NCR Hosted Solutions
V13.4 Release Notes
The NCR Hospitality Division is proud to announce the newest release of Aloha Insight, Aloha
Stored Value and Aloha Loyalty!
In these release notes, you will find a thorough summary of everything that is new for v13. 4.
If you are new to Aloha Enterprise, click the “Help” button on your Aloha Enterprise home page for
detailed information on utilizing all the features it has to offer .
The NCR Hospitality Division welcomes all feedback concerning this release and future releases.
Please feel free to contact us with your thoughts and suggestions by emailing us at
[email protected] or by clicking the “Contact Us” icon on your Aloha Enterprise
website.
If you haven’t already, we urge you to register for the upcoming v13. 4 Release Overview training
class for Aloha Insight, Aloha Stored Value and Aloha Loyalty. This i s a FREE instructor-led, Webbased training that details the v13.4 release. To register for the training class, select one of the
training class links on your Aloha Enterprise home page or send an e -mail to
[email protected] .
What’s New?
 Aloha Insight
 Aloha Loyalty
 Aloha Stored Value
 Aloha Reporting
 New Line Items
 Report Styles
 New Reports
 Activating Your New Features
Hosted Solutions v13.4 Release Notes
Aloha Insight
ALOHA KITCHEN
Speed of Service (SOS) data from Aloha Kitchen is now being imported to Aloha Insight. The
SOS Reports track time from the moment the order was placed on the POS to the moment the
entire order was bumped in the kitchen. Two SOS reports are currently available:
- Percentile: This report ranks the service times (in minutes) that fall in the bottom 10%, the
middle 50%, and the top 90%. The percentile is determined by the percentage of service times
that are smaller than the given value. For example, a start-to-tender time in the lowest 10%
indicates that 90% of all start-to-tender times are larger than this value.
- Average: This report captures the speed of service from the perspective of the customer. It
provides the average time it takes from start to tender and the average time it takes the
kitchen to bump the order once the order has been tendered.
The data is available for immediate use by replication customers; please contact
[email protected] for version requirements and system configuration to begin
utilizing Aloha Kitchen reporting.
Aloha Kitchen SOS reports
PULSE
Quick and Easy Activation and Configuration
For users of Pulse Realtime and other mobile applications, the Insight website now allows for
quick and easy configuration to activate stores and mobile users as well as designate which
applications each user can access:
- A new tab has been added to System Setup/Company Setup page to grant multi-user access
to the Pulse Platform via bulk activation, thus simplifying set-up
- The System Setup/User Account Setup/Edit User Accounts page has been updated to provide
one-step configuration of Pulse access settings.
- The System Setup/Company Setup/Pulse Settings tab allows users to create short store names
for those stores that will be leveraged by Pulse. Mobile devices will be able to utilize Short
Names in a future release.
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Hosted Solutions v13.4 Release Notes
Granting multi-user access via the Company Setup page
Granting Pulse access to a user via the User Account Setup page
Bulk creation of Short Names for stores leveraged by Pulse
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Hosted Solutions v13.4 Release Notes
INTERNATIONALIZATION
Perpetual Check Counter (Type 44)
In our continued effort to support internationalization, international customers who replicate
the HstSalesSummary table on Insight can now leverage information related to a perpetual
check counter. This POS value (type 44) is found in the POS table GNDSALE.DBF and can now
be tied back to check detail, which all ows for remote receipt reporting.
Time Zone Configuration
In addition, self-hosted customers in international time zones can now configure time zone
settings in a configuration file. This will allow the report scheduling to adhere to the customer’s
time zone rather than the Central Time Zone default.
FUNCTIONALITY
Continued Multi-Browser Support – Dynamic Drill Down Viewer
As a continuation of the multi-browser support effort, the Dynamic Drill Down Viewer is now
compatible with Internet Explorer, Google Chrome, Firefox, and Safari when run on a personal
computer. Aloha Insight now fully supports the above browsers for all modules except Menu
Configuration.
REPORTS
Daily Sales Report (DSR)
The Insight Daily Sales Report (DSR) provides above -store, consolidated sales reporting and is
now even more closely aligned with the highly utilized Aloha POS Sales report. The new version
of the Insight DSR can be run in multiple formats and has enhanced utility with the ability to
choose Voids by Void Reason.
Employee Performance
Now Insight is even better at providing managers with timely, actionable information on
employee performance. Track top and bottom performers, identify team averages, and quantify
potential tip income opportunities to tailor training programs, reward top sellers, and counsel
poor performers. A new qualifier allows the report to be filtered by employee.
Filtering by Employee
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Hosted Solutions v13.4 Release Notes
Sample Employee Performance Report, Filtered by Employee
Speed of Service (Transaction Threshold)
Insight provides even more analysis and actionable information with its “Speed of Service
(Transaction Threshold)” report, an above-store, consolidated report that closely aligns with the
Aloha POS SOS report. Once a threshold value is set for t his report, it displays average
transaction times and the number of transactions that were above and below the configured
threshold. Want to know what percentage of tickets are open for less than ten minutes? Just set
the threshold and let Insight do the analysis!
