Otter POS: How to use your Dashboard

• View your live data feed
• Analyze business performance
• Investigate what’s working vs. what’s not on your menu
• Track the effectiveness of your operations and promotions
• Find the right staffing allocation
• Integrate your POS system
• Manage your menu across platforms and locations
• Review your payout and tax reports
• Build your business with Virtual Brands
• Schedule and run promotions
• View your order history
• Manage delivery app connections
• Connect new integrations

Notes:

• There may be a delay when the alert will be received.
• The storefront paused alert is only available to customers on Advanced Insights, Pro, Otter Standard, and Otter Premium.

Step	Process	Image
1	On Live Monitoring (the homepage), open your Notifications panel and select [Live Alerts].
2	You'll be taken to the settings page. Select which locations you would like to receive alerts for.
3	Customize what types of alerts you want to receive: Storefront paused Prep time change Unavailable items Auto-accept change
4	Choose where you would like to receive the alerts:  SMS Email Mobile app	SMS Notification Email Notification Mobile App Notification

Note: Your access to these widgets depends on your plan. Check out tryotter.com/pricing-details for more information.

Step	Process	Image
1	On Live Monitoring (the homepage), click View yesterday's sales report. You'll be presented with a summary of your previous day's highlights.
2	Close the summary. Scroll down on the homepage.
3	See if anything needs your attention on the widgets. These widgets provide you with a quick look at any urgent operational issues.
4	To dive deeper, click on the widget to be taken to its corresponding app.

Note: Operational Excellence reports are available to customers on the following Otter subscriptions: Advanced Insights, Pro, Otter Standard, and Otter Premium.

Step	Process	Image
1	On the Analytics app, navigate to Operational Excellence.
2	Find out the top reasons for order issues and how much money you’ve lost because of them. Optional Filters: You can add filters to view specific data including date range, brand, location, channel, and fulfillment mode.
3	Dig deeper into which hours of the day, products, and more are causing the most issues by selecting View More.

Notes:

• Depending on the reason and channel, you may want to investigate further and tie your insights with those found in Operational Excellence.
• The Availability report is available to customers on the following Otter subscriptions: Advanced Insights, Pro, Otter Standard, and Otter Premium.

Step	Process	Image
1	On the Analytics app, go to Availability.
2	Optional: Select the date range, brand or store, channel, or any custom location tags you created.
3	See which stores had the most downtime. Downtime is the number of offline hours as a % of your operating hours. Optional Filters: You can add filters to view specific data including date range, brand, location, channel, and any custom location tags you created.
4	Identify the top reasons for downtime.
5	Switch to the Estimated Lost Revenue view to see everything in $ values. Estimated Lost Revenue is what you would have made in sales if you did not have downtime.

Notes:

• You can always see the full report by selecting [View More].
• The Menu Performance report is available to customers on the following Otter subscriptions: Advanced Insights, Pro, Otter Standard, and Otter Premium.

Step	Process	Image
1	On the Analytics tab, go to Menu Performance.
2	Discover what your top menu items are, and how many of each you’ve sold. Optional Filters: You can add filters to view specific data including date range, brand, location, channel, and fulfillment mode.
3	Next, monitor your add-on (modifier) sales to see if you need to update them or offer new ones.
4	Get fresh ideas straight from your customers on what combinations and pairings would work best by checking item combinations.
5	Ensure you always have stock to fulfill orders by reviewing the items that became unavailable.

Note: Seasonality, types of promotions, and menu changes may greatly impact your promotional effectiveness. Make sure to watch out for any sudden changes in the charts.

Step	Process	Image
1	On the Analytics tab, go to Marketing.
2	Get a key understanding if you are making more from your promotional spend by looking at the history of promoted sales. Optional Filters: You can add filters to view specific data including date range, brand, location, channel, and fulfillment mode.
3	Skip computing ROI by checking the summary of promotion ROI and total promoted order volume, both of which are readily accessible to you. Learn what promotion types are most effective.

