed, make sure that you have completely exited all PixelPoint software and then perform the update manually. Power Management Power management settings can decrease power consumption by turning off or slowing down devices during periods of inactivity. However, in a POS environment, this can affect the speed and responsiveness of the system, particularly on the server. Make sure all Windows power management settings are deactivated. PixelPoint has its own power management features to help reduce energy consumption. Screen Savers Similar to power settings, screen savers can preserve the display area by preventing "burning" of fixed images into the physical screen. However, screen savers also take up system processing resources, slowing down system performance. Make sure the server and station screen saver settings are set to "none". Communication Ports Flow Control - More data arriving at a serial printer than the device can handle causes data overflow. If this happens, the data must be re-transmitted. Set the port's flow control to Hardware. This will regulate flow to match the capacity of the device. 45

46 FIFO Buffers - FIFO stands for "First In/First Out" and is a memory device that manages flow control between the stations and serial devices. Disabling the FIFO buffers can help prevent connection problems because without them, the devices respond more directly to each other. Make sure there are no conflicts with other devices. Screen Resolution The recommended resolution for a hospitality touch screen is at least 800x x768 resolution is required on LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) units. Make sure the resolution settings are set to High or True Color (the highest possible setting). Setting displays for 256 colors or less is not recommended. Database Files Just before you go live with a system, it is recommended that you make a copy of the "PIXELSQLBASE10.DB" file for yourself. This will serve two functions: (1) you will have your own emergency backup copy of the customer's database, should anything happen and they have none of their own. (2) Rather than program databases from "scratch" every time you have an install to do, you can use a saved database and simply make necessary adjustments to it. This will reduce the amount of time it takes to produce a database. For example, if you have a restaurant with 500 cocktails programmed into it and another establishment also has a large number of cocktails, you can load the copy of the old one and modify it for the new project. Changing the Database Location If you anticipate that the database file will eventually become quite large, you may want to move it to another drive or partition that has more available space. By default, "PIXELSQLBASE10.DB" is installed to "C:\PixelSQL". The following procedure shows how to move it from the C: to the D: drive, as an example. You can easily adapt this process for any available destination. To move the database: 1. Shut down PixelPoint POS and all related applications. 2. Go into Windows Explorer. 3. Copy-and-paste the PixelSQL folder from "C:" to "D:". 4. Go into the Windows Startup folder. 5. Right-click on the PixelSQL Engine shortcut. 6. Select Properties. 7. Edit the target line (it should read "\dbsrv50.exe C:\PIXELSQL"). 8. Change the path to "\dbsrv50.exe D:\PIXELSQL". The boldface part of the target line above is the only part of it you should change. Leave the rest as it is. 9. Click [OK] to save. 10. Restart the server. 46

47 3.2. PixelPoint Startup When you start PixelPoint on Station 1, the Start Point-Of-Sale window displays. This is actually running a file in the "\PixelPOS" folder called "POSStationExec.exe". Right-clicking on this Start Point-Of-Sale window displays a menu with two options. Selecting SetUp displays a window which enables you to define the order and timing of execution of each of your PixelPoint shortcuts. If an application is listed here, a shortcut for it is not needed in the startup folder. The POS Station shortcut will manage the execution of the file instead. Click on [+ New] to create an executable entry. You can apply either the shortcut or the file directly by using the [ ] browse button to the right of the "File Name" field. There are two parts to programming an application here. The first is specifying the file name that should run, and the second is specifying the parameters it should use when it does run. Both of these parts are included in a shortcut's target line, so make sure you separate them here. An example is shown above for the PixelSQL Engine. After specifying the EXE file to run, copy the remaining contents of a shortcut's target line into the "Parameters" field. The "Delay" field pauses the execution of the program for the specified number of seconds. You can use this to determine the order in which the applications should 47

48 start. In addition, you can enable or disable program lines by using the "Enabled" checkbox and you can use the [X] button on the right to remove the line entirely. When you complete the configuration, select [Save] to retain your changes and exit the configuration screen. You can remove shortcuts to the applications you just programmed from the Startup folder now. 48

49 3.3. Windows Printing PixelPoint works in conjunction with Windows network printing and USB printing. PixelPoint looks to the list of Windows printers before accepting settings assigned within Network Printers Setup; if there is a printer plugged in by USB, and which matches the name of a printer programmed in Network Printers Setup, PixelPoint will use the Windows printer. If that Windows printer is removed or renamed, PixelPoint will then use the settings defined within Network Printers Setup. To set this up, program the printer as you normally would. The one thing that is different for programming this printer is that you must program it for an unused port. Assigning the printer to the station is still important, since the routing of print jobs is still managed through PixelPoint. Note: Setting up printers in this way is recommended for local receipt printers only. Also, it should only be used when circumstances prevent direct port printing. 49

50 3.4. INI And DLL Options One critical file in the PixelPOS folder is "Pixel32.ini". This INI (initialization) file sets operational parameters for the PixelPoint system. You can set the majority of operational parameters in Policy Setup (on the Administrator pull-down menu) in BackOffice. A lot of options can be set in both Policy Setup and directly through "Pixel32.ini". Some, however, can only be set by modifying Pixel32. Those you must modify in Pixel32 generally include major system settings, like which DLLs the system should call for certain functions. The MyPar Partner Center has a "Software Options" section that lists all of these options, describes them, and specifies which ones can be set in Policy Setup, Pixel32, or both. The settings for various system components are grouped under their respective section titles (For example, credit authorization options are set under the [AUTHMANAGER] title). By adding or changing parameters within the Pixel32 file, you can significantly affect how the PixelPoint system functions. DLL Pixel32 has a section labeled [DLLS]. The lines in this section refer to the DLL (Dynamic Link Library) files located in the "\PixelPOS\DLLS" folder. A DLL is basically a plug-in file that enables you to adapt the system to a situation or piece of equipment without changing the core programming. For example, if you are using a particular brand of pole display that requires a special DLL file in order for it to work with your equipment, you would list that DLL within the Pixel32 file under the [DLLS] section. INI The section under the title [ALL STATIONS] is probably the most common section where you would make changes to Pixel32. INI commands entered here will apply to "all stations" in the system. 50

51 If you want to apply an INI parameter to one specific station, create a section title with the name of that station and add the desired text (such as in the example above). Some Common INI Settings autocustomer=y Bypasses the # of customers prompt when starting a new table. bussingstatus=y Enables bussing mode for tables. checkvoidmaster=y Enforces voiding of the master item when voiding an option. disablemasterquan=y Defines whether options will follow the master item quantity setting. forcetender=y Forces the tender to be manually entered. labelonorder=y Enables printing the transaction label on the order slip. labelonreceipt=y Enables printing the transaction label on the receipt. onlypos=y Hard locks the station so it can only use PixelPoint. punchround=15 Rounds punch in/out times to the nearest 15 minutes. quickmember=1 Auto prompts for telephone number on the member screen. synchservertime=y Synchronizes the station clocks with the server's clock. trackprevoid=y Enables tracking of voids made before being sent. For a complete list, review the Policies section of the PixelPoint POS BackOffice Guide. It will offer instructions on how to use the Policies function. Each policy contains a description of its function. 51

52 3.5. Languages PixelPoint POS is used by establishments around the world and can be configured to appear in any language. The principle behind this is that practically all frontend text is referenced to a language database table. The contents of this table can be edited, thereby updating all corresponding user text within the POS system. Replacing the default English text with text in another language is done by creating a text file called newlanguage.txt in the PixelPOS folder. The text file will contain the record numbers used within the language database table, along with the translated text that should be applied to each record. When PixelPoint sees this file, it will automatically map the translated text in the file over its default text. Further details about this process are given below. To Create "newlanguage.txt": 1. Execute the "LanguageEdit.exe" utility located within \PixelPOS. 2. You will see the default English loaded already (English.txt). 3. Select [Open Lang] and select the desired language txt file. Language files are available for download from the MyPar website. Unzip the desired language file into the PixelPOS folder. 4. Go through each record and check the translation. Apply any changes to the right column. Newer entries from more recent versions of the software will be located at the bottom of the list. For example if the word Car was a new word added to the POS, it would show up as the last record and may not have been translated as of the date of your language file. 5. It may take you several sessions to translate the entire table, so select [Save Changes] before exiting so what you did get done will be there next time. 6. When completed, rename the language file used (Spanish, German, French ) to a text file called "NewLanguage.txt". 52

53 To Apply the Text File: 1. Shut down PixelPoint POS. 2. Copy "NewLanguage.txt" into the "\PixelPOS" folder. 3. Restart the POS system. Different language files can be applied on a per station basis by renaming them as newlanguage1.txt, newlanguage2.txt and so on. The number in each title will represent the station number it applies to. Printing Non-Roman Characters You can print writing systems other than the Roman alphabet as well. However, note that some printers cannot print most non-roman characters. The following steps may be necessary in order to get this to work: 1. Install the applicable language support in Windows. Windows language support is available through Microsoft. 2. Set the Windows Region Settings to the desired country. 3. Configure a printer that has been certified by PixelPoint as supporting non- Roman characters. 4. Go into Product Setup (on the Products pull-down menu) in BackOffice and enter a translated description for a product into the Printed Description field. 5. Save and order the item to make sure that the printer is properly printing the new language. Note: You may need a special keyboard or software to input the characters. If you have followed the procedure above and verified that the printer can print other writing systems, you should be able to go back and follow the steps involved in creating the "newlanguage.txt" file given above. 53

54 3.6. Taxes One of the most critical elements of the system is the application of taxes. This section looks at how to apply taxes in several different situations. Taxes themselves are programmed on the System Taxes tab in Product Setup (which is found on the Administrator pull-down menu in BackOffice) and are applied to report categories and products on their respective BackOffice setup screens. For more information about applying taxes to products, see the PixelPoint BackOffice User's Guide. Tax-Inclusive Pricing When you are given the menu(s) for an establishment, you may notice that the bar prices are round numbers (such as $5.00 for a bottle of beer, $30.00 for a bottle of wine, etc.). This suggests that the prices are to be considered taxinclusive (meaning the tax is included in the price) and is typical of most establishments that serve alcohol. To change a product from "Price + Tax" to "Price including Tax", go into the Advanced Tab in Product Setup and apply a "1" to the 'Feature Code' field. PixelPoint will take the taxes programmed into the system into account and will internally calculate the product's price so that "price + tax" matches the price you have entered on the main Product Setup tab. Value Added Tax VAT is a form of taxation in which everything is tax-inclusive. Check with your local tax laws to determine whether this is an acceptable configuration before you configure it. To change your system to VAT taxation: 1. Open the "Pixel32.ini" file. 2. Edit the line that says "CALCTAX=DLLS/CALTRANS.DLL" by changing it to "CALCTAX=DLLS/CALTRANSVAT.DLL". 3. Save the file. 4. Open BackOffice. 5. Select System Setup from the Administrator pull-down menu. 6. Switch to the System Taxes tab. 7. Enable the 'VAT Environment' checkbox. Regional Tax Laws Some countries and regions may require special programming to accommodate their particular tax laws. PixelPoint has developed special tax DLLs that you can apply to the [DLLS] section of "Pixel32.ini" in order to program regional taxes. For example, if you look in the "\PixelPOS\DLLs" folder, you will see that there are such files for Australia, Ohio and Ontario. If you are installing a PixelPoint system in any of these regions, make sure you change the CALCTAX line in "Pixel32.ini" 54

55 from "CALTRANS.DLL" to the appropriate DLL file. This will take into account all of the elements of that region's tax laws. If you know that the state or country you are installing in has particular tax laws that may require a special DLL (aside from those in the DLLS folder), contact PixelPoint Support to see if such a DLL is available for download. 55

56 3.7. Changing Station Numbers PixelStation.ini When a number is assigned to a station during Station Installation, a file called "PixelStation.ini" is created in the station's Windows folder. This INI file contains the station number which ties the computer to the BackOffice programming for that station. If you change this number, the station will use all of the programming configured for that station number. For example, say that Station 3 is sent away for repair and you want Station 4 to emulate Station 3. By changing the station number in Station 4's INI file, it will then take on the identity of Station 3 along with all of the Station Setup programming for it as well. Desktop Station Shortcuts When the station software is run in the startup folder, it is actually running a shortcut to a file in "\Program Files\PixelPoint\" called "POSStationExec.exe". This file grabs the information within PixelStation.ini and applies it to the core file that runs the actual PixelPoint system. That file is "PixelPointPOS.exe". If you were to try to run "PixelPointPOS.exe" directly, you would get an error indicating that it is missing the station number designation. However, you can directly apply the station number without the aid of "POSStationExec.exe" or "PixelStation.ini". To do this: 1. Create a desktop shortcut to "PixelPointPOS.exe". 2. Right-click on the shortcut and select Properties. 3. Add a space followed by the chosen station number at the end of the target line. 4. Save the change. When you run the shortcut (assuming the SQL Engine and License Manager are running), PixelPoint will start up under the station number indicated in the shortcut. You can use this to easily set one station to take over the identity of another should something go wrong. Note that using this method does not change the computer's default station number. Unlike the method of changing the designation through "PixelStation.ini", this method will only keep the ID of the other station for that session (until you exit the PixelPoint software). When you reboot, the system will use the shortcut in the Windows Startup folder, not the shortcut you made on the desktop, and so PixelPoint will run under the station number in "PixelStation.ini" again (since the startup shortcut points to "POSStationExec.exe"). You must manually run the desktop shortcut each time if you want to run PixelPoint under the station number you included in the desktop shortcut's properties. Desktop shortcuts are also a helpful tool for sales representatives who want to demonstrate different types of programming for PixelPoint, since you can have 56

57 shortcuts for many different stations. For example, you could program Station 1 for a fine dining restaurant, Station 2 for an ice cream parlor, and so on. You would then create desktop shortcuts with different station numbers in their target lines. Then, simply by clicking on the appropriate shortcut, you can make PixelPoint look and operate like the type of establishment you are demonstrating. 57

58 3.8. Custom Transaction Receipts You can customize customer receipts. This section explains how to do it. Creating a Custom Receipt File Using any ASCII text editor, create a text file called "PixelReceiptLayout.txt". The contents of this file will serve as the template for your custom receipts. A sample text file called "SamplePixelReceiptLayout.txt" is included in your "\PixelPOS folder". You can use this file for formatting guidelines and content. To make the file itself active, simply remove the word "Sample" from the filename. The content of the file is shown below. Your "\PixelPOS" folder also contains a second sample file you can use to customize your receipts. This file is "SamplePixelReceiptLayout2.txt" and it contains additional lines that print the member's shipping address (if there is one). The end of this file is shown below, illustrating the contents of this additional section and where it is placed relative to the contents of "SamplePixelReceiptLayout2.txt". You can see that the Member Ship To information comes at the end of the member section. 58

59 If you need a custom receipt for a particular station, add an underscore, followed by the number of the station, to your layout's filename. For example, "PixelReceiptLayout_3.txt" would apply to Station 3 only. Note: Though configuration codes for doing so are provided in this document, it is recommended that you do not adjust the receipt header and footer through this kind of editing. Do it in BackOffice. Entering a (PixelPoint) Variable in a Custom Receipt A special variable entry is indicated by an ampersand (&) at the beginning, like in the following: Member: &member_name Points: &member_curpoints Variables cannot be immediately followed by an alphanumeric character. They must be followed by another variable, a space or a format specifier. Otherwise, PixelPoint will read the following alphanumeric characters as part of the variable name. Since there is no variable named such, it would not find a match and would instead interpret the whole string as plain text that you want to print on your receipt. For example, if you followed "&member_name" with "ABC", and so had "&member_nameabc" in your layout file, the system would try to find a variable named "&member_nameabc". It would not find any variable named this, since there is none, and it would instead print "member_nameabc" on the receipt. You should instead have "&member_name ABC" in your layout file, where the variable is followed by a space. Format specifiers determine how many characters a piece of data on the receipt takes up. They start with a colon and immediately follow variables (with no space between the variable and the colon). The number of characters (amount of space) follows the colon. Format specifiers also determine the alignment of the variable on the receipt. To left-align a variable, enter a minus (-) sign before the formatting number. To right-align a variable, omit the minus sign. 59

60 Examples: &member_name:-30 (left justify with 30 chars wide) &member_name:8 (right justify with 8 chars wide) List of Receipt Variables General Variables &# followed by number && &_ (empty line) &cash_change &date_time &footer &header &net_total &num_cust &rev_center &sale_type &schedule_date &section_detail &section_end &section_payment &section_seating &skip_empty &skip_zero &table_num &tax1 &tax5 &tax1descr &tax5descr &text_amount &text_cents &text_dollars &tip &total_no_tip &total_with_tip &trans_num &weight_cost &weight_quantity &weight_unit &who_closed The specified number is converted to the corresponding string from Language table. Will print the & character. Normally any empty lines in the receipt layout will be skipped. Insert &_ in a separate line to introduce one line gap on the printout. Sum of all the change from all the currency payments. Current date and time. Station receipt footer. Station receipt header. Net total. Number of customers assigned to transaction. Revenue center name. Sales type description. Scheduled date and time. Start of detail section (&item variables) End of any section. Start of payment section (&payment variables). Start of seating section (&seating variables). Skips entire line if the next variable in this line returns an empty string. Skips entire line if the next variable in this line returns zero. Transaction s table number. Amount of tax1 through tax5. Description of tax1 through tax5 Transaction amount in text form ( 21 becomes twenty one ). The fraction part of the amount in text form. The integer part of the amount in text form. Manual or auto gratuity. Total amount without tip. Total amount with tip. Transaction number. The cost of 1 of the item's units of measurement. The numerical part of the item's weight, as calculated by a scale. The unit of measurement the item is weighed in. Name of employee who closed the transaction. 60

61 &who_printed &who_started Name of the employee who printed the receipt. Name of the employee who started the transaction. Detail Section Variables can only appear in detail section, or the entire line will be skipped. The detail section repeats for each ordered item in the transaction. &item_cost &item_costeach &item_descr &item_quantity &item_ratestart &item_ratetime Cost of the item(s). Cost of a single unit of the item. Description of item. Quantity of item(s). If item is rated product then returns time the rate started. Else returns an empty string. If item is rated product then returns number of minutes the item has been in use. Else returns empty string. Member Variables: If no member is assigned to the transaction then all member variables will return empty strings or zero. &member_addr1 &member_addr2 &member_amountdue &member_busphone &Member_BuzzerCode &member_city &Member_Company &member_cravailable &member_crlimit &member_curpoints &member_directions &member_name &member_phone &Member_PointsEarned First address line of member. Second address line of member. Amount that member currently owes. Member s business phone number. Member s apartment buzzer number. Member's city. Member's company. Amount of credit available to member. Member's credit limit amount. Number of points acquired by member. Directions how to get to member's location. Member name (includes first and last name). Member's home phone number. Number of points the member has. &Member_PointsRedeemedNumber of points the member has redeemed. &member_postalcode &member_prov &member_shipaddr1 &member_shipaddr2 &member_shipaddrname &member_shipbusphone Member s zip/postal code. Member s state/province. First address line of member's shipping address. Second address line of member's shipping address. Descriptive name for the member's shipping address. Business phone number at the member's shipping address. &member_shipbuzzercode Buzzer code for the member's shipping address. &member_shipcity &member_shipcompany &member_shipdirections &member_shipname City of the member's shipping address. Company name at member's shipping address. Directions to get to member's shipping address location. Contact name at the member's shipping address (includes first and last name). 61

62 &member_shipphone Home phone number at the member's shipping address. &member_shippostalcode Zip/Postal code of the member's shipping address. &member_shipprov &member_shipunitnum &Member_UnitNum State/province for the member's shipping address. Unit number for the member's shipping address. Member's unit or apartment number. Payment Section Variables can only appear in payment section, or the entire line will be skipped. The payment section repeats for each different payment in the transaction. &payment_change &payment_descr &payment_exchrate &payment_tender &payment_total Report Variables: &report_beverage &report_discount &report_food &report_liquor &report_merchandise &report_other Payment s change. Payment method s description. Payment s exchange rate. Payment s amount tendered. Total payment amount in base currency. Amount of beverage sales in transaction. Amount of coupons in transaction. Amount of food sales in transaction. Amount of liquor sales in transaction. Amount of merchandise sales in transaction. Amount of other sales in transaction. Seating Section Variables can only appear in seating section, or the entire line will be skipped. The seating section repeats for each different seating in the transaction. &seating_descript &seating_itemqty &seating_nettotal &seating_total Description of seating. Sum of item quantities belonging to the seating. Sum of total costs of items belonging to the seating. Percentage of transaction s total amount that the seating is responsible for. Format Variables influence results returned by other variables and should be placed at the beginning of the receipt layout. &format_datetime &format_numtoword &format_weightunit &format_weightitem Used to specify how string returned by any date and/or time variables will be formatted. Used to specify language and currency returned by text amount variables. The value that the '&weight_unit' variable should display (for example, "kg" or "lbs."). Used for applying a unit of measurement globally, to all weighed products. This variable is overriden by any weight unit descriptions programmed in Product Setup. Used to specify the format or structure a weighed item's receipt item line should have. Entering Printer Commands Enter printer commands as you would normally do when customizing your receipt. Example: ^WPurchase: &net_total ^WTable: &table_num 62

