Difficulty with specials that are made up of multiple items

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CactusJack
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Difficulty with specials that are made up of multiple items

Post by CactusJack »

I'm having trouble defining our popular specials in the LT version and am looking to understand whether the SA version would provide the needed function.
Note: Below I use the term "package" for what is called a "special" in the POSPizza manual.
The LT version allows us to package price a group of items and the system checks to ensure that they are added. What I can't seem to do is:
1) make the system ensure that the pricing of the package deal doesn't go below the price shown on our menu by not adding the included number of toppings on the 2 pizzas that are in the package. We have a number of "2 topping - 2 Pizza" specials. The LT system can ensure that we have the right number of pizzas of the right size but I can't see how to include the correct number of free toppings which are specific to the package. The issue is that packages seem to be implemented as fixed discounts in POSPizza rather than a fixed minimum price.
2) ensure that we meet a "one out of group" or "two out of a group" requirement for pizza and non-pizza items in the package. For example, one package deal requires a selection of 2 pizzas out of our list of 9 specialty pizzas. The same special also requires one 2L drink out of a group of 2L drinks of different flavours. We effectively need a similar grouping scheme for required Master Items as the system already has for Topping groups.
Complicating factors:
Please note that for any pizzas, we need to allow the customer to choose toppings (or additional toppings on standard topping pizzas) and these need to be half toppings when requested. If not for this requirement, I would have already been able to handle difficulty 1 above with an adapted usage of the topping selection screen.
We really want to avoid entering special master items such as "2-Topping Pizza" item for each pizza size just for use in the packages. The customer often decides to go for the package after adding a pizza or two to the order and then realizing that the package would include the same pizzas at a discount. That would force us to delete the non-package pizzas with existing topping selections from the order and re-add them as the "2-Topping Pizza" and redo the topping selections.
We need to retain the ability to do second-level selections on Master items that are included in packages (e.g an order of chicken wings with a choice of 2 sauces out of 8 varieties), and we really want selections to be recorded in the system rather than manually written on the bill or typed in as extra information. We don't want inventory control to disappear.
Please let me know if you can assist with this challenge.
Last of all, let me say what a great system you have put together. I'm amazed how close to actual use we've approached with just the LT version. As a former software developer, I'm very impressed at the depth of function and reliability of the system.

regards,

CJ (John)
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Scott
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Re: Difficulty with specials that are made up of multiple it

Post by Scott »

Hi John,

Setup your 2-topping pizzas at the desired base price, then include 2 toppings for free. This will ensure that the price with no toppings, one topping or two toppings for that item is the same. Adding 3 or more toppings will charge extra for those additional toppings.

#2 cannot be done in the LT version because it would require Item Groups to make that happen. Those are only available in the full versions. This allows picking 1 or more from a group of available items e.g. Like a pizza & 1 side of the buyer's choice.

You can do the include X toppings in the LT version, but you cannot do the require items from certain item groups.


Scott
CactusJack
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Re: Difficulty with specials that are made up of multiple it

Post by CactusJack »

Thanks for the prompt response!
I think we're good on issue #1 but we needed to extend the solution a bit to cover all different situations.
Using a 2 topping pizza as the solution would work fine if the person orders the special right from the outset. We only have 1-topping pizzas defined as master items currently so it would have the undesirable but pretty minor side effect of forcing us to add more menu items (one for each pizza size: 2 topping small, 2 topping medium, etc.) Not a big deal, though, so for the situation where the special is requested at the outset, it's a workable solution.
However, it's frequently a case where a person orders a 1-topping pizza, then adds a 1-topping pizza, then adds one topping and then says "Oh, just change that to be the 2-topping 2 pizza special" which is logical because it would save them money and that's all good. However, to do this, I thought that we would have to delete the two "1 topping pizzas" and add them back using the "2 topping pizza" as the base for each of the two pizzas. This is relatively impractical with someone on the phone. BUT, I just tried the swap function and this seems to work nicely to prevent re-entering the pizza info. So that situation is covered as well.
For the #2 response, that was expected and I will petition the business owner to purchase the SA licence so that we can try it out. I think all concerned would be happy if that provides the needed tool.

thanks again,
CJ (John)
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