How To - Managing Sites


This How To Guide will talk through the five main categories when it comes to managing sites:

  • Areas - the different physical spaces or zones within your venue that can be booked by customers.

  • Tables - allows you to manage the individual tables within your venue that can be booked by customers.

  • Turn Times - allows you to configure the expected duration for bookings, which helps manage table availability and turnover

  • Layouts - allows you to create and apply custom floor plans or seating arrangements to your venue. This helps manage table availability and bookings more effectively.

  • Plans - refers to the schedules and availability that are applied to specific days or time periods. Plans help you control when bookings can be made and how capacity is managed.


Areas

Setting up Areas

  1. Go to the Manage Sites section and click on the Areas tab.

  2. Click the Add New button to create a new area.

  3. In the area details:

    1. Enter an Internal Name (for your reference)

    2. Enter a Display Name (what the customer will see)

    3. Add a Description (provide details about the area)

    4. You can also add an email template to be sent when this area is booked

  4. In the Availability section:

    1. Set the Minimum and Maximum Covers allowed for this area

    2. Specify the Maximum Advance Booking time (how far in advance it can be booked)

  5. Choose the Minimum Notice required for bookings in this area

  6. In the Schedule section:

    1. Configure the dates and times when this area is available for bookings

    2. This allows you to make certain areas bookable only during specific periods

  7. Save the new area


Linking Areas to Bookings

  1. When creating or editing a booking occasion, you'll see an Area Selection section.

    Here, you can choose which areas to make available for customers to select from.

  2. The areas you've previously set up in the Manage Sites section will be available in this dropdown.

  3. Customers will then be able to choose the appropriate area for their booking.


Tables

Setting up Tables

  1. Go to the Manage Sites section and click on the Tables tab.

  2. You have two options for adding tables:

    • Click Add New Table to add a single table

    • Use the Bulk Add feature to add multiple tables at once

  3. When adding a new table:

    1. Enter a Table Number or Name

    2. Set the Minimum and Maximum Covers for that table

    3. Indicate if the table should be Unavailable for Auto Assign

    4. Select the Area where this table is located

  4. For bulk adding tables:

    1. Specify the range of table numbers to add (e.g. 1-50)

    2. Set the default Minimum and Maximum Covers

    3. Mark any tables as Unavailable for Auto Assign as needed

  5. Save the new tables.


Table Joins

The Table Joins feature allows you to link multiple tables together as a single booking option.

  1. Go to the Manage Sites section and click on the Table Joins tab.

  2. Click Add New to create a new table join.

  3. Provide a name for the join (e.g. "Large Table for 10-12 Guests")

  4. Set the Minimum and Maximum Covers for the joined tables.

  5. In the Formula field, select the individual tables you want to join together.

  6. Assign the joined tables to the appropriate Area.

  7. Save the new table join.

Now, when customers are booking, they will see the joined tables as a single option, with the combined cover capacity. This allows you to offer larger, combined seating arrangements to accommodate bigger parties.


When creating a table/join, you'll select the Area it belongs to from the dropdown. This ensures the joined tables are only available for bookings in that specific zone or space.


Turn Times

The Turn Times feature in the booking system allows you to configure the expected duration for bookings, which helps manage table availability and turnover.


Turn Times Explained

Turn Times represent the estimated length of time a booking will occupy a table. This includes the time for guests to be seated, dine, and vacate the table.

Accurate Turn Times are crucial for preventing overbooking and ensuring tables are available for the next booking.


Setting up Turn Times

  1. Go to the Manage Sites section and click on the Tables tab.

  2. Locate the Turn Times section at the top of the page.

  3. Here, you can configure the Turn Times for your venue:

    • Meal Duration: The expected length of the meal service.

    • Turnaround Time: The time needed to reset the table for the next booking.

    • Total Turn Time: The combined Meal Duration and Turnaround Time.

  4. You can set different Turn Times for:

    • Breakfast

    • Lunch

    • Dinner

    • Other meal periods as needed

  5. Save the Turn Time settings


Applying Turn Times

The Turn Times you configure will be applied across all bookings in your venue.

When a customer books a table, the system will reserve that table for the Total Turn Time you've set. This ensures the table is not double-booked and is available for the next guests.


Layouts

Layouts Explained

Layouts represent the physical arrangement of tables and seating in your venue. You can create multiple layouts to account for different configurations, e.g. default layout for regular operations, special layouts for weekends, holidays, or events.

Layouts are linked to specific time slots and occasions to ensure the correct setup is presented to customers.


Setting up Layouts

  1. Go to the Layouts section of the booking system.

  2. Click Add New to create a new layout.

  3. In the layout details:

    • Provide a name for the layout (e.g. "Weekend Layout")

      This name will be displayed to staff and customers.

  4. In the Tables tab:

    • You'll see a list of all the tables you've previously set up.

    • For each table, you can adjust the Minimum and Maximum Covers.

    • You can also mark tables as Unavailable for Auto Assign if needed.

  5. In the Table Joins tab:

    • You can create and configure any table joins for this layout.

      This allows you to offer larger, combined seating options.

  6. Save the new layout.


Applying Layouts

  1. Go to the Managed Capacity section and select the Standard Day view.

  2. For each time slot, you'll see a Table Plan dropdown.

  3. Select the layout you want to apply to that time slot.

  4. Save the changes.


Now, when customers book during those time slots, they will see the tables and seating options based on the selected layout.

Layouts are a powerful tool for managing the physical aspects of your venue within the booking system. By creating and applying custom layouts, you can ensure your table inventory is presented accurately and efficiently to customers.


Plans

In the booking system, Plans refer to the schedules and availability that are applied to specific days or time periods. Plans help you control when bookings can be made and how capacity is managed.

There are two main types of plans in the system:

  • Time Slot Plans

  • Special Day Plans


Time Slot Plans

Time Slot Plans define the availability and capacity settings for each time slot throughout the day.

This includes things like:

  • Start and end times for each time slot

  • Maximum capacity (covers) per time slot

  • Party size restrictions per time slot

Time Slot Plans are associated with specific Capacity Groups, which group related areas together. When creating or editing a time slot, you select the applicable Time Slot Plan.


Setting up Time Slot Plans:

  1. Go to the Managed Capacity section.

  2. In the Standard Day view, click the Create Time Slot button.

  3. Configure the details for that time slot, such as start/end times and capacity limits.

  4. Select the relevant Capacity Group to apply the time slot to.

  5. Save the time slot.

  6. Repeat this process to create all the necessary time slots for your venue.


Special Day Plans

Special Day Plans allow you to define unique availability and capacity settings for specific calendar dates. This is useful for handling things like holidays, events, or other occasions when your normal schedule doesn't apply.

Special Day Plans override the standard time slot configurations for the affected dates.


Setting up Special Day Plans:

  1. Go to the Special Days section.

  2. Click Add New to create a new special day.

  3. Enter a name for the special day (e.g. "Christmas Eve").

  4. Select the date range this special day should cover.

  5. Choose whether to disable all bookings for that day, or configure custom time slots and capacity.

  6. Save the special day plan.


The key benefit of Plans is that they give you granular control over your venue's availability and capacity. By configuring time slots and special days, you can ensure your booking system accurately reflects your operational realities and prevents overbooking. This helps deliver a seamless customer experience while also optimising your venue's efficiency and profitability.