63 The ^W tells your printer to print these lines in wide print mode. It is best to enter all special printer commands at the beginning of a line. Printer commands should be used with reasonable judgment and according to the capabilities of your printer. Printer Commands ^1 Open Cash Drawer 1 ^2 Open Cash Drawer 2 ^3 Open Cash Drawer 3 ^A Line/Word Wrap ^B Barcode (a scanner prefix of 696 followed by the transaction number the printer must support this) ^C Center Print ^E End Print Job (invokes cut code) ^G Graphic Logo (printer must support this) ^L Line Break (double dashed line across slip) ^M Modifier Print (indent & red printer must support red) ^N Normal Print ^O Transaction # (prints the last 3 digits) ^R Red (prints in red printer must support this) ^S Start Print Job ^T Transaction # ^W Wide Print ^X Barcode Prefix (everything in line will be barcoded line contents must be applicable) ^Y Sale Type Desc. In some countries, you may want or be required to have the total in written form on the receipt (For example, with the words "dollars" and "cents" written out). If this is the case, replace the words "North America" in the second line with either "USA" or "Canada" (so the line reads "&format_numtoword=usa", for example). This will present the written total using DOLLARS and CENTS. In Mexico, you can replace "North America" with "Mexico" to present the written total in PESOS and CENTAVOS. This feature requires a special DLL file ("PixLanguage.dll") in order to work. Submit a request to PixelPoint Support if you want to make use of it. In addition, contact PixelPoint Support with a request if you need written text totals for any other international denomination. 63

64 3.9. Custom Credit Slips You can customize the credit slips that print when a credit transaction is authorized. Doing this is a lot like customizing transaction receipts, so see that section ("Custom Transaction Receipts" (Page 58)) about the principles behind it. Creating a Custom Credit Slip File Unlike with transaction receipts, however, the text file you edit for Credit Slips is "PixelAuthLayout.txt". Renaming this file with an underscore and a station number also restricts the slip layouts in it to one station. So, for example, "PixelAuthLayout_3.txt" would apply to Station 3 only. List of Authorization Slip Variables &# followed by The specified number is converted to corresponding string from Language table. number && &_ (empty line) Will print the & character. Normally any empty lines in the receipt layout will be skipped. Insert &_ in a separate line to introduce one line gap on the printout. &authorization_code Authorization code returned by bank interface software. &authorization_type &barcode_refnum &card_number Description of authorization type. Bar code of POS payment reference number. Credit card number. &card_number_mask Credit card number with some digits masked. &cashback &change &company_name &credit_remaining &credit_type &cust_name &date_time &expiry_date &folio &giftfunds &how_entered &merchant_id &operator &pay_method &points_current &points_total &receipt &reference_no &room_number Amount of cash-back. Amount of change. The name of your company. Credit remaining. Description of authorization type. Customer Name (if available). Current date and time. Charge card expiry date (if available). Folio description (if available). Amount remaining on the gift card. Keyed or Swiped. Merchant ID. Employee s POS Name. Description of method of payment. Current member s points. Total member s points. Applies the contents from a custom receipt into the slip. Payment s reference number. Room number (if available). 64

65 &sales_total &table_num &tip &tip2 &total_tendered &transaction_no &user1 to &user5 Amount of sale excluding any tip and cash-back. Transaction s table number. Tip amount. Tip: will be printed if authorization type is not a final sale. Total amount charged to the customer. Transaction number. Display contents of User1 field from Howpaid table. PixelAuthLayout.txt "PixelAuthLayout.txt" contains three sections (the Vendor section, the Customer section and the Declined section) and each of these sections has a subsection for each type of credit authorization. The samples below are taken from the default version of "PixelAuthLayout.txt" in the "\PixelPOS" folder. So, for example, there are three subsections labeled "[Credit]". The first is the layout for the vendor s copy of the credit slip, the second is the customer's copy, and the third is the one that prints when an authorization request is declined. The authorization method specified for the method of payment used in the transaction determines which subsection PixelPoint refers to. 65

66 66

67 3.10. Custom Order Chits You can customize the order chits that print on remote printers. Doing this is a lot like customizing transaction receipts, so see that section ("Custom Transaction Receipts" (Page 58)) about the principles behind it. Unlike receipts or charge slips, however, custom chits are programmed right within BackOffice itself. You can program a different order chit for each of your network printers. To Program a Custom Chit: 1. Select Network Printer Setup from the Administrator pull-down menu in BackOffice. 2. Navigate to the record for the printer that the custom chit is for. 3. Switch to the Custom Chit tab. 4. Enable the 'Use Custom Chit' checkbox. 5. Type the layout and formatting of the chit in the text box that appears. To aid you with programming custom order chits, PixelPoint includes a sample layout file called "SamplePixelChitLayout.txt" in your "\PixelPOS" folder. You can copy the content of this file and paste it into the custom chit text field in BackOffice. Customizing the chit, then, is simply a matter of modifying the chit content. The content of the sample file is as follows: All Custom Transaction Receipt variables work for custom order chits, with a few exceptions (See "Custom Transaction Receipts" (Page 58) for a list of receipt variables). Receipt headers and footers do not apply to custom chits, so the "&header" and "&footer" variables will not work. In addition, the payments section does not apply to custom chits, so "&section_payment" will not work, nor will any of the payment section ("&payment_") variables. 67

68 However, custom chits have some variables which are not available for receipts. These are listed below. List of Custom Chit Variables &format_itemoptionused to specify the format modifier/option lines should have. &item_line &preview_order Line showing item's quantity and description. A preview of the order; displays if server selects [Send Order Preview] at the front-end. 68

69 3.11. Barcodes Product Barcodes A PLU/Weight (EAN-13) barcode is a 13 digit number that encodes a product's type/variety and weight. These barcodes start with a non-zero number (barcodes that start with a zero are for UPC support). They are made up of several different components. For example, say you have the full barcode number " ". The first two digits ("27") are the starting number (it will be the same for all of the items there). The next five digits, "12345", are the product number. Both the starting number and the product number go into the "Ref Code/UPC" field on the product record in Product Setup. The next five digits, the second "12345", represent the quantity (or weight) of the item. The last digit (9) is a check digit, which gets stripped (it is used to verify that the barcode has been scanned correctly). To apply a barcode to a product, go into Product Setup (on the Products pulldown menu in BackOffice). Enter the numeric value of the barcode in the "Ref Code/UPC" field on the Advanced tab. Only enter the starting number and product number. You also need to modify the system policies in Policy Setup (on the Administrator pull-down menu) or the "Pixel32.ini" file. You must specify the starting number of the PLUs in the "BarcodeStart" policy or by using "barcodestart=" (in this example, it would be "barcodestart=27"). You also need to tell the system where the number representing the weight of the item starts. To do this, modify the "BarcodeWeightStart" policy or add the "barcodeweightstart=" option to "Pixel32.ini" and give it a value that represents where the weight number starts. For example, "barcodeweightstart=8" tells the system that the weight starts on the 8th digit. This will isolate the portion that matches up with the field in Product Setup (that is, the product number and the starting number). Changing Barcode Weight Calculation By default, PixelPoint scans the item weight from the barcode and divides it by 1000 (weight units). This is ideal for the Metric system, since this calculation would give a number, for example, in grams (where the original weight is in kilograms), but may not work well for the imperial or other weight systems. This weight calculation can be changed by changing the value of the "EAN13Divide" policy in Policy Setup or by adding the command "EAN13Divide=" to "Pixel32.ini". You can set the value to any number to change the weight calculation formula. Coupon Barcodes To apply a barcode to a coupon, go into Coupon Setup (on the General Setup pull-down menu). Enter the barcode number in the "Bar Code" field on the Advanced tab. The same rules as those for product scanning apply here. 69

70 Authorization Reference Barcodes To print barcodes on authorization slips, first make sure that the local printer supports barcode printing. Setting printers to print barcodes involves setting a code in the "Print Bar Code" field in Printer Code Setup (on the Administrator pull-down menu). For example, "29,107,4" is the code for EPSON TM-T88II, AXIOHM A715 and XN-180 printers. See the PixelPoint BackOffice User's Guide for more information about printer codes. In addition, you need to customize the credit authorization slip to include the barcode. Add the line "&BARCODE_REFNUM" to the appropriate sections of "PixelAuthLayout.txt". See "Custom Credit Slips" (Page 64) for more information. 70

71 3.12. Graphics Login Screen The display area on the login screen shows a flash image and a banner image underneath it. After a few seconds it changes to a large stationary image with a corresponding banner image underneath it. The stationary image and banner are located in the "\PixelPOS\Images\Login" folder. The large image is "LOGIN01.JPG". The banner image is "BOTTOM01.JPG". You can add your own graphic images and banners. You can either replace Login01 and Bottom01 with new JPG images or add additional ones. After the initial PixelPoint flash image (which is hard-coded into the system) displays for several seconds, Login01 and Bottom01 will then display for several seconds. If you add Login02 and Bottom02 images to the folder, the screen will then cycle to those before returning to the flash image again. You can apply up to 99 custom images to the login screen (Login01 - Login99, Bottom01 - Bottom99). Note: The "DelayAd" policy in Policy Setup defines the number of seconds a single login image displays for. By default, the images will cycle every 10 seconds. You can change this by changing the value of this policy (from the default "10"). 71

72 Table Layout You can use a graphic image as the backdrop to your floor layout. This backdrop does not affect the FLR file which contains the actual tables and any objects you may have created in Table Layout Setup. To apply a graphic backdrop to your Table Layout screen, copy the desired JPG image into the "\PixelPOS" folder and rename it "FLOORLAYOUT.JPG". The system will automatically use the image. Make sure that the image matches the screen resolution of the stations. For example, if the stations are set to 800x600, use an image that is also sized to 800x600. If you are working with multiple dining sections and want to have a different image for each section, merge or stitch the images together in "floorlayout.jpg" so you have a single larger image. For example, a JPG file with 2 backdrops could be 1600x600 (one 800x600 image next to another 800x600 image). With the backdrop image applied, simply position the tables in Table Layout Setup so they suit the image. Note: If you want to have different floor layout files for different stations, you can do this by editing the FloorBackGround policy in Policy Setup. Alternatively, you can add the line "FloorBackGround=filename.jpg" (where "filename.jpg" is the name of the JPG file you want to use) to "Pixel32.ini", under the appropriate station's section. 72

73 Buttons You can populate the buttons with any text font, an image or a combination of both. These images are applied in Order Page Setup and Product Setup by selecting [Button Image] or within Form Designer. The appearance of the button can also be programmed (either as an individual button or all buttons in a grid) within Form Designer. It is suggested that you place all order page images in the "\PixelPOS\Images\OrderPages" folder and all product images in the "\PixelPOS\Images\Products" folder. This principle also applies for any other images you may wish to apply such as Member and Employee pictures. 73

74 CHAPTER 4. Additional Functions This chapter is about system components, both hardware and software, that are not part of the core POS. You can run PixelPoint POS without making use of content in this chapter. However, everything included in this chapter will greatly increase the functionality of your system. For example, this chapter talks about things like peripheral hardware devices (such as cash drawers and pole/customer displays), credit authorization, reporting and inventory control. Specifically, this chapter has the following topics: Peripherals (Page 75) Till Management (Page 80) Sales Summary Report (Page 81) DataMiner Client (Page 92) Credit Authorization (Page 101) Inventory (Page 106) Overtime Agent (Page 109) Enterprise (Page 111) PocketPOS Overview (Page 114) Web-to-Go Overview (Page 116) 74

75 4.1. Peripherals For detailed instructions on how to use any of the following devices or for specific information about particular makes and models, see the Certified Device List (CDL) on the MyPar Partner Center website. This section gives simple descriptions of each type of device and its general function(s). Some sections include very brief notes about what installing each type of device usually includes, but you will need to read the actual installation document included on the CDL in order to successfully install any specific device. Cash Drawers PixelPoint can accommodate up to three cash drawers per station. They can be connected either through the station printer or by being plugged directly into the station. Many drawers use the first kind of connection. They are activated through the printer. Setup for this requires little more than plugging the drawer in and applying the drawer's code in Printer Code Setup. Plugging the drawer into the station requires installing OPOS drivers. Though PixelPoint will work with OPOScompliant devices, it is recommended that you select drawers that run off the printers. Pagers Pagers can be used in conjunction with the Host/Reservation function in PixelPoint POS to page customers when their table is ready. Installation involves enabling the PagerSystem option in Policy Setup (or adding "PagerSystem=Y" to "Pixel32.ini") and setting up "PixelPointPageAgent.exe" (attainable through the Certified Device List on the MyPar Partner Center website). Pole Displays A pole display is a hardware device that shows the customer the price of each ordered item and the total amount owing. Configuration essentially involves installing the manufacturer OPOS drivers on the station running the display. Further setup may be needed depending on the type of pole display. Weight Scales PixelPoint can interface with a scale to weigh items such as food (for when it is sold by weight) or liquor bottles (for checking a bar's inventory). A Professional License is required for scale interfacing. In addition, the scale must be configured for ECR serial communication protocol. Configuration involves specifying a DLL and other settings in "Pixel32.ini" and then setting up products in Product Setup. Weighed products must have the "Weighed Item On Scale" checkbox (on the Advanced tab) enabled. Make sure that weighed items have prices based on a single weight unit. The weight of the item will be treated as quantity and will be multiplied by the price accordingly (weight - tare weight x price). 75

76 Barcode Scanners PixelPoint can read UPC barcodes for quick retrieval of transactions, products and coupons. In particular, PixelPoint works with EAN-13 barcodes. If you intend to print barcodes, make sure that the printer make/model supports barcode printing. There is a field in Printer Code Setup (on the Administrator pull-down menu in BackOffice) that tells the printer to print barcodes. Additionally, PixelPoint requires that barcodes include a carriage return to mark the end of each barcode scan. Order Confirmation Displays / Customer Displays An Order Confirmation Display (OCD) visually confirms customer orders at the point of purchase while showing advertisements at the same time. OCD devices are becoming increasingly popular as more and more advertising is done digitally. OCDs can now be anything that shows multimedia, including all LCD monitors or tv screens. PixelPoint's Form Designer enables you to fully customize the content that appears on all of your customer displays. See the PixelPoint BackOffice User's Guide for more information about designing customer display forms. Kitchen Display System A kitchen display system is an alternative to using printers in the kitchen. Printers are replaced with video screens which display the orders to be made. When an order is completed, you remove it from the screen using a device called a "bump bar". Kitchen display systems are typically used in quick service and drive-thru environments. PixelPoint's PixelKDS program interfaces PixelPoint POS software to third-party kitchen display systems. KDS software can be installed and run in the background on any terminal, back office PC, dedicated server or an independent terminal (if your configuration calls for it). PixelPoint client (station) software has to be installed on the machine running PixelKDS. 76

77 Liquor Dispensing System Liquor dispensing systems control the pouring of liquor at bars. They provide complete control and accountability for each drink. PixelPoint interfaces with numerous LDS systems, including Berg, FreePour and Sprint. Installation varies with the type of LDS. See the individual technical information document for each system for more information. Coin Dispensers Coin dispensers dispense whatever amount and type of coins are needed to give a customer exact change for a transaction. These devices eliminate the problem of giving out incorrect change and can reduce transaction length by an average of 3 to 7 seconds. When PixelPoint calculates the exact change of a transaction, it sends that information to the coin dispenser, which then dispenses the correct money into a coin tray. Installation involves using a particular DLL for the device, and specifying the file name and the com port the device is plugged into in "Pixel32.ini". Caller ID This function is an incredible time saver in order-taking environments involving members (namely pickup and delivery situations). When a phone call comes in at the order desk, the caller's name and phone number appear on a digital readout. When you select that caller, PixelPoint automatically displays their member record. If there is no existing member record for that phone number, PixelPoint displays a blank member record so member information can be entered quickly. Installation involves running and configuring "Whozz.exe" (attainable through the MyPar Partner Center website) and modifying the QuickMember policy or option so it has the value "1" (this ordinarily sets the system to automatically prompt for the member's phone number). Note that the establishment itself must have caller ID service in order to be able to use PixelPoint POS's caller ID feature. 77

78 4.2. Print Emulator The default Printer Code records include a model of printer called PixelEmulator, which can be used to create a network printer that will emulate a paper printer by displaying all print jobs on the computer monitor or screen. The purpose of this is to aid the POS programmer by routing all order chits, credit slips, receipt printing, end-of-day reports and open drawer commands to the screen. In addition to being of enormous help to database programmers needing to see printing without hooking up a printer, sales people demonstrating PixelPoint POS will also find it very useful in their presentations. To Configure the Print Emulator: Create a network printer record in Network Printers Setup. 2. Select "PixelEmulator" as the 'Printer Type'. 3. Set the printer to connect to the station that you want the emulator to display its prints on. 4. Set it to connect on an unused port. 5. Open Station Setup and navigate to the appropriate station's record. 6. Switch to the Printer Ports tab and assign the network printer you just created to that station's printer channels. Having changed the station's physical configuration, you will have to restart the front-end for it to take effect. All print jobs should now display on the screen, using the emulator.

