Fresh produce stock control: Your opportunity for maximum traceability and efficiency starts when fresh produce is delivered. Apply fresh produce labeling and use bar code traceability.
Fresh Produce Stock Control app
FarmSoft provides extensive fresh produce stock control of incoming fresh produce & fruit/vegetables from the very moment it is delivered to the pack shed. Comprehensive Fresh Produce Stock Control is delivered via labeling, movement tracking, temperature control, quality control, documentation, and registration of incoming produce – all of which is essential in creating a strong traceability audit trail. FarmSoft provides comprehensive Fresh Produce Stock Control for fruit, vegetable, hop, grain, flower, and other fresh produce.
Easily allocate traceability information for all inventory, allowing rapid recalls and traceability processes to meet the highest international food safety standards. Simple stock-take processes ensure continual accuracy of stock-take information across the entire farm. This minimizes shrinkage and waste, and ensures high levels of inventory accountability.
Download the FarmSoft Packhouse Software brochure or watch the fruit packing video.
Contact us for a free consultation to discuss your opportunity to implement enhanced fresh produce stock control in your business today!
FarmSoft has a wide array of fresh produce management features, implement only the features and benefits required for your business:
Having a proper handle on your stock is a cornerstone of success in the restaurant business.
OK, it’s not as glamourous as dreaming up new recipes in the kitchen, or charming new customers at the front-of-house but knowing what stock you have, what it cost you, and when it’s sold (or no longer able to be used) is just as, if not more critical when it comes to building a profitable and sustainable business.
The basics of great stock control or inventory management are pretty simple: keep track of cost of goods sold and losses associated with food waste, while making sure that what is reaching customer plates is fresh and high-quality food.
But simple doesn’t always mean straightforward.
Why?
Well, there can be a few big challenges when it comes to optimizing stock control procedures.
First, the wrong data. Accurate stock counts are the backbone of effective stock control and where you’re relying on manual inputs they can miss the mark for all sorts of reasons, be it tired staff, a lack of training or simply the Herculean task of keeping track of huge amounts of inventory with nothing more than a piece of paper.
Second, poor knowledge of portions. Accurately calculating the cost of goods sold relies on kitchen staff sticking to the letter of the recipe when it comes to portions. Unfortunately, without the right training – and the right awareness around why this matters – mistakes happen.
Third, failing to manage transfers. Where a restaurant business has multiple outlets, inventory is likely moving through several different locations, often in a short space of time. It can be a major headache to keep track of. But failing to do so can turn your stock control procedures into chaos.
If all those common mistakes sound familiar though, don’t worry. With a few tweaks here and there, each one can be fixed, and your stock control optimized.
1. Get your team on board
First things first, great stock control is a team effort. As you’ll have spotted in the common mistakes above, the level of awareness across colleagues, both in the kitchen and front-of-house, about why inventory management is so important for the future of the business can be a gamechanger. Make inventory management a key part of staff training and reiterate its significance regularly at team meetings.
2. Ditch the pen and paper
For restaurants that have relied on manual stock control methods for years, with no major fallouts, it can be hard to see the potential benefits of trying out inventory management software instead. But with cloud-based inventory management tools like MarketMan, not only can you significantly reduce the time taken up with manual checks, and reduce the inevitable human errors that accompany it, but you’ll also reap all sorts of additional rewards that a pen and paper simply can’t deliver.
For example, with an end-to-end view of inventory you’ll be able to quickly spot weak spots when it comes to waste, see instantly when a supplier raises prices and be given actionable insights from the data. You’ll stop seeing inventory management as a headache in other words and start seeing it as an opportunity.
3. Allocate time upfront to integrate new procedures
When it comes to integrating new inventory management software into a business, it can require some sizeable work upfront. There may be the need to input raw ingredients or calculate portions for different menu items, alongside any necessary staff training, but allocating this time upfront will pay dividends further down the line. So whenever you introduce new stock control procedures, set aside a reasonable chunk of time to set up new systems, integrate processes across the rest of the business and bring everyone up to speed. Trust us, it’ll pay off in the long run.
