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WISK Restaurant - First Inventory

How to take your first inventory in your WISK Restaurant account

Nick Neale avatar
Written by Nick Neale
Updated over 8 months ago

Overview

Introduction

During your First Inventory, you’ll do the following:

  1. Create/manage your areas where stock is stored and counted

  2. Enter and submit counts of items in each area

  3. Save all areas and submit the inventory

For the smoothest experience, we recommend adding your food items prior to the first inventory count. Learn more here:

For your first inventory, we recommend using the iOS app. If you are unable to do so, please see Web Inventory.

Note: If you haven't already purchased a supported Bluetooth scale, you can find links here:

Creating / Managing Areas

Before you start counting, set up the areas in your venue where inventory is stored.

Open the WISK app and tap “Complete first inventory” on the setup checklist.

You’ll see a list of your areas. By default, WISK provides you with a Kitchen and Stock Room.

Note: Make sure that you're in the correct venue account. If you aren't in your Food account, you'll need to switch to it. The name of the current account displays at the top of the screen. To learn more, see

Creating an Area

  1. If needed, you can create a new area by tapping “Add another area”

    An arrow points to the "Add another area" button on the "New Inventory" screen in the mobile app.

  2. Give the area a title, and you can take or add a photo

    A window opens to add the name of the area and you can add a photo.

  3. Tap "Save"

    An arrow points to the save button after adding the area's details.
  4. The area is added and you are taken into the area to begin counting (you can back out of the area if you're not ready to count it yet)

    Note: Area names must be unique. You cannot create an area with the same name as an existing or archived area.

Editing an Area

You can edit an existing area by swiping it to the left and tapping "Edit Area". You can rename the area, change the photo, or delete it

Note: There is no limit on the number of areas you can have in your venue. Create the setup that works best for you.

Counting Areas

This section outlines use cases of counting full and partial units of various measurement types.

Entering an Area

To start counting, tap an area on the list.

Note: More than one user can count in the same area at a time.

Selecting an Item to Count

When inside an area, you’ll want to count your items in a systematic fashion, top to bottom, left to right.

There are a number of ways to call up the item to be counted:

  1. Search bar/scrolling through your list of items by category

  2. Barcode Scanner (if the item has a barcode)

  3. Search/Add button

    The various ways of selecting items are highlighted on the app screen

Adding a New Item

If an item isn’t already in your venue’s list of items you can add it during the inventory. If the item has a barcode, you can scan it. If it doesn't have a barcode, add the item manually:

  1. Tap the “Search / Add” button

    An arrow points to the "Search / Add" button.
  2. Tap “Add item”

    An arrow points at the "Add Item" button.
  3. Fill out the required fields of title, item measurement, and category. Tap a field to enter a value

    On the "Add Item" screen, the required fields of Title, Item Measurement, and Category are highlighted.

  4. Add any other additional information (cost per unit etc). When finished, tap “Save”

    The required information has been entered on the "Add Item" screen and an arrow points to the "Save" button.

The item is then added to your venue and can be counted.

Note: You can edit the item at a later time if you are missing information at the time of the item’s creation.

Counting Items (Full & Partial)

With your item called up, it’s now time to count it. As mentioned earlier, you’ll count items in a systematic fashion. Count what you see in front of you as you work your way through the area.

If an item is spread throughout an area, don’t add it up in your head and submit one count. Submit each separately because WISK adds the counts together when you have finished the area.

By adding them separately, it is much easier to review your counts and make sure you haven’t missed anything.

The way you count an item depends on its unit of measurement:

To learn more about units of measurement, please see:

Unit-Based

As a reminder, items with the units measurement type are best suited for things that don’t require a weight or volume, and are measured whole. This will vary depending on how your venue decides to track certain items, but some examples include:

  • Fruit (lemons, limes, oranges, etc.)

  • Eggs

  • Pre-prepared dessert items

  • Cutlery / Dishware

  • Souvenirs (Apparel, etc.)

