Do you need to track Inventory coming and going to different places? 

Do you have more than one restaurant?  Do you have a commissary or production kitchen? Are you a hotel, with a main kitchen, yet need to send items to the bar?  Are you a caterer who is juggling multiple parties? Sometimes an establishment will need to track Inventory Items to or from more than one place.  CostGuard has two different ways to do this, depending upon on your establishment and how much information that you need to track.  One of CostGuard’s most powerful features is that it differentiates between Transfers and Requisitions.  Since there are differences between the two, read carefully and decide if you need the Transfer Module or Requisitions for your operation.

Transfers are a separate Module for establishments that have two or more independent operations or cost centers that send Inventory Items back and forth between them.  The Transfer Module will subtract the outgoing Inventory from the first site, and add it to the second site.  All associated costs with the Transfers go to the receiving unit A separate part of the business with its own sales and costs..  CostGuard will automatically update the perpetual Inventories of both sites.  The Transfer module will also allow you to transfer prepared items into an incoming unit.  CostGuard will also generate reports showing what went where for your review.

Use the Transfer Module if

·         You have more than one independent operation, and transfer items back and forth – a chain restaurant situation.

·         You have a central kitchen or commissary that transfers raw product or prepared goods to other outlets.

·         You have multiple units with completely different venues and inventories under one roof, such as a food court.

Requisitions are a simpler process.  When you setup up Requisitions, you are naming an area to track items.  If you use Requisitions on a regular basis, you can track how much inventory was requisitioned by a certain cost center.  You will be able to get a Cost of Goods Sold (or Used) with Requisitions, but not a perpetual Inventory or food cost for those cost centers.

Use Requisitions if

·         You have catering or banquets that you want to track Inventory by Party Names.  (use the Party name as the Requisition)

·         You supply an outlet in your operation on an occasional basis and need to track those items.  An example would be a hotel kitchen sending kosher salt to the bar.  If this describes your operation, create a Requisition named “Bar”.

·         You are primarily one type of foodservice operation, which occasionally does special events, and needs Inventory items tracked.  An example would be a hospital kitchen that needs to track costs for the Employee Holiday party.

If you need to setup Transfers, click here. 

If you need to setup Requisitions, click here. 

If you need to setup both, then start with Transfers.  When you are finished, return here, and create your Requisitions.

If you would like to skip this for now, and move on to Entering Inventory Items, click here. 

You can come back later to decide if you need Transfers or Requisitions.