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v26.3

Creating Articles

Before you can process sales, you need articles. The fastest way: import an existing menu. If you don't have a digital list, create articles manually.

If you already have a menu as an Excel, CSV, or even as a PDF/photo, you can import it directly. DiKAS recognizes the columns automatically.

Admin → Datenimport → Artikel-Import

Supported Formats

Format Description
Excel (.xlsx) The most common option — e.g., export from another POS system or a self-created list
CSV / TXT Text files with semicolon, comma, or tab as delimiter
PDF Price list as PDF — read by AI
Image (JPG/PNG) Photo of a printed menu — read by AI

Performing the Import

  1. Navigate to Admin → Datenimport → Artikel-Import
  2. Drag your file into the upload area or click "Datei auswählen" (Select file)

Article Import Wizard

  1. Map columns — DiKAS analyzes your file and automatically suggests what each column represents:

    Your column DiKAS field
    "Bezeichnung" or "Artikelname" Name
    "VK-Preis" or "Preis" Price
    "MwSt" or "Steuer" Tax rate
    "Kategorie" or "Warengruppe" Group
    "PLU" or "ArtNr" Article number
    "EAN" or "Barcode" Barcode

    If the automatic detection doesn't match, you can correct the mapping via dropdown.

  2. Review preview — You see how many articles will be imported and whether there are duplicates

    Duplicate handling Description
    Skip Do not change existing articles
    Update Overwrite existing articles with new data
    Replace Delete existing articles and create new ones

  3. Click "Importieren" (Import) — The result shows how many articles were created, updated, or skipped

Tip

New article groups are automatically created when the group from your file does not yet exist in DiKAS. You do not need to create the groups beforehand.

AI Import (PDF and Photos)

If your menu is only available as a PDF or on paper:

  1. Upload the PDF or take a photo of the menu (JPG/PNG)
  2. DiKAS sends the file to an AI provider (OpenAI, Anthropic, Google Gemini, or local Ollama)
  3. The AI extracts article names, prices, groups, and tax rates
  4. The result appears as a tabular preview — from here, continue as with Excel/CSV (steps 3–5)

Without your own API key, 2 free AI imports are available. For unlimited use, enter your own API key under Admin → Einstellungen → KI-Import.

Excel Template

If you need to digitize your menu first: Click "Vorlage herunterladen" (Download template) in the import dialog. You will receive an Excel file with all columns and explanations — simply fill it in and import.

→ Data Import in Detail — Import profiles, advanced settings

Step 2: Create Articles Manually

If you don't have a menu to import, create groups and articles by hand.

Creating Article Groups

Admin → Artikel — Group structure on the left, article list on the right.

Article list

  1. Click "+ Gruppe" (+ Group)
  2. Enter the name, e.g., "Getränke" (Beverages)
  3. Optional: Select a parent group (for subgroups)
  4. Optional: Choose a color (appears as background in the POS)
  5. Click "Speichern" (Save)

Example structure for a restaurant:

100 Getränke
├── 110 Alkoholfrei
├── 120 Bier
├── 130 Wein
└── 140 Cocktails
200 Speisen
├── 210 Vorspeisen
├── 220 Hauptgerichte
├── 230 Desserts
└── 240 Beilagen
300 Verschiedenes
├── 310 Gutscheine
└── 320 Pfand

The numbers determine the sort order in the POS. Place frequently used groups at the top (low numbers).

Article groups

Creating an Article

  1. Select an article group (e.g., "Alkoholfrei")
  2. Click "+ Artikel" (+ Article)
  3. Fill in:
Field Example Required?
Name Cola 0,3l Yes
Price 3,50 Yes
Tax class Normal (19%) Yes
  1. Click "Speichern" (Save) → The article appears immediately in the POS.

New article

Article detail General

All Important Fields

For a fully configured article:

Field Description Example
Name Display name in the POS Cola 0,3l
Short name Compact name on the receipt Cola
Article number Unique number (PLU) 1001
Barcode EAN code for scanner 4006381333931
Price Selling price (gross) 3,50
Price 2 Alternative price (e.g., happy hour) 2,50
Tax class Normal (19%), Reduced (7%), Free (0%) Normal
Allergens EU-14 allergens (A–N) Milk, Gluten
Is active Show in the POS Yes
Course Kitchen course (starter=1, main=2, dessert=3) 2
Sort order Position within the group 10
Color Background color in the POS #FF6B35

Assigning Tax Classes Correctly

Article type Tax class Reason
Beverages (all) 19% Always full rate
Food (all) 7% Reduced rate (since 01.01.2026 uniform, regardless of dine-in or takeaway)
Voucher sales 0% Tax-free (liability)
Deposits 0% Tax-free

Uploading Article Images

Each article has one central image gallery. The same images serve as the POS icon and are shown for online ordering (table self-order, webshop) and at the self-order kiosk.

  1. Open the article → Tab "Bilder" (Images)
  2. Drop an image via drag & drop or click to upload (JPG, PNG, GIF, WebP)
  3. On upload the image is automatically optimized for the web (WebP + thumbnail)
  4. The image marked with the gold star "Primary" is the POS icon — switchable via "Set as primary"

Square images (e.g., 400×400 px) look best.