79 [Print] Sends the print to a physical network printer. [History] Displays a list of all the print jobs that were sent to the emulator. Select an entry in the right pane to view that particular print. The Print Emulator window has a Setup icon in the upper-left corner that enables you to configure how long the Emulator window will display on the screen before automatically closing. By default, it will always remain on the screen until you select [Close]. You can also set it not to show the emulated print, in which case the print will simply save to the history (and can be viewed later). The icon in the upper-right corner maximizes or minimizes the emulated display. 79

80 4.3. Till Management In establishments where employees move to work at different stations or registers, or where several people need access to the same cash drawer, till assignment may be a necessary part of the POS system. In cases such as these, the default rule of accountability in PixelPoint, that the person who closes the check is the person responsible for the cash (or credit slip), does not always work. Till assignment helps to keep track of money in these situations. To set up till management: 1. Open BackOffice. 2. Select Policy Setup on the Administrator pull-down menu. 3. Open the "POS" folder on the left. 4. Select "EmployeeTills". 5. Change the "NewValue:" to "Yes". 6. Select [Apply]. 7. Select [Close Form]. 8. Select Employee Setup on the Employees pull-down menu. 9. Create an employee record for each till. Name each 'employee' something transparent, like "Till 1", "Till 2", etc. 10. Assign a swipe card to each till employee. 11. Make sure that each cash insert is given one of the cards and that the card always stays with the insert (not with the employee using it). When till assignment is set up, you will see, in the bottom-right corner of the front-end Log In screen, a white bar reading "Till Not Assigned" and the [Assign Till] button. To sign in the till, users select this button and then swipe the card you associated with the till. At the end of the shift, the till gets cashed out and a Cash Out Report prints for it (as it is, after all, an 'employee'). 80

81 4.4. Sales Summary Report This section discusses the master report for PixelPoint: the Sales Summary Report. This is a compilation of multiple reports, created to give an overall view of the day's activities. You can generate a sales summary report in Report Viewer and/or DataMiner. This section goes into detail about both, starting with the Report Viewer sales summary. Remember that the numbers and labels included in the example report below are only examples. Excepting the section titles, the contents of your reports will be different. Some sections may or may not be included. Sales Summary Report Viewer Sales Summary This section summarizes the sales totals for each Summary Group. It does not include taxes or discounts. The field "Round Difference" represents any rounding that may have been done within the day. For example, the calculation of tax on a split check could result in a half-cent difference. That half cent would be accounted for here. Another situation where you may find round differences is within a 24 hour operation. If a coffee is ordered before the End of Day, and then the End of Day is run before the transaction is closed, the coffee's value will show up as a round difference. However, it would be removed from the round difference when the transaction is closed. You would only see this if you ran the Sales Summary Report immediately after End of Day while the check was still open. 81

82 You can cross-check the value for Gross Sales using Total Receipts less taxes, less discounts. Cross-Check of Gross Sales: (-3.56) = Discount & Comps Summary This section tracks all discounts and coupons applied during the day. Next to each title is a number in a square bracket. This represents the quantity (number of instances). In the example, Coupon 1 and Coupon 2 were each applied once. The values deducted from checks were $2.37 and $1.19 respectively. Tax Summary This section reports what taxes were collected during the day. The "Taxable" values give the dollar value of taxable sales. In the example, $ of sales were applicable for both State and Federal taxation. If any item or transaction was tax exempt, that value would show up in the "Tax Exempt" column. You can cross-check the value for "Total Receipts" using Gross Sales (in the Sales Summary summary) plus taxes, less discounts. Cross-Check of Total Receipts: = Sales Received The sales received section focuses on the specific tender values brought in to the establishment. Sales are broken down by revenue center and then payment type. The numbers in brackets give the number of transactions included in the numbers on that line. For example, the "15" in square brackets next to 'Total Received' indicates the total number of transactions (10+3+2) included in the $ net total and other numbers on the line. The 'Debits' column shows the amount received for each method of payment. 'Credits' indicates how much was given out (such as with item returns). Values in the 'Net' column are Debits Credits. 'Tip' indicates the amount of tips applied to 82

83 each method of payment. Tip values for the CASH payment method are derived from employees' declared cash tips. The 'Total' column is calculated as Net + Tip. The value for 'Cash Due Less Tips' represents the total amount of physical cash the establishment is receiving after paying out tips to its employees. Note that employees would remove cash to cover their charge tips (the establishment is reimbursed those funds when the charges are settled). Check of Cash Due Less Tips: = Tender Balance The tender balance section reports entries made within the front-end Tender Balance screen (if used). For further information on Tender Balancing, see the PixelPoint BackOffice User's Guide. All pay-ins and pay-outs are recorded within this section. In the example report, a $25 cash pay-in and a $35 cash pay-out were applied. We know that each total consisted of one occurrence due to the number indicated in the square brackets. The 'Calculated' column gives totals that PixelPoint has calculated; the values here are also displayed on the front-end Tender Balance screen. The equation used to calculate these numbers is "Net Total + Tip + Pay In Pay Out + Floats". The 'Actual' column indicates totals counted and entered by staff on the front-end Tender Balance screen (either as part of the cashout process or End of Day process). The difference between what PixelPoint has calculated and the amount entered is shown in 'Over/Short'. In this example, PixelPoint calculated $ in Visa sales. The amount entered into the Tender Balance screen was only $ The over/short column shows that the total on hand for Visa is short $1 from what PixelPoint says should be there. Refunds Summary This section shows all voids/refunds that have been applied within the system. This section is once again broken down by revenue centers, and it is further broken down by refund reasons, indicating the number of instances as well as the total dollar value of each refund reason. 83

84 Job Position Summary The information contained in this section is related to time and attendance activity. It is divided into departments, then into job positions. # of Shifts Number of employees who worked. Hours Worked Total number of hours worked. Wage Total wages (sum of wages x hours worked). % of Wage Percent of total wages (wage / wage total). % Wage/Net Sales Percent of wage to total net sales (wage / total net sales). Check of % Wage/Net Sales (Wait Staff Normal): / =.1935 or 19.35% Transaction Summary This section describes sales and customer information for the whole establishment. Transactions Total number of transactions. Customers Total number of customers. Net Total net sales (gross sales without tax, discounts and coupons). Avg/Cust Average value per customer (Net / Customers). Avg/Trans Average value per transaction (Net / Transactions). Sales By Section Summary This section describes sales and customer information for each dining section. Transactions Total number of transactions. Customers Total number of customers. Net Total net sales (gross sales without tax, discounts and coupons). Avg/Cust Average value per customer (Net / Customers). 84

85 Avg/Trans Average value per transaction (Net / Transactions). Sales By Type Summary This section describes sales and customer information for each sale type. Transactions Total number of transactions. Customers Total number of customers. Net Total net sales (gross sales without tax, discounts and coupons). Avg/Cust Average value per customer (Net / Customers). Avg/Trans Average value per transaction (Net / Transactions). Member Sales Summary This section describes sales specific to member transactions. Transactions Total number of transactions. Customers Total number of customers. Net Total net sales (gross sales without tax, discounts and coupons). Avg/Cust Average value per customer (Net / Customers). Avg/Trans Average value per transaction (Net / Transactions). Sales Summary DataMiner The contents of the DataMiner Sales Summary Report are essentially the same as the one generated in Report Viewer, with slightly more detail in some areas. In the example report below, all mining levels are expanded to show the full amount of detail within each sub-report. The contents of most sub-reports are grouped by revenue center; the example report here only used the Default Revenue Center. 85

86 For more information about report manipulation, see the PixelPoint DataMiner Guide. Sales Summary This section summarizes the sales totals for each Summary Group. The 'Value' column gives the total sales amount and the 'VAT_Value' column gives the total sales amount with Value Added Tax prices. 'Quantity' indicates the number of products sold from that Summary Group. So, the totals in this example indicate that beverage sales were $ and food sales were The overall sales total was $ (excluding taxes and discounts). Discount & Comps Summary This section tracks all discounts and coupons applied within the day. The 'Quantity' column indicates the number of times that discount was applied. The 'Value' column indicates the total dollar value deducted for that coupon. 86

87 Tax Summary This section reports what taxes were collected during the day. The values are broken down by the station at which they were closed. The 'Net Total' column indicates the total dollar value closed at that station. Each subsequent tax column contains the total dollar amount collected for that particular tax. The 'Total Taxes' column shows the sum of those taxes. The 'Final Total' column is the net total plus all applied taxes. Transaction Summary This section describes sales and customer information. Tran Type Type of transactions closed. 'TABLE' means that all sales reported in this line were closed by employees in Table Service mode. Net Total Total net sales (total before tax, discounts and coupons are applied). Final Total Total sales (total after tax, discounts and coupons are applied). # of Customers Total number of customers served in that mode. Avg/Customer Average value per customer (Net / Customers). # of Trans Number of transactions closed in that mode. 87

88 Sales Received The Sales Received section focuses on the specific tender values brought in. The values are broken down by method of payment. The 'Debits' column shows the amount received for each method of payment. 'Credits' indicates how much was given out (such as with item returns). Values in the 'Tender' column are the net of Debits Credits. 'Tip' indicates the amount of tips applied to each method of payment. Tip values for the CASH payment method are derived from employees' declared cash tips. The 'Total Tender' column is calculated as Tender + Tip. The final column indicates the number of actual transactions in which that method of payment was applied. Note: The total number of transactions may be more than the number of actual transactions since it is possible to close a check to multiple methods of payment. For example, a transaction could be partially closed to Visa and partially to Cash. In this case, the # of Trans. would increment for both Cash and Visa even though it was only one transaction. Tender Balance The tender balance section reports entries made within the front-end Tender Balance screen (if used). For further information on Tender Balancing, see the PixelPoint BackOffice User's Guide. This section also contains information about pay-ins and pay-outs. The first two columns show the open (posting) dates for the transactions and the dates they were entered. The 'Actual tendered' column indicates totals counted and entered by staff on the front-end Tender Balance screen (either as part of the cashout process or End of Day process). The next two result columns have to do with pay-ins. The first shows the total value of pay-ins applied. The next column shows the number of pay-in instances. The next two columns indicate the value and number of instances for pay-outs. In the example report, a $25 cash pay-in and a $35 cash pay-out were entered. We know that each total consists of one occurrence due to the number in the "# of" columns. Although the image above does not shown them, there are additional columns in this sub-report. They are described below in order. The 'Calc. tendered' column gives totals that PixelPoint has calculated; the values here are also displayed on the front-end Tender Balance screen. The equation used to calculate these numbers is "Net Total + Tip + Pay In Pay Out + Floats". The difference between what PixelPoint has calculated (i.e., the 'Calc. tendered' column and the amount entered (the 'Actual tendered' column) is shown in 'Over/Short'. The '# of Entries' column shows the number of times a tender balance was entered for that method of payment, and the 'Over/Short Count' column shows the number of times a tender balance entry was over or short the corresponding calculated amount. 88

89 Refunds Summary This section identifies all voids/refunds that have been applied. It separates each refund reason, indicating the number of instances as well as the total dollar value of each refund reason. Member Sales Summary This section describes sales specific to member transactions. # of Customers Total number of customers. Net Total Total net sales (gross sales without tax, discounts and coupons). Final Total Total sales (total after tax, discounts and coupons are applied). Avg/Cust Average value per customer (Net / Customers). Job Position Summary The information contained in this section is related to time and attendance activity. It is grouped by revenue center, then departments, then job positions. Paid Hours Total number of hours worked. Hourly Wage Average wage for the job position (Total wage / # of employees with that position). Total Wage Total wages for the job position. Sales By Type Summary This section describes sales and customer information for each sale type. 89

90 # of Customers Total number of customers. Net Total Total net sales (gross sales without tax, discounts and coupons). Final Total Total sales (total after tax, discounts and coupons are applied). Avg/Cust Average value per customer (Net / Customers). Sales By Section Summary This section describes sales and customer information for each dining section. # of Customers Total number of customers who dined in the section. Net Total Total net sales (gross sales without tax, discounts and coupons). Final Total Total sales (total after tax, discounts and coupons are applied). Avg/Cust Average value per customer (Net / Customers). # of Trans The number of transactions closed for that section. 90

91 Non-Reset Totals This section provides information on non-resettable totals; these are totals that begin to accumulate as soon as data is first entered into the database and which cannot be reset. They thus provide a kind of overall history for the database. The 'Begin Time' column reports the initial date and time that data was first entered. The 'Update Time' column indicates when data was last updated. All subsequent totals are total values dating back to the Begin Date. 'Net Total' is the net sales total. 'Final Total' is the total after taxes. 'Discounts' is the total amount discounted. 'Refunds' is the total amount of returns/voids. 'Training' is the total sales under training mode. 'Uncloses' is the total amount applying to unclosed transactions. Tax1-5 are the total taxes charged for each tax type. '# of transactions' is the total number of transactions since the Begin Date. '# of discounts' and '# of refunds' give the total number of discounts and refunds applied. '# of trainings' is the number of transactions performed in training mode and '# of uncloses' gives the number of times an employee unclosed a transaction. Sales Summary by Report Type This section gives sales information for each report type. It is broken down first by report type, then summary group, and then report category. The 'Value' column gives the total sales amount and the 'VAT_Value' column gives the total sales amount with Value Added Tax prices. Employees Worked Listing This section gives information about specific employees and the work they did. It is broken down by date and then by employee name. Regular Hours # of regular hours worked. Overtime (hours) # of overtime hours worked. Paid hours # of hours of paid work. Unpaid hours # of hours of unpaid work. Total hours Total number of hours worked. Pre-Voids Amount Total dollar value of pre-voided items. Pre-Voids Count Number of pre-voided items. 91

92 4.5. DataMiner Client PixelPoint DataMiner is a comprehensive data reporting system designed exclusively for PixelPoint POS and PixelPoint HeadOffice systems. You must have PixelPoint POS v9.0, at least, in order to run DataMiner v6.0. When you install PixelPoint POS, an installation wizard for DataMiner will display after the Station Installation wizard. As a result, a shortcut for the DataMiner Server program will automatically be placed in the Windows startup folder. DataMiner is accessible in BackOffice under the General Setup pull-down menu. You can also add the icon to the yellow toolbar. When you run the DataMiner Client EXE itself, you log in as you would to BackOffice. The screen is divided into three windows. 1. Folder Window Displays folders referring to various components of the POS system, such as employees and members. 2. Template Window When you select a folder, the corresponding report templates display here. Double-click one of these titles to generate a report. 92

93 3. Task Window Displays the report tasks that have been run. You can view the status of a report as it is being compiled and, upon completion, double-click the report task to view the results. To run a report, double-click on it in the template window. You may be prompted for a date range or some other information. After filling in the needed information, select [Run]. When the report is completed, the compiled result will automatically display on the screen. It will also be added as a line entry in the Task Window for later viewing. When the report is displayed, you see the DataMiner view by default. There are two other views available, however. They are Simple View and Graph view. All of these views, however, are created using the same data. Each view is explained in detail below. DataMiner Tab The default view is the DataMiner view, which displays the report grid. To mine through the report, select the yellow [+] icon next to the titles. You can sort any of the columns by clicking on its title cell. Simple View Tab This presents the data in a simpler format. It displays the same levels of data that have been expanded in the DataMiner view at the time when you click on the Simple View icon. If this view does not correspond to the DataMiner view, select the refresh button in the top-left corner of the screen. 93

94 Graph Tab This displays the data in a graph format. You can view different graph types by clicking on the icons underneath the Graph view icon. Properties This icon presents overview information about the report. This information includes things like users' notes/comments, the date range, data descriptions and results information, such as field types, formats and forms of calculations applied to the report. Report View Tab Many reports have a Report View tab that displays a pre-formatted view of the report, much like the types of reports created in Report Viewer. More information about DataMiner can be found in the PixelPoint DataMiner Guide. For information about problems with running DataMiner, see the DataMiner section in "Troubleshooting" (Page 178). 94

95 4.6. Report Viewer Located within the PixelPOS folder is a file called ReportViewer.exe. This is an external executable for running Report Viewer (normally accessed through BackOffice in the General Settings pulldown menu). However, this separate one has been enhanced to allow for Unicode numeric formats plus it also allows Report Viewer to be run remotely and independently, without having to get into the BackOffice system. The external Report Viewer system is also slightly different in two respects. First, it has tab functionality, allowing you to toggle between several reports without having to re-run a report. Second, allows for report scheduling capability. The external Report Viewer contains a UI (user interface) that works with Windows Scheduler to determine when a report will run and whether to save it to a file or send it out as an . Located across the top of the report window (on the right) are icons allowing you to Export and Print the reports. 95

96 Export Report This will allow you to export the report to different formats such as a DOC, XLS or PDF. You will also be prompted to enter the file destination path. The file is exported immediately. Running Reports Located on the left is the report tree. Select the desired category to display the list of all related reports. Double-click on the desired report to run it. The system will present the report on the right (see example of Job Positions Listing in the image above). You can run another report and it will also display on the right. Take note of the two tabs at the top of the display on the right. The first one shows Member Listing (the first report run) and the second tab is the latest report run (being the Job Positions Listing). Configuring Host 1. Select [Tools] 2. Select [Options] 3. Enter the information pertaining to the SMTP server name, port number, etc. Create a New Group Folder 1. Select and highlight one of the Report folders in the tree where you want to insert the new group folder. 2. Select the Group from the task bar and select NEW. A Group Properties box will appear where you apply the name of the group folder. Click [OK] when done. 3. Folder will be created in the Report tree. Edit a New Group Folder 1. Select and highlight the Report folder in the tree that you require to edit the name. 2. Select the Group from the task bar and select EDIT. A Group Properties box will appear you edit the name of the group folder. Click [OK] when done. 96

97 3. Folder name will be changed in the Report tree. Delete a New Group Folder 1. Select and highlight the Report folder in the tree that you want deleted. 2. Select the Group from the task bar and select DELETE. A Confirmation box will appear confirming that you want to delete the group. Click [OK] if you want it deleted. 3. Folder will be removed from the Report tree. Adding a New Report 1. Add the new RPT file into the Pixel Reports folder located within the PixelPOS folder. 2. In Report Viewer, select and highlight one of the Report folders in the tree where you want to insert the new report. 3. Right-click and select NEW. A Report Properties box will appear where you click on the browser button and choose a report from the \PixelPos\PixelReports\. Click [OK] after applying Input Data and Export information (if required). 97

98 Scheduling a Report 1. Select the Tools pulldown menu from the task bar and select [Schedule Setup]. A Schedule Setup box will appear. Give the scheduled task a name and select whether you wish to save the report as a file or send it as an . Make sure the task name contains no spaces or symbols. Also define the report period: Current Day, Current Week, Current Month or Date Range (to be specified). Then select [OK]. 2. With the schedule you just created applied to the window, select the [New] button and the Schedule Properties box will appear. Identify whether it will schedule on a per day or per date basis (see image below). 98

99 Adding the Schedule Group to Task Scheduler 1. Highlight the schedule group (i.e. Daily Reports) and select [Add to Task Scheduler]. 2. The Schedule Task box will appear. In this box you will select the time and date you want the schedule group to run. 3. Click [OK] when configurations are completed. 4. A Command window should appear on your screen. Hit [Enter] on your keyboard to add the group to Windows Task Scheduler. 5. View Windows Task Scheduler (from Windows Desktop select Start / Control Panel / Schedule Tasks) and verify that the group report has been added. Click [Close] to exit. 99

100 Adding Reports to Schedule Groups 1. From the Report Viewer report tree on the left, highlight your report. 2. Right click on the report and select [Add to Schedule]. 3. The Schedule List Form will appear displaying with a list of Schedule report Groups (i.e. Daily Reports) 4. Highlight the schedule group you want the report to be applied and click [OK]. 5. View the Schedule Setup and verify the report has been added to the schedule group. Note: If the time/date of schedule report group is changed you will be required to delete the group first from the Schedule Setup and Windows Schedule Task first, before reapplying the group to the schedule tasks. 100

101 4.7. Credit Authorization PixelPoint has a credit authorization program called Authorization Manager (CreditCheck). This program, in conjunction with a credit card verification system (CCVS), enables you to process credit transactions directly through the POS without the aid of an external banking system. Credit card processing for the Hospitality industry requires two steps. Pre-Authorization The first step is pre-authorizing the funds. Let us follow through a sample transaction step-by-step. Say that the check total is $ and the customer hands you their credit card. 1. You open the check, go to the Finish screen and swipe the card. 2. PixelPoint recognizes it as a MasterCard. The transaction total and card information is sent to the CCVS. The CCVS connects to the credit processor (via Internet or dial-in) and transmits this information, requesting authorization for the amount. Included in this total is an allowance (generally 20%) for the expectation of a charge tip (the request in this example then, would be for authorizing $120). 3. The processor company verifies that there are enough funds. If there are, it authorizes the transaction and sends back a confirmation. Those funds will be held in reserve, reducing the card s available credit by the transaction amount. No money changes hands at this point. 4. The confirmation of authorization for $100 + tip is received by the CCVS which in turn sends that back to PixelPoint. 5. Upon receiving the confirmation, PixelPoint flags it as approved and prints the credit slip(s). 6. At this point, from the user's perspective, the table (or quick order check) is closed. The customer signs the credit slip and leaves, keeping their copy. You keep the house copy with the customer signature and charge tip. 101

102 7. You apply the charge tip in PixelPoint. This is done through either Your Settings or Manager Functions (by a manager). In either case, the transaction is retrieved through its reference number, which is printed on the credit slip. 8. With the charge tip applied, the transaction record is flagged as being ready for settlement with the processor. Even if the transaction had a $0 tip, you would still need to apply the charge tip (that is, "0.00") in order to process the transaction record. For the sake of this example, we will assume the customer gave a $20 tip. Settlement The next step is the Settlement (or "Close Batch") process, in which the preauthorized transactions (with tips applied) are sent to the processor as a batch. It is at this time that the transactions are actually settled and funds transferred. PixelPoint submits all of the approved transactions within the batch for settlement. When this happens, it gets approval from the processor and then transfers the settled transactions from the open batch to the history files. The money (minus any service fees) then gets transferred to the establishment s account. Settlement can be done at any time, and at multiple times, within a day, so long as ALL pre-authorized transactions have had a charge tip applied. Most merchants go through a single settlement procedure at the end of each day. When a settlement occurs, the software automatically processes all credit cards authorized since the last settled batch. Once settlement has been completed the funds will be deposited in the merchant s account at a time determined by the merchant s agreement with the bank or card company. Most credit processing companies will retain pre-authorizations for up to 3 days without settlement. Failure to settle within that time may result in cancellation of the transaction's pre-authorization. Check with the processor company to determine how long a batch can stay open. Make sure that the batch is being closed long before the required period so that in case of problems you will have enough time to resolve any issues. 102

