Dashboard - User Guide

Overview

The Dashboard section provides visual analytics and insights into your restaurant's operations. This section is available only to users with the Administrator role.

Use this section to:

Monitor order trends - View monthly order volume over time
Analyze staff performance - See which employees are creating the most orders
Get quick insights - Access key metrics at a glance
Track business patterns - Identify busy periods and trends

Important: Only Administrators can access the Dashboard. Staff members do not see this section in the navigation menu.

Understanding the Dashboard

Dashboard Components

The Dashboard displays visual charts and statistics to help you understand your restaurant's performance:

Welcome Message

Displays the Innkeeper logo and welcome message
Confirms you're in the Dashboard section

Monthly Orders Chart (Line Chart)

Shows the number of orders created each month and total revenue
Displays up to the last 12 months of data
Helps identify seasonal trends and growth patterns
X-axis: Month abbreviations (Jan, Feb, Mar, etc.)
Y-axis (left): Number of orders
Y-axis (right): Total revenue

Orders Pie Chart (Pie Chart)

Shows the distribution of orders by employee
Displays data from the last 12 months
Helps understand which staff members are most active
Each segment represents one employee
Segment size corresponds to their order count
Labels show employee names

Seasonal Meals Chart (Bar Chart)

Shows the most popular meals sold per season
Displays data for the last 4 seasons (approximately 12 months)
Helps identify which dishes perform best in different seasons
X-axis: Season names (e.g., "Winter 2024", "Spring", "Summer")
Y-axis: Total number of portions sold for each meal
Up to 4 most popular meals shown per season
Only appears when sufficient sales data exists

What the Charts Tell You

Monthly Orders Chart insights:

Growing trend - Orders increasing month-over-month
Declining trend - Orders decreasing (may need attention)
Seasonal patterns - Regular peaks and valleys (e.g., busy summer, slow winter)
Anomalies - Unusual spikes or drops in specific months

Orders Pie Chart insights:

Staff workload distribution - Which employees handle more orders
Training needs - Employees with low order counts may need more training or hours
Performance balance - Whether work is distributed evenly
Active vs. inactive staff - Who is currently creating orders

Seasonal Meals Chart insights:

Seasonal preferences - Which dishes are most popular in each season
Menu planning - Identify which items to feature or promote per season
Inventory optimization - Stock ingredients based on seasonal popularity
Marketing opportunities - Promote popular seasonal dishes
Menu adjustments - Consider removing items that don't appear in any season's top 4

Accessing the Dashboard

Prerequisites:

You must be logged in as an Administrator
Staff members cannot access this section

To access the Dashboard:

Open the main navigation menu
Select Dashboard
The page loads with all available charts

What you'll see:

Welcome banner at the top
Monthly Orders Chart (line graph)
Orders Pie Chart (pie/donut chart)
Each chart loads independently

Reading the Monthly Orders Chart

Chart Structure

Line Graph Format:

X-axis (horizontal): Months shown as three-letter abbreviations (Jan, Feb, Mar, etc.)
Y-axis left (vertical): Number of orders (whole numbers)
Y-axis right (vertical): Total revenue (currency amounts)
Lines: Two lines showing order count and revenue trends over time
Data Points: Each point represents total orders and revenue for that month

Interpreting the Data

Last 12 Months:

Chart shows up to the last 12 months of data
If your restaurant is newer, it shows all available months
Most recent month appears on the right
Oldest month appears on the left

Reading Trends:

Line going up: Order volume is increasing
Line going down: Order volume is decreasing
Flat line: Order volume is stable
Steep changes: Significant increases or decreases

Example Interpretations:

Scenario 1: Steady Growth

Line trends upward from left to right
Suggests business is growing
May indicate successful marketing or improved service

Scenario 2: Seasonal Pattern

Line peaks in summer months, dips in winter
Normal for many restaurants
Can plan staffing and inventory accordingly

Scenario 3: Sudden Drop

Sharp downward spike in one month
May indicate an issue (closure, competition, etc.)
Worth investigating the cause

What's Counted

Orders included:

