1 Start Ai-POS

To commence using the program, double click on the Ai-POS icon:

This should bring up the main POS screen and after a few seconds should connect to the server and show “POS Online” on the right-hand corner.

2 Enter Starting Float (optional)

If the system is configured to ask for the float at start/end of session, it will come up with the following window:

3 Operating the POS

3.1 Quick Sale

• Press the “Start Order” button to create an order:
  
• Select Dining or Takeaway
• Select the top Tabs to change the item list.
• Sell items as required.
• Before finalising the sale, you can edit any of the listed items by using one of the function buttons below.
  
• Edit – Edit particular option selection of an item
• QTY – Highlight an item and click this button to change the quantity ordered.
• Course – Highlight an item, click Course to decide the type of course for that item.
• Redo – re-order the selected cart item
• Add-On – Highlight an item and click Add-On to select add-ons.
• Edit Price – Highlight an item to change the price.
• Remove – Highlight an item to remove from the order before finalising or storing.
• Name – Add a customer name to the order.
• Comment – Add a kitchen comment to an item.
• Cancel – Cancel the order and return to the start screen.
• Selections – If you need to change the options selected for the item.
  Highlight the main item > Press Selections and re-enter as required.
• When the items are correctly entered you can now finalise the sale.
• Press the “Proceed to Payment” button, which will open the payment screen:
  
• There are a number of finalisation buttons you can use.
• At this stage we will only discuss Cash or EFTPOS.

3.2 Finalise a sale

Pay by Cash

• Press the CASH button and select a Pre-set Dollar amount or enter the amount tendered. There is also an Exact Cash button.
• Then press OK.

3.3 Pay by Card (Not Interfaced)

If the payment by Card is not interfaced,

• click the “No machine integration” checkbox in the finalise screen.
• The system will ask if we want to bypass the EFTPOS machine integration, press Yes
  
• Then press CARD option to finalise the payment.
• The system will ask if the transaction has been approved, click Yes.
  
• If No, then another payment method will be required.

3.4 Pay by Card (Interfaced)

When the EFTPOS machine is interfaced with Ai-POS, the finalization process is much simpler.

• Create the sale as normal.
• Press the CARD button.
• The sale amount will now be transferred to the EFTPOS terminal ready for finalization.
• When the transaction is approved Ai-POS will automatically finalize the transaction.
  

3.4 Pay by Other

If you accept other forms of payment such as Amex, JCB etc then press the OTHER button. This will display a pre-set list of payments that are accepted.
Note: All forms of Payments may also have a surcharge attached if required.

3.5 Bistro Mode

Bistro Mode means people can come up and pay individually for the same table, but the kitchen printers are held until all the people finish paying and then the items are COMBINED on the print docket. By default, the feature is enabled. It can be disabled from Administrator -> Tools -> Configurations -> AiPOS.

• Under Ai-POS, select the Dining tab.
• The Bistro mode can be turned ON/OFF by checking/Unchecking the Ask for Quick Order Comment checkbox and the Enable Holding Quick Order
  Print Jobs checkbox.
• And specify the number of minutes you want to hold the print jobs for.
  
• Once done, Click on Submit. And to the Home Screen
• Now in the Home screen, click on Start Order.
• Add the required items to the cart.
• Click on Proceed to Payment.
• This will open the Quick Order Comment dialog box.
  
• Select the Order descriptor type and enter a value.
• Check the Printer HOLD check box. Checking this feature will enable the
  Bistro mode on and hold all the print jobs for the specified number of minutes.
• Once checked, a confirmation popup dialog box shows up.
  
• Answer Yes, to hold and combine quick order print jobs.
  
• Once done, click Submit. This will take you the payment screen.
• Once the payment is finalised and done, the below pop-comes up in the screen.
  
• Answer Yes to, is this the last person question to release all the print jobs.
• Answer No, to hold the print jobs.
• Now, go to home screen, make a quick order, and repeat the same process.
• When you finalise the payment for the last person till which you want to hold the print jobs for, answer Yes, to the is this the last person question.
• This will print all the held print jobs together.

In the background there is a timer. When the pre-set number of minutes elapse,the orders are automatically released and sent to the printer. This is for the case when an operator forgets to release the print jobs. The timer RESTARTS every time a new order for that table number/name is received, so you don’t need to rush all the orders.

3.6 Save a Sale

This function temporarily stores an incomplete sale so that another customer can be served. This can be used when a customer does not have a method of payment on them.
EG. Have left the wallet in the car etc.

• Create the sale as usual.
• Customer cannot pay yet.
• Press Cancel button (if you have already pressed Proceed to Payment, click Return to go back to the Quick Order screen and click Cancel button).
  
• You will be asked to Save the Order for later.
  
• If you select YES, you will be asked to enter the customer name.
  
• Press OK to save the order and return to the Start screen.

Note: DO NOT use this to store orders long term. Save the sale as either a Takeaway or Eat In order.

3.7 Return to a Saved Order

• Press the Start Order.
• Press the Saved Order button.
  
• A list of Saved Orders will be shown.
  
• Select the saved sale and press Proceed,
• Continue the sale as normal.

3.8 Search Function

Any item in the menu can be found and added to cart with ease using the Search Function. The search function can be turned by going to Administrator -> Tools -> Configurations -> Ai-Menu.