4. FIFO your back-of-house
Even with inventory management software integrated into your existing systems, you’ll still need to arrange physical stock in a way that makes it easy to spot what you have and avoid waste. For a tried-and-tested approach, try the FIFO method. This stands for ‘First In, First Out.’ Simply put, organize your areas (cooler, dry storage, freezer and shelves) in such a way that ensures those items you receive first, are also used first. You could even consider containers designed specifically for FIFO dispensing.
5. Consistency, consistency, consistency
It goes without saying that bad inputs lead to bad outputs. And stock control is no different. To get the most from any inventory management software or procedures ensure it is part of the restaurant’s hourly, daily, and weekly routine. You could even consider tasking a few members of the team with particular responsibility for ensuring all new stock is entered into the system to ensure there’s accountability for any gaps in the data.
6. Minimize waste
Not only is waste catastrophic for the environment (up to 8% of toxic emissions could be cut out if we all stopped wasting food) but it’s bad for business too. Wasted food equals money lost from the bottom line. That’s why a major part of any effective stock control strategy is spotting where waste occurs and taking steps to minimize it. The right inventory management software can really help with this, automatically flagging the types of food where waste is likely to occur, pinpointing the factors behind this loss and suggesting actions to reduce that loss. These steps could include the introduction of more accurate food labeling on containers, smaller portions on plates, or even tweaks to kitchen practices that might promote wasted stock.
7. Find use for surplus ingredients
Some waste is inevitable. So as well as rethinking ingredients, organization and even menus to reduce spoilage, restaurants can also get creative with surplus. From turning common leftovers into brand new menu items, to redistributing edible surplus to community organizations, or even using scraps as sustainable feed for locally grown produce, there are all sorts of alternative homes for surplus than the kitchen bin.
Fresh Produce Stock Control
Receive fresh produce from your own farms, co-operative farmers, wholesalers, and importers/exporters – whilst maintaining the same high level of traceability regardless of the origin
Label all incoming fresh produce with unique identifiers that incorporate human readable information such as supplier/origin, fruit & vegetable description, harvest date, delivery date, delivery company, initial storage location, plot/block/crop origins – apply Produce Traceability Initiative / PTI style labels and more…
Apply bar code labels (which include human readable information as above) to produce to increase the accuracy of inventory management and allow bar-code reading from mobile devices
Record multiple levels of traceability, one up one down is the minimum, FarmSoft goes further and allows tracking of origin two levels down the supply chain (instead of just one level as is supported by other solutions), providing a truly unique extra level of traceability management
Describe product upon arrival, including quality, grade, color, size, and more, using ‘features’ that are configured for your businesses requirements.
Generate receipts for delivery of produce from external farms or suppliers
Associate deliveries with existing Purchase Orders
Assign ownership of incoming produce to customers (ie: if you are packing the goods on behalf of another company)
Manage fresh produce of any type, from fruit and vegetables, to seafood and other meats
Record the cost of incoming produce, or have it inherited from a Purchase Order
Easily assign incoming produce to storage areas, for long or short term storage
Incoming produce can be packed immediately, or stored for any period and packed to order when necessary
Track details of transport companies immediately upon delivery of fresh produce
Record expiry dates (where required) for incoming inventory
Perform regular Quality Control tests at any step during the delivery, storage, processing, washing, packing, or sales & dispatch phases.
Download the FarmSoft Fresh Produce Stock Control brochure or watch the fruit packing video.
Contact your nearest FarmSoft consultant to discuss how FarmSoft can improve your fresh produce stock control processes & reduce waste and increase traceability.
Reference: fresh produce cold storage fresh produce distribution.
Best Practices for Inventory Control
Every item used to produce a good or service is classified as inventory or stock. That includes raw materials: goods used in the production process, and finished goods.
