Order Lifecycle
Every order in OMS follows a clear lifecycle with five stages. As an Order Manager, you control when an order moves from one stage to the next.
The Five Stages
Orders progress through these stages in sequence:
| Stage | What It Means |
|---|---|
| Received | A new order has come in and is waiting for you to accept it. |
| In Progress | You've accepted the order and the kitchen is preparing it. |
| Cooking Done | The kitchen has finished preparing all items. |
| Ready for Pickup | The order is packaged and waiting for the customer. |
| Delivered | The customer has received their order. This is the final stage. |
Accepting an Order
When a new order appears in the Received tab, tap on it to review the details. Before accepting, you can adjust several things:
Set Prep Time
Estimate how long the order will take to prepare. This time is communicated to the customer so they know when to expect their food.
Confirm or Change Dining Method
The customer may have selected dine-in, takeaway, or delivery. You can confirm or change the dining method if needed — for example, if a customer calls to switch from dine-in to takeaway.
Confirm or Change Payment Method
Review the payment method (online, cash, or card). You can change it if the customer requests a different method at the counter.
When you change the payment method, any applicable surcharge is automatically recalculated. For example, switching from cash to online payment may add a processing surcharge, and vice versa.
Add Discount or Notes (Optional)
You can apply an optional discount to the order or add notes for the kitchen or for internal reference before accepting.
Once everything looks right, tap Accept to move the order to In Progress.
Moving Orders Through Stages
After accepting, advance the order through each stage as work is completed:
- In Progress → Cooking Done — Tap when the kitchen finishes preparing all items.
- Cooking Done → Ready for Pickup — Tap when the order is packaged and waiting.
- Ready for Pickup → Delivered — Tap when the customer has picked up or received their order.
Each transition is a single tap. The order moves to the next status tab automatically.
During busy service periods, use the status tabs to quickly see which orders need attention. The In Progress tab shows what the kitchen is working on, while Ready for Pickup shows what's waiting to go out.
Cancelling an Order
You can cancel an order from any stage in the lifecycle — whether it's just been received or is already ready for pickup.
To cancel an order:
- Open the order details.
- Tap Cancel Order.
- Select a cancellation reason from the pre-configured list (these reasons are set up by the business owner in BMS).
- Confirm the cancellation.
The order is removed from the active queue and recorded as cancelled for reporting purposes.
Processing Refunds
When an order is cancelled (or a partial refund is needed), how you handle the refund depends on the original payment method.
Online Payments
For orders paid online, you can process the refund directly in OMS:
- Full refund — Refunds the entire order amount.
- Partial refund — Refunds a specific portion of the order (for example, if only some items need to be refunded).
The refund is processed through the payment gateway and the customer receives their money back to their original payment method.
Cash or Card Payments
For orders paid with cash or card at the counter:
- Handle the refund offline (return cash or reverse the card charge at the terminal).
- Record the refund in OMS so it appears in your reports and maintains an accurate audit trail.
Recording cash/card refunds in OMS doesn't move any money — it simply keeps your records accurate for reporting and reconciliation.
Creating Walk-In Orders
Order Managers can create orders on behalf of customers who walk up to the counter. This is useful for customers who prefer to order in person rather than through the FOS (Front of Shop) app.
To create a walk-in order:
- Tap New Order (or the equivalent button on the main screen).
- Select items from the menu.
- Choose the dining method and payment method.
- Submit the order.
The walk-in order enters the lifecycle at the Received stage and follows the same flow as any other order.