• In the Restaurant configuration dialog box, select the Ai-Menu tab.
  
• Check the Enable Search Function check box to turn on the Search Function.
• Once done, click Submit and go back to the home screen.
• Click on Start Order.
  
• In the Quick Order screen, now you can see the Search Function icon.
  Click on it.
• This will open the Search dialog box.
  
• Type in the item you want to add to cart.
• Once done, click OK.
• This will bring up the search result pop-up box.
  
• In the search result, select the item you were looking for and click on proceed. This will add the item to the cart.
• If the item has any questions or addons, after answering them, the item is added to the cart.

4 Create a Table Account

For customer Dining-In you can create a table account.

• Press the Start Order button.
• Select the Dining button.
  
• Enter ordered items.
• Press the Add to Dining Table button.
  
• Enter the table number and press the tick button.

The order will now be sent through to the Kitchen or Bar and saved to the
Table Account.

4.1 Adding extra items to a Table account

Once the table account has been opened it is easy to keep adding extra items to the account.

• From the front screen simply press the Dining Tables button.
  
• A list of table accounts will be shown.
  
• Select the required Table number.
• Press the Add to Table button.
• The sales screen will now appear allowing extra items to be added to the selected Table account.
• To save the new items press the Add to Dining Table button.

4.2 Creating a table map

Alternatively, we can create a table map to access or to create a table account.

Having a virtual layout of the tables makes it easier to identify the required one.

• Press on Administration button.
• Click on Tools
  
• Click on Table Map Setup.
• In the Table map Setup dialog box, click on New Room.
  
• Give a name to the room and press Ok.
• Now that Add Item button is active, click on it.
• Select the required table type.
  
• Input the table number in the pop-up dialog box as shown below.
• Press ✓
  
• Drag and place the table according to the required layout
• To add another room/level/space, press on New Room.
• Follow the same steps to setup the room.
  
• Can toggle between rooms using the tab with room name.

4.3 Create a Takeaway order

• Press the “Start Order” button:
  
• Press the “Takeaway” button:
  
• Select the top Tabs to change the item list.
• Sell items as required then press the “Add to Takeaway” button.
• A new window will appear. Choose the type of Takeaway.
  
  • Drive-Thru – Select for Drive-Thru order.
  • External- Select for 3rd party delivery service.
  • Delivery – Select for a Delivery order.
  • Pickup – Select for a telephone order.
  • Pickup (waiting) – Customer ordering on-site.
  • Pay Now – Finalise the sale as normal.
• Enter a name and phone number.
• Choose Pickup/Delivery time.
• Select Pay Now or Pay Later.

4.4 Pay Later

1. If you select “Pay Later”
   • The order will be printed in the kitchen.
   • The Takeaway sale will be saved.
   • The Start order page will re-appear ready for the next order.
2. When the customer arrives to pick-up their order
   • Press the Takeaway button
   • Select the customer from the list of orders
   • Press Finalise Order and finish the sale as normal.
     
     • Paid Orders - Display a list of previously finalised orders.
     • Edit Order – Allows extra items to be added or current items deleted.
     • Print Invoice – Prints a pro forma invoice of the order.
     • New Order – Make New Takeaway Order

5 Split Bills

Access the table using the Dining Tables button. 

1. Open Table as usual to see the list of items that are required to be split and press the Finalise Table button.
   
2. Press the Split Bill button.
   
3. You will now have a list of all the ordered items. Tap on the item to be paid first, the item will move across to the right pane.
   
4. If you select an accumulated item such as the $1 Apple and Cinnamon Strudel in the sales screen, a numeric entry box will appear to enable you to choose the quantity to split from the original bill.
   
5. When you have the required items split from the original bill, press the Pay button. You can now finalise the bill as required.
   
6. As soon as the current bill is finalised the screen will refresh with the remaining amount left on the bill being displayed. This can either be split again or stored by pressing the Return button.
   

5.1 Divide Evenly and Remainder

• When finalising the bill, the bill amount can be evenly divided using the Divide Evenly option.
  
• Press the Divide Evenly button.
• Select the Number of people the customer wants to divide the bill into.
• And press ✓
  
• The divided amount shows on the Tender bar as shown below.
• Click on the required Process Payment method to process the payment for the divided amount.
  
• Once the payment is successful, the remainder amount shows up in the Tender bar shown below.
  
• To divide again and pay, press Divide evenly again and follow the same steps mentioned above.
• If do not want to pay the divided amount, press Remainder button to pay the outstanding amount.

6 Summary Reports

The View History option shows the summary report for the selected period. It also contains other few essentials reports. To access the summary reports,

• Press on Administration.
  
• Now press View History option.
  
• Select the required period during which you want to generate the summary report for.
• You can set the start time and end time of the start day and end day, respectively using the Settled Time Filter.
• Alternatively, you can select Last Month or This month button to view the reports for the previous month and the current month, respectively.
• And Press on Create & Show Report button.

7 Closing POS and Reports

When the time comes to close the POS and reconcile, press on the “Exit

Program” button:

Once again if the float requirement is selected the system will ask for the float count.

• Count the cash in the cash drawer and enter the total into the window.

The system will proceed to close.

The system will also ask whether you want to print a session report. If selected, this will include both the starting and finishing cash float.