Inventory Management Overview

The Inventory Management module gives managers full visibility into stock levels, vendor relationships, and food costs across every location.

Stock Tracking

Real-time inventory counts are maintained automatically as items are sold through the POS. Each menu item is linked to its recipe, so every sale deducts the correct quantities of raw ingredients from your on-hand totals.

• Par levels define minimum and maximum stock targets per item per location
• Unit-of-measure conversions handle cases where you purchase in cases but track in pounds
• Multi-location visibility lets district managers compare stock positions across stores

Low-Stock Alerts

When any ingredient drops below its configured par level, the system generates an alert visible in the Manager Dashboard and optionally pushed to mobile devices.

Alert Priority	Trigger	Action
Critical	Stock at zero	Immediate notification to manager and vendor
Warning	Below par level	Dashboard alert and suggested PO
Info	Approaching par within 2 days	Forecast-based advisory

Vendor Management

Maintain a catalog of approved vendors with contact details, lead times, and item-level pricing. The platform supports multiple vendors per ingredient so you can compare costs and switch suppliers when needed.

• Vendor scorecards track on-time delivery rates and order accuracy
• Price history graphs show cost trends over time
• Contracts and certifications can be attached to vendor profiles

Purchase Orders

Create purchase orders manually or let the AI ordering system generate them based on forecasted demand and current stock. Every PO flows through a configurable approval workflow before submission to the vendor.

1. Draft — PO is created from par shortfalls or manual entry
2. Pending Approval — Sent to the appropriate manager based on dollar threshold
3. Submitted — Transmitted to the vendor via email or EDI integration
4. Received — Staff confirms delivery quantities; variances are flagged automatically

Waste Tracking

Record waste events categorized by reason — spoilage, overproduction, preparation error, or customer return. Waste data feeds directly into food cost reports and AI recommendations for portion or prep adjustments.

• Daily waste logs can be completed on a tablet at each station
• Waste cost is calculated automatically using current ingredient prices
• Trends are surfaced in the Reports > Food Cost dashboard

Next Steps

• AI-Powered Ordering Guide — Let the system automate your reordering
• Stock Counts — Run partial or full physical counts
• Vendor Management — Set up and score your suppliers