Configuring the Threshold
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Hosted Solutions v13.4 Release Notes
Sample Report
Tip Income
Insight now makes filing taxes even easier! This new report under Sales and Labor provides all
the information necessary to fill out IRS Form 8027 in one location. Now the form can be filled
out quickly and accurately when tax time rolls around.
Tip Income Report
Payroll: Premium Overtime Configuration and Reporting for PayChex Payroll users
This new, site-level configuration provides flexibility for customers who use the PayChex
Payroll export and operate in states that require premium overtime. Additional controls in the
Company and Site Setup allow users to designate the Premium Hours threshold, the Premium
Hours rate, and the stores to which the threshold applies. The site level controls provide
further designations for customers who have locations in states with premium OT and in those
without. Once the new controls are implemented, users can leverage the new PayChex export
called “PayChex Export w/ OT Premium Hours.”
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Hosted Solutions v13.4 Release Notes
Designating Premium Overtime Settings
PayChex Premium Overtime Export
PERFORMANCE IMPROVEMENTS
The following performance improvements have been implemented:
- Delta Imports provide customers with the ability to import only the change sets during
each fix poll. This significantly reduces the amount of data being replicated at fixed intervals
and during the last end-of-day poll. Implementing Delta Imports reduces the amount of data
being replicated at one time and helps eliminate large amounts of redundant data. To
experience the benefits of Delta Imports or to get more information, please contact
[email protected].
- We have improved report performance on the “Comp List with Check Detail – AR” report so
that large amounts of data (detail with at least one month) will process much more quickly.
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Hosted Solutions v13.4 Release Notes
LINE ITEMS
New Line Items
There are two new line items available for reporting sales data in non -sales categories. Now
“Promotional” and “Reporting” category data can be used in Reports Builder. The line items are
“Net Sales by Reporting Category” and “Item Sales by Reporting Category.”
Improved Line Item Descriptions
The description of the line item “Items Sales by Reporting Category” has been updated.
When choosing to use this line item, it is important to remember that Item Sales totals do not
include exclusive taxes, promos, or comps.
ONLINE HELP UPDATES
Accounting Interfaces/Payroll
Insight Online Help and Payroll FAQ documentation has been updated to reflect the full list of
payroll exports, including the generic export. Insight now supports:
-
ADP, ADP Canada, ADP Payforce
Ceridian
MAS 90
Millennium
PayChex Preview, PayChex OT Premium
Paycor
Paylocity
Heartland
Integrating and automating payroll processes by leveraging the Insight Payroll exports
represents a significant cost savings to many com panies. For more information on payroll
integration, please contact [email protected] or contact your NCR representative.
Password Security
The online help files have been updated with the latest standards for configuring difficult
passwords upon login. Insight released support of difficult passwords, a more stringent
encryption method, and the ability to reset passwords in the 13.3 release. This latest release
provides updated Insight Online Help.
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Hosted Solutions v13.4 Release Notes
Aloha Insight Reports Guide
Looking for a high-level summary of all the reports that are available on the Aloha Insight
website? The “Aloha Insight Reports Guide” is located on the main help page and provides a
searchable list of reports along with a quick synopsis of each report.
Table 1: New Reports and Line Items in Aloha Insight
Type
Report
Name
Speed of Service
(Average)
Category
Aloha Kitchen
Report
Speed of Service
(Percentile)
Aloha Kitchen
Report
PayChex Export w/ OT
Premium Hours - AR
Export
Report
Speed of Service
(Transaction Threshold)
Key Indexes
Report
Sales & Labor
Report
Aloha Daily Sales Report
(DSR)
Employee Performance
Sales & Labor
Report
Tip Income
Sales & Labor
Line Item
Item Sales by Reporting
Category
Sales
Line Item
Net Sales by Reporting
Category
Sales
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Description
Provides the average time it
takes from start to tender and
tender to bump
Ranks the service times that
fall in the bottom 10%, the
middle 50%, and the top 90%
PayChex export created for
users in states that require OT
premiums
Once a threshold value is set,
displays average transaction
times and number of
transactions that were above
and below the configured
threshold
Comprehensive report of sales
and labor
Shows average sales and lost
sales opportunities by
employee or job code
Provides all the information
necessary to fill out IRS Form
8027
For reporting sales in nonsales categories in the Reports
Builder
For reporting sales in nonsales categories in the Reports
Builder
Hosted Solutions v13.4 Release Notes
Aloha Loyalty
Defer Rewards by One Visit
A new control has been added to Aloha Loyalty/Bonus Plan Setup module/General tab with a check
box that allows you to defer rewards by one visit. When the check box is checked, all the rewards
associated with the selected bonus plan will be queued and will be rewarded to the customer only
on the next visit.
Aloha Loyalty Member Marketing
A new update to the Aloha Loyalty Member Marketing report allows users to exclude inactive
members from the report with a check box on the Report Settings tab.