The goal of inventory management is to have goods in stock when you need them. Not having enough stock at any stage of the production process may jeopardize sales, but tying up too much cash in inventory can hurt your cash flow.
It's important for all businesses to properly manage inventory. Here are some things to consider:
How much stock to keep?
What's right for you will depend on the nature and size of your business, as well as the type of inventory. If you deliver fresh food, for example, your inventory needs will be different (order smaller quantities but more often) than a custom t-shirt maker who sells over the Internet.
Generally, keeping little stock can boost your cash flow and lower storage costs, but you may be vulnerable to the efficiency of your suppliers and it may cost you more than if you bought in bulk.
Best Practice: Analyse each step of the inventory chain (raw goods, goods in progress, finished goods) based on past turnover, sales patterns, and seasonality to determine an optimum amount to keep on hand. Take into account minimum stock levels and re-order lead times.
Best Practice: Conduct regular inventory reviews to help you assess trends and manage the risks of holding too little or too much stock. If your business is more complex, consider investing in stock control software. Point-of-sale technology may also be used for inventory reviews.
Quality control
Always check goods against the delivery receipt when they come in. Look for damage to the goods and packaging.
Best Practice: Document, in the form of a checklist, inventory-receiving practices and ensure that all employees who receive goods follow the proper procedures.
Ensure that stock is stored properly; taking into account all possible factors that may damage it. That includes light, humidity, and improper hygiene. For perishables, consider using a "first in, first out" policy.
Best Practice: Secure expensive and potentially hazardous products. If necessary, identify expensive inventory that is portable.
Best Practice: Securely store all stock after it is delivered and dispose of any packaging.
Accurate management of fresh produce
Ordering goods, fixing prices and controlling losses. These are the three difficulties in the fresh produce industry, and especially for fresh fruits and vegetables. The influence of the weather is considerable, so production volumes aren't stable. Fresh produce is dictated by locality, so it lacks standardisation. The market prices in first tier cities is unstable. There is no branding, so there is almost no costumer fidelity. Transport conditions are bad, there are losses in supply to stores. Even with these conditions, even with so many years of experience, the changing demands of costumers can keep you more than occupied. Be that what it may, are there solutions to connect the links, to create optimal circulation?
Fresh Produce Stock Control
Fresh Produce Stock Control
"We created the first Chinese retail shop information system. With loss control you order goods, settle the price and effectively buy and deliver or process. You can also analyse sales data, stock data, etc. So it helps chain stores to specialise their management. This means the gains of the system are not only for the store, but for the whole chain of stores," explains Mrs. Wang Jieying from Comteck in Ningbo.
Building an analysis system from sales data
Sales data is the easiest to obtain from a fresh produce chain store, but it is also very easy to overlook the value of that data. It is difficult to analyse the consumer habits from nearby shops based on experience alone. That's where an assisting platform and scientific analysing methods come in. "We are very aware of the uncertainty in the fresh produce industry, like the influence of the weather on production volumes. But in sales, chain stores can perform analyses on the sales data. This way they can estimate the customer demands and use more channels to increase or decrease the stock if necessary. They can also accurately adjust prices according to supply and demand."
Since ordering fresh products, stock management and delivery become more logical, the losses will be reduced. "In stock management, for example, the quality of fresh products depends on the environment. Storing conditions determine the selling phase and preservation time. Our system can clarify the stock situation and short-term demands. Managing personnel can use these two insights to protect the quality by reducing unnecessary movement of goods. Quality will be safeguarded more and losses will be fewer.
Repeatability with profit modelling
The goal of all fresh produce chain stores is to expand the sales volume and to preserve the profit. But consumer patterns differ by region, a problem that every expanding chain store needs to overcome. The profit modelling and business data of the X-SHOP system can help a store to solve these problems and realise a swift expansion of volumes.
"Consumer preferences may differ by region, but basic data like quality standards, stratified standards and analysing methods are the same. If we keep in account sales on the spot and the fast delivery processing, we can collect realtime data of the business. This way we consolidate the management and practical experience. It helps new stores to make management accurate, like getting through bottleneck of low profit margins."