Notes:

• Ensure all your delivery apps and stores are connected by visiting the Integrations tab.
• The Rating & Reviews report is available to customers on the following Otter subscriptions: Advanced Insights, Pro, Otter Standard, and Otter Premium.

Step	Process	Image
1	On the Analytics tab, go to Ratings & Reviews.
2	Track ratings from all your delivery partners and investigate drops by channel. Optional Filters: You can add filters to view specific data including date range, brand, location, channel, and fulfillment mode.

Notes:

• Ensure all your delivery apps and stores are connected by visiting the Integrations tab.
• Rating & Reviews reports are available to customers on Advanced Insights or Pro.

Step	Process	Image
1	Go to the settings page.
2	Head to location tags.
3	Click add location tag.
4	Set your tag by assigning: A tag name: This is the filter group by which you want to categorize your locations by; eg. Regions Options: These are the dimensions or how you want to filter; eg. northwest, central, southeast for Regions.
5	Create tag. You can modify existing tags on this page.
6	Your new tags are now ready to use in any of your reports in Analytics or Live Monitoring.

Notes: The POS Summary currently redirects to Sales Summary. Both reports are identical, ensuring all relevant data is accessible in one place.

Step	Process	Image
1	On the Financials tab, go to Sales Summary.
2	Access a comprehensive overview of daily transactions across all sales channels.  Key metrics include Net Sales, Tips, and Refunds/Adjustments, with a breakdown by channel. Optional Filters: Refine the view by adjusting filters for date, brand, location, or channel.
3	Analyze detailed channel-wise data such as Gross Sales, Discounts, Net Sales, and Payment Method Type. Learn about individual performance across delivery platforms, in-store transactions, and more.
4	Export the report for bookkeeping or operational insights.

Notes: The Financials app is available to customers on Advanced Insights or Pro subscriptions.

Step	Process	Image
1	On the Financials tab, go to Payouts.
2	Get a comprehensive breakdown of your payouts from each delivery partner, sorted by payout date and store. Optional Filters: You can add filters to view specific data including date range, brand or store, and channel.
3	Dive deeper into each and learn their adjustments, delivery partner commissions, discounts, error charges, and more.
4	Export the report for your accounting system as needed.

Note: The Financials app is available to customers on Advanced Insights or Pro subscription.

Step	Process	Image
1	On the Financials tab, go to Taxes.
2	Get a comprehensive breakdown of your taxes for each store and learn tax withheld / tax to operator and the tax %. Optional Filters: You can add filters to view specific data including date range, brand or store, and channel.
3	Dive deeper into each and learn the details of each tax transaction.
4	Export the report for your accounting system as needed.

Note: You will have to categorize your transactions at the onset, but once Spending detects a similar transaction in the future, it will automatically categorize it.

Step	Process	Image
1	On the Financials tab, go to Spending.
2	Connect your bank account (checking) by following the prompts. Your details are secure as we have partnered with Plaid, an industry leader in financial services.
3	Once connected, your dashboard will be gradually populated with your transactions.
4	You’ll see your month-to-date spend, categorical expenses, historical spending by month, and top expensed merchants and transactions.
5	You can easily change the category or add another checking account by managing accounts & stores.

Notes:

• When you import a menu from an existing partner, the items that were marked as unavailable will not be preserved. Please keep a record of these items to mark them unavailable afterward.
• If you're integrating with a POS (Clover, Menusifu, Toast, etc.), we highly recommend that your menu source of truth come from the POS directly.

Step	Process	Image
1	Once in the Menu app, select Import from existing service.
2	Select the brand of your choice (if you have multiple brands).
3	Select the location that has the desired menu.
4	Select the partner that has the best menu in the selected location.
5	Select the services in which that menu should be published to.

