BUS606: Operations and Supply Chain Management

A key component in effective kitchen management is inventory control. By knowing what supplies are on hand at a given time, the manager will be able to plan food orders, calculate food costs since the previous inventory, and make menu item changes if needed. By keeping an eye on inventory, it is possible to note potential problems with pilferage and waste.

Managing inventory is like checking a bank account. Just as you are interested in how much money you have in the bank and whether that money is paying you enough in interest, so the manager should be interested in the value of the supplies in the storeroom and in the kitchen.

An inventory is everything that is found within your establishment. Produce, dry stores, pots and pans, uniforms, liquor, linens, or anything that costs money to the business should be counted as part of inventory. Kitchen items should be counted separately from the front of the house and bar inventory and so forth.

Regardless of the size of your operation, the principles of inventory control are the same. In larger operations there will be more people and sometimes even whole teams involved with the various steps, and in a small operation, all responsibility for managing the inventory may fall on one or two key people. Effective inventory control can be broken down into a few important steps:

• Set up systems to track and record inventory
• Develop specifications and procedures for ordering and purchasing
• Develop standards and procedures to efficiently receive deliveries
• Determine the frequency and processes for reconciling inventory
• Analyze inventory data and determine any areas for improvement