Unit-based items can be counted in full units and cases, but there is also a special type of count called "sub-units" if the item's measurement is a value greater than 1.

To learn more about sub-units, see:

Full Units / Cases

To count full units and cases for items with a unit-based measurement type:

  1. Tap the item you're counting (or use the barcode scanner if applicable)

    The item to be counted is highlighted.

    Note: If you use the “View by item categories” view, you can use the “+” button to add the number and swipe it to the right to submit. You can only count units this way, not cases.

  2. Tap the “+” button beside either the units or cases field or tap the number itself to enter an amount

    The "Cases" and "Unit" section of the screen is highlighted.

    Note: If you haven't set a case size for the item already, tap the pencil icon on the top right to edit the item

  3. The total item count displays on the "Confirm" button. Tap “Confirm” to add the items to your inventory

Sub units

For items that have a measurement quantity greater than 1, there's an option to count sub-units.

These are typically items that are ordered/purchased in a package, and contain multiple units. Examples of this include:

  • Eggs in cartons

  • Tea bags in boxes

  • Prepared desserts that come in packages (cupcakes, croissants, etc.)

In this example we'll count cartons of large eggs. The item measurement size is set to 12 units, with a case size of 15 (in other words, a case contains 15 cartons of 12 eggs for a total of 180 eggs).

To count sub-units:

  1. With the item called up, tap the “+” button in the sub-units field or tap the number itself to enter an amount. In this example, since a carton contains 12 eggs, this value has to be between 1 and 11.

    The item is measured as "12 units" so there option for sub-units appears and is highlighted
  2. The number of sub-units counted displays on the "Confirm" button. Tap "Confirm" to submit the count of sub units.

    The confirm button shows 5 sub units and is underlined for emphasis

Weight-Based

You can count weight-based items by:

  • full units / cases if they come in packaging (bags of flour or produce, canned items etc)

  • weighing them (partial packages or things like proteins sold by the lb or kg)

In this example, we'll be counting 5lb bags of red onions.

Full Units / Cases

With the item called up, we can count any unopened bags of red onions as full units or cases by tapping the + buttons. In this example we have counted 2x 5lb bags of red onions.

2x5lb bags of red onions have been counted.

Partial / By Weight

In addition to the full bags, we have one open bag that we need to count. There are a few ways to do this:

  1. Use the visual mode and estimate the amount remaining

  2. Enter a weight manually

  3. Use the supported Bluetooth Scale

Visual

  1. Tap the Visual Tab

    An arrow points to the "Visual" tab.

  2. Tap the % remaining

    An arrow points to 40%.

  3. After tapping a % amount, it converts to the unit of measurement of the item. In this example, 40% of the 5lb bag is 2lbs. The "Confirm" button shows the total count. Tap "Confirm" to submit the count.

    The "Confirm" button is highlighted and shows it is 2.4 x 5lb.

Enter a Weight Manually

If you don't have a supported model of Bluetooth scale, you can still enter weights of items manually. You might also have to do this if you have items that exceed the maximum weight capacity of the supported Bluetooth scales.

  1. On the "Weight" tab, tap the drop-down menu under the item image to change the unit of measurement if needed

  2. You can select from select from Gram, Kilogram, Pound (Lb) or Dry Ounce. In this example we'll select Pound (Lb)

    Note: If you select a unit of measurement different than the default unit of measurement for the item, it remembers that selection the next time you count that item in the same area.

  3. Tap the field beside the unit of measurement and enter the weight

  4. After entering the weight, the "Confirm" button shows the total count. In this example 1.85lbs of red onions converts to 0.37 of a 5lb bag. In addition to the 2 full units we counted earlier, it's a total of 2.37 units. Tap "Confirm" to submit the count.