Notes:

• Check prices, names, descriptions, photos, and tag
• Check menu item prices if your prices differ on each app
• Check that the modifier groups have all the relevant items and that the modifiers are connected to specific items/categories
• Check that menu hours are correct in each location
• Check the cuisine type in “Menu settings”
• Check that all locations are connected to your imported menu

Step	Process	Image
1	Once the import is done, you will be able to see the menu in the All menus section.
2	Select the menu to check it's categories, items, modifiers, and hours.
3	Click on menu, categories, items, modifiers & hours and verify that all the information was imported correctly.
4	Select Edit Menu to add item tag, description, and locations.

When you click [Create Menu] you will be able to:

• Check the menu name
• Add categories, items, modifiers, menu hours, and photos
• Verify menu settings (e.g. cuisine type, locations, description)

Step	Process	Image
1	Once on the Menu tab, click Create Manually within Otter.
2	Add menu name.
3	Select the brand you want to update and press Continue.
4	Select the locations where you would like to serve that menu.

Helpful tips: You will see a red “conflict” error if a menu already exists for that brand/location.

Step	Process	Image
1	Once in the Menu app, click Upload.
2	Download the template.
3	Fill in the template with your menu details.
4	Upload the template to Otter by selecting Browse files.
5	Add your menu name & select your brand.
6	Choose locations where the menu is served.

Key Points to Remember:

• The multi-menu will only be published to channels that support multi-menus.
• Some channels do not permit overlapping hours between menus; users will receive a notification when publishing if this occurs.
• A menu without set hours will not be published.

Step	Process	Image
1	Open Otter Dashboard.
2	Click on [Apps] and select [Menus] from the drop-down.
3	Select the menu you would like to udpate.
4	Multi Menus can be managed and explored through two different access points: the dropdown menu on the Overview page and the Menus tab.
5	Overview Page From the multi-menu dropdown on the Overview page, it is possible to add a new menu by selecting "Add Menu," view an existing menu directly on the same page or access the settings for an existing menu by choosing the "Edit Menu" option. Menus tab In the Menus tab, it is possible to add a new menu by clicking "Add Menu," filter existing menus by the assigned location, select one or more menus for bulk deletion, search for a menu by name, and access a specific menu to edit its settings.
6	When selecting "Add Menu" or accessing an existing menu, the necessary information must be provided to configure the menu. These settings will be specifically associated with the selected menu. Name (mandatory): this will appear to the channels Description: (note: not all channels support menu description) Cuisine types: help categorize the menu, aiding in indexing within the channel. Fulfillment mode: this selection will depend on how the eater will be able to place orders for the menu Categories: the user can create the menu by adding categories to it. Only added categories will be offered with this menu. Assigned locations: the menu can be assigned to one or more locations Offered on: the menu can be served to one or more channels, this menu will be published only to the selected channels. Remember to "Save" the changes!
7	PLEASE NOTE: Assigning hours to a menu from the Menus tab is crucial, as menus will not be published without these settings in place.

Notes:

• Ensure you add the alcohol tag to relevant items on your menu.
• Ensure the prices & tax rate are correct.
• Upload photos with the recommended size. Good photos are crucial for maximum conversion.
• Make the descriptions enticing and detailed: be clear in terms of size, content, etc.
• Remember to always save your changes.

Step	Process	Image
1	When you click on the category, you can change the name, description, add items to the category (“+”), remove items, and delete the category.
2	Click on the item to change its name, description, image, and price per delivery app. Add the item to a category, and tag if it’s alcohol or not.
3	You can add that item to a modifier group and delete the item.

Notes:

• Some delivery services do not support this pricing method and will use the main item price
• Ensure all delivery services are connected before updating pricing
• Publish your menu after making changes to ensure accuracy across your delivery services

Step	Process	Image
1	When you are creating a new item, you will see the option for advanced pricing
2	Click on the “Advanced pricing” link or tab at the top of the item creation page
3	Enter your delivery price
4	Toggle “Price per fulfillment” on if you have a different price for pick-up
5	Add price overrides if applicable

Notes:

• Use required modifiers if it’s a meal or an item that needs to be selected (e.g. type of cheese).
• Make the modifier optional and add suggested items for the selected dish to maximize basket size (e.g. sides, desserts).
• Make sure the modifiers are connected to the correct items.
• Simplicity matters. Try not to overuse modifiers.
• Remember to always save your changes.