103 PCI DSS Compliancy PixelPoint POS is fully PCI DSS compliant. However, because it works in conjunction with many other products and can be used in many different ways, there are things that must be done to make the POS system as a whole compliant. PAR PixelPoint has documentation on PCI DSS compliancy and has published "best practices" that you should follow to make sure that the system you are configuring is compliant. See the MyPar Partner Center website for this documentation and more information. Authorization Manager Configuration For detailed information on how to configure PixelPoint Authorization Manager to interface to a specific CCVS, refer to documentation on the MyPar Partner Center website. If this is your first credit installation, download and read all of the documentation (include the Technical Information document on the MyPar Partner Center website) before starting anything. Do not learn how to do it at a live site. You should buy the CCVS well in advance so you can stage it in your office using your NFR copy of PixelPoint. 1. In the startup folder of the PC that is running the CCVS, create a shortcut with the following in the "Target" line: "\\posserver\pixelpos\pixelauthorizemanager.exe" Make sure that the "Start in" folder is "\\posserver\pixelpos". The Authorization Manager EXE is an agent that should only run on the one PC. All other stations will access it through here. 2. Run "pixelauthorizemanager.exe". 3. Double-click on the spinning coin in the system tray. 4. Click on [Setup]. The main screen shows you what authorizations are in use and what they are set for. Each line represents one of the methods of authorization that can be applied to the system. 103

104 5. Click the drop-down arrow under "Credit Card Payment System" to select the CCVS you are using. 6. Click [Configure] next to your selection to apply additional configuration settings. Configuration information for specific interfaces is available in the Technical Information documents posted on the MyPar site. 7. Click [OK] when completed. 8. Restart Authorization Manager. BackOffice Configuration The final step is configuring BackOffice to use the settings you applied in the Authorization Manager. 1. Select Payment Method Setup on the Administrator pull-down menu. 2. Choose the appropriate authorization for each method of payment by using the radio buttons in the "Select" box. Cash & foreign currencies No Authorization. Member accounts & gift cards Member/VIP Auth. Credit cards Credit Card Auth. Room charges Front Desk Auth. Debit cards Debit Card. Forms of payment requiring specially programmed authorization Custom. Gift cards through 3rd party software Gift Card (third party). 3. Select System Setup on the Administrator pull-down menu. 4. Check the "Use Authorization Manager" box. 5. Save your changes. 6. Restart the POS system. 104

105 Testing Authorization Manager Configuration It is critical that you run a test transaction and batch settlement before going live. Do not go live only to find out that credit card transactions have not gone through or are lost. Begin by making sure you know how to process credit card transactions in PixelPoint POS. This information is detailed in the PixelPoint POS User's Guide. A good exercise would be running through the following procedure: 1. Start a new day. 2. Process CC transactions. 3. Add tips. 4. Do a batch settlement. 5. Cash out and clock out. 6. Run End of Day. Verify the above works properly by running reports in Report Viewer or DataMiner that confirm your test transactions. Make sure that you receive a batch report when you settle the batch. Also cross-reference this information with the End of Day report. They must match up. Once the installation at the customer's site is complete, perform a test transaction using a real credit card, and process a transaction for $1. Do not let the customer use the system until you have verified that every part of the installation has been completed successfully. We recommend that you set up the system during regular working hours. This will make sure that CCVS support or the processing center will be accessible if it is needed. Make sure that the customer notifies you if the batch report is not printed, as that suggests that the batch has not been closed. If you experience any problems or anomalies, see "Troubleshooting" (Page 175). Note: Several of the authorization fields in the Authorization Manager have a DEMO MODE in which PixelPoint will automatically approve any card number applied. This is very useful for demonstration and training purposes. 105

106 4.8. Inventory There are 3 levels of inventory you can apply to PixelPoint. Inventory Without StockBoy StockBoy is an add-on agent that comes with a PixelPoint Professional License. However, you can apply limited inventory without it. In this "Inventory without StockBoy" solution, you apply recipes to products. As the product is ordered, PixelPoint records the use of the attached recipe items. Following are the steps to set up this method in BackOffice: 1. Create Stock Items (Select Stocked Items on the Inventory pull-down menu). When doing this, enter in the price for a package of the item. This is a general (fixed) price that you set to establish a cost per unit. 2. Create Recipes (Select the Recipe tab in Product Setup (on the Products pull-down menu)). When programming each product, apply the necessary stock items to the recipe tab, indicating the required quantity. The total recipe price (referred to as the product cost) will then be calculated from this. This is a very popular inventory solution, for several reasons. (1) No data entry is needed beyond initial programming, (2) it provides enough information to manage basic inventory without getting complicated and (3) it can be easily upgraded to a StockBoy system. Inventory With StockBoy StockBoy functions in the background and enables you to manage perpetual inventory by monitoring stock levels. As a product is ordered, its recipe items are depleted from their respective stock levels. The system will flag you when levels get low. You can then replenish those stock levels by creating purchase orders for suppliers. When an order comes in, you close off the purchase order, which automatically adds the inventory in the shipment to the current stock levels. Cost per unit, by default, is calculated based on a weighted average of past prices (rather than a single manually-entered price); the value is averaged between multiple orders. For example, say that last week your order of 100 cabbages cost $40 and this week it cost $60. The value of your inventory is the average of the two: (40+60)/2 = 50. So the value is $50. Dividing this by number of units, the system establishes that your cost per unit of cabbage is $0.50 ($50/100 heads). For the sake of simplicity, we are assuming that a head of cabbage represents 1 unit. In reality it would likely be based on weight. Note that you can also change settings to program cost per unit to be based on the price from the last order. See the Inventory Costing Configuration section below for details. To implement Inventory with StockBoy: Go into Administrator / System Setup in BackOffice. Check the "Use Inventory Manager (StockBoy)" box on the main tab.

107 2. Create an agent shortcut in the Windows Startup folder to "PixelStockManager.exe" and run it. A box icon displays in the system tray. 3. Create suppliers (by selecting Supplier Setup on the Inventory pulldown menu in BackOffice). 4. (Optional) Create warehouses (by selecting Warehouse Setup on the same menu). 5. Create stock items (in Stocked Items). You can use any stock items created without StockBoy. 6. Create recipes. Again, you can use any recipes already created (without StockBoy). 7. Select Inventory Manager on the Inventory pull-down menu. 8. Do a physical count of the warehouse and then select [Physical Counts] on the StockBoy toolbar. PixelPoint includes a stock take report for assisting you with the physical count; print it and use it to perform your physical count. With this record, enter the stock levels into Inventory Manager. This gives your inventory starting values. Recipe values and cost per units will be updated as this is done. When completed, you will have a digital warehouse containing stock items with inventory levels. Ordering items at the front-end will now deplete these levels. You can use Inventory Manager to monitor these levels, generate purchase orders and then integrate received orders into your stock levels. Third-Party Interface Generally speaking, StockBoy is a basic inventory system that addresses the needs of most establishments. If however, you have a client with inventory needs beyond what StockBoy can provide, there is a third inventory option. PixelPoint can interface to third-party inventory systems, including some of the leading inventory systems in the world (such as FoodTrak ), to provide a complete POS/Inventory solution. Inventory Costing Configuration Inventory costing can be done by average cost or last cost. To change this setting, maximize StockBoy and select [Setup]. A secondary window will display enabling you to choose either "Average Cost" or "Last Cost". By default it is set to "Average Cost". 107

108 Average cost values your inventory based on weighted average, taking into account what you have paid on your various orders and the quantities of each of them. Last cost values your inventory based on the last order applied to inventory. Note: For more detailed information regarding Inventory setup and use, see the PixelPoint BackOffice User's Guide. 108

109 4.9. Overtime Agent The Overtime Agent is a program that starts up automatically with the start of the POS and operates invisibly in the background, calculating overtime. The agent program is called OvertimeAgent.exe and resides in the PixelPOS folder. It requires SQL to be running in order to function. When run, it will present the initial setup screen for you to identify the date range of the pay period. Along with this are three buttons at the bottom: RUN will execute the agent and perform the calculations on the employee time clock data. OPTIONS will allow you to further program information to facilitate local state laws. This is managed by defining a set of overtime rules that can be applied on a set day basis, consecutive day basis or weekly basis. Select [Add] to create a rule and [Edit] to change the settings. CLOSE will exit the program. 109

110 Starting Day of the Pay Period The first day of the pay periods. The agent will begin accumulating time on this day (taking into account the setting below). Number of Weeks in Pay Period The duration (in weeks) of the establishment's pay periods. Number of Hours in a Week before Overtime The maximum number of work hours in a single week that are to be calculated as regular time. Number of Hours in a Day before Overtime The maximum number of hours in a day that are counted as regular time. Some overtime laws limit the number of regular hours an employee can work within a single work day. If this applies to the local overtime laws, specify the number here. If this does not apply to the local overtime laws, set it to "24". Overtime Pay Rate You can enter the hourly pay rate next to each job position you assign to employees in Employee Setup in BackOffice. This OverTime Agent setting determines the percentage that is to be applied to that pay rate for calculating overtime. For instance, the example of "150" here means that the employee will earn 150% of their regular wage during overtime hours. This is otherwise referred to as time-and-a-half. Double-time would be set to "200" (being 200%) and double-time-and-a-half would be "250". Overtime is calculated as part of the End of Day process; if adjustments to employee times are needed, overtime calculations will be off. The OverTime Agent's Recalculate tab enables you to fix this by recalculating overtime after changes have been made. Select the date the changes were made on and then click [Run]. This will recalculate overtime with the changes that were applied (rather than waiting for the next End of Day). 110

111 4.10. Enterprise PixelPoint has two enterprise software solutions: PixelPoint HeadOffice and PixelPoint HeadOffice ASP. This section looks at the concepts behind each solution. PixelPoint HeadOffice The HeadOffice solution enables main office administration to manage all POS programming from a central location while extrapolating (polling) sales and operational data from the stores. At the main office, you install two PCs: the Data Warehouse and the HeadOffice Manager. The Data Warehouse is the hub of information for both the main office and store locations, and stores all of the enterprise's data. The HeadOffice Manager is basically a PC with PixelPoint loaded on it; all corporate POS programming is performed on this PC and that programming is then uploaded to the Data Warehouse. Access to all HeadOffice utility programs and functions is through the single HeadOffice Manager computer. However, if any other managers in the main office need access to any of these functions, they can network their office PCs as stations tying into the HeadOffice Manager. The corporate programming is retained in the Data Warehouse. When a store connects to it, the programming is downloaded to the store's POS. If there is any new data from the store, such as sales data or programming changes that were applied there, that information will be uploaded at this time. This exchange of programming and data is referred to as replication. Replication is initiated by the store. The "PixelRemote.exe" file (otherwise referred to as the Replication Agent) in the PixelPOS folder controls the process. When activated, this function connects to the Data Warehouse at a pre-specified static IP address and uploads any sales data, time clock data, programming changes, 111

112 etc. Inversely, if there are any programming changes set to come down from the main office, they will be downloaded. The system monitors the point of origin of every record in the system. For example, if a store were to program a product of its own (security permitting), that product record would be uploaded to the main office and identified as a product that was created at that particular store. One store's programming cannot affect another store. Only programming on the HeadOffice Manager can affect another store's programming. The only exception to this is Member records. You can be programmed in as a member at one store and (via replication) have that membership honored at all other locations. PixelPoint's client retention programs will also work with this, so a member can accumulate points at any location as well. The system also monitors every change that is made to any record. When a programming change is made, the value of an internal counter increases. When replication takes place, all of these counters are compared between the store and head office. The result is that replication only sends across changes to the system. The transfer of an entire database table is not required. Replication criteria are determined within a utility program called "FixPixelBase_HO". This is an enterprise adaptation of the FixPixelBase program, which includes a function called Replication Setup. Using this function you can specify what information goes up to main office, comes down from main office, and overwrites existing data. Sales data is reported through an enterprise version of DataMiner. The system functions exactly the same as the local (store) DataMiner except that its reports include references to stores and regions (of stores). 112

113 PixelPoint HeadOffice ASP ASP stands for Application Service Provider. The ASP solution offers smaller multiunit operators the ability to implement an enterprise solution without the burden of managing and maintaining their main office system (being the Data Warehouse and HeadOffice Manager). The general structure and method of operation of the ASP system is the same as the regular HeadOffice solution. However, the two main office PCs are located at the offices of PAR PixelPoint rather than at the client's main office. The stores still replicate with the Data Warehouse and corporate programming is still done on the HeadOffice Manager system. The only difference is that the main office connects remotely to these PCs using either Windows Remote Desktop or Terminal Services. This solution is ideal for smaller chains that do not have the resources to house and manage their own enterprise system, yet want to take advantage of the efficiency and reporting capability of a PixelPoint HeadOffice system. The ASP system can also be changed to a regular HeadOffice system. Note: For detailed information regarding PixelPoint HeadOffice installation and operations, see documentation on the MyPar Partner Center website. 113

114 4.11. PocketPOS Overview PocketPOS is PixelPoint's wireless handheld solution. This section gives an overview; see documentation on the MyPar Partner Center website for detailed information. PocketPOS uses RDP (remote desktop protocol) technology to drive its application to wireless devices. As such, installers need to have a strong knowledge of RDP services offered by Microsoft Terminal Services and RDP services in Microsoft Windows. Depending on the hardware, data traffic and budget, there are several configurations you can use to successfully deploy PocketPOS. Specific configuration details should be provided by PixelPoint Support. Contact PixelPoint Support for more information. You can also see the Certified Device List on the MyPar Partner Center for handheld devices certified by PixelPoint and the options they have. Licensing PixelPoint offers two types of PocketPOS licenses: tablet and handheld. The tablet license works on any wireless device that runs PocketPOS at resolutions greater than 240x320. Generally you would run this mode on a Tablet PC which can show more information on the screen since the hardware is physically larger. Running PocketPOS in this mode requires a station (seat) license. The handheld license works on any wireless device that runs PocketPOS at resolutions of 240x320 or lower. Generally you would run this mode on a PDA which shows less screen information due to the size of the hardware. PixelPoint seat licenses include one free handheld license, which means you can have as many PocketPOS handhelds as you do stations (without incurring additional license fees). 114

115 In both cases, the License Manager must have "PocketPOS Client License" and "PocketPOS Site License" in the list of licensed features. For multiple PocketPOS units, you may also need "Concurrent PocketPOS" licensing. If you do not have these licenses and you want to run PocketPOS, you must request new codes from your account manager and say whether you will be using tablets or handhelds. Networking & Configuration Considerations 1. Make sure you secure your wireless network. 2. Use static IPs on handhelds instead of dynamic IPs. This will increase the speed on initial connectivity and make sure that the unit can easily reconnect to a session if it gets disconnected or dropped. 3. If running 240x320 resolution, set the PixelPoint fonts to 6 or 7 pt size. 4. Enable the NoGraphics policy on the PocketPOS stations. There are also additional PocketPOS policies in Policy Setup you can optionally enable. For detailed information about networking and configuring PocketPOS systems, see PocketPOS documentation on the MyPar Partner Center. Printing Considerations PocketPOS units print to printers in real-time, as if they were stations. Depending on your system details, you have some choices about how to configure printing. Single Receipt Printer If the wireless devices are near a POS printer, you can simply configure receipts to print to that (LAN-based) printer. Handheld users would pick up their receipts from that designated printer. Multiple Receipt Printers In configurations where the handhelds are spread across wide areas, you can configure teams of wireless devices to print to physically attached printers in their designated area. For example, you could have tablets 1-3 print to Station 7's printer in the dining room, while tablets 4-6 print to Station 8's printer on the patio. Personal Printers If receipts are printed frequently or physical printers are too far from the areas where the handhelds are being used, a wireless "belt" printer can be used. These are smaller printers designed to be carried on a server's belt. They work on the same network as the wireless units. 115

116 4.12. WebToGo Overview This section provides overview information about Web-to-Go, such as what it is, how it works, and the way it fits into the POS network. Specifications To properly run Web-to-Go, you need a dedicated web server. A pre-configured WebToGo server package can be purchased from PAR PixelPoint. In addition to the WebToGo box, however, you must make sure that your system also has: All necessary Windows updates and service packs. A dedicated Internet connection with a static IP address. Proper licensing for Authorization Manager and Web-to-Go. Remote communication software (such as Symantec pcanywhere ) for remote configuration work, including file transfer. Web Server Concept As mentioned above, Web-to-Go requires a dedicated server; this is a PC devoted to maintaining the Web-to-Go system and managing the intake of Internet orders. The Web Server is a standalone PC that resides at the client site. It must have a 24-hour/day connection to the Internet, with a static IP. In addition, remote support must be able to connect to it by using software such as pcanywhere or a VNC client. The Web Server and POSSERVER are connected through the LAN to enable internet orders to be processed on the POS. 116

117 The Web Server basically acts like one of the front-end stations. Customers connect to the Web-to-Go order system and place their orders. Then, just as orders are with other stations, they are relayed through the LAN, printed in the kitchen and retained on the POSSERVER. Installation Web-to-Go is available in a pre-configured package from PAR PixelPoint. The only steps remaining in configuring the product are networking the computer, activating Windows, assigning a PixelPoint station number, and making the website visible on the Internet by configuring the router's firewall settings. Before you begin these steps, you should check that the following have been set up: Licensing - Professional Edition, WebToGo Server, 1 additional seat Communications - Internet access with a static IP POS - Authorization Manager, web menu, product images, descriptions, modifiers, forced questions For further information about the installation of the WebToGo package, see the PixelPoint document entitled "WebToGo Solution Bundle Setup". 117

118 4.13. Alert Manager PixelPoint Alert Manager is a utility that monitors operational data and notifies select staff when certain events happen or situations arise. These alerts can be in the form of s, broadcast messages or SMS text messages. In typical configurations, the Alert Manager agent is placed in the startup folder. The agent runs in the background like other PixelPoint agents. A simplified version of this agent can be accessed through BackOffice, by selecting Alert Manager from the General Setup pull-down menu. You can enable and program alerts by selecting [Add Alert Schedule] at the bottom of the screen. 118

119 The window that first displays when you open the Alert Manager shows all of the currently scheduled alerts. You can also switch tabs at the top to display the Alert History. If you are not running the PixelPoint Alert Manager BackOffice version, then you can also switch to the Modules Tab, Execution Log Tab, Agent Log Tab and Config Tab. Alert History Tab Provides statistics and information about the alerts that have been sent through the Alert Manager. This tab lists each instance where an alert schedule's conditions were met. You can use the drop-down boxes at the top of the tab to filter the information displayed. The 'Schedule selector' drop-down box determines which alert type's events are shown. The 'Limit' drop-down box controls how many events are shown. 119

120 Modules Tab This tab lists modules or plugins currently on the system. 120

121 Execution Log Tab This tab provides a history of alert schedule activity. It lists each time an alert schedule was checked, whether an alert was sent or not. This tab gives detailed information about each event, including errors it has logged. You can change the level of detail that this tab displays by changing the 'Alert log level' on the Config tab. Agent Log Tab This tab displays a log of all the Alert Manager's activity. This includes information about scheduling checking, alerts and errors, but it presents the information from the program's view. This tab also includes events about the Alert Manager agent outside of alerts. For example, it lists information about what happened during the agent's startup and gives details about its regular checks on its plugins. 121

122 Config Tab This tab contains many settings and options that enable you to configure exactly how you want Alert Manager to work and function. 122

123 Alert Types You can set Alert Manager to send any of the following types of alerts. Each of these can be configured in a number of ways. Cash Drawer Alert Alert when a cash drawer's contents exceed a certain amount. Coupon Totals Alert Alert when the amount of a coupon or void applied exceeds a certain amount. Delivery Alert Alert when the number of waiting deliveries exceeds a certain number or if the duration of a delivery has exceeded a certain time limit. Future Orders Alert Alert when the number of future orders exceeds a certain number. Inventory Item Sold Out Alert when an inventory item's stock count drops below a certain number. Labor Cost Alert Alert when the percent of labor cost exceeds a certain number. No Sales Alert Alert when the number of zero-total transactions exceeds a certain number. Overtime Alert when an employee is on overtime hours (based on number of hours per day or number of hours worked per week). Pay In / Pay Out Alert Alert when a pay-in, pay-out or over/short value exceeds a certain amount. PixelPoint Exception Alert Alert when the system generates an exception error. Product Sold Out Alert when an ordering product is sold out or its count has dropped below a certain limit. Sales Alert Alert when gross or net sales exceed or drop below a certain amount. 123

