Purpose: Document the people, systems, data, controls and exceptions in a real merchant workflow.
Written and reviewed by Raied Muheisen · Last reviewed June 21, 2026
Trigger
A customer places an in-person or pickup order.
Actors
- Customer
- Cashier
- Preparation staff
- Manager
- Payment processor/provider
Normal workflow
- Cashier selects items and modifiers.
- System calculates tax, discount and tip prompts according to configuration.
- Customer selects tender and authorizes payment.
- Order routes to the correct preparation destination.
- Receipt and pickup identity are produced.
- Preparation completes and hands off the order.
- Manager resolves exceptions.
- Transactions close into the correct batch and settlement is reconciled.
Exceptions
- Unavailable item after payment
- Modifier change after routing
- Printer or kitchen-routing failure
- Refund or void
- Network interruption
- Duplicate online and counter order
Required data
- Item, modifier and price
- Tax and tip
- Employee and location
- Order channel and time
- Tender, authorization and receipt
- Batch and deposit reference
Controls and ownership
- Role-based refunds and voids
- Daily menu availability owner
- Printer/routing test
- Batch-close responsibility
- Exception log
Acceptance tests
- ☐ Common and complex order
- ☐ Unavailable item
- ☐ Refund and void
- ☐ Printer failure
- ☐ Closeout and deposit