Supported Bluetooth Scale

Note: The weight capacities of the supported models of Bluetooth scale range between 5kg / 11 lbs and 6kg / 13 lbs. Don’t place anything on the scale that exceeds the capacity. If you have heavier items, we recommend you weigh them on a scale that can support them, and then enter the value manually.

If using the supported Bluetooth scale, when connected, the interface updates to show the scale reading.

If you run into difficulties connecting the scale, please see this article:

Place the item on the scale, and the reading converts from grams to the selected unit of measurement. In the example below, the scale provided a reading of 840g, which converted to 1.85lbs. Tap “Confirm” to submit.

Containers

If you have taken an item out of its packaging and placed it in a different container (sugar, flour etc), you can create containers and add their weights.

This ensures that when you place the item on the scale, it subtracts the weight of the container to give you the correct amount.

Volume-Based

When counting volume-based items, they will either be unopened or partial.

For more information on counting volume-based items, please see:

Summary of Scans

As you count and submit items, you’ll see the number beside the “Proceed to current scans” button increase.

The number represents the items that you have counted in the area so far.

When you’ve finished counting in an area or want to see what you have submitted so far, tap “Review item counts”.

The "Review item counts" button is highlighted for emphasis.

You’ll see everything you’ve counted, in the order it was submitted.

Note: At this point, it doesn’t add the counts together.

You can use the + or - buttons to adjust the counts if needed.

The screen displays all of the items that have been counted in the area.

Deleting an Item

If you need to delete an item, you can swipe it to the left and tap delete.

An item has been swiped to the left and an arrow points to the "Delete" button.

Area Review

After you've double-checked your counts, tap “Review and submit area”.

The "Review area inventory" button is highlighted.

This screen shows the total counts for each item, and can you choose how to view this information:

  • By the order it was counted

  • category

  • alphabetically

  • highest to lowest count

The "View by" drop-down menu has been tapped and shows the various options as outlined above.

Saving the Area

When ready to save the area, tap “Submit area counts”

An arrow points to the "Submit area counts" button

Count Remaining Areas

You’ll now see the area marked as saved, with a summary of what has been counted. This is a good way to tell if you have finished counting an area, or need to go back and finish it.

To adjust the counts in a saved area, just tap it.

The "Kitchen" area is now marked as saved, and the other areas display as not started.

Now count your remaining areas.

Note: You can only submit your inventory after saving all areas in your venue.

Reviewing & Submitting the Inventory

Reviewing the Inventory

As you submit and save your last area, you’ll receive a prompt asking if you wish to:

  • add a new area

  • review and submit the inventory

  • or you can hit cancel if you need to finish counting in another saved area

When you tap “Review and Submit Inventory”, you’ll see a breakdown of the inventory, and you can choose how to view it:

  • By item categories

  • Alphabetically

  • Inventory count

The "View by" drop-down menu has been tapped and shows the options that are outlined above.

You’ll see the total count for each item, and you can tap an item to see where it was counted.

The "Lime" item is highlighted, indicating that you can tap it to see more information about where it was counted.

You can tap into a specific area to adjust the count if necessary.

The screen displays the total count of the item, and the count from each area.

When everything looks correct, at the bottom of the screen you'll see:

  • the total number of unique items in the inventory

  • the total count

  • the total dollar value of the inventory

On the bottom of Inventory Review screen, it displays the number of unique items, the total number, and the total $ value.

Submitting the Inventory

  1. Tap “Submit inventory”

    An arrow points to the "Submit inventory" button.
  2. Tap “Approve”

    An arrow points at the "Approve" button.
  3. You can then schedule a reminder for your next inventory count. Adjust the date and time by tapping in either field. If you don’t start your next inventory by the scheduled time, you’ll receive a notification. When finished, tap “OK”.

    The inventory has been approved and you can select a date for the next inventory count.

Note: For food inventory, we recommend taking at least one count per month.

After submitting the inventory, you're emailed a copy of your inventory report.

If you notice that you made a mistake during the inventory, you can edit a previous inventory to correct the count.

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