124 Schedule Alert Alert when an employee is late or misses a shift or when they are approaching overtime. Shift Rules Alert Alert when an employee's break time falls outside of the allowable minimum and maximum set in Shift Rules. Tills Over Alert Alert when a till has drawn in more than a certain amount. Tips Alert Alert when the amount of charge tips or the amount of declared cash tips exceeds a certain amount. Trans amount is out of range Alert when the total owing on a transaction has exceeded a certain amount. 124

125 Alert Editor The Alert Editor displays when you add an alert, as well as when you right-click on a created alert and then select Edit. The Alert Editor has About, Schedule, Delivery and Config tabs. You can configure Alert manager to alert about multiple item types, to alert about the same type of item at different times (on different schedules) and with different conditions, as well as using multiple methods of delivery. Schedule Tab The options on this tab configure the frequency and timing of the alert. You can use this tab to select the interval when this alert runs and what hours it runs. This determines when the system checks to see if the alert's conditions and parameters are met or not. Config Tab This tab contains the alert parameters and alert conditions. For example, if you are programming an alert about inventory items, you may want to specify which warehouse the alert is for, or, if you are programming an alert about cash drawers being too full, you would specify the amount at which you want the alert to trigger. As a result, the 'Conditions' section of this screen will be quite different 125

126 for each different kind of alert, as it will contain that specific alert type's parameters and conditions. This tab also has an 'Alert notice' section which you can use to program the message that gets sent when the alert is triggered. You can type in a header or subject line in the 'Header' field, and the full contents of the alert message in the 'Message' field. Delivery Tab This tab enables you to configure how the alert gets delivered and who it gets delivered to. You can set it to be sent to single individuals, by different methods, or to everybody with certain job positions. 126

127 Note that if you configure alerts to be sent as text (SMS) messages, normal textmessaging service charges will apply; you need to make sure that the customer is aware of this. Manager on Duty Sends the alert to employees who are designated as a manager on duty, whether or not their job position or name is included in the delivery list boxes. Send as broadcast to POS users Sends the alert as a broadcast message, instead of as internal POS mail, to employees included in the Job position and Employee delivery lists. See the PixelPoint POS User's Guide for more information about mail types in PixelPoint POS. Send only to "clocked in" POS users Sends the alert only to users that are currently clocked in (generally, this would be employees that are currently working). This is useful if you do not want alerts sent to employees who are not currently working at the time of the alert. For example, if this option is not checked, then all POS users with job positions set to receive the alert will get the alert, even if, say, there is an employee who is not scheduled to work until next week. When that employee clocks in the following week, they will get all of the alerts sent out during the week they were not working. 127

128 Note: If you have manually entered addresses or phone numbers into the ' and SMS delivery list', they will be sent the alert whether this option is enabled or not. If you have added them by using the Lookup buttons on the right, they will be sent the alert (or not), according to whether the option is enabled. Reset alert generation upon a new openday Sets the statistics and logs for this alert to be reset when Start of Day is performed. At the beginning of each day, the alert's 'Last Status' and 'Last Run Time' will be "never". Minimum delay before same condition can generate alert The minimum amount of time that must pass before the system can send this alert again for the same condition. This ensures that alerts are not continually sent to users for something they have already been alerted about, but which they simply may not have had time to deal with or fix yet. This setting, therefore, controls how often alert messages are sent out during periods when an alert's conditions are met. [Disable re-notification] Turns off alert re-notification, so that this alert will only be sent one time for this condition. This hides the Minimum delay option discussed above and changes this button to [Enable re-notification]. About Tab This tab enables you to add notes about the alert, for internal use, and to select a different icon to represent the alert. This screen also gives technical information about the alert and its plug-in at the bottom. 128

129 Note: Alert Manager is only available with Professional Edition. 129

130 CHAPTER 5. Maintenance This chapter discusses things that can be done to maintain PixelPoint POS systems and keep them running as efficiently and cleanly as possible. Most of the topics in this chapters relate to PixelPoint modules that you can use to make sure things are running properly or as efficiently as possible. Such modules include Database BackUp, Clear All Sales and FixPixelBase. This chapter ends with a troubleshooting section that discusses frequent problems and gives suggestions as to what you can do to fix them or make sure they do not occur on systems you are working on. This chapter's contents are: Backup (Page 131) Redundancy (Page 156) Clear All Sales (Page 165) FixPixelBase (Page 167) Network Test Module (Page 171) Trim Database Utility (Page 173) Troubleshooting (Page 175) Preventative Maintenance (Page 180) 130

131 5.1. Backup PixelPoint Database BackUp is an automated backup and restoration utility for PixelPoint POS. It enables you to program when you want backups to be performed and where you want them to be stored. You can therefore set up PixelPoint BackUp once and then basically forget about it. PixelPoint Database BackUp will perform the backups for you and make the files available to you if you ever need them. Having a backup of your system may not seem important at the moment, but it will never be important until you really need it. At that point it will be too late. So while it seems like you can always put making a backup off until tomorrow because you do not need a backup immediately, there may come a day when you are just that one day too late. This backup utility will save you from all of this trouble, as you can schedule the backups and let the utility do the work. You never have to do a backup yourself and you can always be sure you have a recent copy of the database if you need it. The PixelPOS folder has a "PixelBackUp.exe" file, which is one component in the PixelPoint Database BackUp system. Amongst other things, this utility enables you to make a backup of the database (\PixelSQL\PIXELSQLBASE10.DB) while the system is in operation. The DB file contains both the programming information and sales data for the POS. The other two files are the Server and Exec components which manage the functionality and intelligence of the backup system. If the POS is not running at the time, you can copy "PIXELSQLBASE10.DB" to any backup destination without the use of this utility. If, however, the system is running, you will not be able to copy the file. The backup utility will do this for you instead. 131

132 Components PixelPoint Database BackUp is made up of two main components, both of which are discussed in more detail in later sections. The first is the server component ("PixelBackUpServer.exe") that runs in the background. It is the automated part of the system that makes backups at the scheduled times. The second component is the client component ("PixelBackUp.exe"). This is what you run in order to perform manual backups, program scheduled backups and retrieve backed up files. The program comes with an additional EXE and a DLL file. "PixelBackUpExec.exe" is what runs in order to actually execute a backup. "ZipDll.dll" is a utility plug-in for creating compressed archives (ZIP files). 132

133 Backed Up Files "PIXELSQLBASE10.DB" contains all of the POS programming and all sales data. It is located in "C:\PixelSQL" on the system server. The same folder also contains "PIXELSQLBASE10.LOG", which is the associated system log file. PixelPoint BackUp backs up these two files and creates a text file containing details of the tasks executed during the backup. If the backup has been compressed, the DB and LOG files will be saved as a ZIP file along with the text file containing details of the tasks executed during the backup. The filename of each backup file will contain the date and time of the backup. Note, however, that you should also have a separate backup copy of unique files contained in "C:\PixelPOS". They are listed below. The last two items in the table are folders. You should back up all of the files in them. *.FLR The floor layout templates. FloorLayout.JPG The graphic background for the Table Layout screen. \IMAGES This folder contains images that are applied within Form Designer, product images, employee images and such. \TEMPLATES This folder contains the Form Designer templates that are applied to order screens, finish screens, forced question screens, customer displays and kiosk screens. These files do not need to be backed up regularly like the DB file, however, since they do not change on a regular basis. Nevertheless, they are unique to your POS system and should be copied somewhere safe in case they need to be reloaded. 133

134 PixelPoint Database BackUp Server The server component is "PixelBackUpServer.exe". It is a system agent and therefore runs in the background. It does not need any user interaction once it is set up. Double-clicking the tape icon in the system tray when "PixelBackUpServer.exe" is running opens the server component. To make sure that the server does not get accidentally closed, thus preventing all scheduled backups from taking place, you can only close this program through the Windows Task Manager. Clicking on the red X button in the top-right corner only minimizes the program back to the system tray, and right-clicking on the system tray icon does not do anything. You must open the Task Manager (for example, by clicking Ctrl+Alt+Delete and then selecting [Task Manager]) and then close "PixelBackUpServer.exe" by selecting it on the Processes tab and then clicking [End Process]. The black line across the lower part of the screen contains information showing the date and time since the utility was started, the countdown of the scheduled cycle and the current cycle s countdown. PixelPoint Database BackUp cycles every 15 minutes for updates to its scheduling. [Welcome] Returns you to the Welcome screen. [Start Backup Manager] Opens the client component of PixelPoint Database BackUp (See "BackUp Client" (Page 136)). [Status] Displays a screen showing the live status of the cycle countdown. 'Request Check Urgency' and 'Schedule Check Urgency' are graphic representations of the 134

135 countdowns taking place. If the system detects a change, it restarts its evaluation of the schedule. [Backup Plan Check Now!] Performs an immediate backup plan check, rather than waiting for the schedule to complete its cycle. This searches through the backup plans already created and looks to see if any have missed their scheduled time. If it is allowed by the plan's setup parameters, that backup will run now. [Log] Displays the server's activity log. 135

136 PixelPoint Database BackUp Manager The client component, the PixelPoint Database BackUp Manager, is "PixelBackUp.exe". The main screen has a black status bar showing the software version, the date and time of the last logged event and the activation status of backup plans. 136

137 Backup Now This function performs an immediate backup of the database. 'Backup Directory' defines the path to save the backup to. Use the browse button [ ] to the right of this field to select an alternate path, or type it in the field itself. Database Validation Required Validates the backup before saving it. The purpose of this is to validate data integrity, making sure that the contents are uncorrupt and will be able to be used if you need to restore the database. Though it is an extra step in the backup process, you should enable this as a precaution against making an unusable backup. If validation fails, the process stops and a backup is not made. 137

138 Compress Archives Compresses the data in the backup in the form of a ZIP file. While this saves space, it takes a little longer to do the backup. See "Backup Up Files" (Page 133) for more information. Execution When a backup is executed, PixelPoint Database BackUp logs and displays each process as it takes place. 'Auto Close', if checked, automatically closes the window when the countdown that starts after the backup is done finishes. [Exit] closes the window. 138

139 Setup The Setup screen displays all backup plans and contains functions for creating new plans, viewing the system backup log and changing the administrative setting. Create New Backup Plan You can create different plans for performing backups. These work with a scheduler function, enabling you to define when you want the backup to occur, where you want to save it, how many backups you want to retain and how long you want to allow the system to keep retrying if there is a problem with the initial execution of the backup. 139

140 The backup plans are listed on the left side of the Setup screen. The Default plan applies to manual backups and cannot be removed. There is no limit to the number of plans you can create. Edit This button enables you to edit the currently selected plan's settings. Five panels display at the top of the screen when you select it. Each tab has different settings you can edit. See "Backup Plan Editor" (Page 147) for more information. Execute Backup Plan now / Set Backup Plan as Pending [Execute Backup Plan now] runs the selected backup immediately. Backup plans with no scheduled run times, such as the "DEFAULT" backup plan, can only be run manually. This button enables you to do this. Backup plans that are set to run on a schedule instead have [Set Backup Plan as Pending]. In this case, the button sets the backup plan as still needing to be run, even if the actual time it was scheduled for has already passed. The system will therefore run the backup as soon as the schedule parameters allow for it to be run again. Scheduling parameters are specified in the Backup Plan Editor, on the Schedule tab (See "Backup Plan Editor" (Page 147)). 140

141 Delete Removes the selected plan from the list and deletes it from the system. You will have to create it again from scratch if you want to have a plan like it (unlike with setting a plan as Inactive, in which case you can simply make the plan active again. See the General tab in the Backup Plan Editor (Page 147) for more information. Backup Log The backup log lists information about all backups that have been performed. This log includes the name of the backup plan performed, the date and time it was executed, whether it was successful or not, and an option to see more information (which gives details about individual tasks executed during that given backup). Admin Selecting this button brings you to the Administrative Setup screen. Each of the tabs that appear is explained below. General Tab This tab contains general settings related to backup plan execution. 141

142 ON Enables/Disables the backup plans. If checked, the backup program will use the programmed plan schedules. If unchecked, the plans will not execute. Show Backup Execution Progress Displays a progress window as the backup is being performed. If you want the backups to run unnoticed on the system, uncheck this box. Show Backup Plan Evaluation Displays the Review tab in the Backup Plan Editor (See page 147). Show Advanced User Interface Displays Optional Batch Execution settings on the Method tab in the Backup Plan Editor (See page 147). You can make use of this, for example, to set up off-site backup hosting by ftp-ing the backup to a remote location. Tab This tab is used to program features so the system can notify someone when a backup has been completed and/or was unsuccessful. In addition to having the appropriate settings configured here, the plan for the backup in question must also have the 'On Success' and/or 'On Failure' checkboxes on the Method tab enabled (See "Backup Plan Editor" (Page 147)). 142

143 Off programming is disabled or deactivated. On (SMTP) Presents fields for programming functionality through simple mail transfer protocol (SMTP). On (MAPI) Presents fields for programming functionality through a messaging application programming interface (MAPI). The image below shows the additional settings that are active when 'On (MAPI)' is selected. 143

144 MAPI Configuration Sender The name of the 'person' sending the . Since the s are automatically sent by the system, there is no actual person involved. You can specify a name like "PixelPoint Database BackUp Utility", for example, to make this clear. Sender The address configured in the MAPI client, from which the will be sent. If you are using SMTP instead of MAPI, the fields are the account's server name, user name and password, in addition to the 'Sender' field discussed above. Send to address The address s should be sent to. This address is the designated recipient of s sent if either the 'On Success' or 'On Failure' checkbox on the Method tab of the Backup Plan Editor is checked. subject on backup success The text the utility should include in the 'Subject' line of s sent when a backup completes successfully (and the 'On Success' checkbox is enabled on the Method tab of the Backup Plan Editor). 144

145 subject on backup failure The text the utility should include in the 'Subject' line of s sent when a backup fails (and the 'On Failure' checkbox is enabled on the Method tab of the Backup Plan Editor). Misc Tab This tab has miscellaneous settings you can enable or disable. Generate event in system log on success. Records the successful completion of a backup in the system log. If unchecked, successful backups will not be reported in the log. Generate event in system log on failure. Records failed backup attempts in the system log. If unchecked, backup attempts that did not complete successfully will not be reported in the log. Show confirmation dialog upon a plan execution request. Displays a message window informing you that a backup plan has been executed. If you want backups to be unnoticed on the system, make sure this checkbox is unchecked. 145

146 [Misc Log] Displays and switches to an additional tab called Log. It contains an event log showing the schedule cycles of the BackUp client and server processes. 146

147 Backup Plan Editor The backup plan editor is what displays when you press [Edit] after selecting a backup plan on the left side of the Setup screen. Each of the tabs and the settings on each tab are explained below. Welcome Tab Contains instructions for using the editor. 147

148 General Tab Enables you to give the backup plan a name and description. It also enables you to set the plan as inactive, by unchecking the 'Is active?' checkbox in the upperright corner of the tab. 148

149 Schedule Tab Enables you to determine when the backup is run. Begin by choosing one of the three options on the left: Off (on user request only) No schedule. Backup is run only when you manually run it. This is the setting of the Default plan, but you may want to program multiple manual backups designed for saving to different destinations (such as external drives or ftp sites). On select day(s) of week Backup runs automatically every week on the day(s) you select. On selected day of month Backup runs automatically every month on the date you select. If you choose either of the schedule settings, the 'Schedule Time' section enables you to set the time at which the backup will take place. If for any reason the backup is not able to run at the precise 'Run at...' time you specified, the system will continue to attempt the backup until the time you specified in the ' but no later than' field. The final field in this line, ' and allow backup', enables you to set a guideline of execution in relation to the End of Day process. The options you can select are: Anytime, even during business hours Allows the timed backup to take place at the designated time regardless of whether the POS is active at the time or not. Start xx min after "End of Day" These options override the designated time set in 'Run at ' and execute the backup xx minutes (15, 30 or 60) after the End of Day process has been run. 149

150 Note: PixelSQL Engine and PixelPoint Database BackUp Server must be running at the time of any scheduled backup. Method Tab Defines where to save the backup and how it is stored. Keep All Keeps all backups. Backups are never deleted by the system. They must be removed manually, if at all. Note that this requires an endlessly increasing amount of hard drive space. It can eventually use up the entire hard drive if you do not continually delete old backups. Keep N Backups Keeps (only) a specified number of backups. Use the up and down arrows or replace the number in the field to specify how many backups you want to be kept at a time. For example, if you specify "3", the system will keep the three most recent backups. Three Restore Points Hanoi Schedule Backups are saved at three different restore points. The first restore point is every second day. If you needed to restore from this restore point, the oldest backup would be two days old. In the event that backup is not usable, there is a second restore point at every fourth day. In the event that backup is not usable, there is a third restore point at every 4th day offset from the other one. Select the question mark next to this option for more detailed information about Hanoi schedules. Five Restore Points Hanoi Schedule Backups are saved at 5 restore points. The first restore point is every 2nd day, the second every 4th day, 150

151 the third every 8th day, the fourth every 16th day, and the fifth is every 16th day offset from the other one. Nine Restore Points Hanoi Schedule Like the previous two options, except this has nine different restore points. Restore points are organized in the same way as with the other hanoi schedules. Optional Batch Execution Enables you to specify external batch commands to be applied before and/or after the backup. To activate this feature, enable the 'Show Advanced User Interface' checkbox on the General tab in the [Admin] section (See "Admin" (Page 141)). Select the [set...] button to the right of each setting to program commands. The above example is the syntax for transferring the backup to an ftp (file transfer protocol) site. To make this work for your system, you will need to modify the 3rd, 4th, 6th, 7th and 16th lines (marked with arrows) by specifying your ftp site s username, password, upload folder, upload sub-folder and ftp URL respectively. It is recommended that such a batch be considered for off-site backup hosting. The three backup settings, 'Backup Directory', 'Database Validation Required' and 'Compress Archives', are the same as those on the Backup Now screen. (See "Backup Now" (Page 137).) Notification via On Success s the designated recipient when the backup is completed successfully. On Failure s the designated recipient if the backup fails. 151

152 The designated recipient and other settings are set on the tab on the Admin screen. See " Tab" (Page 142) for more information about configuring in this program. Review Tab Automatically evaluates the settings set in the other tabs and identifies whether the information is complete enough to make a functional plan. Mark as already executed Prevents automatic execution of the backup plan when you save it. This helps to make sure that the backup does not accidentally run while it could interfere with current POS operations. 152

153 Restore Points Selecting this button on the bottom of the Backup Client (Manager) enables you to view the active backups, listed by plan name. Also listed is the path, file name and size of the backup file. You can use this information to identify the backup file you want to use if you have to restore the database. 153

154 Emergency Mode In the event there is a problem and PixelPoint Database BackUp is unable to connect to the database, the following message will display in red text on the main PixelPoint Database BackUp Manager screen. When this message is on the screen, both [Backup Now] and [Setup] are inactive. This message could mean that the PixelSQL Engine is not running. Try running the engine and then opening the BackUp Manager again. Otherwise, this message could mean that there is a problem with the database, in which case it needs to be restored. This mode is called 'Emergency Mode' because, while other functionality is not available, you can still restore the database by using [Restore Points]. See "Restoring the Database" (Page 155) for more information about how to restore the database. 154

155 Restoring the Database If you ever need to make use of one of the backups created through this program, follow the steps below. 1. Open the "C:\PixelSQL" folder in Windows. 2. Rename the existing (bad) database and log files. Do not delete them until you have completed all of the steps below. 3. Select [Restore Points] in the PixelPoint Database BackUp Manager. 4. Select the [...] button next to the backup you want to use. 5. Select [Show restore file(s)]. 6. Open the ZIP file, if 'Compress Archives' was enabled. 7. Copy or extract the selected backup files ("PIXELSQLBASE10.DB" and "PIXELSQLBASE10.LOG") to "C:\PixelSQL". 8. Restart the POS. 9. Restart PixelPoint Database BackUp. 155

