Dines talks about how StarPrinter.Online has helped venues to manage their printer estate
Without a doubt, consumption habits are changing and eroding traditional ordering patterns thanks to the increased use of devices such as smartphones and the multitude of ordering channels operating in the market. Moreover, the ubiquity of ordering platforms and delivery services has made consumers increasingly discerning in terms of the ordering systems they choose to use.
With food and beverages being ordered on mobile apps or Click & Collect sites, the hospitality industry has had to adapt and turn to new technologies in order to facilitate the shift. On the upside, this has provided new opportunities for the industry to diversify and boost revenue.
The rise in online ordering across multiple channels is resulting in greater demand for cloud technologies such as Star CloudPRNT™. Available across a range of Star thermal receipt and label printers as well as matrix kitchen printers, Star provides the largest range of multi-platform remote cloud receipt and online ordering printers available today.
The technology benefits hospitality by enabling customer orders to be sent directly to the printer from an online ordering service or app, increasing order accuracy and eliminating the need for an additional tablet in the restaurant or bar. Moreover, Star CloudPRNT enabled printers are able to receive orders from multiple channels including POS, tablet, LAN and cloud which results in an efficient ordering and transaction process for any business.
For venues that prefer a fully managed CloudPRNT service, Star has introduced StarPrinter.Online, a dedicated service for businesses to manage the printer estate with minimal setup time and cost as well as near zero integration. Within minutes the kitchen or bar printer is connected to the online ordering system and can receive orders from a wide range of locations, allowing printing direct from an ordering website or even via email; order emails can be forwarded directly to the chef’s printer for preparation.
Venues can effectively manage the entire printer estate thanks to the StarPrinter.Online dashboard, avoiding potential downtime and loss of business. An online dashboard provides a complete overview of all devices and activity with webhook based notification of device status changes, barcode scans, new print job results, device connections to a group, etc. Additional printers and peripherals can simply be added without the need for server upgrades.
Star partners with a wide range of hospitality software companies globally who have integrated Star CloudPRNT technology. Dil Hussain, CEO at Dines explains how the technology helps to expand their offering to venues and the key benefits it provides.
How does StarPrinter.Online enable Dines to provide mobile ordering?
With StarPrinter.Online, our clients are no longer limited to local networking and short ranged Bluetooth connections. Whatever their setup, wherever they may be in the world, StarPrinter.Online can support them. For example, if a theatre patron is heading to a matinee and wants to pre-order their drinks as they get off the tube, they can. They order and pay from their phone using Dines, then a ticket is sent directly to the venue for preparation via StarPrinter.Online. Drinks are prepared and ready to be collected on arrival. It’s never been easier to manage orders, no matter which channel they come from, and we have seen this technology thrive in a range of venues including Winter Wonderland, the Edinburgh Fringe Festival and The Shard.
How can StarPrinter.Online help with order and queue management in-house?
Ordering in-house could not be simpler. The customer can order at their table without having to wait for a server to place an order and then pay later, whilst queues at the bar are reduced allowing bar staff to focus on other tasks. This becomes even more versatile when different printers fire out tickets for different stations (drinks/food/salads), reducing bottlenecks during peak times.
How does StarPrinter.Online help venues to manage the printer estate?
With data on printer status, jobs in the queue, last online timestamps (and even if there’s a paper jam!), debugging issues and managing multiple printers, completely online, is now effortless thanks to StarPrinter.Online.
In summary, what are the key benefits of StarPrinter.Online?
Key to StarPrinter.Online is flexibility for both customers and venues. Customers can order not just where they want but how they want using any kind of device, whilst venues have a central point to receive and manage orders. With no restrictions imposed by cabling or local networks, or even limited Bluetooth ranges, StarPrinter.Online allows venues worldwide to print receipts and manage orders anywhere with Internet access. When outdoors serving food at a busy festival stall, or whilst pouring champagne from the Top of the Shard overlooking London’s skyline, all modern hospitality setups can rely on StarPrinter.Online.
