Chace Ciulla

Chace Ciulla

Technical Writer

Portfolio

- 15 mins
portfolio technical writer

Table of Contents

Memo

TO: All Staff

**FROM: Frank Erwin, Senior Product Manager **

SUBJECT: Simple Guide for Discussing Oracle Simphony POS

This memo provides a guide for discussing Oracle Simphony POS System with prospective clients and their employees.

What is Oracle Simphony POS?

Oracle Simphony POS is an all-in-one, cloud-based, total restaurant and hospitality management system.

Who Uses Simphony POS?

Oracle Simphony POS is used in any area of customer service and hospitality, from bars and restaurants to casinos and coffee shops. The cloud-based platform allows management at every level, from processing payments at the register to managing inventory in real time across every restaurant location.

How To Get Started With Simphony POS?

Simphony POS is fully customizable, quick to install, and easy to use. Call today 1.800.937.2211 to set up a free demonstration or visit our website for more details.

Features Guide

Oracle Simphony POS is, a cloud-based, all-in-one platform that provides restaurants and bars with everything they need to optimize online and in-house operations in real time, on any device, from anywhere in the world.

The Simphony POS features cloud flexibility on a fully integrated platform, allowing all transactions and operations to be easily managed on one powerful ecosystem.

SimphonyPOS1{caption=Oracle POS workstation, tablet, and app on mobile device}
Image: Oracle POS workstation, tablet, and app for mobile

Cloud Point-of-Sale

Simphony POS tablets allow both customers and servers to easily customize orders. Communication with the kitchen is instant through the cloud. Menu items, specials, and promotions are updated on the platform and delivered autoatically to each device.

The system is designed to support any size or concept, from fast food to fine dining.

Online Ordering and Delivery

Simphony POS integrates online ordering and payment processing using cloud technology. Orders are sent directly to the kitchen, optimizing prep and delivery times. The Simphony POS system also works with third-party delivery services like Uber Eats.

Online Payment Cloud Service

Simphony POS operates on an in-house payment processing system called Oracle Payment Cloud Service, which is already integrated by design. Oracle Payment Cloud allows restaurants to accept payments in any format. All payment transactions, roundtrip data, and associated costs are presented on the analytics dashboard.

Conversational Ordering

Simphony POS uses a sophisticated set of menus, each catered to the specific role of the user. The menus are fully customizable and sequenced to allow the user to take orders with a conversational tone rather than a set of ordered questions. A conversational tone provides servers and guests with a higher degree of service.

Real-Time Table Management

The Simphony POS table management system is fully customizable and can be configured to match the exact layout of the space, whether it is a cafe or formal dining hall. The layout map can be updated in real time by service personnel to alert the staff of the conditions of each table: waiting for orders, on reservation, or being cleaned for the next guest. This allows for a smoother dining experience for staff and guests.

Reservations and Waitlists

The reservations and waitlist menu in the Simphony System allows hosts to easily map and manage the dining room or multiple rooms such as, a dining room and a patio. The host reserves tables directy from the touch screen. When the restaurant is at capacity, the host can manage the waitlist on a separate menu from the same screen. When seating becomes available the host simply drags the name from the waitlist and drops it at the desired table.

Self-Service Kiosks

Simphony POS self-service kiosks allow guests to make selections and payment options at their own pace, streamlining the time it takes for orders to be taken and processed while reducing staff overhead. Self-service kiosks also make data capture easier, which means stronger targeted upsells, easier repeat order recall, and better customer loyalty enrollment.

SimphonyPOS2 Kiosk
Image: Oracle Symphony on self-service kiosks

Multichannel Kitchen Displays

Simphony POS works seamlessly with Oracle MICROS Kitchen Display Systems (KDS) to deliver customer orders directly to the kitchen from any number of channels including in-house waitstaff, self-service kiosks, drive-thru, online website, mobile ordering apps, and third-party delivery apps such as Uber Eats.

For a complete list of Simphony POS 2022 features visit the website here.

User Guide

Getting Started With Simphony POS

This section of the [User Guide] helps new front of house employees learn to use Simphony POS. Whether you’re new to POS systems or have experience with older generations, Oracle Simphony POS is designed to be user intuitive and easy to operate.

