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KDS Dashboard

The KDS dashboard is the main screen shown on a Kitchen Display System device. It displays active orders organised into columns by preparation state.

Columns

The dashboard is divided into three columns:

Column State Description
Pending Pending Orders or items that have been received but not yet started
In Progress Preparing Orders or items currently being prepared
Ready Completed Orders or items that have finished preparation

Order Cards

Each card on the dashboard represents an account (order) and displays:

  • Order name — table number, order code, or custom name
  • Order time — when the order was placed
  • Server name — the staff member who created the order
  • Covers — number of guests (if applicable)
  • Items — the ordered products and their quantities (Standard mode only)

Bumping

Tapping a card or item advances it to the next preparation state. This is called bumping.

  • Bump — moves the item or account forward (Pending → In Progress → Ready)
  • Unbump — moves it back one state

When an item is bumped, the account's overall state is automatically recalculated and updated across all connected devices in real time.

Cancelled Items

When a member of staff cancels an item that has already reached the kitchen, the display reacts immediately so the item is not prepared by mistake.

  • The item's card turns red and is marked with a CANCELLED chip.
  • An alert sound plays on the screens concerned, so the cancellation is noticed even when nobody is looking at the display.

The cancelled item stays on screen, flagged, rather than disappearing. Kitchen staff see what was withdrawn instead of watching a line vanish silently from a ticket they may already be working on.

Note

A cancellation creates a reversing line on the account for fiscal reasons. That reversing line is never shown on the display — only the original item, flagged as cancelled. The kitchen sees one item struck off, not two lines to reconcile.

Tip

The alert sound only plays on screens that actually display the cancelled item. A screen limited to specific product groups stays silent for a cancellation in a group it does not show, so a pastry station is not interrupted by a change at the grill. A screen with no product group restriction is alerted for every cancellation.

Warning

If the item had already been printed on a kitchen ticket, a cancellation ticket is still printed. Paper cannot be taken back, so the printed trail is kept in step with the screen.

Standard Mode vs Call Screen Mode

The dashboard behaves differently depending on the display mode configured for the KDS user.

Standard Mode

  • Each account can appear in multiple columns at the same time.
  • The same order will show in the Pending column for its pending items and in the In Progress column for its preparing items.
  • Items within each card show only the products in that specific state.
  • Gives kitchen stations a detailed, item-level view.

Call Screen Mode

  • Each account appears in one column only.
  • The column is determined by the account's overall state:
    • In Progress if any item is being prepared (even if others are still pending)
    • Ready only when every item is completed
    • Pending when all items are still waiting
  • Cards do not show individual items — only the order-level information.
  • Designed for call screens or runner stations where a single clear status per order is required.

Note

Call screen mode is configured per user in the Admin Panel. See Users → KDS Settings.