All non-deleted orders created in the system
Deleted orders are excluded from all calculations
Grouped by the order's event date (not creation date)
Restaurant-specific (only your restaurant's orders)

Reading the Orders Pie Chart

Chart Structure

Pie/Donut Format:

Segments (slices): Each represents one employee
Segment size: Proportional to number of orders created
Labels: Employee names displayed on or near segments
Colors: Different color for each employee (auto-assigned)

Interpreting the Data

Last 12 Months:

Shows orders created by each employee in the last 12 months
Only includes visible (non-hidden) employees
Excludes system or hidden users
Deleted orders are excluded from counts

Reading Distribution:

Larger segments: Employees who created more orders
Smaller segments: Employees who created fewer orders
Missing employees: Either new or haven't created recent orders

Example Interpretations:

Scenario 1: Balanced Distribution

All segments roughly similar size
Indicates even workload distribution
Good for team morale and cross-training

Scenario 2: One Dominant Segment

One employee has a much larger segment
May indicate:
- They work more hours
- They're more experienced/faster
- Other staff need more training
- Workload imbalance

Scenario 3: Many Small Segments

Large number of employees with small segments
May indicate:
- High staff turnover
- Many part-time employees
- Orders spread across full team

What's Counted

Orders included:

All non-deleted orders created by each employee
Last 12 months of data
Based on order creation date
Only visible employees (hidden users excluded)
Restaurant-specific data

Reading the Seasonal Meals Chart

Chart Structure

Bar Chart Format:

X-axis (horizontal): Season names (e.g., "Winter 2024" for past year, "Spring", "Summer" for current year)
Y-axis (vertical): Total number of portions sold for each meal
Bars: Each colored bar represents one meal
Grouping: Bars are grouped by season
Legend: Shows which color corresponds to which meal

Understanding Seasons

Season Definition:

Each season spans approximately 3 months
Seasons are named after the calendar season:
- Winter: December-February
- Spring: March-May
- Summer: June-August
- Fall (Autumn): September-November

Data Range:

Chart shows the last 4 seasons (approximately 12 months)
Most recent season appears on the right
Only seasons with sales data are displayed
If no meals were sold in a season, it won't appear

Interpreting the Data

Top Performers Per Season:

Up to 4 most popular meals shown for each season
Popularity measured by total number of portions sold
Sums up all quantities ordered across all orders
Excludes deleted orders and deleted meals

Reading Trends:

Consistently tall bars: Meal is popular year-round
Seasonal peaks: Meal performs best in specific seasons
Missing from seasons: Meal not in top 4 for that period
Color patterns: Track individual meal performance across seasons

Example Interpretations:

Scenario 1: Year-Round Favorite

Same meal appears in all 4 seasons' top 4
Consistently high bar height across seasons
Suggests a reliable menu staple
Consider always keeping it available

Scenario 2: Seasonal Specialty

Meal appears only in summer seasons
Much taller bar in that season
Suggests seasonal demand (e.g., cold soup, ice cream)
Consider featuring it prominently during peak season

Scenario 3: Declining Popularity

Meal appears in older seasons but not recent ones
Bar height decreases over time
May indicate changing customer preferences
Consider refreshing or replacing the item

What's Counted

Meals included:

All non-deleted meals from your menu
Currently deleted meals are included if they were sold during the period
Counted based on order event date (not creation date)
Only orders from your restaurant

Counting method:

Sums the total quantity (portions) of each meal across all orders
If one order contains 3 portions of a meal, it counts as 3
Multiple orders are aggregated into total portions sold
Deleted orders are excluded from all calculations

Common Use Cases

Monthly Performance Review

Scenario: End of month, reviewing overall performance.

Navigate to Dashboard
Look at Monthly Orders Chart
Compare this month's orders to previous months
Identify trend: increasing, decreasing, or stable
Look for unusual patterns or anomalies
Use insights for:
- Staff scheduling next month
- Inventory planning
- Marketing decisions

Staff Performance Analysis

Scenario: Quarterly review of employee productivity.

