Multi-Unit Configurations

The following are two of the most popular configurations.  Please read them, and match the conditions to your company’s needs.  For more information on these options, or if your company would like an in-depth analysis of how CostGuard can help your operation, go to www.costguard.com or email us at sales@costguard.com.

One Installation of CostGuard for Multiple Units.

What is needed: one copy of CostGuard with the Multi-Units Controller installed at a central headquarters.  Each unit will send original copies of invoices, counts, and sales information to headquarters on a regular basis.

If most of the following apply to you, try this setup

• The Units are under one roof: such as foodservice outlets for a hotel, convention center, resort or hospital.

• Headquarters can easily distribute information for routine tasks (such as expanding recipes) to the Units.

• You have multiple Cost Centers, but you have the central manpower to handle all of the data input including receipts, counts, and other information.

One Installation of CostGuard at each establishment, and use the Multi-Unit at a headquarters.

What is needed: one copy of CostGuard is installed at each establishment.  Headquarters has a copy of CostGuard with the Multi-Units Controller installed.  Each Unit enters in their own information, and sends original copies of invoices, counts, and sales information to headquarters.  The Units and headquarters can be connected via a communication program such as PC Anywhere, or removable media (such as CD or Jump Drive) to send the information to Headquarters. 

If you are using this configuration, then only one entity – the individual Unit or Headquarters - should enter in data at any given time.  You will need to decide which data is entered at the unit level and which data is entered at headquarters.  Data includes counts, sales, receipts, orders, and all other transactions.  When the unit is done, transmit the data to headquarters for the remaining data entry.  There is no way to synchronize data between the two, so once you send data to headquarter, then units should not edit or modify transactions. 

If most of the following apply to you, try this set-up

• Units are geographically separated from each other

• Headquarters simply wants to monitor usage, food costs, and review transactions, rather than enter data and generate reports.

• You have multiple Cost Centers, and data entry from the subsidiary units can be problematic for headquarter personnel.

• The employees at the Units need access to CostGuard for menu analysis, recipe adjustment and expansion, or tight inventory control.

• You have a production kitchen that stocks remote sites, where one Unit is responsible for cooking items, and other Units sell the finished product to the customers.