Understanding Defective Orders

This guide explains what a Defective Order is in SkyTab Venue, how it happens, how to identify it, how to resolve it, and how to clear it from the device if needed. Defective Orders are uncommon but important to address when they occur.

❓ What Is a Defective Order?

A Defective Order is an order in the SkyTab Venue POS App that is unable to sync to Canopy 2.0. This is typically caused by a change made in Canopy 2.0 or an Inventory Management System—such as editing or deleting a menu item—that hasn’t synced to the POS device before the order was placed.

🔍 Common Example:

An item like Fountain Soda ($3.00) is updated in Canopy (e.g., name, price, SKU, or removed from the menu), but those changes haven't synced to the POS device yet. If an order using that item is created before syncing, it results in a Defective Order.

🧩 What Causes Defective Orders?

Defective Orders usually occur when:

• An item is edited (name, price, SKU, etc.) in Canopy 2.0.

• An item is deleted from the menu(s).

• The POS device has not synced to reflect those changes before the order is placed.

When this happens, any device still using outdated data may generate Defective Orders for affected menu items.

🔎 How to Identify a Defective Order

You can find Defective Orders in two places:

1. Orders Page (within SkyTab Venue App):

   • Scroll through the list of orders.

   • Look for any marked as Defective or unable to sync.
     
     

2. Sales Report (within the app):

   • Shows a count under “Defective Orders Unable to Sync.”

⚠️ Note: In rare cases, Defective Orders may not appear in the order list, but still show in the Sales Report. If that happens, contact 📧 venuesupport@shift4.com for assistance or see the "Clearing Defective Orders from the Device" section below. 

🛠️ How to Fix a Defective Order

Step 1: Identify the Affected Item(s)

• For multiple Defective Orders, look for a common item across each one.

• For a single order, review the items to see if any had recent changes or were removed in Canopy.

Step 2: Undo the Menu Changes

Once you've identified the item:

• Re-add any deleted items to the menu.

• Restore original name, price, or SKU values if they were modified.

Step 3: Sync the Device

On the POS device:

1. Tap the ☰ Hamburger Menu (top left corner).

2. Select Refresh Config.

3. Select Sync Network Data.

Step 4: Manually Sync the Defective Order(s)

• Go back to each Defective Order individually.

• Open the order and select Sync.

⚠️ Important: Using the general "Sync All Orders" option will not sync Defective Orders. These must be synced one-by-one after resolving item issues.

🧹 Clearing Defective Orders from the Device

If syncing the Defective Order(s) is not possible—or no longer necessary—you can clear them from the device to remove them from the Orders list and Sales Report.

✅ How to Clear Defective Orders:

1. On the POS device, tap the ☰ Hamburger Menu.

2. Select Debug Info.

3. Under the Software tab, tap Clear All Orders.

4. Enter a Manager Override PIN when prompted.

⚠️ IMPORTANT WARNING⚠️
This action wipes all order data from the device. It should only be done the day after the orders were placed.
Before proceeding:

• Ensure all offline sales are synced.

• Wait until the following morning to allow orders to sync to DataNow for reporting.

• You will not lose credit card sales by doing this properly.

🤔 Concerned About Missing Payments?

If you're unsure whether funding was collected for Defective Orders:

• Please contact our support team at 📧 venuesupport@shift4.com.

• They’ll review the orders with our engineering team to identify if payment was captured for the defective orders. 

Need Help? We’re Here for You!

For assistance with SkyTab Venue, reach out to our support team:

• 📞 Phone: 877.559.4225
• 📧 Email: venuesupport@shift4.com

Our support team is available to help with any questions or issues you may have.

📢 System Status: Stay updated on service availability and incidents by visiting our Status Page.