Signing in to Simphony POS

There are three ways to sign into the Simphony POS System at a work station:

  • Enter your employee number on the touch screen.
  • Swipe your employee badge through the card reader.
  • Place your thumb on the fingerprint reader (optional depending on hardware package).

How to Begin a Check

There are four ways to begin a check from the Home screen:

PRESS:

Begin a Table

  1. Press the ‘Begin Table’ button on the home screen
  2. Enter the table number and press ‘Enter’
  3. Enter the number of Guests and press ‘OK’
  4. Choose the seat number at the table which corresponds to each guest
  5. Proceed with order and press ‘Send’

Begin a Tab

  1. Press the ‘Begin Tab’ button on the Home screen
  2. Enter a name for the tab, such as the Guests name or seat number, and then press ‘OK’
  3. Proceed with order and press ‘Send’

Begin a Fast Transaction

  1. Press ‘Begin Fast Transaction’ button on the Home screen
  2. Proceed with transaction and press ‘Send’
  3. Fast Transactions may be sent and closed at the same time by pressing ‘Payment’ in the top right. Click here to learn more about Payment Processing.

Begin Takeout

  1. Press ‘Begin Takeout’ on the Home screen
  2. Enter a name and press ‘OK’
  3. Enter a phone number and press ‘OK’
  4. Proceed with order and press ‘Send’

If you are serving tables in the dining area you may also ‘Begin a Table’ by choosing the Dining Room button at the top of the Home screen and pressing the desired table on the restaurant map.

  1. Enter the number of Guests and press ‘OK’
  2. Press the seat that corresponds to each guest
  3. Proceed with order and press ‘Send’

FAQ

What does cloud-based POS mean?

To say the POS is cloud-based means that, though your checks and services will be paid in person by your service staff, the payment and financial data is connected to a wireless network which allows you access to that information from any device or location.

Are cloud-based POS systems safe?

Visit the Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI) website to learn about Oracle’s Cloud Security Services.

What if the restaurant loses internet connection?

Simphony POS continues to operate and take payments as usual even if the internet connection is unavailable. Servers and bar staff simply run the cards as they normally do and the information is stored within the unit’s cache. When the internet returns the transactions are uploaded to the cloud database automatically.

Does Simphony process online credit transactions as well?

Yes. Simphony POS processes all payments in one, easy to use platform. Online payments, credit and cash payments, third party payments, and digital currency such as Apple Pay are easily viewed and managed in the Reporting and Analytics Suite.

Can I use Simphony to manage staff scheduling?

Kitchen and front-of-house managers can achieve all scheduling and training tasks through the Labor Control feature, including tracking overtime costs, managing scheduling conflicts, and balancing time off requests.

How does Inventory Management work?

Simphony uses real-time data forecasts, historical usage, and sales records to monitor supply and stock. The Suggested Ordering feature optimizes ordering times and predicts typical usage quantities to maintain consistency. You can even monitor loss prevention and waste using the inventory Spot Checks feature.

How much does Simphony cost?

Simphony POS pricing plans come in three options:

Case Study

XYZ Restaurant Group Uses Self-Service Kiosks And Cloud-Based Technology To Build New To-Go Business Overnight

StockRestaurantphoto
Image: XYZ owned Olive Grove during the nationwide lockdown

The past two years have been difficult for restaurants, and no one knows that better than Jake Flowers, CEO and founder of XYZ Restaurant Group based in Austin, Texas. XYZ is a local enterprise restaurant group, with 15 unique restaurants and 3 hotels within the city limits, they specialize in high-end, boutique niches with a strong focus on impeccable customer service and a staff of over 500 employees citywide.

But like many restaurants, recently they’ve experienced staff shortages, state capacity regulations, and rotating quarantine mandates. The world of fine dining and hospitality has been challenging.

“At one point we were worried we’d be forced to make a series of layoffs and maybe even shut down a few of the properties. And we knew we really didn’t want to do that. Things were very chaotic.”

Lucky for Jake and the employees of XZY, they had started a contract with a cloud-based POS systems company the previous year.