156 5.2. Redundancy Redundancy is a solution that can be implemented for situations where the server or network goes down. Redundancy enables the front-end stations to continue to operate as stand-alone units. Though this solution will work in most any environment, it is more appropriately suited for quick service applications where the sharing of a check between stations is never needed. It is recommended that you review the technical documentation before offering this solution; see the MyPar Partner Center website for the document. In this solution, each station is considered to be a separate node. Each node requires its own hard drive; from this hard drive, the station will run PixelPoint locally and will synchronize with the system-wide consolidated database (DB), which resides on the main server. Synchronization is managed by "PixSyncAgent.exe". After redundancy is configured, printing, check management, time clock information, etc., all continue to function as they would on a non-redundant system. However, the node s database synchronizes its current information with the consolidated database, which now manages all non-local functions. These include remote printing, system modules and agents (such as StockBoy and Authorization Manager), and employee time clock functions. If the system goes down, PixelPoint will continue to run, but all non-local functionality will be stopped. This means that integrated credit authorization will not work, printing to the bar or kitchen will not work, and employees will not be able to cash out or clock out. Employees will, however, still be able to create, modify and close checks (but only using methods of payment that do not require authorization). 156

157 5.3. LiveBackup Utility LiveBackup is an automated backup and recovery system designed to ensure that the database is always up and running. There are three components to this system. The first is the Mirrored Log File. Once enabled, the system writes all entries to a secondary log file (pixelsqlbase10.log) as they occur. Should the original database go down, LiveBackup uses the mirrored log file to reconstruct all missing POS data. The second component is the Secondary Database File. The system maintains a backup copy of the database file (pixelsqlbase10.db) on a nightly basis when POSSERVER is not busy in order to minimize demands on the system. The database file can be placed on a hard drive partition on the server, on another hard drive anywhere on the network, or on a USB flash drive. The third and final component is the Restore Function. While the LOG and DB components continually function in the background, system restoration will requires a user to determine if it is warranted and if so, to then execute the process. Should a database restore be required, LiveBackup will synchronize the backup DB file with the mirrored LOG file which will then fill in the gaps of outstanding transactions performed since the last DB backup was done. 157

158 Enable When you select Enable from the main screen, you are presented with the configuration screen (shown below) which requires that you designate the path of the mirror folder. When a backup is executed, the database will be stored to this location. Take note of the warning. The system will have to restart the POS in order for the backups to take place. Upon selecting [Next], you are presented with the screen for scheduling the backups. You can set it to a specific time or interval of minutes. Because this is working with the log file and not the DB file, it will not affect system performance. 158

159 The system will overwrite the transaction log in order to keep it as current as possible. The check box at the bottom sets it to update the log after it has been truncated (purged of old data). If left unchecked, it will apply the log file regardless of what happens. If truncation has been set, then it will occur after the backup has been done instead of before. Having selected [Finish], the system will enable the backup. Returning to the main screen, the [Enable] button will be grayed out indicating that it is currently running. Disable If you wish to disable the live backup from running, select [Disable] from the main screen. Take note of the warning to restart the POS when the disable operation has been completed. The mirror path identified in the Enable section is also displayed on the screen. Select [Finish] to disable the backup. The 159

160 [Disable] button on the main screen will then be grayed out and [Enable] will be available again. Restore Should you need to restore the system from a back, select [Restore] from the main screen. It will present a screen (see below) asking you to identify the path of the database that is to be replaced. Take note of the check box at the bottom. If you wish to hang onto the bad database, then make sure this box is checked (recommended). It will rename the file extension from DB to OLD and replace pixelsqlbase10 with the one that was backed up as explained in the Enable process. 160

161 Along with the database, the system will restore the transaction log which will update all transactions that have taken place since the last backup was done. Example: Backup was done at 1:00. The system crashed at 2:00 and Restore was performed. There were 50 transactions performed between 1:00 and 2:00. Those transactions will not be in the backup but will be retained in the transaction log. Restoring the log will ensure that the system is brought right up to date. 161

162 Support Info The purpose of this function is to provide you with information pertaining to the backups. Included in this are three screen views: Usage, Performance and Log. Usage displays information pertaining to server operations. It includes read/write data transfer rates, SQL requests and demands on the CPU. Performance presents the usage stats in a running graph format, allowing you to identify peak usage times. You can filter between any of the usage components (shown above). Log presents a current log of LiveBackup tasks including when configuration was set and modified. 162

163 Advanced This allows you to set up advanced functions within LiveBackup. The upper part of the screen pertains to defining how far back you want to go before truncating old data. The way truncation works is as follows: A backup is performed which means all sale data up to that moment is now included in the backup. If backup takes place at 1:00 every day, then the next backup will include all transactions that took place between the first backup and the second backup. The log file acts as a buffer to retain those transactions that took place from the last backup up to the point that the system crashed. Anything older than the last backup does not need to be kept in the log file and can be truncated (purged) from the log file. When setting the truncate, make sure you do not cut out sales that have taken place after the last backup as you stand a risk of losing transactions. Set the truncate to cut off slightly before the last backup. Catch Up Backup This will perform a backup on demand. The purpose of this is to ensure that all transactions (right up to the moment of selecting this) have been secured in the backup file. In most cases, this will not interfere with the performance of the system, however if the database gets overly big, then it may slow things down slightly. 163

164 Selecting the check box at the bottom of the screen will apply the transaction log after truncation has taken place. If unchecked, the transaction log will be saved and then truncated. It is recommended that you leave this checked. 164

165 5.4. Clear All Sales Just before you are going to go live with the system, you may have test or training data on the system that you need to delete. The PixelPOS folder has a program file called "Clear All Sales.exe". This will clear off all sales and timeclock data from the database. When you run Clear All Sales, a login window will display asking for a password. Enter "100" and select [OK]. [Press Here to Clear All Sales] Starts the process of clearing the sales data. [Change Password] Changes the password for the program. The default password is "100". You should change this default in order to prevent the establishment from accidentally opening this program and deleting all of its sales data (including historical data). [Exit Program] Exits the Clear All Sales program. [Defaults to Clear All] Enables all of the checkboxes on the left, setting the program to remove all of the data listed (not just sales data). 165

166 [Defaults to Clear Sales Only] Enables the first two checkboxes and disables all others, setting the program to remove all sales data, but keep other data. Info Tab Displays information about the clearing of data from the database. Information will display here when data has been cleared. When you clear data using this program, the POS will reset itself to the beginning of the current business day. You will need to start the POS and clock in as if End of Day had just been run. It is recommended that you run Clear All Sales just before the system goes live. This will make sure that the sales and timeclock data are clean and you are properly starting the beginning of the first business day. The only other time you should ever have to run this program is just before going live under new ownership. 166

167 5.5. FixPixelBase FixPixelBase is a maintenance utility program located in the PixelPOS folder. It is not intended for use by the end-user. If you are not confident in the use of any component of this utility, you should consult with a PixelPoint Support Technician before using it. The main menu for FixPixelBase appears as below. Each of the functions is described in detail. The three functions on the right are automated functions; they do not involve user intervention. [View Table Trans Links] Displays all open transactions. If the linking between a transaction's tables is broken, you can remove that transaction using this function. This will enable you to continue with employee cash outs and the End of Day process. 167

168 [Validate Sales] If sales figures do not look right, you can use this function to check the integrity of the sales data. You can specify a transaction date range to validate. If there are any errors, the problem transactions will display in the Results window, which you can use to view individual transactions to investigate the problem further. If VAT (Value Added Tax) is being used, check the "Validate using VAT" checkbox to take this into account. [Transaction Viewer] Enables you to view all of the system's transactions. You can specify the date range of the transactions you want to review, as well as use the various checkboxes and buttons to otherwise filter the transactions displayed. The window that displays when you press [Transaction Viewer] is divided into four sections, which contain information as follows. POS Header Basic transaction information (table number, taxes, totals). POS Detail Items within the transactions (products, quantities, order times). How Paid How the transaction was paid for (tenders, who closed, change). Authorize Credit information (card, member, authorization). 168

169 [Database Editor] Enables you to view and (in some cases) edit the data in the database. The "Manual SQL" checkbox enables you to enter and run SQL queries and statements. It is highly recommended that you consult with a PixelPoint Support Technician before attempting to modify any records. [Change Password] Changes the password needed to access the FixPixelBase program. Remember that this utility is not intended for the end-user; to prevent them from accessing it, the password should changed from the default password of "100". 169

170 [Software Update for V11.0] Checks the Internet for any updates available for your PixelPoint system. It will download newer builds of the PixelPoint programs. Note that these updates do not include version upgrades, however. In addition to updating EXEs, though, this function will also download other kinds of files, such as new default templates and reports and new versions of the help files. Of course, you should only use this function when the system is not in use. In addition, the POS server must have internet access in order for this to work. Automatic Repair [Verify and Remove Invalid Table-Trans Link] An automated version of the [View Table-Trans Links] and [Validate Sales] functions. It quickly checks link problems within the sales data and removes problematic data it finds. [Decline ALL Pending Authorization Payments] If a transaction is waiting for credit authorization and communication (internet, modem, credit service, etc.) goes down, then the transaction's table will be locked. You will not be able to access it from the front-end. This function will force a decline on the pending credit authorization, enabling you to get into the transaction to re-tender it. [Move All Open Transactions into Todays Sales] In 24-hour mode, the system does not check to make sure all transactions have been closed before End of Day runs. This means that it is possible for a transaction to be forgotten and left open indefinitely. [Move All Open Transactions into Todays Sales] finds all of those old open transactions and moves them into the current day, enabling you to void them. 170

171 5.6. Network Test Module With the system now installed, it is important that you check it to make sure that the POS system will function properly when things get busy. To do this, PixelPoint includes a built-in Network Test Module. This program emulates the busiest possible night at the establishment. It does this by generating random data and streaming it through the system, continuously pushing as much data as possible and monitoring the speed with which it goes through to the server. The purpose of this test is to find bottlenecks in the network and to test to see if the server has enough processing power to keep up with the volume of data. If the system is able to withstand this test, it will be able to withstand actual hightraffic times. Note that there is no real need to run this test on stand-alone server systems. In addition, do not run this test on the server in dedicated server system configurations. This test should be run on each and every networked terminal that is going to be used as a station in the system. The server in dedicated server systems is not used as a station, whereas it is in non-dedicated server systems. See "System Configurations" (Page 14) for more information about different configurations. To run the test, you will need to plug a keyboard into the station. Then follow the steps below: 1. Log into the station and go to the Table Layout screen. 2. Press the [F5] function key. The window below displays. 3. Enter the password "test". 4. Click [OK]. The Network Test Module window displays. 5. Select [Start Test]. 171

172 When the test starts, the station begins generating test data and pushing it through to the server. The module shows how long it takes for every 100 records to complete this process. While this is running, move onto the next station and begin the test on it as well. Repeat this process until all stations are running the test at the same time. As each station is added, you will notice a drop in the transfer speed of data. Only when all stations are running the test should you begin to analyze the information. Look at the transfer rates on each station. They should all be relatively the same. If you notice that one station has a significantly slower rate than the others, or is sometimes hesitating its transfer, you should check the network connection and operation. If the system locks up entirely, you should check the server's connectivity and review its specifications. Run the Network Test at full capacity for approximately 10 minutes. If the rates are relatively consistent and the server does not lock up, then you can feel confident that the system will hold up during peak operation. Note: The Network Test Module is intended for use by the POS installer ONLY. 172

173 5.7. Trim Database Utility The PixelPOS folder has a file called "TrimDatabase.exe". This is a utility program that can purge old data from the database file. Before you attempt to run this program, make sure that you back up the database. If there are any errors during this process, restoring a backup will be your only option, so it is imperative that you have one. Note: This utility should only be used on databases that have speed problems, where applying the manual SQL statement "drop optimizer statistics" in the Database Editor in FixPixelBase (See page 167) does not solve the problem. Trim Sales Data (0.5 to 6 hours) Enables sales data trimming; causes the other settings in the utility (including the [Start Process] button) to become active. Take note of the estimated time it will take to do the purge. This utility should be run on a day that the establishment is closed down. All Sales Before This Date Will Be Deleted The cutoff date for the data. Any sales data created before this date will be purged from the database; all sales data created after this date will be kept. You can change the date by clicking on the month, day or year in the drop-down box field, or by selecting the date on the calendar that displays when you click the drop-down arrow. Rebuild Database (1 to 12 hours) If checked, the utility will rebuild the database, creating a second "PIXELSQLBASE10.DB" file which will be reduced to a size matching the volume of remaining data. This function can only be performed on the server. Again, take 173

174 note of the estimated time it will take to run this function, and make sure that there is enough time before the establishment opens for business again. Left unchecked, the utility will purge the sales data, but the database file will remain the same size. This is much like removing files from a filing cabinet. The cabinet remains the same size regardless of its contents. Select Directory to Rebuild to The destination path of the rebuilt DB file. Click the folder icon next to the field to specify the path. Make sure the path is not "\PixelSQL". This utility creates new database files and you want to make sure it does not overwrite the copy of the database you want to keep. After the new database file is created, you can manually place it in the "\PixelSQL" folder. To trim the database: 1. Run "TrimDatabase.exe". 2. Close all other applications (including PixelPoint applications). The SQL Engine must be the only program running. 3. Check "Trim Sales Data". 4. Specify the cutoff date. 5. Check "Rebuild Database" if you want to rebuild the database. Leave it unchecked, otherwise. 6. Specify the output path for the rebuilt database. Make sure the path is something other than "\PixelSQL". 7. Select [Start Process]. 8. Wait for the utility to finish. 9. Exit the program. 10. Close the SQL Engine. 11. Move the old DB and LOG files to a backup location. 12. Copy and paste the new files into the "\PixelSQL" folder. Note: It is critical that you perform a backup before running this utility. This utility is not intended for use by end-users. 174

175 5.8. Troubleshooting The following are some of the more common troubleshooting issues installers face, as well as some other troubleshooting-related concepts. Things To Check Before discussing specific problems you may encounter, and some solutions to them, there are a few things you should always check right away, because if there is something wrong with them they may cause several different problems. In a number of cases, then, taking care of one of these things to check will solve the problem without any real troubleshooting. Software Version When asking for technical support, it is essential that you know the version and build number of the software in question. You will be asked for this information by support technicians. There are a few ways to find out these numbers. Select either [Manager] or [Functions] at the front-end of the software. You will see the exact version (and build) number at the bottom of the menu window that displays. You can also view the software version from BackOffice (System Setup) by selecting About from the Help pull-down menu. Posting Date Select either [Manager] or [Functions] at the front-end of the software. When the menu window displays, you will see the posting date next to the title "Open Date" at the bottom of the window. Sales are being posted to this date. Sometimes customers may not be able to find certain transactions, or their records may be showing the wrong date. This may be because End of Day was not run and sales are now being posted to an incorrect posting date. Checking for the posting date can save valuable time when troubleshooting. You can also view the current posting date in FixPixelBase (See page 167). Go into the Database Editor and look at the CurrentOpenDay table. The date will be shown there. Latest Software Releases If a module or function is not working properly and you are confident that there was no human error, open FixPixelBase (Page 167) and select [Software Update for V10.0]. This checks to make sure you have the latest files and updates. You can also log into the MyPar Partner Center(MyPar.intranets.com/) and browse for other resources, such as documentation concerning updates. Make sure you thoroughly acquaint yourself with the MyPar Partner Center, as a lot of essential information and files are regularly posted on it. 175

176 Sentinal Driver If you are having licensing-related problems, it is possible that you are missing the driver for the USB dongle (the software key). This driver is installed automatically as part of the software installation process, although certain circumstances may force you to re-install it manually. To do this: 1. Load the PixelPoint CD on the server. 2. Select [Browse CD] when the CD starts up. 3. Open the "Rainbow" folder. 4. Run "Sentinal_SSD bit.exe". For more information about license problems, see that section below. Network Connectivity If the folder is properly shared, you should be able to see "\\Posserver\PixelPOS" from every station through the Network Neighborhood. You should also be able to ping the private IP address for the POSSERVER from each station. If you cannot, check your network cables and ports. If there is a proper connection there will be a small light lit up next to the connection port. Start Up Problems This section discusses things you can do or check for if you encounter problems when trying to start up the system or a station. Location of the Shared Folder Make sure that the server software was installed to "\\posserver\pixelpos" during the installation process. Microsoft's install shield defaults to "C:\Program Files". If this is the case, you will find a "PixelPOS" folder in the "Program Files" folder. Sharing Permissions Make sure that the PixelPOS folder is shared with full read/write access for all users. Windows often defaults to "read-only" and so full access must be manually enabled after the folder is created. To do this, go into Windows Explorer, right-click on the PixelPOS folder and select "Sharing and Security...". Make sure that "Share this folder" is enabled and then click [Permissions]. Give full access to everyone. (Different operating systems may have slightly different procedures for this, with the sharing and permissions tabs and buttons configured in various ways.) Manually Creating a Station Shortcut You may need to manually create a new station shortcut in the Windows Start Up folder. Though there are several ways to create shortcuts, it is recommended that you select the file, copy it, and then select Paste Shortcut from the rightclick menu that appears when you right-click in the white space of the folder's 176

177 window. This is the most stable method and will make sure that the link between the shortcut and the file is good. The executable for starting the front-end is "POSStationExec.exe" (located in the "\PixelPOS" folder), and so this is the file to which you must create the shortcut. If the shortcut to this file is still not working, create a shortcut to "PixelPointpos.exe". You will need to change the shortcut's target path to "\\posserver\pixelpos\pixelpointpos.exe X" (where X is the appropriate station number). The "Start In" path should be "\\posserver\pixelpos". Version Upgrades If you are trying to start up after upgrading from one version to another, make sure the station software has been re-installed. I/O Error 1231 You may get an error message reading "I/O Error 1231" on a stand-alone system. This occurs because Windows is expecting the server/station to be connected to a network (due to UNC naming applied during installation or in "pixel32.ini"). To fix this, change all of the UNC paths in "pixel32.ini" from "\\posserver\pixelpos" to "c:\pixelpos". If you are experiencing Error 1231 on a system with two or more stations, you will need to disable Windows Media Sensing. This is the Windows function that checks for network connectivity. Refer to Windows Help documentation to learn how to disable it. License Problems This section discusses problems related to licensing and the USB Dongle. Hardware Lock Not Found If you get this error message, first make sure that the USB dongle is plugged in. Then manually install the sentinel drivers (See "Sentinal Driver", above). Make sure that you are using the latest version of License Manager. The system will automatically download the latest version when you run [Software Update for V90] in FixPixelBase (See page 167). You can also find the latest version on the MyPar Partner Center website. Ensure that the License Manager shortcut properties has the target path of "\\posserver\pixelpos\licensemanager.exe" and starts in "\\posserver\pixelpos" (or has the target path of "C:\PixelPOS\LicenseManager.exe" and starts in "C:\PixelPOS\" for stand-alone system configurations). License Manager Is Offline If this error message displays: Make sure that the USB dongle is properly connected. Restart both the SQL engine and the License Manager. 177

178 Ensure you have a line reading "synchservertime=y" under the [allstations] section in "Pixel32.ini". Report Problems This section discusses problems you may experience with PixelPoint reporting features. Numbers in a Report are Incorrect You may think some numbers are incorrect when viewing a report. The first thing you should do is consider that the numbers may be including (or excluding) other pieces of information. For example, does the number in question take into account taxes, discounts, price levels or split checks? More often than not, the problem may simply be your interpretation of the numbers. If, however, you are unable to find how you misinterpreted the numbers and feel that the numbers are truly incorrect, then go into FixPixelBase (See page 167) and run [Validate Sales]. This function checks through the sales data to verify the integrity of the information. Cannot Run DataMiner If you have installed DataMiner, but are unable to get it to run: 1. Make sure that the DataMiner Report Server is running ("C:\PixelPOS\DataMiner\ReportServer\PxRepSrv.exe"). After starting the server, try running the client file again. If this does not work: 2. Open "reportclient.ini", located in "C:\PixelPOS\DataMiner\Client\" and "C:\Program Files\PixelPoint\DataMiner\Client\". 3. Ensure both files contain: [ClientLocal] server=localhost port=7491 Alternatively, you can specify the server's IP address instead of "localhost". If DataMiner still does not connect, there may be something blocking or using the port. Try changing the port to "211". When you get a connection error, you can also test and configure the connectivity to the server by selecting [Config Connection] on the error message box that appears. 178

179 Cannot Cash Out / Clock Out Employee When you cannot cash out or clock out an employee, the first thing you should do is look for open checks. Next, you should look for unapplied charge tips. As a last resort, you can contact PixelPoint Support for help and instructions on forcing the cash out or clock out by editing the database. Authorization Manager If you experience problems with Authorization Manager, note the following: You must restart Authorization Manager if you make any changes to Payment Methods in BackOffice while Authorization Manager is running. To debug a problem, place a checkmark besides "Logging" in the Authorization Manager Setup/Config screen and restart the agent. After restarting, Authorization Manager will log communication between PixelPoint and the CCVS and will record it in a log file in the "\pixelpos\pixelreq" folder. Contact your Credit Card Processor for help and information about error messages received from the processing center. Contact the CCVS' support department for help and information about error messages received from the CCVS. 179

