KDS (Kitchen Display System): What It Is and Costs

KDS (Kitchen Display System) is a screen in the kitchen where new orders appear in real time. It replaces the paper ticket and the shout: the order shows up in the kitchen the moment it arrives, and when it's ready it is marked. In Delever the KDS module costs 390,000 UZS per month.

Many delivery problems start in the kitchen: an order is seen late, mixed up or forgotten. Below we explain how KDS works and when you need it.

Key points:

• KDS shows the order to the kitchen on a screen, so no paper ticket is needed.
• The cook marks the order as ready, and that status moves to the next step.
• Preparation time is collected as data.

How does KDS work?

When an order arrives, it goes from the POS or the platform to the kitchen screen. The cook sees the contents, the comment and the time, starts cooking and marks it ready. In Delever the order status (accepted, ready, on the way, delivered) goes to the customer as an automatic message.

With a paper ticket, the order comes out of a printer, is passed by hand and can get lost. On a screen every order shows up in turn and doesn't disappear anywhere.

What does it give a restaurant?

KDS improves three things: the order reaches the kitchen faster, there are fewer mistakes and preparation time becomes visible. There is no need to wait for a ticket to print or for a waiter to bring it.

The cook clearly sees a comment on the order (for example "no onion") on the screen, so mix-ups are rarer. Most importantly, preparation time is counted: how long each order took becomes part of the analysis and shows where the kitchen slows down.

When do you need KDS?

When there are many orders and the kitchen can't keep up at peak. Especially if orders come through several channels: dining room, website, bot, aggregator. Printers and paper pile up and the kitchen gets confused.

For a small cafe with few orders a printer may be enough. The question to ask: is the kitchen the cause of your delays? You can find out by splitting the order path into three steps and measuring.

How does it connect to the POS and dispatcher?

KDS is part of one system: the order goes to the POS, the kitchen and the courier in one flow. When connected to the POS (POS integration), the order doesn't get lost in either place and is visible in both systems.

How much does it cost?

In Delever the KDS module costs 390,000 UZS per month (about $40). It comes on top of the main platform plan. All module prices: delivery platform pricing.

Conclusion

• Measure kitchen delay: how long does preparation take.
• If there are many orders, move from paper tickets to a screen.
• Use KDS in one system with the POS and the dispatcher.

We show how KDS works in Delever: delever.io or @delever_bot on Telegram.