Photo restaurant employee with takeout bags
Image: Olive Grove server, John Dale, with order to go

“We never had any intention of going fully self-service or starting a delivery service,” says Rebecca Chancelor, General Manager of the XYZ owned Olive Grove Italian restaurant, “but once we realized the extent of uncertainty in our industry we knew we had to make a change.”

In a few days the 15 large scale, fine dining operations were transformed into a fleet of fully functional, contactless to-go, delivery, and third party pick-up food and beverage services.

“We were able to pivot our entire business model and strategy using Oracle’s cloud-based POS,” Jake says. “We converted our work station POS machines into self-service kiosks where customers could place their own orders at their own pace. After they process the payment and press send, the order goes straight to the monitors in the kitchen. The support team at Oracle made it really easy. We shifted our entire operation almost overnight!”

Cloud-based SaaS, or Software as a Service, offered the options and flexibility Jake and the staff at XYZ needed to make the most of a challenging time:

“The ghost kitchens are really cool. With fewer hotel guests, we were able to use the commercial space in our hotels to expedite our ordering process. We rerouted the orders placed online and through third parties like Door-Dash and Uber Eats directly to the monitors in the service kitchens. This freed up the front-of-house staff we had left to help walk-in customers and many phone orders. It really saved us and our team a ton of time and energy,” Jake says.

Though the future of the restaurant industry remains uncertain, modern cloud technologies like self-service kiosks, online order processing, and contactless pick-up are innovating the changes restaurants need to stay competitive with customer trends.

Photo self-service restaurant kiosks running Oracle Simphony
Image: self-service restaurant kiosks running Oracle Simphony

“In the end, not only were we able to maintain our profit margins, we actually grew several of our businesses at a time when many in our city were closing down!” Jake continues, “we’re looking forward to what other great things we can do with the technology that’s out there. Oracle’s Simphony POS really opened our eyes to these new possibilities for growth.”

Market Requirements Document

Executive Summary

Small restaurant and food truck owners need better tools to manage multiple locations on more comprehensive platforms that combine areas which need consistent attention such as payroll, inventory, staff and scheduling, marketing and analytics, and social media presence, on a single, easy-to-use system.

Introduction

Global industry demand among independent restaurant owners for more comprehensive SaaS features in cloud-based POS systems are projected to grow (x%) by 2025. Cloud-based POS systems are expected to grow among independent restaurant owners by (x%) while the need for more customizable features within niche markets will expand (x%) by 2028 (yahoo finance). Global restaurant trends and growth of cloud-based POS systems from 2012-2022 grew more than (x%) and the market is expected to continue upwards.

Simphony POS Graph
Image: graph depicting percentage of new restaurants using Cloud-based POS systems which opened between 2012-2022

Vision

This document outlines the growing demand for comprehensive SaaS management tools and cloud-based POS systems technology by small restaurant owners with multiple locations. SaaS and cloud-based technology can resolve current challenges, anticipate future needs, and help grow small food service businesses without creating additional overhead.

Persona

Brenda and Brad Davis are married. They’re both 37-year-old college graduates who left their respective industries in their mid-thirties to pursue their dream of opening a gourmet egg salad food truck together in East Portland, OR. After eight months, their egg salad truck is so successful they purchase a second truck and begin managing two separate locations—one behind a bar in Hyde Park and one in the business district, which is focuses on lunch and daytime professionals. With the success of the new truck they opened a brick-and-mortar restaurant in North East, Portland. The new expansion, while exciting, has also become a challenge. The success of the two trucks forced Brenda and Brad to open up a commercial kitchen to keep up with high product demand. They are finding it unmanageable to keep track of inventory in all four locations. Also, the managers of the food trucks do not process end-of-day reports and analytics. The trucks also have opposite peak hours, which adds to the chaotic reporting issues. Brenda and Brad need to find a quick and intuitive system to organize the inventory from all four locations. The ability to process reports and meet financial management needs is crucial for them to be able to spend more time focusing on the new dream restaurant.

Release Notes

May 2022

Oracle Simphony POS

Release Notes

Version 19.3

Update

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