Understanding Order Statuses
Every order in Qrder has a status that indicates where it is in the fulfillment process. Managing these statuses accurately keeps your team coordinated and your customers informed.
The Order Status Flow
Orders move through a defined sequence of statuses:
1. New (Pending)
This is the initial status when a customer submits an order through the digital menu.
What it means:
- The order has been received by the system
- Kitchen staff have not yet started working on it
- It requires attention and acknowledgment
Action needed:
- Review the order items and any special notes
- Move the order to "Preparing" when the kitchen begins working on it
2. Preparing
This status indicates that the kitchen is actively working on the order.
What it means:
- Kitchen staff have acknowledged the order
- Food items are being prepared and cooked
- The order is in progress
Action needed:
- Continue preparation of all items in the order
- Monitor preparation time to ensure timely completion
- Move to "Ready" when all items are prepared
3. Ready
This status means all items in the order are prepared and waiting to be served.
What it means:
- Food is plated and ready for delivery
- Front-of-house staff should pick up the order
- The customer is waiting for their food
Action needed:
- Service staff should deliver the order to the correct table
- Move to "Delivered" once the food reaches the customer
4. Delivered
The final positive status - the order has reached the customer.
What it means:
- All items have been delivered to the customer's table
- The order is complete
- No further action needed for this order
Once an order is marked as Delivered, it moves out of the active order view and into the order history.
Changing Order Status
How to Update Status
- Find the order in the Order Management page or KDS
- Click on the order or the status update button
- Select the next status in the workflow
- The status change is saved immediately and reflected across the system
Status Change Rules
- Statuses generally progress forward: New > Preparing > Ready > Delivered
- You can move an order to the next logical status in the sequence
- Status changes are reflected in real time on both the Order Management page and the KDS
- Each status change is timestamped for tracking purposes
Cancelling Orders
Sometimes you may need to cancel an order. This can happen for various reasons:
When to Cancel
- Customer requests cancellation before preparation begins
- An item is unavailable and cannot be substituted
- There is a duplicate or erroneous order
- Customer leaves before the order is prepared
How to Cancel
- Find the order you need to cancel
- Look for the Cancel option on the order
- Click Cancel and confirm when prompted
- The order status changes to "Cancelled"
After Cancellation
- Cancelled orders remain in the system for record-keeping
- They are removed from the active order view
- They can still be found using the status filter set to "Cancelled"
- Cancelled orders do not count toward revenue metrics
Be cautious when cancelling orders. If the customer is still present, communicate with them before cancelling. If preparation has already started, discuss options with the kitchen staff first.
Order Status Best Practices
Timely Updates
Update order statuses as soon as a transition happens:
- Move to "Preparing" the moment kitchen staff start working on an order
- Move to "Ready" as soon as all items are plated
- Move to "Delivered" immediately after bringing food to the table
Delayed status updates create confusion and reduce the value of the order tracking system.
Consistent Workflow
Establish a clear process for who updates statuses and when:
- Kitchen staff update from New to Preparing, and from Preparing to Ready
- Service staff update from Ready to Delivered
- Managers handle cancellations and exception cases
Monitor Stuck Orders
Regularly check for orders that seem stuck in one status:
- An order that has been "New" for more than a few minutes may have been overlooked
- An order in "Preparing" for an unusually long time may indicate a kitchen issue
- An order marked "Ready" that has not been delivered needs service staff attention
Handle Peak Hours
During busy periods:
- Focus on moving orders through the pipeline quickly
- Prioritize older orders over newer ones
- Communicate between kitchen and front-of-house to prevent bottlenecks
- Use the KDS in conjunction with Order Management for maximum efficiency
Status History and Timing
Each order maintains a timeline of its status changes:
What Is Tracked
- Timestamp of each status change
- Duration in each status
- Total order time from placement to delivery
Using Timing Data
This timing information helps you:
- Identify how long each stage takes on average
- Find bottlenecks in your preparation or delivery process
- Set realistic expectations for customer wait times
- Measure and improve your kitchen efficiency over time
Consistent status updates are essential for accurate timing data. If statuses are not updated promptly, the timing data will be unreliable.
Coordination Between KDS and Order Management
If you use both the Kitchen Display System and Order Management:
- Status changes made on the KDS are reflected in Order Management and vice versa
- Both interfaces show the same real-time data
- Kitchen staff typically use the KDS, while managers use Order Management
- There is no conflict when both systems are used simultaneously
You do not need to update the status in both places. A change made on one interface is automatically synced to the other.
Next Steps
With order management covered, learn how to analyze your business performance with analytics.
See also: Analytics & Reports to understand your business metrics and trends.