UK: iFiniti Fresh Produce Management Software
Fresh Produce Stock Control
Fresh Produce Stock Control
iFiniti is being used in companies from all sectors of the fresh produce industry wholesalers, catering wholesalers, importers etc. helping them to become more efficient. iFiniti it has improved the profitability in all the companies where it is used and has given them that competitive edge.
iFiniti is 21st century windows software for the fresh produce industry. The iFiniti developers led by Bob Barrett have been designing software for the fresh industry for over 20 years. IFiniti is constantly being enhanced and clients get the latest enhancements and updates as part of our 24/7 support.
iFiniti Modules consist of:- Purchase Order Processing, Stock Control, Sales Order Processing, Traceability, Invoicing, Quality Control, Transport Cost Management, Marketing, Technical, Intrastat Reports and copious Management Reports. iFiniti integrates with Sage and Exchequer Accounting programs.
Fresh Produce Stock Control
Fresh Produce Stock Control
There are aspects for importers, primary wholesalers and secondary wholesalers that are essential to each of these businesses. For instance - fresh produce importers buying from Europe or anywhere in the world can track how much stock they have so that they cannot over sell. Primary wholesalers, who buy and sell must be able to have negative stock levels and Secondary Wholesalers who sell to shops, restaurants etc. need to be able to breakdown cartons and sell by the Kg, iFiniti has the ability to work for all these different situations.
Fresh Produce Stock Control
Fresh Produce Stock Control
The system is modular and can be used by multiple employees from the manager down to casual labour, access to information can be easily given or blocked. The system also has a messaging function. iFiniti is written with SQL server which is a very solid business platform and very robust.
iFiniti will run on Microsoft Surface Pro Tablets. It will also link to Scales so that weights do not need to be keyed in manually.
The future in fresh produce management software
The Future in Fresh Produce Management Software designed for fresh produce companies to operate efficiently and profitably. Used by Companies from all sectors of the fresh produce industry:- Primary Wholesalers, Secondary Wholesalers, Importers and Market Wholesalers etc.
iFiniti is 21st century windows software. Developers have been designing software for the Fresh Produce industry for over 25 years. They know this business. Constantly being enhanced and updated it does not stand still in time like other software on the market. It is written with SQL server a very solid business platform. iFiniti will hold years of information for comparison purposes. Reports are available to give all the information required to make informed decisions.
There are aspects for importers, primary wholesalers, secondary wholesalers and market wholesalers essential to each of these businesses. For instance: Importers buying from Europe or anywhere in the world can track how much stock they have as they cannot over sell. Primary wholesalers who buy and sell must be able to have negative stock levels and secondary wholesalers who sell to shops and restaurants need to be able to breakdown cartons and sell by the Kg. Market Wholesalers who prefer to use touch screen hand held devices such as iPad’s and Mini iPad’s for their sales for efficiency. iFiniti delivers in all these different situations.
Fresh Produce Stock Control
Fresh Produce Stock Control
Key Features:-
Supports purchases in Sterling, Euro and Dollars
Further Currencies can be added as required
Highly Flexible Pricing structure
Email Customer Specific Price Lists
Full Stock Control
Excellent Marketing Tools
Comprehensive Management Reports
Multi user and Multi-Tasking
Customer Contact Management
Account Handler Management
Global Product Order Switcher
Head Office Capability
Last Minute pricing
Returns Authorisation Procedure
Customer and Supplier Rebait Handling
Integration into Sage and Exchequer
Supplier Accreditation
User Specific Roles
Cash Sales Reconciliation
Comprehensive Returned Goods Procedure
Internal Network SMS Messaging
iFiniti is being used on touch screen computers in the warehouse and Sales areas attached to scales to weigh the produce. The weight registers immediately in iFiniti offering true weight accuracy.
iFiniti is modular so can be used by multiple employees from a manager to casual labourers. Access to information and modules can be easily given or blocked to staff as required.