180 5.9. Preventative Maintenance Here are some tips that will help you to maintain the PixelPoint POS system and help keep the establishment running as smoothly as possible if something goes wrong. Though this section covers several of the more common applications of preventative maintenance, there may be others you think of that could apply to the establishment. Write them down and document a plan of action for each one and then give it to the establishment's management. Should anything go wrong, make sure they and their staff have an emergency plan of action ready for use. Backup Make sure that backups are performed regularly and that there is at least one copy off-site. An off-site copy will come in handy if something, such as a fire, destroys the on-site backups. See "Backup" (Page 131) for more information about making backups. Manual Contingency Plan Today's hospitality operations rely so heavily on electrical devices that the establishment essentially grinds to a halt when the electricity fails or the system goes down for some reason. To prepare for such an emergency, it is a good idea to have a manual ordering system ready. You should consider acquiring and storing the following emergency supplies for the establishment: Note pads & pencils A calculator A credit card swipe unit An order wheel A cash drawer that can be opened manually Written instructions on how to take and process orders using this system When the power goes down, the system should be able to function long enough for the establishment to print all checks, switch to a manual system and properly shut down the system. To make sure that this is possible, every station and printer should be plugged into a UPS. Remote Support If something goes wrong, establishments usually have a choice as to what to do. The best solution is to arrange to have a support technician go on-site, but there are two disadvantages to this option. Firstly, it can be a costly solution for the establishment, for something that may turn out to be only a minor problem. Secondly, it takes time to get to the establishment and the problem will continue until a technician arrives, resulting in a lot of down-time. One excellent alternative is for you (or a support technician elsewhere) to connect to the system remotely. This can be accomplished by connecting the server into a data line (like an internet connection). Two programs commonly used for remote 180

181 access are PCAnywhere and VNC. By using either of them, you will be able to connect into the system from your own PC and troubleshoot the problem right away. Of course, if the problem is related to system hardware and not software, you will have to go to the establishment. However, by using remote support first, you can properly diagnose the problem before you leave. This will help make sure that you know exactly what is wrong and can then bring the necessary parts and supplies with you. In most cases, remote support will lessen the impact of a problem by greatly reducing the cost and time needed to fix it. Server Failure In case the POSSERVER fails for any reason, and it is critical that the establishment continues operating without interruption, you should consider installing either a mirrored hard drive or a mirrored server. A mirrored hard drive is a backup hard drive you can quickly switch to if the main hard drive fails. While this is a cost-effective solution, it only guards against hard drive failures. It will not prevent down-time if the server fails for any other reason. A mirrored server, on the other hand, is a backup server you can quickly switch to if the main server PC fails. While investing in this solution may be a little more costly, make sure the establishment is aware of the long-term benefits. When making purchasing decisions, they should weigh the initial cost against the cost of lost revenue due to down time. In most cases, the cost of a server will be a lot less than the lost revenue. Station Failure Stations are generally touch-screen units (meaning that you operate them by touching the screen). However, it is possible for a station to fail to respond to screen input. If one does, a computer keyboard may give you the capability to unlock the station and properly restart it or shut it down. You should therefore make sure that you have a plug-in keyboard on hand and that you know where to plug it in, if you have to. 181

182 CHAPTER 6. Advanced Programming This chapter discusses how to go about programming the system to perform some of the advanced functions PixelPoint POS can be programmed to perform. These functions usually involve programming in several different parts of BackOffice. You should make sure you are familiar with the information in the System Concepts chapter of the PixelPoint BackOffice User's Guide. The information contained in this current chapter is pertinent to different parts of the Order of Programming section; this chapter details parts of each of the steps discussed there. The contents of this chapter are: Feature Codes (Page 183) Deposits (Page 187) Size Up and Size Down (Page 191) Shift Products (Page 193) Hold and Fire (Page 196) Kiosks (Page 198) 182

183 6.1. Feature Codes The 'Feature Code' field on the Advanced tab of the Product Setup screen in BackOffice can be used to add all kinds of special functionality to your system, over and above the many features and functions found elsewhere in PixelPoint programs. Below are scenarios and situations you may find the establishment wants to implement and which can be done by using feature codes. To use feature codes, simply enter the feature code value into the field on the Advanced tab of each applicable product record. Bar Menu Prices Tax Inclusive Pricing Feature Code 1 If the establishment wants some of its product prices to include applicable taxes, you can use the feature code "1". This is commonly used, for instance, if the establishment wants the bar menu to be tax-inclusive but the rest of the menu to have applicable tax added on to the list prices. When this feature is in effect, the system internally back-calculates the price of the item so that its price (plus tax) matches the price you entered. For example, say that Beer is priced at $4. Using feature code 1, the price (including tax) would be $4 there would be no additional tax added onto the order for this item. However, without feature code 1, Beer would be $4 plus additional taxes. Note that establishments under VAT taxation laws do not use this feature, since everything is tax inclusive. You must apply a specific tax DLL instead in this case. It is important to remember that due to rounding and taxation issues, some tax inclusive prices may be off by a cent. Note: Station Setup has a checkbox labeled 'Use Tax Inclusive Pricing When Feature Code =1'. This must be applied to each station that will honor tax-inclusive pricing. With that being said, it is possible to apply both tax-inclusive pricing and non-tax-inclusive pricing within the same establishment. Printing Ordering Products in Combos Default Print Locations Feature Code 2 If you have programmed the establishment's menu using a lot of ordering products in forced questions, you may find that the ordering products are being sent to printers as if they were modifiers. By default, when using an Ordering Product in a Forced Question the product behaves like an Option and prints to the same place as the master product it modifies. You can use feature code 2 when you do NOT want the product to follow the item when printing. Instead the product item will print where it is normally set to print in BackOffice. For example, say you order [Wings & Beer] and that this includes (through a Forced Question) the ordering products [Bucket of Wings] and [Pitcher of Beer]. The problem is, you do not want the wings to print at the bar or the beer to print in the kitchen; because the two products are, in effect, Options in this case, they will both print to the same place. Apply feature code 2 to the ordering 183

184 products within the Forced Question the wings will print in the kitchen and the beer will print at the bar, where their product records set them to print. Note: Feature code 2 will not affect OPTION products. Hold & Fire Feature Code 3 If you want to set up a Hold & Fire operation, you can use feature code 3. Programming a product with this feature code is part of the process of creating a Hold and Fire command product. For more information, see "Hold and Fire" (Page 196). "Full Meals" Order Later Feature Code 4 If you want to program a concept like a "Full Meal", you may find feature code 4 very useful. This feature code enables you to wait until later before choosing an ordered item. It tells the system that a product is going to be ordered, but that you will specify which product later. This is ideal for "Full Meal" product concepts. For example, say you order a product called the $20 Meal it includes your choice of appetizer, main course and dessert. When selecting from the dessert Forced Question, you select a product called "Order Later", which has been programmed to use feature code 4. The system applies this item to the check as the customer's choice for dessert. When the customer decides what they want for dessert (likely after they have finished the main course), use the [Substitute] custom function button on the [Order Later] item and then select the product the customer wants. Note: If you want to use this feature, remember to add the "Order Later" product as an answer to the necessary Forced Questions. Quantity Forced Questions Feature Code 5 This feature code tells the system to ask the product's Forced Questions for each instance that is ordered. That is, if you use the quantity button to order 3 Steaks, feature code 5 will make sure that any Forced Question accompanying the order of a Steak is asked three times instead of once. Cannot Coupon Item Feature Code 6 If you are programming a menu and there are some products the establishment has indicated they never want to have discounts apply to, you can make sure that coupons never affect a particular product by using feature code 6. With this feature code in effect, no coupon discounts can be applied to this item, regardless of any other programming in the system. Charging Normal Price for Partial-Products Quantity Price Equals One Feature Code 9 184

185 In some kinds of establishments, such as pizza parlors, an item's quantity is often less than one (when a customer wants a topping on just half of their pizza, for example). Nevertheless, such establishments may not want the prices of their products to be any lower; they may want to bill customers the same amount for ordering the product. Feature code 9 makes sure that the price is never less than it would be if the product quantity were 1. For example, say pizza toppings are $1 each but a customer wants you to split their toppings they want half of the pizza to have sausage and the other half to have chicken. Feature code 9 would make sure that the customer is billed $1 for each topping, not $0.50, even though each topping is only a half-topping in terms of quantity. Manual Surcharge Feature Code 99 For establishments that want to have the option of adding a surcharge (of any amount) to checks, you can use feature code 99. When this feature code is programmed on a product using a manually entered price, ordering this product prompts for a % surcharge of the net total. A keypad prompting you to 'Enter Surcharge 15=15%' displays when you select the product on the front-end Order Screen this can be used for setting gratuity. Adding Products to Checks Automatically Auto Order Item Feature Codes If the establishment regularly includes and charges for certain items in all of its orders (such as non-complimentary bread), you can program PixelPoint POS to automatically order these items as soon as the check is opened. You can do this by using feature codes; any product set with feature code 101, 102, 103, or 104 is automatically added to the order when a check is opened. PixelPoint adds products with the highest of these feature codes first and products with the lowest last (that is, it will order 104 items first, 103 items second, etc.). Note: Some POS functions (such as selling Gift Cards) may be affected by the application of auto-ordered items. Take this into consideration before applying these feature codes. Auto Order Item Where Qty = Customers Feature Code 105 PixelPoint automatically orders items with feature code 105 in a quantity equal to the number of customers on the check. For example, you could use this feature code to set your system to automatically apply 3 seating positions when you open a table with 3 customers. Note: Feature codes only apply to Table Service mode. Apply Active Surcharge Feature Codes If you are programming an active surcharge, you have two possibilities in terms of how it is set up. Feature code 301 applies the surcharge based on the Net 185

186 Total. Feature code 302 applies the surcharge based on the Final Total. Feature codes 301 and 302 are entered for you automatically when you set up the Active Surcharge using the radio button options under the 'Active Surcharge' field to the right of the 'Feature Code' field on Product Setup's Advanced Tab. On the other hand, entering "301" or "302" in the Feature Code field causes the Active Surcharge options box to open with the appropriate radio button selected. Product-restricted Modifiers Linked Modifier Item Groups Feature Codes If the establishment has a lot of modifiers that it only wants to be available for order with certain products, you can make sure they cannot be ordered unless a master product is already on the check. Modifiers with feature codes can only be ordered if their linked master item has been ordered. For example, a modifier item that has feature code 605 can only be used to modify an ordering product that also contains feature code 605. Preventing Free Drinks Linked Product Item Groups Feature Codes Along the same lines, the establishment may want to make sure that certain ordering products have been ordered before allowing certain other ordering products to be ordered. This is a good idea in the case of drink refills, for example; you would want to make sure a drink has been paid for before allowing refills to be poured. Feature codes are similar to the linked modifier item groups discussed above, except they apply to all product types not just modifiers. The 800 series of numbers scans the entire check, looking for a corresponding 700 series number. If that number is present, the item can be ordered. If it is not, you cannot order the item. For example, you could program "Soda" with feature code 724 and "Soda Refill" with feature code 824, preventing "Soda Refill" from being ordered unless "Soda" has been ordered. When you try to order a product with feature code "824", PixelPoint scans the check for feature code "724", only adding the 824 product when it finds one with 724. Simplifying Menus with Many-sized Products Shift Products Buttons Feature Codes If you are programming a menu for an establishment that offers the same sort of product in various sizes or forms (6" and 12" sandwiches, for example), you may want to consider programming shift product buttons. Selecting a shift product button on the front-end Order Screen will shift a product to one of a possible ten products programmed on a product's Shift Products tab. Feature codes are the codes you use for the buttons themselves. A button programmed with feature code 901, for example, shift products to the product programmed in the first row on the Shift Products tab ('Shift 1'), feature code 902 shifts them to the product on the second row ('Shift 2'), and so on. See "Shift Products" (Page 193) for more information about configuring products with these feature codes. 186

187 6.2. Deposits This section explains how to set up the Add Deposit function so users at the frontend have the ability to take a deposit from a guest at the beginning of the guest's visit and then apply the deposit when closing out the transaction. In order for this function to work, the establishment's Finish form(s) must have an [Add Deposit] button and certain policies must be set. This section is therefore split into two parts, Form Designer and Policy Setup, explaining each of these. Form Designer The default Finish template provided by PixelPoint already has an [Add Deposit] button on it (see the image below). This button will automatically appear on front-end Finish screens when the Add Deposit function is enabled in Policy Setup (see below). However, you may be using custom finish forms. In this case, you must add [Add Desposit] to your finish forms, unless you simply modified the default templates and kept the button. If your current forms do not have the button, you can easily copy the button from the default templates and then place it on any of your custom templates. The picture below shows the button on the default templates and the component inspector fields that control it. You can also create the button yourself, instead of copying it. See the Form Designer section in the PixelPoint BackOffice User's Guide for detailed information 187

188 about creating different kinds of buttons. To create [Add Deposit] specifically, follow the steps below: 1. Open BackOffice. 2. Select Form Designer from the Administrator pull-down menu. 3. Select the name of the template in the Finish Forms category or select [Open From File] and browse for the form file. 4. Select the [TPixelFunctionBtn] icon on the component toolbar. 5. Click where you want the button to be in the form display area. 6. Change the 'FunctionType' to "ftspecial" (using the drop-down list in the component inspector). 7. Change the 'FunctionName' to "Add Deposit" (using the drop-down list in the component inspector). 8. Resize and position the button as you like and apply any other Form Designer settings you want (such as background colors and images). 9. Save the form. Policy Setup The [Add Deposit] button discussed above will not be visible at the front-end unless the function is enabled in Policy Setup. There will simply be a blank space where the button is on the template. To Enable Add Deposit: 1. Open BackOffice. 2. Select Policy Setup from the Administrator pull-down menu. 3. Open the 'POS' folder on the left of the screen. 4. Select the 'AllowDeposits' policy. 5. Change the 'New Value' to "Yes". 6. Select which station(s) this applies to by using the 'Applies To:' field. 7. Apply the changes by clicking [Apply]. 188

189 Now, when you update the POS terminals and go into the front-end, you will see [Add Deposit] on the finish form (as long as you are using a form with that button on the template). Order Deposit Limit Using policies, you can also limit the total amount orders can be for when a deposit has been made. This limit is relative to the deposit amount. To Set the Deposit Order Limit: 1. Select the 'OrderDepositLimit' policy (in the 'POS' policy folder in Policy Setup). 2. Enter the maximum percent an order can be for in the 'New Value:' field. A value of "0" means there is no limit. 3. Select [Apply]. For example, if you set the order deposit limit value to "100", then a customer can order up to 100% of their deposit. If they place a $50.00 deposit, they can order up to $50.00 worth of items. If the deposit limit value is "150" and they place a $50.00 deposit, they can order up to $75.00 worth of items (the additional $25.00 would have to be paid for separately, however). 189

190 190

191 6.3. Size Up and Size Down This section takes you through how to program size-up and size-down. These functions are often used in Quick Service, in establishments that have many products with multiple sizes. Another way of programming multiple-sized products that you may want to consider is using Shift Products (See page 193 for more information). In this size-up/size-down example, the establishment has three sizes of pizza: small, medium, large. The price for each is $5, $7 and $9 respectively. 1. Program each product (small pizza, medium pizza and large pizzas) with its price. 2. Go to Product Setup for the "Medium Pizza". 3. Select 'Size Up Product' on the Advanced Tab. 4. Click on the bar that displays (labeled "not Selected"). A window showing a list of all ordering products displays. 5. Choose "Large Pizza". The bar under 'Size Up Product' will now display "Large Pizza". 6. Select 'Size Down Product'. 7. Click on the bar that displays (labeled "not Selected"). A window showing a list of all ordering products displays. 8. Choose "Small Pizza". 9. Save the product record. By programming the Size Up option for the Medium Pizza as the "Large Pizza", you also program the Size Down option for the Large Pizza as the "Medium Pizza". That is, you do not need to go into the Large Pizza product record and program it for Size Down, since you did this on the Medium Pizza's record. The same goes for the Size Up option for the Small Pizza. By selecting "Small Pizza" as the Size Down option for the Medium Pizza, you also set the Small Pizza's Size Up function for Medium Pizza. 10. On the order form, create two custom function buttons: [Size Up] and [Size Down] (unless the order template you are using already has these buttons). 11. Save the order form. Note: If the modifiers (pizza toppings in this case) also come in different sizes and prices, apply size up/down for each of these items as well. Upon sizing the master item, the modifiers will automatically-size up/down as well. 191

192 Now, with this programmed, when you order a small pizza ($5) and select [Size Up] the small pizza changes to a medium pizza ($7). If you select [Size Up] again, the medium pizza changes to a large pizza ($9). When you select [Size Down] now, the large pizza changes back to a medium pizza ($7), and when you select [Size Down] again the medium pizza changes back to a small pizza ($5). Note that you can extend this product chain beyond three items. For example, you can program Size Up on the Large Pizza to link with an Extra-Large Pizza. 192

193 6.4. Shift Products This section explains how to program your system to use Shift Products. Having shift product buttons on the Order Screen enables you to fit many more products onto one menu page, since you only need one button for each product, no matter how many sizes it comes in. This prevents users from having to scroll through pages and pages of buttons, since you will not have separate small medium and large buttons for each product they can order. Not all products are normally programmed to use shift products, because not all products come in multiple sizes or varieties. Products like drinks are perfectly suited to this feature, however, since each kind of drink can usually be ordered in small, medium or large sizes (some establishments have additional sizes too). Products like pizzas are well suited to this feature as well, since you can get the same kind of pizza in different sizes as well. Enabling Shift Keys in Policy Setup In order to set up shift products, you must first have the "UseProductShiftsKeys" policy enabled. Go to Policy Setup (on the Administrator menu) and select the BackOffice folder. Make sure that the value of "UseProductShiftsKeys" is set to "Y". Configuring Ordering Products This section uses example ordering products to illustrate how you would go about setting up your products to work with a shift product set up. You should have your ordering products configured such that each individual size or type of item has its own product record and each is set up with its appropriate price. For example, if you have three different sizes of a particular drink (Coke, for example), you may have products labeled, "Coke SM", "Coke MD" and "Coke LG". You must also have a regular un-shifted product ("Coke") that is the default product for this group. This is the basis of a shift product set up. You need to have records for each size of each product as well as a record for a default or unshifted product. The idea is that all of these products will be linked to one button on the menu; this section explains how they get linked. So, if your ordering products are set up in this way, then follow the steps below for each of the product groups you want to use your shift product buttons: 1. Open the default product's record ("Coke" in this example). 2. Select the Shift Products Tab. 3. Enter Coke SM into the "Shift 1" field. You can use the drop-down box to get a list of products, or you can use the search button ([...]) to search for it. 193

194 4. Enter Coke MD into the "Shift 2" field. 5. Enter Coke LG into the "Shift 3" field. The "Coke" product now has three different products it can be shifted to, if there are appropriate shift buttons on the Order form. Creating Shift Buttons There are two ways you can create shift buttons, depending on where on the Order Screen you want them to be. They can either be in the menu product grid or you can have them as individual function buttons. If you want your shift buttons to be available through the product grid, you need to create product records for them and then add them to a menu page. If you want to have them as function buttons, you must add them to the Order Screen template in Form Designer. Steps for doing both are given below; follow the instructions in the appropriate section. Product Grid Shift button products are products with a feature code from "901" to "910"; they can have any product type, but must have one of these feature codes. Each feature code corresponds to one of the rows on the Shift Products tab (Feature code 904, for example, corresponds to 'Shift 4'). Shift button products should be set to have a price of $0.00, since each ordering product is priced individually. Create a product record for each of your shift buttons; to program the example above, for instance, create three shift button products to fit with the different sizes of drinks. Follow the steps below. 1. Open Product Setup. 2. Create a new product record by selecting [+]. 3. Name the product after the size or type of product (For example, your first shift button may be "Small"). 4. Set the price to $ Set the product's 'Feature Code' field (on the Advanced Tab) to a value between "901" and "910". Your first shift button should use "901" and each shift button after that should use a consecutive feature code (Your second shift button should use "902", etc.). 6. Repeat steps 2 to 5 for each shift button product you want to create, increasing the feature code value by one each time you repeat. 7. Open Menu Setup. 8. Add the newly created shift button products to the appropriate menu page(s). You can then use these shift button products for all of your menu items. For example, you can set up all of your other kinds of drinks without going through 194