Step	Process	Image
1	You can add a modifier group or edit existing ones.
2	You can edit names and descriptions.
3	You can make the modifier required or optional. If required, you can:   Select 1 modifier Select a maximum number of modifiers Set a range
4	You can add modifiers, rearrange them, and change the prices.

Notes:

• Nested modifiers could be:
• Meat preparation (e.g. rare, medium rare)
• Add or remove toppings/ingredients
• Preparation options (e.g. Choice of pizza crust)
• Spice levels
• Different sauce options
• Vegetarian, gluten-free, etc.

Step	Process	Image
1	You can create nested modifiers. Just make sure you have the correct modifier arrangement. For example: Add Cheese (Modifier) Choose cheese type (Nested Modifier)
2	The user will select the cheese and then add the extras, for example.

Notes:

• IMPORTANT: Your menu will not publish to delivery partners if you do not have hours set.
• Try opening for delivery 15-30 min after your restaurant’s opening time to have all the food prepared.
• Make sure your closing time is accurate. An order could come at the last minute!
• Try to have accurate setups based on your capacity. Your availability against set operating hours impacts your ranking on delivery platforms.

Step	Process	Image
1	You can adjust hours when clicking on the hours tab.
2	You can enable unique hours per day and add opening and closing hours.
3	You can add special hours (e.g. national holidays).

Notes:

• Pricing per delivery app information can be found in the “advanced pricing” slide.
• Some delivery partners don’t accept app-specific selections, so please ensure those services are toggled off.
• You can test exclusive items per delivery app.
• You can create specific item promotions per delivery app.
• Gain control of how you position items per app.

Step	Process	Image
1	To make a menu only available for specific apps, toggle the services on/off in the “edit menu” section
2	Make Modifier groups app specific by navigating to the “modifier group” page, selecting the modifier you’d like to update and toggling on/off the delivery app it’s offered on.
3	To make an item available on specific delivery apps, go to the items page, select the item and toggle on/off the delivery partners.

Notes:

• Ideal image size: 1400 x 800px
• You can bulk upload multiple photos when prompted to add photos at any point in the menu management process.
• You can upload photos from the delivery service of your choice or upload new photos.
• You can manage your menu item photos in Photobank.
• Otter will flag any photos that do not meet a high-quality bar and give you tips for improving.

Step	Process	Image
1	Open Menu Manager.
2	Select your Menu.
3	Navigate to the “Photos” tab.
4	Select the photos.
5	Click on ‘Assign to items’.
6	Save the changes.

Notes:

• Station item name can be used as a back-of-house name that differs from the menu name customers see.
• IMPORTANT: This information only applies to multiple-location customers.

Step	Process	Image
1	From the “items” page, select the item you wish to update.
2	Review location & station assignment.
3	Update assignment or “station item name” by clicking “edit details” and selection station or editing the station item name.

Notes:

• This is only applicable to sticker printer customers.
• Print on label option is available at the item level.

Step	Process	Image
1	From the “items” section, click into the item(s) you wish to update.
2	At the bottom of the edit item page, you will see the “order details” section.
3	Toggle the “Print on label” option on or off.

Notes:

• Make sure all items have appropriate descriptions.
• Test out selecting items and adding them to the cart to ensure a great customer experience.

Before you publish your menu, you can preview how it looks to customers by following the steps below:

Step	Process	Image
1	Click “Preview menu”.
2	Select the location & service you want to preview your menu on.
3	Preview will open in a new tab.
4	Review your menu and make any changes as needed.

Notes:

• Make sure you have reviewed everything before publishing.
• Make sure you have photos, clear descriptions, and an easy-to-navigate structure.

