Supported vs. Unsupported Environments

Fourth only tests and supports its core and mobile solutions in specific versions of desktop and mobile browsers and operating systems, as stated below. These are known as supported environments. If you choose to use an unsupported operating system or browser version then your ability to use the Fourth solution may be adversely affected.

Customers should always use supported environments to access Fourth’s services and are responsible for:

1. Their users’ inability to access or use Fourth’s services, or

2. Any failure of a Fourth service to operate as intended

to the extent any such inability or failure results from a user operating an unsupported environment.

Microsoft Internet Explorer Advisory

Please note that Microsoft ended support for the Internet Explorer v11 desktop application on June 15, 2022; further details can be found here Internet Explorer 11 – Microsoft Lifecycle. As a result, Fourth will no longer support any of its solutions on any version of Internet Explorer.

Minimum System Requirements

This document addresses the following Fourth services:

Fourth Core Services

• Activity-Based Scheduling (aka “ABS”)
• Classic Inventory (“FnB Live”)
• Fourth Analytics
• Fourth Engage/Fourth app
• Hotel Inventory (“Adaco”)
• Labour Productivity (“TeamHours”)
• Purchase-to-Pay (“Trade Simple”)
• QSR Inventory (“MacromatiX”)
• Recipe and Menu Engineering (“StarChef”)
• Restaurant Inventory (“r9”)
• UK Applicant Tracking (“ATS”)
• UK HR/Payroll (“People System”)
• US Applicant Tracking (“PeopleMatter”)
• US HR/Payroll (“Prism”)
• US Labor (“HotSchedules”)

Supported Desktop and Mobile environments

Fourth tests and supports the majority of its core services in the most recent stable version of the following:

• Chrome on Windows,
• Firefox on Windows,
• Microsoft Edge on Windows, and
• Safari on macOS.

However, please note the following exceptions:

• Hotel Inventory (“Adaco”) can only function on Windows (macOS is not supported) and in the most recent stable version of the following:
  • Microsoft Edge, and
  • Chrome with the Chrome extension “ClickOnce” installed.
• Restaurant Inventory (“r9”), Recipe and Menu Engineering (“StarChef”) and Purchase-to-Pay (“Trade Simple”) are only supported in the most recent stable version of Chrome on Windows (macOS is not supported)
• Classic Inventory (“FnB Live”)is only supported on Windows (macOS is not supported) in the most recent stable versions of the following:
  • Microsoft Edge, and
  • Chrome
• UK Applicant Tracking (“ATS”) is currently only supported in:
  • The most recent stable version of Chrome on Windows, and
  • On mobile devices, it is supported in the most recent stable versions of Chrome on iOS* and Android* and in the Fourth Android app and Fourth iOS app.
• Activity-Based Scheduling (“ABS”) is not currently supported in Microsoft Edge on Windows but is supported in the most recent stable version of the following:
  • Chrome and Firefox on Windows,
  • Chrome on macOS, and
  • On tablet devices with a minimum viewport screen width size of 992px, Safari and Chrome on iOS* and Android* but not currently in the Fourth Android app and Fourth iOS app.
• Fourth Analytics is also supported on mobile devices for dashboard viewing only in the most recent stable versions of Safari and Chrome on iOS* and Android* and in the Fourth Android app and Fourth iOS app.
• Fourth Engage/Fourth app is also supported on mobile devices with the most recent stable versions of Safari and Chrome on iOS* and Android* and in the Fourth Android app and Fourth iOS app.
• US Applicant Tracking (“PeopleMatter”) is supported in the two most recent stable versions of the following:
  • Microsoft Edge, Chrome and Firefox on Windows,
  • Safari and Chrome on macOS, and
  • On mobile devices, Safari and Chrome on iOS* and Android* but not currently in
    the Fourth Android app or Fourth iOS app.
• QSR Inventory (“MacromatiX”) is supported in the most recent stable versions of the following:
  • Microsoft Edge, Chrome and Firefox on Windows,
  • Safari and Chrome on macOS, and
  • On mobile devices, Safari and Chrome on iOS* and Android* but not currently in the Fourth Android app or Fourth iOS app.
• US Labor (“HotSchedules”) is supported in the most recent stable versions of the following:
  • Microsoft Edge, Chrome and Firefox on Windows,
  • Safari and Chrome on macOS, and
  • On mobile devices, Safari and Chrome on iOS* and Android* and in the Fourth Android app and Fourth iOS app.
• The following are also supported in the most recent stable version of Chrome on macOS:
  • Activity-Based Scheduling (“ABS”)
  • Fourth Analytics
  • Fourth Engage/Fourth app
  • QSR Inventory (“MacromatiX”)
  • US Applicant Tracking (“PeopleMatter”)
  • US Labor (“HotSchedules”)
  • *See below for specifications
    Fourth Mobile Applications
  • UK Employee Self Service application (“ESS”)
  • My Schedule application
  • Inventory Counting application
  • Inventory Ordering application
  • Inventory Receiving application
  • Inventory Transfers application
  • Inventory Menu Cycles application

The HotSchedules Mobile Application is not covered by this document. For system requirements for the HotSchedules Mobile Application, please access our Customer Community: HotSchedules Mobile Application Version Policy and Supported Platforms.

