A 2024 Guide to Cut Food Cost with Modern Inventory Software

Do you really need food costing software to take inventory? How can inventory software help you cut food cost? What features should you be looking for? Let's dive into the world of modern inventory software and explore how it can revolutionize the way you manage food cost in your establishment.

Why ditch spreadsheets for inventory software

First off, let's address the elephant in the room — why abandon those old spreadsheet systems for taking inventory? Well, it's all about adaptability. With prices changing every delivery, manually updating spreadsheets becomes a tedious task. Imagine scanning invoices one by one, hunting for prices in your spreadsheet, and making the necessary changes. It's a headache, right?

And let's not forget about batch recipes. These are the lifeblood of your kitchen — think onions, peppers, and all those ingredients you dice and transform into soups, salads or desserts. The value of these creations evolves on your shelves and tracking that in a spreadsheet? Not so simple.

Plus, spreadsheet systems are static. They're rows and columns that can't easily adapt to your shelf-to-sheet inventory needs. You become a prisoner to your own system, always worrying about accidental deletions or changes that could throw everything into chaos.

Oh, and did I mention the time-consuming nature of inventories using spreadsheets? Four hours or more, and accuracy? Well, that's a challenge.

The software advantage

So, why is software the game-changer? Picture this: you snap a photo of your invoice, upload it to the cloud, and voila! Your recipe cards, inventories and orders are updated automatically. No more flipping through pages, no more hours wasted.

With software, you effortlessly create and update batch recipe cards. The dynamic database allows you to drag and drop items in any order, simplifying your shelf-to-sheet inventory management. You're no longer a prisoner to a complicated spreadsheet; instead, you're in control.

Automated efficiency

Now, let's talk about the magic of automation. Software allows you to take a picture of your invoice and seamlessly update all your products. No more manual data entry or complex spreadsheet gymnastics. It's all done for you, making your life as a restaurant pro much smoother.

Features to look for

When considering food costing and inventory software, look for features that truly make your life easier:

• Cloud integration: The ability to take photos and effortlessly update your invoices in the cloud streamlines the process.
• Flexibility in units of measure: Recipe cards should adapt to different units of measure, providing the flexibility you need.
• Product management ease: The software should allow you to connect with your POS system, ensuring smooth product mix analysis.
• Shelf-to-sheet inventory tools: Easily create and update inventory forms and set up par levels for efficient ordering.
• Automatic conversions: Say goodbye to manual conversions; let the software handle the math for you.
• Customer support: Opt for software with reliable customer support because you're bound to have questions along the way. 

The mic drop moment

Here's the mic drop moment with food costing and inventory software: Once you've set up your system and integrated it with your POS, you can run a report that compares ideal versus actual product usage. It's a powerful tool to identify discrepancies and fine-tune your operations.

A Trusted recommendation 

Cutting through the noise of numerous software options, if you trust my insights, I recommend checking out MarginEdge food and beverage software. Visit www.MarginEdge.com/DSP. This is the software I recommend to my members, and it's backed by a real restaurant pro, Bruce Earl. No referral fees, no financial gain for me — just a solid recommendation based on results.