Merit Expiration
The Aloha Loyalty system has been enhanced to enable you to reset merit after X days of nonusage and/or reset merit when the member’s merit goes above, less than or equal to a set number
of merits and Y days of non-usage. This will help you to write off liability which is pending on merit
accumulated by customer over a period of time.
Display of Resets in Member History Lookup
Resets occurring in Aloha Loyalty are currently not being displayed in Membe r History lookup. With
this new functionality, the history of when and why resets have occurred is now displayed in Aloha
Loyalty. This enhancement displays the resets that occur due to one or more reset options for each
bonus plan selected (including Meri t Expiration), under the Aloha Loyalty/Member Profile/Lookup
Member History/Show Adjust screen.
Aloha Loyalty Smart Rewards: Add New Metric Type Called Occasion Based
The Smart rewards module under Aloha Loyalty has been enhanced to add a new metric type
named “Occasion Based” which adds options to reward a customer based on a specific member
occasion such as their Birthday or Anniversary. The new metric will allow you to define a period of
time both before and after the selected occasion in which the rew ard is eligible for redemption. The
Smart Reward system will daily monitor for members approaching the defined occasion and will
apply the reward to each member’s account the day before the defined period has been reached.
Aloha Loyalty Member Lookup Search by Name, Phone, Email Address
Aloha Loyalty has enhanced configuration settings to target specific profile fields when using the
Member Lookup function on Aloha POS. When a member is looked up by name, phone or email
address on the Aloha POS, the system will search against the corresponding member profile field
and return records that contain the search string entered. The member profile fields need to be
checked under the Aloha Loyalty/Configuration/Member Profile “Other Member Profile Ids” column
for a successful search. This new functionality stream lines the backend system resources which
reduces the response time on targeted Member Lookup requests.
Change Card Number via Aloha Loyalty Web Service
This new method within the Aloha Loyalty web service allows you to change an existing card
number with a new card number that does not exist in the Aloha Loyalty system. So if a card has
been used once or assigned once, this card number cannot be used to replace the existing card
number. This new Web Service method mimics the same functionality as when changing a
member’s card number via the “Member Profile” module. All Bonus Plan merit, rewards and history
from the old card number is transferred to the new card number.
Aloha Loyalty Web Service Enhancements
New Aloha Loyalty Web Service methods have been added to turn rewards banking on or off and to
get the latest status of rewards banking. Methods have also been added to get the card numbers
using an email address or telephone number and check whether a t elephone number exists against
active and inactive accounts. The method that returns bonus plan standing has been enhanced to
be able to selectively return available items and purchased items. This prevents huge number of
items from being returned and results in performance improvement. Bonus plan expiration date has
been added to the same method.
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Hosted Solutions v13.4 Release Notes
Limit on Manual Adjustment Plan Credit Value
The Aloha Loyalty/Card lookup tab has been enhanced to set a limit and to validate the manual
adjustment desired plan credit value to prevent you from entering a very large value by mistake,
which might create large number of rewards causing system performance issues.
Date Format in MemberLink
MemberLink can now handle dates in UK format DD/MM/YYYY in additional to US date format.
Display Queued Rewards on POS Member Report
The Bonus Plan Reward Level Settings dialog has been enhanced to include a new control for
printing the reward name of queued rewards on the guest’s Member Report. When this checkbox is
selected and the member has earned the selected reward and the reward is queued, the system will
include the name of the reward on the Member Report.
Applying Real Time Discount
Aloha Loyalty/Bonus Plan Setup module/Rewards tab has been enhanced to allow the user to apply
a loyalty discount on either the highest, the lowest or the lowest non-zero priced item if a discount
is applied to a check with multiple items with different prices. Before this enhancement the system
always discounted the highest priced item(s) fi rst.
Maximum Credit Reached Message
There are now two new checkbox controls on the Print/Display tab of the Aloha Loyalty
Configuration module that allow you to display a notice on the POS guest check when the member
has reached the maximum amount of credit/merit per day or per check. The li mits per check and
per day are defined on the Rewards tab at the Bonus Plan level.
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Hosted Solutions v13.4 Release Notes
Activating Your New Features
Before you begin using new applications, enhancements, or reports, you will need to update
applicable security classes. The following instr uctions guide you through accessing the Edit Security
Classes screen.
1. From your Aloha Enterprise home page, select System Setup > Security Class Setup. The
Security Class Setup screen appears.
2. Select the security class to modify, and click Edit. The Edit Security Class screen appears.
3. Depending on the type of update you want to make to the Security Class, click Reports,
Applications, or Security Rights, and reference the following Security Class Update tables.
Reminder: In our Aloha Enterprise v8.1 release, there were enhancements to the Security
Class Setup module. We added a powerful new “auto -update” feature for security classes
that allows you to designate which security classes should have specific features without
concerning yourself with updating the security class after each Aloha Enterprise release.
If you assigned security classes to auto -update prior to this release, your users will
automatically have access to the applicable features. If you implemented this functionality
after receiving this release, it will take effect on the next Aloha Enterprise release.
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