Supported iOS Environment

• Devices with 64-bit processors e.g. iPhone 5s, iPhone SE and more recent models; iPad Mini and iPad (4G)
• iOS version: last two major versions
• The most recent stable version of:
  • the Fourth iOS app,
  • Safari, or
  • Chrome.

Supported Android environment

• Phones and Tablets with:
  • Minimum screen density: “hdpi” (~240dpi)
  • Minimum screen size: “large”
• Android version: last three “named” versions
• The most recent stable version of:
  • the Fourth Android app, or
  • Chrome

Please note the following exceptions:

• Activity-Based Scheduling (“ABS”) is only supported on tablet devices with a minimum viewport screen width size of 992px
• The Menu Cycles application is currently only supported in the most recent stable version of Chrome on iOS and Android tablets
• The Ordering, Receiving, Counting and Transfers applications are not currently supported in Safari or Chrome on iOS or Android devices – please use the latest version of the Fourth iOS or Android apps
• The My Schedule application and the UK Employee Self Service application (“ESS”) are not currently supported in Chrome on Android devices – please use the latest version of the Fourth Android app

Mobile Apps in Desktop environments

Fourth also supports some of its mobile applications in the following desktop environments, as follows:

• All mobile applications are supported in the most recent stable version of the Chrome browser on Windows, and
• The My Schedule and the UK Employee Self Service (“ESS”) applications are also supported in the most recent stable version of the Safari browser on macOS, and
• The Menu Cycles application is also supported in the most recent stable version of Chrome on macOS.

Fourth POS Integration Agent

Fourth offers a number of ways to integrate with your POS system, but the most common is our integration agent, a small piece of software installed on your back-of-house PC that synchronises various POS data with Fourth on a daily basis.

In order to install the integration agent, a Fourth technician will need to be granted temporary access to the machine via a remote session to complete the installation. Full details of the installation package, service architecture, network requirements, and configuration requirements can be found on our Customer Community: Agent Architecture.

The most common tasks required to complete a standard integration are:
1. Opening specific ports on any firewalls to enable communication with our services (aka ‘whitelisting’) – see Network communication requirements below for more details
2. Ensuring bandwidth spike rules don’t prevent the Agent from downloading the appropriate POS package
3. Disabling or adjusting any virus scanners/malware protection software that sometimes misidentifies the Agent as a potential virus/malware
4. Configuring things like content filtering to not block returns of requests. Content filtering is most often part of the firewall configuration
5. A stable, high-speed internet connection, ie. no dial-up or cellular/mobile connection – see Network quality and Network bandwidth below for more details

Network Configuration

Network communication requirements

Fourth’s Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) solutions are intended to be easily consumable from a suitable client device with a supported web browser or appropriate mobile app, and public Internet access (i.e. HTTP, HTTPS). This should require little or no configuration for customers that allow this access by default. Customers utilising user devices located behind firewalls, proxy servers or other network security solutions that restrict this access must enable this communication to Fourth. This may include enabling WebSocket support within some solutions.

Customers using the Fourth POS Integration Agent to transfer data to and from their POS machines are required to make a number of network configuration changes, including allowing access to TCP port 443 outbound and inbound. Full details of these requirements can be found on our Customer Community: Whitelisting Requirements.

Note that some other non-application-orientated elements of the Fourth solution (such as integrations, data uploads/downloads, feeds etc.) may require additional connectivity above and beyond standard web connections. Fourth’s customer services or implementation teams will be able to assist with this, as required.

If your firewall, proxy, or Internet services load balance connectivity across multiple external IP addresses some services may be negatively impacted. This is because some elements of Fourth services require a persistent client IP address for the length of the session. The Fourth customer services or implementation teams can discuss the needed configuration with the customer’s technical team if this is the case.

Network Quality

As with any online service, the lower the client-to-Fourth network latency and the higher the network bandwidth, the better the Fourth solution will perform. Fourth continues to develop its software to operate optimally across all connectivity types but it is not possible to specify a maximum supported latency as this will very much depend on the available bandwidth, usage pattern, nature of the transaction, and end-user expectation. Please speak with Fourth’s customer services or  implementation team for additional support.

Note: A good quality Internet connection is required. Fourth cannot assure service on a connection that is over-utilised and hence subject to significant loss or error.

Network Bandwidth

It is not possible for Fourth to state generic minimum or recommended bandwidth requirements, as every scenario will differ in terms of customer usage patterns, users, sites, processes, etc. However, Fourth services are designed to deliver an interactive and rich media experience; hence, broadband equivalent minimum speeds of 1Mbps downstream / 0.5Mbps upstream should be assumed for any
user-facing service. Requirements will obviously increase with the number of users and concurrent use at a location. The Fourth customer services and implementation teams have experience with many real world implementations and will be able to provide further assistance based on similar use cases.