It turns out that the base technology for KDS has been around for some time. Our brethren in fast food have been using video screens to manage their bin inventories for years. Simple cathode ray terminals (CRT) let people in paper hats know how many Fillet-0-Fish were ready for bagging. In recent years, software developers, working with some of the big boys like Darden Restaurants, have written the code for kitchen display systems for both casual and white linen service operations. What they’ve accomplished for kitchen environments is nothing short of life changing. Comparing the early fast food bin display to modern KDS systems is like comparing your first game of Pong to the Xbox 360.

The set up of a KDS system is fairly straightforward. Every kitchen station that previously had a printer is fitted with a flat screen display and a “bump” bar. The bump bar is a sealed, bullet proof row of ten buttons that allows everyone to move items and slips from screen to screen as needed. That’s it. Orders are entered into the existing POS. Individual items on the order are routed to screens at the appropriate prep station. KDS coordinates the whole order based on preset cook times of individual items. Items are only displayed at the line station when it’s time to fire. The item with the longest cook-time is displayed immediately. The remaining items are then time released. Simply put: When the broiler station displays a medium-rare sirloin (preset at 12 minutes), the sauté man won’t see the accompanying shrimp scampi (preset at five minutes) for seven minutes into the sirloin’s cooking time.

IBoth items are ready for serving at the same time. What a concept! As each cook completes an item, they bump the item to the expediter or the line station where the order is assembled. Line cooks see only those items that they are responsible for. The expediter sees a similar screen but one that displays complete orders. Items change color as they from order to firing to bumping to completion and tickets are timed to flag and change colors based on total time to table. Priorities are quickly recognized and potential problems are better managed. In short, it’s slick.

There are several unanticipated and sizable payoffs. The noise level in the kitchen drops dramatically. The calling for this, the shouting for that, the unnecessary barking are all but forgotten. Printers no longer spit out endless streams of paper. In place of knee length streamers, orders appear neatly arranged on a clear distinct video screen. And, every line cook’s biggest nightmare is eliminated. There are no lost slips.

The technology of the KDS system has reduced tension and stress in our operation more than any other single thing we could have done. Sounds expensive, doesn’t it? If you’ve replaced a printer (about $600 last time I checked) this system will deliver a very short payback period. What’s more, these systems are reasonably priced and can be layered over most existing POS system without changing your current configuration.