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Understanding Lightspeed Tempo

Lightspeed Tempo is a table-pacing tool that allows you to view historical data on table performance and occupancy. Use this tool to gain insight into service timing per table and per order, recognize patterns, and identify slowdowns.

Lightspeed Tempo is recommended for use in full-service, sit-down restaurants. Data can be viewed for yesterday and up to 13 days previous. Back Office users must have the permission Sales report access enabled to view Tempo.

Accessing Lightspeed Tempo

Access Lightspeed Tempo directly from the Back Office. If Lightspeed Tempo isn't visible in your navigation bar, contact your Account Manager for more details.

  1. Log in to the Back Office with your Lightspeed Restaurant credentials.
  2. From the navigation menu, select Analytics > Tempo.

Filtering the Tempo dashboard

Use the date menu to choose a specific day to view and the time range menu to view either a specific shift or a specific time period. You can only filter by dates within the last two weeks.

  1. Log in to the Back Office with your Lightspeed Restaurant credentials.
  2. From the navigation menu, select Analytics > Tempo.
  3. Click the date menu to bring up a calendar. Choose the day you wish to view and click Apply.

    The date range filter in Tempo

  4. Click the time range menu and choose a specific shift or enter a custom Start time and End time. Click Apply.

    The time range filter in Tempo

Understanding Table performance

The Table performance section allows you to view Order key moments and Global order patterns during either a Full service period or a Specific order period. The Full service period displays a chosen order in the context of all orders on a specific table. The Specific order period displays just the chosen order.

The Table performance section in Tempo

Order key moments

Use the Order key moments chart to explore service flow for a chosen order. The chart displays the time items were ordered, which items were ordered, the number of covers, the name of the server, and the time payment was made. The number of covers is dependent on the number of covers entered in the POS. If a customer name is attached to the table, this will also display.

Other orders for the table will display as smaller secondary boxes when using Full service period. Click a secondary order to make that order the active order. Hover over a secondary order to view the order number, the Order ID, the number of covers, and the time range between first order placed and last payment made.

Table performance with secondary orders

  1. Click the Table dropdown menu to choose a table to view, based on your floor plan.

    The Table dropdown menu in Tempo's Order key moments chart

  2. Click the Order dropdown menu to choose an order to view. If you know the Order ID, you can enter it in the search bar.

    The Order dropdown menu in Tempo's Order key moments chart

  3. (Optional) Click Full service period or Specific order period to switch between views.
  4. (Optional) Click View order to view the full receipt list for the chosen date. This will take you to a different page of the Back Office. To return to Tempo, select Analytics > Tempo from the navigation bar. You will need to apply any filters again.

At the top of the chart, Tempo will display the number of guests, the server name, and the payment applied, including tip and payment method used.

The chart displays a visual indicator for each key moment: drink items, food, uncategorized items, draft receipts printed, split checks, and payments. Hover over these to view the order number, the Order ID, the name and quantity of each item, the time they were ordered, and the time payment was made.

An example of the hover information in Tempo's Order key moments chart

Global order patterns

Use the Global order patterns chart to view a summary of dining activities over time and gain insight into ordering trends, pacing patterns, and potential service disruptions.

The Global order patterns chart in Tempo

Filter the chart by All activities, Drink items, Food items, Payments, and Uncategorized items for more detailed data. These filters can be combined to view two or more bars at once. Choose Full service period to view this data within a broad time period, or Specific order period to view this data broken up within a more narrow time period.

  • All activities: Use this filter to view every activity within the chosen time period.
  • Drink items: Use this filter to view only drink items within the chosen time period.
  • Food: Use this filter to view only food items within the chosen time period.
  • Payments: Use this filter to view only payment-related activities, such as partial and full payments, draft receipts, and split checks, made within the chosen time period.
  • Uncategorized items: Use this filter to view only uncategorized items within the chosen time period. An uncategorized item is an item that doesn't fall under food or drink, such as a souvenir glass.

Hover over a bar on this graph to view the number of associated activities.

An example of the hover information in Tempo's Global order patterns chart

Understanding Table occupancy

The Table occupancy section displays a quick, graphical overview of table occupancy data, including the total empty table time, average turn time, and the average time between turns.

  • Total empty table time: The total time in seconds, minutes, or hours that tables in your restaurant have sat empty, compared to the same day in the previous week.
  • Average turn time: The average time in seconds, minutes, or hours that a table is occupied, compared to the same day in the previous week.
  • Average time between turns: The average time in seconds, minutes, or hours that a table sits empty between a guest leaving and a new guest sitting down, compared to the same day in the previous week.

The Table occupancy bar in Tempo

Table occupancy overview

Use the Table occupancy overview to view empty and occupied tables over the chosen time period. Filter this data by floor plan and by all or specific tables by clicking the drop-down menus.

Click an occupied table to load that table's Specific order period in the Order key moments and Global order patterns sections. The page will automatically scroll up.

The Table occupancy overview in Tempo

Each table will display a bar indicating time ranges during which tables are empty and occupied. Hover over the occupied sections to view the order ID, number of guests, and the time range they were seated at the table. Use this data to learn how long tables are sitting empty between guests, how long it takes to turn a specific table, and whether certain tables are consistently empty at specific times. This can help you identify and optimize staffing or seating issues.

An example of the hover information in Tempo's Table occupancy overview

Using Tempo with Lightspeed Kitchen Display System

Lightspeed Tempo automatically integrates with Lightspeed Kitchen Display System and is compatible with both KDS 1.0 and KDS 2.0. For locations using KDS, Served markers and dotted lines between the time the order was placed and the time the order was served will display in Order key moments.

Hover over a marker to view item details and the time they were served to the customer.

The KDS markers and dotted lines

Tempo FAQ

We've compiled a list of frequently asked questions about Tempo, so you can quickly find the answers you need.

  • Only users with the Sales report access permission can view Tempo. Make sure you enable this permission if you're getting a permissions error when trying to access Tempo.
  • Tempo updates its data once per day, depending on the restaurant's Start of day. Most businesses have a default Start of day at 5:30 am local time. To adjust your Start of day, contact Support.
  • The default time range shown for each day is based on the restaurant's POS sales period open and close times.

    The start time is the time the first sales period opened, rounded down to the nearest prior 30-minute mark. The end time is the time your last sales period closed, rounded up to the next 30-minute mark. For example, if your sales period opens at 9:37 am and closes at 10:17 pm, your start time is 9:30 am and your end time is 10:30 pm.

  • If you have multiple sales periods in one day, Tempo will use the first sales period opened to the last sales period closed for that day.
  • The ordered time that Tempo displays is the point when the item is added to the order on the POS. If an item is removed from the order afterwards, Tempo will not display information for it.
  • The served time that Tempo displays for KDS users is the point when the item is marked as Completed in the KDS. If an item is removed from the order afterwards, Tempo will not display information for it.
  • No, you cannot compare pacing data across locations. Tempo currently displays data for only a single location at a time.
  • All timestamps in Tempo use the business location’s time zone, not the time zone of the person viewing the dashboard. However, the time's format depends on whether your device is configured to display AM/PM or 24-hour time.

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