MarginEdge will initially set you up with two Count Sheets - one for Food and one for Beverage (beer, wine, liquor). These automatically populate with any Products that fall under the respective category when you purchase new Vendor Items.
[If you want a refresher on how Vendor Items become a Product in MarginEdge, see this article: Vendor Items and Products]
But what about paper goods? Cleaning supplies? Consumables? We know some people also want to inventory those items.
MarginEdge does not treat all Vendor Items the same way. Anything that is in the category of Food or Beverage is matched to a Product and we do our best not to create duplicate Products. This means you can use the same product in a recipe or on your inventory and not have to worry about updating it if you order it from a new vendor or in a different packaging.
However, for other purchases like expenses, cleaning supplies, paper goods, etc...each of those items gets a unique Product each time a new Vendor Item is uploaded to the system. We do not try to match these to an existing Product. So, if you don't change vendor items for these purchases, then they will all stay the same product. But if you order a new version or order from a new vendor, your box of straws will now have a brand new Product name.
Additionally, any purchases in the "other expenses" categories will not automatically populate on a Count Sheet.
Ok. So how do I inventory these items?
If you would like to be able to include these items, you can still pick and choose the Products you want to add to the Count Sheet. The mechanics are still the same, we just want you to keep in mind that it will not function the same way as your Food and Beverage Products do.
Things to remember:
- The price will only update if the Vendor Item does not change.
- There will be no notification if the Vendor Item has changed and the Product is no longer reflecting the most current price.
- No new Products in these "other expenses" categories will automatically appear on the Count Sheet.
[For instructions on adding new products, see this article: How do I add new products to a count sheet?]
Can I do anything to help keep the Vendor Items attached to the correct Products?