As soon as you have completed & previewed your menu and are ready to publish, you can do the following:

Step	Process	Image
1	Click on “Publish”.
2	Select the following: Which delivery app to push the menu to (e.g. UberEats, DoorDash, Grubhub) Select all locations or specific ones Click on “Publish menu”

Notes:

• IMPORTANT: If you do not see the availability options, please reach out to our team via the support button in your app.
• Items marked “Unavailable today” automatically become "Available" the next morning.
• You can mark items available again in the “Unavailable tab”.
• Check the delivery channel and app where availability changes will be made at the bottom of the “Change availability” screen.
• For location-specific changes, select the location first.
• Not all delivery partners allow making changes this way- if they are not supported, you will see an alert notifying you.

Step	Process	Image
1	Navigate to the menu you want to updates & click “Items” tab.
2	Select items to mark unavailable.
3	Click “Change availability”.
4	Choose the duration of unavailability.

Note: Review the location and services where the item will be marked available at the bottom of the screen.

Step	Process	Image
1	Navigate to the menu you want to make updates to and select the “Items” tab.
2	Select items to mark available.
3	Click “change availability”.
4	Mark as “Available”.

Notes:

• An alert message will appear if one of your delivery partners does not support item availability changes.
• You can make changes to multiple items at the same time.
• Search for items to make changes for larger menus.
• Be sure to publish the menu after all changes to ensure changes are reflected correctly.

Step	Process	Image
1	From the “items” section, select the item(s) you wish to update.
2	At the bottom of the page, you will see options to update availability, price or delete the item.
3	Mark item(s) unavailable for today or indefinitely and click “publish availability.”
4	Increase or decrease pricing for item(s) by percentage or fixed amount.

Automate your promotions using Otter.

Notes:

• Choose a distinct campaign name that makes sense to you when seen in a list. The best practice is to add strategy, channel, and duration in the name.
• If you’re new to promos, choose automatic rather than custom.
• Choose between maximizing growth or take-home pay depending on your business goals.

Step	Process	Image
1	Click on “Promotions”.
2	Create a campaign name & choose a campaign strategy.
3	Decide whether you’d like Otter to optimize for growth or profit and enter the weekly budget.
4	Choose a specific time period or ongoing.
5	Choose which channels you want to run the promotion on.

Notes:

• If you’ve already been running promos, choose [Custom].
• Make sure your menu is imported to run item-level promotions.
• Use item-level promotions to help clear inventory, introduce a new dish, or promote a favorite.
• Use order-level promotions to promote new locations or stores struggling with growth

If you choose custom campaigns for campaign strategy, please follow the steps below:

Step	Process	Image
1	Choose your target audience for the campaign.
2	Choose to promote at item level or order level.
3	For order level, choose campaign characteristics like discount type, percentage, and minimum order size.
4	If you’re promoting at the item level, choose that promotion type.
5	Choose which items you want to promote.

Notes:

• Toggling the per-store data button lets you see results on a per-store basis.
• Clicking on the view insights button in the top right corner of the page will take you back to the Insights tab on the left side menu.

Once you have set up your campaigns, you can monitor them for ongoing performance.

Step	Process	Image
1	Click on “Performance”.
2	Select campaigns or choose “All campaigns”.
3	Choose your time period.
4	Choose the brands and locations you want.
5	Choose channels to view.
6	Look at summary or look at results by campaign or even store.

The Insights tab will allow you to:

1	Create multiple strategies with varying configurations.
2	Test different strategies across locations, brands, or channels.
3	Monitor performance by campaign to leverage most effective strategies.

Manage your virtual brand once you’ve signed up for them.

Step	Process	Image
1	Click on “Virtual brands” and then choose “Menus”.
2	Click on the vertical ellipses next to each item to expand the menu and choose “View Menu”.
3	Choose “Items” to view the list of items in your portfolio of virtual brands along with their descriptions and price.
4	Choose “Add ons” to view available add-on options for each item on your menu and their price.