5.1.5. Stock Count

Ritapos keeps stock up to date with every sale, purchase, waste record and production. Over time, though, the real quantity on the shelf can drift from the system. Unmeasured portions, unrecorded losses or entry mistakes cause this gap. A regular physical count is how you see the gap and correct stock.

Why a physical count is needed

Cost control sources describe two kinds of inventory (Dopson and Hayes, 2015; BC Cook Articulation Committee, 2015):

  • Perpetual inventory: stock kept by recording every movement in and out. Stock in Ritapos is of this kind.
  • Physical inventory: counting the items on the shelf one by one.

A physical count shows whether the perpetual record is right. However well the system stock is kept, you still need to count at regular intervals.

Preparing for a count

  • Count when there is no service. Sales during a count make the results harder to read.
  • Enter pending invoices before the count.
  • If your raw material groups follow your storage layout, you can count each area in its own count. Groups are covered in 5.1.1. Raw Material Management.
  • If you prefer counting on paper, use the daily stock count form.

Starting a count

Open Stoklar & Reçeteler > Stoklar > Stok sayımları (stock counts).

The list has the Sayım tarihi (count date), Durum (status), Gruplar (groups) and Actions columns. Each row has Düzenle (edit) and Sil (delete) buttons. An applied count shows Uygulandı (applied) in the Durum column.

Stok sayımları list with the Sayım tarihi, Durum, Gruplar and Actions columns; a Süt ürünleri count with the Uygulandı status; the green + button next to the title
The stock count list
  1. Click the green + button above the list. The Yeni stok sayımı (new stock count) panel opens.
  2. The panel shows the hint "Sayım yapılacak ham madde kategorilerini seçin" (choose the raw material categories to count). Under Ham madde grupları (raw material groups), each group has a toggle, and all of them start on. The section also has Tümünü seç (select all) and Seçimi kaldır (clear selection) links and an Ara (search) box. Turn off the groups you will not count this time.
  3. Click + Oluştur (create). To cancel, use İptal.
Yeni stok sayımı panel: the hint Sayım yapılacak ham madde kategorilerini seçin, Tümünü seç and Seçimi kaldır (7) links, Ara box, seven group toggles on, İptal and + Oluştur buttons
The new stock count panel

The count opens on a page whose title reads Stok sayımı: (stock count) followed by the date and time. If you like, write a note in the Not (note) field on this page.

When the count starts, the current stock of each raw material in the chosen groups is copied into the count as Olması beklenen miktar (expected quantity).

Entering counted quantities

The table on the count page has these columns: Grup (group), İsim (name), Birim (unit), Olması beklenen miktar (g,ml,adet) (expected quantity), Sayılan miktar (g,ml,adet) (counted quantity), Miktar farkı (g,ml,adet) (difference), Sayım notu (count note) and Kapanış notu (closing note). Type the shelf quantity of each raw material in Sayılan miktar. Add a Sayım notu (count note) if needed, such as "open pack" or "close to expiry".

Quantities are entered in the smallest unit: grams, ml or pieces. For an item kept in kilograms, enter 2.5 kg as 2500. The column headings remind you of this.

Blind count: the expected quantity and Miktar farkı (difference) columns are visible only to manager roles. The person counting does not see the system quantity. This keeps counted values from being adjusted to match the system.

Count page, manager view: Stok sayımı title, Not field and the count table; Tereyağı row with a -200 difference and the note Açık paket tartıldı, Yumurta row with a -2 difference and the note 2 adet kırık
The count page, manager view

Closing the count

When all quantities are in, click Kapat (close) on the count page. The count is locked and can no longer be changed. At closing, the system stock of each raw material is saved line by line. The Sil (delete) button on the page deletes the count. Use it only for a count you opened by mistake.

After closing, the page shows the banner "Bu sayımı 7 gün içinde, … tarihine kadar uygulayın" (apply this count within 7 days, by …) and a grey Tamamlandı (completed) button next to Uygula (apply).

Check large differences once more before closing. An item counted on the wrong shelf or in the wrong unit shows up as a large difference.

Applying the count

To reflect a closed count in stock, click Uygula. Ritapos asks "Uyarı: Miktarları uygulamak istediğinizden emin misiniz?" (warning: are you sure you want to apply the quantities?). Confirm with Evet (yes), or choose İptal to cancel. For each line the difference is:

Difference = Counted quantity - System stock at closing

The difference is added to stock as a plus or minus. Sales made after closing are kept. Each line is applied only once.

Example (sample data):

  • System minced meat at closing: 12,400 g
  • Counted minced meat: 11,900 g
  • Difference: 11,900 - 12,400 = -500 g
  • Between closing and applying, 300 g was sold. System stock became 12,100 g.
  • Stock after applying: 12,100 - 500 = 11,600 g. This equals the counted 11,900 g minus the 300 g sold afterwards.
Applied count page: grey Tamamlandı and Uygula buttons, red Sil button and the count table
The page of an applied count

An applied count does not show the 7 day banner. The Tamamlandı and Uygula buttons stay grey. You can see that a count was applied in the Durum column of the stock count list, which reads Uygulandı.

Timing: applying within 7 days of closing is recommended. A count cannot be applied 30 days after closing. Applying on the day you close is best.

Reading the count difference

The count screen shows the difference as a quantity. To find its money value, multiply the quantity by the raw material's smallest unit cost. You can find it in the Minimum birimin alış fiyatı column on the raw materials list.

In the example above, if minced meat costs 0.45₺/g, the difference is -500 x 0.45 = -225.00₺ (sample data).

For a wider view, you can compare a whole period. Dopson and Hayes compare attainable cost with actual cost:

  • Actual usage = Opening stock + Purchases - Closing stock
  • Theoretical usage = Quantity sold x Recipe quantity
  • Operational efficiency ratio = Actual usage / Theoretical usage x 100

Example (sample data): the month started with 40 kg of minced meat. 120 kg was bought during the month. The month-end count found 35 kg. Actual usage is 40 + 120 - 35 = 125 kg. In the same month, 600 portions of meatballs with 180 g of minced meat were sold. Theoretical usage is 600 x 0.180 = 108 kg.

The gap is 17 kg. At 450.00₺/kg, that is 7,650.00₺. The efficiency ratio is 125 / 108 x 100 = 115.74%.

According to Dopson and Hayes, a ratio between 100% and 110% is considered attainable. Above 110% signals a problem worth investigating. Very low ratios can also mean recipes are not followed. For the 115.74% in the example, review portions, recipes and unrecorded losses.

You can take opening and closing stock from two counts, purchases from the invoice list and quantities sold from reports. Recipe analysis in Ritapos compares theoretical usage with supply. It is covered in 5.3. Cost Calculation.

Common differences and their causes

  • Unit mix-ups: grams written as kilograms, or pieces as cases. Enter counted quantities in the smallest unit.
  • Missing invoices: delivered goods are counted but not in the system. Enter invoices before counting.
  • Unrecorded losses: spoiled or spilled items. Record them as shown in 5.1.6. Raw Material Waste.
  • Recipe gaps: the kitchen uses more than the recipe says. Check recipes and portion sizes.

Sources

  • Dopson, L. R. and Hayes, D. K. (2015). Food and Beverage Cost Control. 6th edition. Wiley. Chapters 4 and 5.
  • The BC Cook Articulation Committee (2015). Basic Kitchen and Food Service Management. BCcampus. Chapter: Basic Inventory Procedures. opentextbc.ca