Articles with Options (Extras)

For articles with choices — pizza toppings, doneness level, drink sizes, sides:

Option Directly on the Article

  1. Open the article → Tab "Optionen" (Options)
  2. Click "+ Optionsgruppe" (+ Option group)
  3. Add options

There are two types of option groups:

Multiple selection — the guest can choose several options at once (e.g., pizza toppings):

Option Surcharge
Ham +1.50 €
Mushrooms +1.00 €
Olives +1.00 €
Extra mozzarella +2.00 €

Single selection — the guest chooses exactly one option from a list (e.g., doneness for a steak):

Option Surcharge
Rare 0.00 €
Medium rare 0.00 €
Medium 0.00 €
Well done 0.00 €

Further examples for single selection: side dish choice (fries, rice, salad), size choice (0.3l / 0.5l), sauce choice.

In the POS, a dialog for selecting options appears when the article is tapped.

Option Group Settings

Setting Description
Single selection Only one option from the group can be selected (e.g., doneness, side dish choice)
Free quantity The N cheapest options are not charged (e.g., "3 toppings included")
Deduction on deselection When a default topping is deselected, the price is deducted

Option Templates (for multiple articles)

When multiple articles share the same options (e.g., all pizzas have the same extra toppings):

  1. Admin → Optionsvorlagen → "+ Neue Vorlage" (+ New template)
  2. Create template "Pizza-Extras"
  3. Add option groups
  4. On the pizza articles: under "Vorlage" → select "Pizza-Extras"

Changes to the template automatically apply to all linked articles.

Printer Options & Kitchen Printing

When a guest places an order, each article must arrive at the correct station — pizza to the kitchen, cola to the bar, salad to the salad station. DiKAS handles this automatically via printer options on article groups and articles.

Receipt Types

Receipt type Description Example
Station ticket (ExtraBon) A single ticket per article to a specific station Pizza ticket to the kitchen printer
Consolidated order ticket (Sammelbon) Combines all articles of an order going to the same printer All food items of an order on one kitchen ticket
Kitchen display (KDS) Order appears on a screen instead of on paper Order display on the kitchen screen

Configuring Printer Options

Printer options are set on the article group (e.g., group "Pizza" → station ticket to kitchen printer). This means: all articles in this group automatically go to the correct printer.

Example configuration:

Article group Station ticket 1 Station ticket 2 Consolidated ticket
Pizza Kitchen printer — Kitchen printer
Pasta Kitchen printer — Kitchen printer
Salads Salad printer — Salad printer
Beverages Bar printer — Bar printer

Result: Guest orders pizza + salad + cola → Three tickets automatically go to three different stations.

With Station ticket 2, you can additionally send an article to a second station (e.g., a dessert goes to the kitchen and simultaneously to the bar, so the matching drink can be prepared there).

Inheritance (Group → Subgroup → Article)

Printer options are inherited from top to bottom — just like article rules:

Speisen (ExtraBon → Küchendrucker)
├── Pizza       → erbt Küchendrucker
├── Pasta       → erbt Küchendrucker
└── Salate      → überschreibt mit Salatdrucker

DiKAS searches for the printer option in this order:

  1. Article — does the article have its own printer options? → use these
  2. Group — does the direct article group have printer options? → use these
  3. Parent group — does the parent group have printer options? → use these
  4. Further up — up to the top-level group

This way, it is sufficient to set the printer once on the main group "Speisen" (Food). Only when a subgroup (e.g., "Salate") should go to a different printer is it overridden there.

Area-Dependent Printers (Service Areas)

If different areas (indoor, terrace, beer garden) have different printers or stations:

  1. Open article or group → Bereichsabhängige Druckoptionen (Area-dependent print options)
  2. Assign a different printer per service area
Service area Printer
Indoor Kitchen printer main kitchen
Beer garden Kitchen printer outdoor kitchen
Terrace Kitchen printer main kitchen

Result: The same pizza goes to the main kitchen indoors and to the outdoor kitchen in the beer garden.

→ Articles, Printers & Rules — Quick Start — Step by step with practical examples → Articles, Printers & Rules — Detailed — All options in detail → Kitchen Printer & Kitchen Display — Course control and screen-based orders

Tips for Organization

Order in the POS: Articles appear in the order of their group number and sort order. Place best-selling groups at the top.

Use colors: Give groups and articles different colors — this helps staff find the right article faster.

No longer available: Instead of deleting an article, set it to "Nicht aktiv" (Not active). This way it is preserved in old receipts but no longer appears in the POS.

Price rules: You can set up time-based prices, e.g., happy hour prices between 17:00 and 19:00, discounts for customer groups, or area-dependent surcharges (e.g., beer garden +0.50 €). Price rules are inherited like printer options from the group to all articles below. → Price Rules in Detail

Next Step

→ Setting Up Tables — If you have table service → First Sale — Process sales directly without tables