Restaurant Inventory Management Tips
To manage your supplies and food inventory requires diligence, but when done correctly, you can reduce food wastage and save money. Below we take you through 7 tips to ensure successful inventory management.
1. Use a POS System, and Take Inventory by Hand
A POS system offers many advantages, including data forecasting, order planning reports, integrated accounting, and automated inventory tracking based on customer orders. However, it is not responsible for other sources of inventory loss, such as spoilage, outbreaks, inefficient or incorrect food or beverage preparation, customer complaint resolution and theft. Unless the information is manually entered, a POS system is unable to take into account the above scenarios. Therefore, taking inventory by hand ensures a more well-rounded, accurate report
2. Keep the same staff member (track) inventory
Designate some people to take over your inventory, such as managers and chefs. This will make it easier to identify anomalies. Also, as these employees are constantly taking inventory, they will be able to understand the patterns and nuances involved in your unique inventory over time. To ensure the accuracy of your inventory, make sure that you train employees well on the process. In addition, consider offering employees bonuses as a result of inventory savings, and explain to them how proper inventory tracking affects your bottom line.
3. Maintain a consistent schedule
Following a schedule makes it easier for you to understand how much of your materials and supplies are used in a specific time period. For example, you can check perishable and popular items daily, while non-perishable and bulk items can be counted once or twice a week. Over time, you will begin to see patterns and can adjust your order or menu offerings as needed.
4. Follow the first in, first out (FIFO) method
To reduce food spoilage, use items previously obtained by arranging your areas (coolers, dry storage, freezers, and shelves) according to FIFO. Another method to ensure the use of food before spoilage is for containers and dispensers that are engineered for FIFO delivery.
5. Make a sheet for food waste
Your inventory list will show you the quantity of materials and supplies, but a food waste sheet shows where the inventory is going that is not responsible for sales alone. This allows you to come up with a solution for lost content. For example, if your sheet shows that a significant amount of food has gone bad, you can buy less or find ways to use the ingredients. Or if the chef constantly makes new dishes, on the whim (leading to thrown food) because an employee has entered the wrong menu item, the server may need to be more vigilant when placing orders in your system.
Your POS system may include a location for this from which you can receive input information digitally, but you can also create a food waste sheet by including the following columns:
Make sure that every staff member understands the food waste sheet, so they can update it as necessary.
6. Use of surplus material to reduce food waste
If you notice that you have extra ingredients that will soon go bad, include them in existing dishes (and make guests aware of any menu changes) or an entertaining-bouquet or special to offer your guests Come along In this way, you are not shying away from potential sales, and you avoid wasting food.
7. Use Past Inventory Insights for Future Orders
You can make informed order decisions by studying which components were more or less used according to your list for the specified time period. From your POS system and your by-hand inventory, you can generally understand and predict trends over the time of day, week, and year, and make more economic decisions.
Whether you run a large restaurant chain, hospital cafeteria, or upscale bistro, the importance of inventory management is clear. If you are looking for more ways to increase your bottom line, consider re-evaluating your menu pricing and overhead costs.
1. Use a POS System, and Take Inventory by Hand
A POS system offers many advantages, including data forecasting, order planning reports, integrated accounting, and automated inventory tracking based on customer orders. However, it is not responsible for other sources of inventory loss, such as spoilage, outbreaks, inefficient or incorrect food or beverage preparation, customer complaint resolution and theft. Unless the information is manually entered, a POS system is unable to take into account the above scenarios. Therefore, taking inventory by hand ensures a more well-rounded, accurate report
2. Keep the same staff member (track) inventory
Designate some people to take over your inventory, such as managers and chefs. This will make it easier to identify anomalies. Also, as these employees are constantly taking inventory, they will be able to understand the patterns and nuances involved in your unique inventory over time. To ensure the accuracy of your inventory, make sure that you train employees well on the process. In addition, consider offering employees bonuses as a result of inventory savings, and explain to them how proper inventory tracking affects your bottom line.
3. Maintain a consistent schedule
Following a schedule makes it easier for you to understand how much of your materials and supplies are used in a specific time period. For example, you can check perishable and popular items daily, while non-perishable and bulk items can be counted once or twice a week. Over time, you will begin to see patterns and can adjust your order or menu offerings as needed.
4. Follow the first in, first out (FIFO) method
To reduce food spoilage, use items previously obtained by arranging your areas (coolers, dry storage, freezers, and shelves) according to FIFO. Another method to ensure the use of food before spoilage is for containers and dispensers that are engineered for FIFO delivery.
5. Make a sheet for food waste
Your inventory list will show you the quantity of materials and supplies, but a food waste sheet shows where the inventory is going that is not responsible for sales alone. This allows you to come up with a solution for lost content. For example, if your sheet shows that a significant amount of food has gone bad, you can buy less or find ways to use the ingredients. Or if the chef constantly makes new dishes, on the whim (leading to thrown food) because an employee has entered the wrong menu item, the server may need to be more vigilant when placing orders in your system.
Your POS system may include a location for this from which you can receive input information digitally, but you can also create a food waste sheet by including the following columns:
- Time and date
- Item
- Amount or weight
- Cause of waste
- Staff initial
Make sure that every staff member understands the food waste sheet, so they can update it as necessary.
6. Use of surplus material to reduce food waste
If you notice that you have extra ingredients that will soon go bad, include them in existing dishes (and make guests aware of any menu changes) or an entertaining-bouquet or special to offer your guests Come along In this way, you are not shying away from potential sales, and you avoid wasting food.
7. Use Past Inventory Insights for Future Orders
You can make informed order decisions by studying which components were more or less used according to your list for the specified time period. From your POS system and your by-hand inventory, you can generally understand and predict trends over the time of day, week, and year, and make more economic decisions.
Whether you run a large restaurant chain, hospital cafeteria, or upscale bistro, the importance of inventory management is clear. If you are looking for more ways to increase your bottom line, consider re-evaluating your menu pricing and overhead costs.
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