195 the steps in this subsection again. You already have the shift button product records created, so you just need to specify the shifted products on the Shift Products Tab for the other default products. Form Designer If you do not want your size buttons to be in the product grid, but rather appear as buttons outside of the grid, then you must add them to the Order screen templates in Form Designer by creating function buttons keyed to each shift function. This section explains how to do this. Following the example above, we will create three shift products buttons ([Small], [Medium] and [Large]). First, open your Order form in Form Designer and create a Function Button for the first shift ([Small]). Now set the Component Inspector settings given below. 'FunctionType' "ftshiftkey" 'FunctionName' "ShiftKey1" (1 representing the first shift level) 'Caption' "Small" Right-click on the button and use Copy and Paste to create the other two buttons. Change their 'FunctionName' to "ShiftKey2" and "ShiftKey3" respectively, and label them accordingly (in this example they would be "Medium" and "Large"). 195

196 6.5. Hold and Fire This section explains how you would program a system to use a Hold and Fire method of sending orders to remote printers. There are two main kinds of Hold and Fire systems. One involves servers manually inserting hold commands into the order, so they specify what items get held at what points. The other system is based upon the courses each item is a part of and enables servers to fire off each course individually without having to worry about inserting hold commands. Note: Receipts cannot be printed if there is a Hold and Fire item on the order. The system checks for these items and will not print the receipt if it finds one. In addition, Hold and Fire does not work with rated items. The system will automatically remove any Hold and Fire feature it finds when you order a rated product. To Program Manual Hold and Fire: 1. Add the default "Hold and Fire" product to your menu (or add a customcreated hold and fire product - See below). To Create a Hold and Fire Command Product: 1. Create a new product record. 2. Call it "Hold and Fire" or something similar. 3. Set it to have a 'Delay Print Command' product type. 4. Enter "3" in the 'Feature Code' field on the Advanced tab. To Program Course-based Hold and Fire: 1. Create a 'Kitchen Command' product for each course you want to use in your hold and fire. 1. Label each product after the course name ("Appetizers", for example). 2. Make sure the 'Course' field is set to the appropriate course for this kitchen command. It is recommended that you also create a "Drinks" line band. However, you should not assign this product a course. 2. Program a menu page (or menu pages) to have all of these course kitchen commands. You could also program the system so that every check starts with these course bands already on it, so users do not have to add them themselves. You would simply set the kitchen commands to be automatically added to each check at the start of the transaction. To do this, use the Auto Order Item feature codes ( ) (See "Feature Codes" (Page 183)). If you are going to this, make sure you include a line band for drinks. 196

197 3. Create a Form Designer Order Form that has a [Fire Order] function button (a "TPixelFunctionBtn" component with an "ftorder" 'FunctionType' and a "Fire Order" 'FunctionName'). You can change the default colors of the course bands in Form Designer by assigning different values to the 'KitchnBandBcgd' and 'KitchnBandText' properties (in the 'ItemColors' settings folder) of the Item List Window (the PixelItemList component). 197

198 6.6. Kiosks This section explains how to program a kiosk. It has a section discussing and showing an example of each kind of screen a kiosk may use. The contents are as follows: Programming a Kiosk (Page 201) Welcome Form (Page 202) Menu Form (Page 203) Cancel Form (Page 204) Product Form (Page 205) Modify Item Form (Page 207) Finish Form (Page 209) Modify Select Item Form (Page 211) Authorizing Payment Form (Page 213) Confirmation Form (Page 214) Declined Payment (Page 215) Out Of Service Form (Page 216) Exiting and Restarting a Kiosk (Page 218) The Kiosk application requires separate licensing. Make sure that License Manager has been updated for Kiosk. The policy for Kiosk must also be enabled. Go into Policy Setup on the Administrator menu, and change the setting for "UseKioskConfigurations" from "No" to "Yes". Next, modify "Pixel32.ini" by adding "Kiosk=Y" to the sections of those stations that will be designated as kiosk stations. 198

199 Kiosk stations need a kiosk employee to be logged in so that ordering can take place. To do this, create an employee record for each kiosk station. Set the job position to "Wait Staff Normal". If Shift Rules are also being used at the site, make sure you go to the Advanced Tab in Employee Setup and check the box [Disregard Employee Shift Hours]. This will prevent the kiosk employee from being flagged for breaks and overtime. 199

200 Having created the employees, go into Station Setup (on the Administrator menu) and assign a kiosk employee to each station designated as a kiosk. The field for this is "Kiosk Employee"; it is found on the Advanced Tab. By assigning an employee record to this field, the station will automatically log in on start up with that employee. Logging in and out is not needed for kiosk stations if this is set up. 200

201 Programming A Kiosk Form Designer includes default forms for all of the essential screens needed in most kiosk applications. Load the default Welcome form and note the ID number at the bottom of the form. When a kiosk starts, it automatically loads the form with the lowest ID number (by default this is "1000", the number hardcoded into the default Welcome form (as seen in the image above)). All default forms have an ID in the 1000 range. All forms created, modified or saved outside of these forms will be given a higher ID number. This can be a problem when creating a new Welcome form; before going live with the kiosk, you need to make sure your Welcome Form has the lowest ID number. To do this, first load the default form (the Welcome form with the ID number "1000"). Now select Import From File from the Form pull-down menu. Then select and load your custom form. Form Designer will overwrite the existing form with your new content while maintaining the original ID number. The default forms needed for a kiosk are as follows: Welcome Used to start a check. Menu Contains order pages. Products Contains order items. Finish Settles the check. Cancel Order Cancels the current check. Decline Payment Notifies customers about declined authorization. Confirmation Confirms authorization. Out of Service Sets the kiosk as inactive. Authorizing Payment Displays during credit authorization. Modify Item Modifies the selected item. Select Modify Item Modifies, voids and substitutes a selected item. 201

202 Welcome Form The Welcome form is what displays on an active kiosk when there is no check or order open. It is the default screen upon logging in. This screen needs to give customers a way to place an order. You could have a defined order button, or you could simply have the entire screen act as one by having a transparent full-screen button. Regardless of how it is applied, the button on this page must contain the following settings with the following values: Order Component is Function Button or Flash Movie. 'FunctionType' set to "ftaction". 'FunctionName' set to "New Order". 'Navigate' set to "Menu". The 'FunctionName' "New Order" starts a check when a user selects the component. "Menu" navigates the user to the Menu Form (See page 203). It is very important that "New Order" be applied here; screen functions on subsequent forms will not work if a check has not been opened first. Timer 'FunctionType' set to "ftaction". 'FunctionName' set to "Service Check". 'Navigate' set to "Out Of Service". 202

203 Menu Form The Menu form contains the Order Menu Grid, which shows the order pages. If you have programmed images for order pages in Order Page Setup, they can be used on this form. Order Page Grid Component is Order Menu Grid. 'Navigate' set to "Products". Cancel Component is Function Button. 'FunctionType' set to "ftnormal". 'Navigate' set to "Cancel Order". Timer Component is Timer. 'FunctionType' set to "ftnormal". 'Interval' set to "10000" (or another reasonable setting). 'Navigate' set to "Cancel Order". Item List Component is Item List. 'Navigate' set to "Modify Select Item". Pay Now Component is Function Button or Flash. 'FunctionType' set to "ftaction". 'FunctionName' set to "Finish Order". 203

204 Cancel Form The Cancel form confirms whether the customer wants to cancel the current transaction. This form should contain a button that cancels the order and another button that continues ordering. Critical settings and values for these buttons are as follows: Cancel Component is Function Button. 'FunctionType' set to "ftaction". 'FunctionName' set to "Cancel Order". 'Navigate' set to "Welcome". Continue Component is Function Button. 'FunctionType' set to "ftaction". 'FunctionName' set to "Go Back". The "Go Back" setting navigates back to the previous form. Timer Component is Timer. 'FunctionType' set to "ftaction". 'FunctionName' set to "Cancel Order". 'Interval' set to "10000" (or another reasonable setting). 'Navigate' set to "Welcome". 204

205 Product Form The Product form contains the products associated with the order page the customer selected on the Menu Form (See page 203). Pictures help to sell an item. When creating this screen, consider including an image of the product and information about it. In the example shown above, product image and product information have been applied to the screen. The product image can also be applied to the product buttons. It is also important to anticipate functions that the user may need if they are placing a large order. For example, in the image above, the arrow buttons above the Total field will scroll up and down the item list. You could also add arrow buttons on the left, for example, that would scroll through the product grid when there are more products available than fit on the screen. These scroll buttons can appear as icons, images or ordinary buttons. Critical settings for some key components on this screen are as follows: Product Grid Component is Product Grid. 'Navigate' set to "Menu". Pay Now Component is Function Button or Flash. 'FunctionType' set to "ftaction". 'FunctionName' set to "Finish Order". Item List Component is Item List. 'Navigate' set to "Modify Select Item". 205

206 Item List Navigation Component is Function Button. 'FunctionType' set to "ftspecial". 'FunctionName' set to "Order Items Up" and "Order Items Dn". How To Make Information (optional) Component is Memo. 'FunctionType' set to "ftspecial". 'FunctionName' set to "Product Info". Product Scroll (optional) Component is Function Button. 'FunctionType' set to "ftspecial". 'FunctionName' set to "Products Up" or "Products Dn". Timer Component is Timer. 'FunctionType' set to "ftnormal". 'Interval' set to "10000" (or another reasonable setting). 'Navigate' set to "Cancel Order". 206

207 Modify Item Form The Modify Item form contains modifiers related to a selected product. Access to this form can be through the Modify Select Item Form (See page 211) or directly from Item List navigation (although the first is recommended). The main components of this screen are the modifier grid and the product grid. Make sure they are associated with each other. Remember that the modifier order pages associated with this form are programmed in Product Setup, on the Kiosk Forms Tab. If modifiers have not been applied on the Kiosk Forms tab, there will be no modifiers on this form. Critical settings for some key components on this screen are as follows: Modifier Page Grid Component is Modifier Menu Grid. 'Navigate' is "Products". Product Grid Component is Product Menu Grid. 'Modifier Grid' set to "ModifierMenuGrid1". Go Back Component is Function Button. 'FunctionType' set to "ftaction". 'FunctionName' set to "Go Back". Item List Component is Item List. 'Navigate' set to "Modify Select Item". 207

208 Cancel Order Component is Function Button. 'FunctionType' set to "ftnormal". 'Navigate' set to "Cancel Order". Main Menu Component is Function Button. 'FunctionType' set to "ftnormal". 'Navigate' set to "Menu". Pay Now Component is Function Button or Flash. 'FunctionType' set to "ftaction". 'FunctionName' set to "Finish Order". Timer Component is Timer. 'FunctionType' set to "ftnormal". 'Interval' set to "10000" (or another reasonable setting). 'Navigate' set to "Cancel Order". 208

209 Finish Form Unlike on a conventional POS finish screen, activity on the kiosk finish screen should be restricted to payment only. Printing of the guest check should be automatic and check splitting should not be permitted. Make sure, however, that this form has a window for displaying split tendering (it will not appear unless a partial payment has been applied, however). You can design the payment buttons either as an Item List or as individual function buttons (in which case you can decide which ones are applied and how each one appears). Integrated credit authorization is required for credit payments on a kiosk. Note that in the image above there is also a [Pay At The Cashier] option for cash transactions. This is not programmed as a Cash method of payment function button, but as [Save Check], thus enabling the cashier to retrieve the check at the sales counter. As with all screens, make sure that this screen gives customers the ability to return to the check ([Revise Order]) and to cancel the check ([Cancel Order]). Critical settings for some key components on this screen are as follows: Payment Buttons Component is Function Button (or Button List). 'FunctionType' set to "ftpayment". 'FunctionName' is a method of payment. 'Navigate' set to "Authorizing Payment". Revise Order Component is Function Button. 'FunctionType' set to "ftaction". 'FunctionName' set to "Go Back". 209

210 Cancel Order Component is Function Button. 'FunctionType' set to "ftnormal". 'Navigate' set to "Cancel Order". Timer Component is Timer. 'FunctionType' set to "ftnormal". 'Interval' set to "10000" (or another reasonable setting). 'Navigate' set to "Cancel Order". 210

211 Modify Select Item Form The Modify Select Item form enables the user to pick an ordered item and apply a modifier to it, remove (void) it, or substitute it for another item. It is recommended that you set Item List navigation to this form before navigating to the Modify Item Form (See page 207). You can have users navigate to the Modify Item form through this form by designing a [Modify] function button like the one discussed below (and shown in the image above). Critical settings for some key components on this screen are as follows: Modify Component is Function Button. 'FunctionType' set to "ftaction". 'FunctionName' set to "Go Forward". 'Navigate' set to "Modify Item". Remove Component is Function Button. 'FunctionType' set to "ftfinish". 'FunctionName' set to "Void Item". 'Navigate' set to "Go Back". Substitution Component is Function Button. 'FunctionType' set to "ftorder". 'FunctionName' set to "Question Substitution". 'Navigate' set to "Go Back". 211

212 Go Back Component is Function Button. 'FunctionType' set to "ftaction". 'FunctionName' set to "Go Back". Cancel Order Component is Function Button. 'FunctionType' set to "ftnormal". 'Navigate' set to "Cancel Order". Main Menu Component is Function Button. 'FunctionType' set to "ftnormal". 'Navigate' set to "Menu". Pay Now Component is Function Button or Flasy. 'FunctionType' set to "ftaction". 'FunctionName' set to "Finish Order". Timer Component is Timer. 'FunctionType' set to "ftnormal". 'Interval' set to "10000" (or another reasonable setting). 'Navigate' set to "Cancel Order". Pretzels (Item List Item) This component is labeled "Pretzels" because that is the selected product name in the example form shown above. This refers to items on the Item List. Component is Label. 'FunctionType' set to "ftspecial". 'FunctionName' set to "Product". 'Transparent' set to "True". 212

213 Authorizing Payment Form The Authorizing Payment form displays when a credit method of payment has been applied on the Finish Form (See page 209). The Authorizing Payment form serves two functions. First, it gives the customer something to look at while waiting for credit approval. Second, it removes any buttons from the screen, thus ensuring that the user cannot do anything to disrupt the approval process. The only function applied to this screen is the Timer. Critical settings and values for this component are as follows: Timer Component is "Timer". 'FunctionType' set to "ftaction". 'FunctionName' set to "Process Payment Authorization". 'Interval' set to "10000" (or another reasonable setting). 'Navigate' is "Confirmation". "NavigateOnFail" set to "Declined Payment". The function "Process Payment Auth" checks every 10 seconds (as defined in 'Interval') for a payment authorization. If the authorization is approved, the timer executes the 'Navigate' setting. If the authorization is declined, the timer executes the "NavigateOnFail" setting. 213

214 Confirmation Form The Confirmation form automatically displays when payment is approved. By the time this screen is displayed, the transaction is considered closed by the POS system. The one critical component of this screen is the order number. Critical settings and values for this field are as follows: Confirmation Number Component is Label. 'FunctionType' set to "ftspecial". 'FunctionName' set to "Order Number". Timer Component is Timer. 'FunctionType' set to "ftnormal". 'Interval' set to "10000" (or another reasonable setting). 'Navigate' set to "Welcome". This screen will display the transaction number for 10 seconds (as defined in 'Interval') before automatically navigating to the Welcome Form (See page 202). 214

215 Declined Payment This form displays if a credit authorization request is declined. Critical settings and values for components on this screen are as follows: Revise Order Component is Function Button. 'FunctionType' set to "ftnormal". 'Navigate' set to "Finish". Cancel Order Component is Function Button. 'FunctionType' set to "ftnormal". 'Navigate' set to "Cancel Order". Timer Component is Timer. 'FunctionType' set to "ftnormal". 'Interval' set to "10000" (or another reasonable setting). 'Navigate' set to "Cancel Order". "Cancel Order" navigates to the Cancel Form (See page 204). "Try Again" navigates back to the Finish Form (Page 209). 215

216 Out Of Service Form This form prevents customers from using the kiosk simply by having no buttons for navigating anywhere else. It is a good idea, however, to have some information about the kiosk's status and perhaps about when it will be back in service. This screen is activated remotely from a non-kiosk station. The Employee Time Clock's [Break] button changes to [Set Out Of Service] when you select a kiosk employee. Selecting [Set Out Of Service] puts the kiosk employee on break and navigates the kiosk station to the Out Of Service form. Cashing out and Clocking out the kiosk employee will not affect the Out Of Service display; the kiosk station will remain on this screen until the Kiosk Employee is clocked in or is taken off break. 216

217 Critical settings and values for the timer on this form are as follows: Timer Component is Timer. 'FunctionType' set to "ftaction". 'FunctionName' set to "In Service Check". 'Interval' set to "5000" (or another reasonable setting). 'Navigate' set to "Welcome". 217

218 Exiting and Restarting a Kiosk When designing a kiosk, you can apply an [Exit] function button to any form so programmers can easily exit the application. However, this button should be removed from all forms before the kiosk goes live. To exit from a Kiosk when it is live, swipe into the unit from the Welcome Form (See page 202). This navigates the station to the PixelPoint POS Login screen. A second swipe logs you into the POS. From there, exit and/or shut down the station by going into Manager Functions / Special Functions / Exit POS Software or Shutdown System. To resume kiosk operations, swipe the Kiosk employee swipe card when on the Login screen. Restarting the kiosk unit automatically logs in the Kiosk Employee. 218

219 6.7. Data Import Utility Located in the PixelPOS folder is a utility called Importer.exe. Its purpose is to facilitate the importing of data into a PixelPoint database. Importer was designed to enable users to perform a batch insert and/or update on a list of selected tables from the PixelPoint POS database. This is based on a comma-separated value (CSV) source file. It will also work in Auto Mode where it is ready to accept CSV files using a predetermined data map. Importer works as follows: Upon running Importer, the first screen presented is the welcome screen. As with any welcome, take note of the warning below stating that these changes are permanent and a backup of the database is highly recommended before attempting to import data. Select [Next] to continue. 219

220 There are three areas where you can import data. The first is inventory. The contents of this selection pertain to everything located in Stock Item Setup. The contents of the second selection pertain to everything located in Member Setup. The contents of the third selection pertain to everything located in Product Setup. Choose the desired icon and select [Next]. In order to import data, you must first identify the source file. Select the [Browse] button to locate the desired file. The check box [My file has a header 220

221 line/row] indicates that the first record in the CSV file is a header record containing field names. In the fields below that, you can change the settings to match field separators and text string qualifiers used within the import file. For example, the fields may be separated by a Tab or space. Text strings may be identified with a single quote. Whatever format was used, you can match to it using these fields. Select [Next] to continue. A confirmation window will display. Selecting [No] will return you to the Select Source File screen. This is where you match up the fields from the source file to those in the target (PixelPoint database) file. Bear in mind that the fields in the source file may be in a different order to those in the PixelPoint file. This will sort that out by pairing the appropriate fields together. Note: It is important that you acquaint yourself with the fields contained in both files. You must first select the field from the source file. Select the drop down arrow located to the right of the [Source Field] column. The [Match By] column can then be selected to identify that you wish to pair up the Source and Target fields. 221

222 Located at the bottom of the screen is a button called [Load Mapping Profile]. If you plan to import data on a continuous basis, mapping the fields every time is not practical. However, having set it up once, you can save it as a mapping profile and re-use it again and again. If you have one saved, select [Yes] in the window above. A browse window will display allowing you to select the mapping profile file. It will be saved in an XML format. The mapping window will then be populated with the saved pairings of that profile, allowing you to continue with the import process. The [Save Mapping Profile] is exactly the same process except that you are saving your settings as a profile (to be used again later). It will also present the browse window but allow you to save it to a profile name. Also located at the bottom of the mapping screen is [Options]. 222

223 The Options window will show you the locations of the source and target files and allow you to identify what you want the system to do if it encounters an error. When you have advanced past the mapping screen, a final Are You Sure warning window will display. Make sure you have a backup copy of the database before committing to the import! A progress window will display as the import is taking place. Once completed, an Import Summary window will present the final results. If there were errors, a button on the lower left will be presented, allowing you to examine those errors. From here, you can either select a [New Import] to start over again with another file or [Close] to exit out of Importer. 223