Navigate to Dashboard
Look at Orders Pie Chart
Note which employees have larger segments
Compare to their work hours (external data)
Identify:
- High performers (large segments, good efficiency)
- Training opportunities (small segments despite many hours)
- New employees (small segments, recently hired)
Use insights for:
- Performance reviews
- Training plans
- Recognition and rewards

Seasonal Menu Planning

Scenario: Planning next season's menu and promotions.

Navigate to Dashboard
Look at Seasonal Meals Chart
Identify which meals performed best in the upcoming season last year
Note any consistent year-round performers
Look for items that don't appear in any season's top 4
Compare to current inventory and ingredient costs
Use insights for:
- Featured items for next season
- Special promotions for popular seasonal dishes
- Menu adjustments (remove unpopular items)
- Inventory planning for high-demand ingredients
- Marketing campaigns highlighting seasonal favorites

Seasonal Planning

Scenario: Planning for next year's busy season.

Navigate to Dashboard
Look at Monthly Orders Chart for full year
Identify seasonal patterns:
- Which months are busiest?
- Which months are slowest?
- Any recurring patterns?
Use insights for:
- Hiring seasonal staff
- Adjusting inventory orders
- Planning promotions for slow periods
- Scheduling staff vacations during slow months

Troubleshooting Declining Orders

Scenario: Noticed business seems slower lately.

Navigate to Dashboard
Check Monthly Orders Chart
Confirm whether orders are actually declining
Identify when the decline started
Look for external factors (new competition, road construction, etc.)
Review Orders Pie Chart to see if specific staff members are affected
Use insights to:
- Investigate root causes
- Adjust marketing or operations
- Provide additional staff training

Understanding Data Limitations

What the Dashboard Shows

Current capabilities:

Monthly order counts (last 12 months)
Orders by employee (last 12 months)
Basic trend visualization
Restaurant-specific data only

What the Dashboard Doesn't Show (Yet)

Not currently available:

Table utilization rates
Menu item popularity
Customer retention metrics
Time-based patterns (hourly, daily, weekly)
Comparison to previous years
Forecasting or predictions

Note: The Dashboard may be extended with additional charts and metrics in the future based on business needs.

Data Refresh

When data updates:

Dashboard data updates when you load or refresh the page
Reflects orders created up to the current date
No auto-refresh (manually reload page for latest data)

To refresh data:

Refresh your browser (F5 or Ctrl+R / Cmd+R)
Navigate away and back to Dashboard
Log out and back in

Tips and Best Practices

Regular Monitoring

Check the Dashboard regularly:

✅ Weekly for ongoing awareness
✅ Monthly for performance reviews
✅ Quarterly for strategic planning
✅ Before major decisions (hiring, marketing, etc.)

Establish a routine:

Set a specific day/time for Dashboard review
Compare to previous periods
Track trends over time
Document significant changes

Interpreting Trends

Consider context:

✅ Compare to same period last year (if available)
✅ Account for external factors (holidays, weather, events)
✅ Consider operational changes (menu updates, staffing, hours)
✅ Look at multiple data points, not single months

Avoid hasty conclusions:

❌ Don't panic over one slow month
❌ Don't attribute all changes to staff performance
❌ Don't ignore consistent long-term trends
❌ Don't make major decisions based solely on charts

Using Charts Together

Combine insights:

Look at both charts together for complete picture
Correlate order volume with staff distribution
Identify if declining orders affect all staff or just some
Use trends to predict future staffing needs

Example combined analysis:

Monthly chart shows 20% increase in orders
Pie chart shows orders concentrated among 2-3 employees
Insight: May need to hire additional staff to handle growth

Data Quality

Ensure accurate data:

Make sure all staff create orders in the system
Don't skip order entry during busy times
Train new staff on proper order creation
Periodically verify data accuracy

Factors affecting accuracy:

Manual orders not entered in system
Orders created under wrong employee account
System downtime or technical issues
Incomplete historical data (for new restaurants)

Troubleshooting

Charts Not Loading

If you see a loading indicator that doesn't complete:

Refresh your browser page
Check your internet connection
Try logging out and back in
Clear browser cache if issue persists

