Ordyx POS Review

But there are lots of POS systems geared toward restaurants these days. Let's take a look at what Ordyx offers, costs, and possible drawbacks. 

Is the Ordyx POS Right for your Restaurant?

Ordyx is a cloud-based POS system for restaurants that offers advantages that many existing POS setups do not have. Chief among them are its affordability and its Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) business model, which allows the platform to be deployed without large upfront expenditure. The service is bedeviled, however, by poor support, lackluster customer service and a dearth of training material, with many clients complaining of lack of responsiveness by customer service or a significant delay when problems arise.

In this review, we’ll sort through the good, the bad, and the ugly to help you decide if the Ordyx POS system is right for your restaurant.

Back to Basics: Hardware and Software

Ordyx POS systems serve restaurants in 40 different states as well as 8 different countries. They are versatile enough to be employed by casual and fast casual restaurants, fine dining establishments, delivery-only restaurants, bars, quick service, and food trucks.

Technological barriers to adoption are low. Windows, iOS, and Android versions of the platform are available. And restaurateurs have a choice of using either their own hardware (if compatible) or the Ordyx terminals and accessories.  

The platform can also be scaled for growing businesses. It will accommodate an operation with terminals in several locations or several terminals in one location.

Ordyx SaaS

Ordyx touts its Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) business model as a benefit, claiming on its website that it was the first cloud based point of sales system in the USA. Using it, the company says, eating establishments will enjoy increased efficiency, eliminating the burden of a “computer (that) needs to be maintained by restaurateurs in terms of backups, memory needs, hardware failures, etc.” However, it’s hard to see how that ‘burden’ is eliminated. Running backups hardly costs anything and keeping hardware up to date (which includes ensuring enough memory) would also be necessary in a SaaS environment.

Typically, the software to run a POS system is licensed to a client, which means the payment of large upfront costs and a great deal more responsibility for maintaining the system. There’s also the possibility of having to pay for upgrades. However, over time, software maintenance fees under a license agreement can add up, even to the point of exceeding license costs. Maintenance expenses include the costs of “ongoing product development that provides new product features, regulatory updates (e.g. tax table updates), and bug fixes” as well as “phone and Web-based support.”

With cloud-based SaaS systems such as Ordyx, what would have been a capital expenditure is converted to a series of recurring operating expenses over time. In other words, some cloud-based systems (like Ordyx) essentially spread out the costs over time, but you’ll still have many of the same costs.

However, that doesn’t mean that cloud-based / SaaS style POS systems don’t offer benefits. It can be convenient to get updates automatically rather than re-installing POS software. Many cloud-based systems also allow easier access to reports and dashboards from any internet-connected device, meaning you don’t have to be at the restaurant to access management functions of your POS system.

Ordyx Payments

As a POS system, Ordyx has no payment processing capability of its own but can integrate with a wide range of payment solutions. Consequently, hardware and rates will vary depending on the payment processor chosen.

Payment processors that are compatible with Ordyx include Chase Paymentech, Elavon, First Data, Global Payment Systems, Heartland Payment Systems, Mercury Payment Systems, TSYS, World Pay.

The payment processor will be the one to set your rates for credit card processing. Want to know exactly what you’ll pay? Join CardFellow and see the exclusive low prices our members receive on credit card processing. It’s free and private. Try it now!

Third Party Interface

Rather than incorporate non-standard functions which are not required by many establishments, Ordyx has been built to work with third party software for those establishments that want additional non-native functions. As a result, Ordyx allows seamless integration with software offering beverage control, loyalty management, property management, and an impressive array of other services.

The list of third party services available includes productivity apps such as Beer Saver, Inventory Xpress, Menu Drive, Market Man, and Mail Chimp. Integrations of Hotel/Property Management Systems include Front Desk Anywhere, Room Master, Room Key, and Magpie. Accounting and payroll integrations include ADP, QuickBooks, and Paychex. The range of integrations possible makes Ordyx easily customizable for the most uncommon business.

Ordyx POS Front of House (FOH)

The Ordyx FOH Main Screen presents a clean, uncluttered look with a login screen. After logging in, a server will be able to view the floor plan and the level of current activity. The example establishment in these screenshots – Bistro M – has two dining spaces, a patio and a sitting area, which are shown at the top of the left panel.

The main panel shows the seating arrangement of the dining space selected. The server can see at a glance the tables for which she is responsible, since they are colored red. Four important pieces of information are shown for each table: (i) table number; (ii) length of time that has elapsed since the order was sent to the kitchen; (iii) the total order value at that point in time; and (iv) the number of diners.

A server can access a “table” with one click to get more details, such as the items ordered.

When new guests arrive, the server choses an unoccupied table to assign.

Order Entry and Menu Items

As for order entry, the POS can group items into categories with individual items assigned to particular categories.

By clicking on a category, its menu items appear. For example, under Appetizers, menu items such as “Wing – 10pc” and “Quesadilla” are available.

Menu items can be shown with a list of modifiers, ingredients and other dietary information that increase customer options. Orders are sent to the kitchen via the Ordyx touchscreen device.

Ordyx also offers a function to enter the orders for individual guests at the table. The numbers appearing between the categories and the menu item indicate the number of guests, with each guest assigned a number. Table 3 has four (4) guests. By clicking on a number, the server can take the order for that specific guest.

Online Ordering

If you want to take orders online, you can add the Ordyx online ordering at no additional charge. This option is available for both pickup and delivery, though delivery management modules incur an additional fee. Customers will then be able to place an order online and either pick up the order or have it delivered.

The system can store customer names and addresses. When a customer places an order online for delivery, the system automatically loads Google Maps to show the way to his location. When the order is ready, the system shows available drivers to assign to the delivery.

Other FOH related functions include real-time online order tracking; splitting or merging orders; one touch cash payment; assigning customer names to orders; managing comps and discounts; accepting bar codes; handling tips; and a training mode for new staff.

Reporting

Ordyx offers around 30 standard reports that can be sorted in a number of ways, e.g. by date, by food group, or by employee. The reports can be modified to an extent, which allows a degree of customization. Sales history is tracked in real time showing activity levels – slow or busy – for different times of day. And reports incorporate graphs and spreadsheets that offer data visualization, which makes analyzing and interpreting data decidedly easier.

Ordyx Pricing

The Ordyx POS system is undoubtedly affordable and easy for the smallest establishment to acquire. There are no upfront setup fees nor requirements to sign a long term contract. Two pricing plans are currently available: Lite and Premium.