To know whether your POS equipment will be ready for opening, work backward from a station-testing deadline, not just the opening date. List each device and accessory by model and quantity, get a delivery date for every item, and name the person who will receive and check it. Leave time to replace missing parts and retest.
A box arriving at the restaurant is not the same as a working station. A counter terminal may be present while its power adapter, printer cable, or payment device is still missing. Your delivery plan should make those gaps visible while there is still time to act.
Start with stations and a staging deadline
Walk through how an order will move on a busy shift. Where will staff enter counter orders? Where will the kitchen see them? Will a pickup station need its own printer? For each location, list the devices, power supplies, connections, and accessories needed to complete that part of the workflow.
Include shared equipment too. A single printer may serve more than one station, but the plan should say which stations depend on it and where it will sit. Note the available outlets and network connections at each location rather than assuming a device can be placed wherever it fits on the counter.
Assign one person as the hardware acceptance owner. That person may delegate checks to a manager or installer, but should have authority to record a failure, contact the vendor, and bring an unresolved issue to the opening decision-maker. The owner also needs access to the order, packing lists, model details, and delivery contacts.
Set three dates: the requested arrival date, the deadline for a complete station check, and the opening date. The gap between arrival and testing gives you time to inspect boxes and assemble equipment. The gap after testing is your correction window for replacement parts, configuration, and a retest. Ask the vendor what delivery and replacement timelines it can commit to in writing; build the dates around those answers rather than assuming a standard lead time.
When comparing a restaurant POS, keep the delivery plan separate from the broader question of who installs and configures the software. Both matter, but a clear setup agreement will not identify a missing power cord unless someone checks the shipment.
Compare delivery dates, models, and quantities
Ask for an itemized order that names the exact model and quantity for each device and the accessories included with it. For printers, identify the connection needed at the station. For terminals and payment devices, ask what power and connection parts are included and whether anything ships separately. A bundle name alone is not a receiving checklist.
Compare the promised arrival dates item by item. A terminal and printer arriving on Monday may not be useful for a complete station check if the required cable is due the following week. Ask whether dates apply to the restaurant address, whether shipments can arrive in separate boxes, and who will notify you about a delay. Record an unconfirmed date as unknown, not as a pass.
If you plan to keep an existing tablet, terminal, or printer, put it on the same list as new equipment. Record its model, operating system where relevant, connection type, and intended station. Get written confirmation that the proposed setup supports that specific device and payment processor. An old device is not automatically reusable just because it powers on.
Fleksa's restaurant hardware catalog includes counter terminals, handhelds, printers, kitchen displays, and kiosks. For any selection, ask which exact combination is supported and what arrives in each box. For the buy-versus-keep decision, the related buying guide can help frame the comparison.
Also ask what happens when a model is unavailable: will the vendor request approval before substituting it, and will the substitute work with the planned connections and processor? Do not accept a substitution solely because it has the same general label. The acceptance owner needs the model and compatibility details before the station check.
Use a receiving sheet and test each station
The following is a hypothetical example for a restaurant with one counter station and one kitchen printer. The model names are placeholders for the exact models on its order, not claims about any vendor's products. The owner expects two separate deliveries and records the adapter and cable as separate checks.
| Item and expected quantity | Expected delivery and owner | Observed at receiving | Status and next action |
|---|---|---|---|
| Counter terminal, model A: 1; power adapter: 1 | June 3; manager | One model A terminal; adapter missing | Fail; request adapter and replacement date |
| Kitchen printer, model B: 1; power supply: 1 | June 3; manager | One model B printer and power supply | Received; station test still due |
| Printer connection cable: 1 | June 5; manager | Not yet delivered | Unknown; confirm shipment before staging deadline |
The sheet separates a receiving result from a working-station result. The printer is accounted for, but it has not passed its station test. The terminal cannot be tested until its adapter arrives. The cable is not late in this example, yet its arrival remains an open dependency.
For your own sheet, add box or shipment references if useful, along with the actual delivery date and the person who checked each item. Compare the model and count against the order, not just the packing list. Inspect for visible damage, keep packaging until you understand the return process, and photograph the item or label when that will help resolve a discrepancy. Ask the vendor how quickly damage or shortages must be reported.
Once the parts are present, move the equipment to its intended station. Check power, physical connections, network access, and the basic screen or printer response. Then run a simulated order through the intended workflow: enter an order, check where it appears, and confirm the expected kitchen output. Record the expected result, the observed result, the tester, and any error or missing step.
Use a training mode or another vendor-approved simulation that does not create a real payment, guest message, or courier dispatch. Ask how to prevent those actions before starting. For example, the expected result might be that a test order appears on the kitchen device; the observed result could be that it appears on the counter screen but not in the kitchen. That is a failed workflow check even if both devices turn on.
A simulated check is different from a live service pilot. If you later run a live pilot, plan it separately with the vendor and staff, define who can authorize real transactions, and tell the team what to monitor. Do not treat a successful simulation as proof that every live-service issue has been resolved.
Resolve exceptions before the opening decision
Use three statuses consistently. Pass means the specified item is present and the relevant check produced the expected result. Fail means it did not. Unknown means you lack an item, confirmation, or test result. An item can pass receiving while its station remains unknown.
For every fail or unknown, write down the impact, owner, next action, and retest date. In the example above, the manager asks for the missing adapter and confirms the cable shipment. The opening decision-maker reviews both dates against the staging deadline. If the parts arrive, the manager repeats the station check and records the result; delivery alone does not close the exception.
Consider a manual workaround only if staff can actually use it during service. Write down who performs it, how orders reach the kitchen, what must be recorded for later entry, and when the team will stop using it. A paper ticket may be a temporary way to communicate an order, but it does not replace a working payment device or establish that an untested POS workflow is ready.
The person accountable for opening should approve any exception, including its duration and a retest deadline. If a required device remains missing or an essential workflow fails, decide whether to delay the affected station, operate an explicitly limited service, or postpone opening. Do not mark the whole setup ready merely because most boxes arrived.
Keep the final sheet with the order and vendor contacts. After each replacement or configuration change, update the observed result rather than erasing the earlier issue. That history gives the team a clear handoff and helps identify which dependencies still need attention.
Next step: Bring your station list and one sample order to a Fleksa POS demo. Ask the vendor to demonstrate the intended result, identify the exact hardware and accessories involved, and explain how you can safely simulate the same check at your restaurant.
Frequently asked questions
How early should POS hardware arrive?
Set arrival early enough to receive and inspect each item, test every station, obtain replacements if needed, and retest before opening. Ask the vendor for written delivery and replacement timelines before setting the deadline.
Can I reuse my existing POS equipment?
Possibly. List each device's model, operating system, connection, and intended use, then request written compatibility confirmation for the proposed software and payment processor. Do not assume that an existing tablet or terminal will work.
What should I do if one accessory is missing?
Record the missing part and affected station, contact the vendor for a replacement date, and assign an owner. Keep the station untested or failed as appropriate until the part arrives and the full workflow passes a retest.
