Inventory Restaurants: Central Order Adjustment (Forced Drops) Functionality in Recipe and Menu Engineering and Inventory

Overview

The Central Adjustment Functionality (forced drops) allows a minimum, maximum or defined quantity of Product to be ordered by sites to ensure that certain amounts are allocated to each Location.

This article describes the best practice method for a Central Order Adjustment per Product in Recipe & Menu Engineering (formerly known as Starchef) and Inventory (formerly known as R9)


Pre-Requisites for Creating a Central Order Adjustment

Before creating a Central Order Adjustment, it is essential that the data for the Product to be used has been configured correctly, the details of which are listed below.

1. The Ingredient is Available to Order

The Ingredient’s availability to order is controlled by the Date into Store field displayed within the Internal Specs tab. 

If a date in the future is entered into this field (as per Fig.1), the ingredient is made unavailable until this date. The date entered in this field must be set in the past for an ingredient to be able to order.
 

Fig.1 – Date Into Store Field

Please Note: If the ingredient is unavailable, it is still possible to populate a Central Order Adjustment for this item, however, this will not be fulfilled as the ingredient cannot be ordered.

2. The Preferred Supplier is available to order

If an ingredient has an alternate added, the preferred Supplier relationship must be available to order. When checking the availability of an ingredient, only the preferred Supplier relationship availability is checked by the system.

If the preferred Supplier relationship is unavailable, no Central Order Adjustments will be applied to either alternate, see Fig.2. 
 

Fig.2 – Alternates Tab with an Alternate Supplier Relationship Added

Creating a Central Order Adjustment

To create a Central Order Adjustment:
 

• Go to the Master Data tab
• Search and select the relevant Product
• Select the Central Order Adjustments tab

Fig.3 – Central Order Adjustments Tab

Any previous ‘forced drops’ which had been applied to the Product are displayed onscreen.
 

• To create a new Central Order Adjustment, select New Central Order Adjustment 

Fig.4 – New Central Order Adjustment Link

The ‘Create new Central Order Adjustment’ page will display. 

Fig.5 – New Central Order Adjustment Screen

When creating a Central Order Adjustment, the Type must be selected. There are three types available:
 

• Replace – Once entered, the number against each Location is not available to edit, and the Site is forced to order the allocated amount. For example, 6 has been entered into the system, and the user is unable to change this order entry
• Max – The number entered against each Location is the maximum number that the site is able to order. For example, 6 has been entered into the system. This is the maximum amount that the user can enter, however, the order quantity can be changed to below 6
• Min – The number entered against each Location is the minimum number that the site is able to order. For example, 6 has been entered into the system. This is the minimum amount that the user can enter, however, the order quantity can be changed to be above 6

Fig.6 – Central Order Adjustment Types Available

The Timing must also be defined.
 

• Select either as a One Off or All Deliveries within a Date Range
• If One Off is selected, a specific date must be entered, and the adjustment will relate to any orders raised on that date
• If a date range is selected, a period must be selected using the calendar icons, and the adjustment will relate to all orders raised within the given range

The quantity of Stock required of the Product can be entered at the appropriate level of the hierarchy displayed. It is possible to expand each level in order to enter a different value on a site by site basis.
 

Fig.7 – Completed Central Adjustment Screen

If the quantity for a forced drop is assigned against the area level, it is not possible for the quantity entered to be amended for a single site within the group. The system will not provide a warning for this, and the number entered at the uppermost level of the hierarchy will be retained and applied to all levels beneath.


Key Points
 

• If the Product is not available to order, the forced drop will not be applied. The system will not warn the user that the Product is unavailable to order when applying a forced drop as the data must be checked in Recipe & Menu Engineering in advance of applying the configuration
• If alternates have been added to a Product, the preferred Supplier must be available to order to be able to apply a forced drop successfully
• A forced drop is applied against the Master product and not a distinct Supplier relationship, therefore, in all instances it will apply to the preferred Supplier relationship
• The Date Range displayed relates to when an order is generated, rather than the delivery date of the goods
  • If a ‘One Off’ forced drop has been created, and the user creates an order but does not send it and then deletes the order, the next order raised will not be subject to the Central Order Adjustment logic
  • If an order is created in advance of the date range entered, and then sent within this date range, the order will not be subject to the Central Order Adjustment logic