If you see "Something went wrong":

Indicates a data loading error
Refresh the page to retry
If error persists, contact support
Check if other sections of the system work normally

Missing Data

If charts appear empty:

New restaurant: May not have 12 months of historical data yet
No orders: If no orders created, charts will be empty
Data issue: Rarely, there may be a technical problem

If recent months are missing:

Refresh the page to get latest data
Verify orders were actually created in the system
Check that orders have valid event dates

Unexpected Results

If numbers seem wrong:

Verify what data is being counted (see "What's Counted" sections)
Remember chart shows last 12 months, not calendar year
Note that deleted orders are excluded from all charts
Check if date/time settings are correct

If employee segments seem off:

Remember it's based on last 12 months only
Hidden employees are excluded
Verify the employee actually created orders (vs. just modified them)
Consider staff turnover or role changes

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Why can't I see the Dashboard?
A: The Dashboard is only available to Administrators. If you're a Staff member, you won't see this section in the navigation. Contact your manager if you need Administrator access.

Q: Can I export chart data to Excel or PDF?
A: Not currently. This feature may be added in the future. For now, you can take screenshots of charts if needed.

Q: Why do the charts only show 12 months?
A: This is the current design to focus on recent trends. Future updates may add options to view longer time periods or compare to previous years.

Q: Can I filter charts by date range or other criteria?
A: Not currently. Charts show fixed data: last 12 months for monthly chart, last 12 months for pie chart. Custom filtering may be added in the future.

Q: Do deleted orders count in the charts?
A: No, deleted orders are excluded from all charts. Only active (non-deleted) orders are counted in both the Monthly Orders Chart and Orders Pie Chart.

Q: Why is an inactive employee still in the pie chart?
A: The chart shows all employees who created orders in the last 12 months, regardless of their current status. If they created orders during that period, they'll appear.

Q: How accurate is the monthly chart?
A: Very accurate, as long as all orders are entered into the system. It counts all non-deleted orders with event dates in each month and calculates revenue from order receipts.

Q: Can I see hourly or daily patterns?
A: Not currently. Charts show monthly data only. More granular time periods may be added in future updates.

Q: What if I want to compare this year to last year?
A: This feature isn't available yet but may be added in the future. Currently, you can mentally note patterns if you've been using the system for over a year.

Q: Can I customize chart colors or appearance?
A: No, chart styling is fixed. Focus is on functionality rather than customization.

Q: Does the Dashboard show real-time data?
A: No, data updates when you load/refresh the page. It's not a real-time dashboard. Refresh the page to see latest data.

Future Enhancements

The Dashboard is designed to grow and adapt to business needs. Potential future additions may include:

Possible Future Charts:

Revenue and sales analytics
Table utilization rates
Menu item popularity rankings
Customer frequency and retention
Staff efficiency metrics
Hourly/daily order patterns
Reservation trends

Possible Future Features:

Date range filters and custom periods
Export to Excel/PDF
Year-over-year comparisons
Forecasting and predictions
Drill-down capabilities
Custom dashboard layouts
Alert notifications for unusual patterns

Note: These are possibilities, not commitments. Future development will be based on business priorities and user feedback.

Need Help?

If you encounter issues or have questions:

Cannot access Dashboard: Verify you're logged in as Administrator
Charts not loading: Refresh page, check internet connection
"Something went wrong" error: Refresh page, try again later
Data seems incorrect: Verify orders are being created properly in the system
Missing recent data: Refresh page to load latest information

Before relying on Dashboard data:

✅ Understand what each chart represents
✅ Know the time periods covered (last 12 months)
✅ Consider external factors affecting trends
✅ Use charts as one input among many for decisions

Best practices:

Review Dashboard regularly (weekly or monthly)
Track trends over time, not single data points
Combine Dashboard insights with operational knowledge
Share relevant insights with your team
Use data to support, not replace, business judgment

Remember: The Dashboard provides helpful insights, but it's just one tool. Combine chart data with your operational experience, customer feedback, and business goals for best results.

Last Updated: November 2025