Release Notes - Version 20.02.02
Version 20.02.02 went live on April 3, 2020. A summary of the new features and enhancements contained in this release is below.
Expanded Recipe Units:
Recipe Units are utilized in COGS-Well for building and costing recipes. Each ingredient used in a recipe has a recipe unit class and recipe unit type. The quantity (portion size) for each ingredient's recipe unit type is included in the recipe.
Prior to this release, recipe units were limited to one Unit of Measure (UOM) class of either weight, volume, or count. The recipe unit type within a class was limited to WZ (weighted ounces), FZ (fluid ounces), Each (count), or Grams.
Sometimes ingredients are purchased under one UOM class but used in recipes in a different class. An example is onions. Onions are typically purchased by the pound and used in some recipes by weight, but are often used in recipes by volume (cup), and/or by count (each) as well as by weight (WZ).
In addition, ingredients are often used in different recipe unit sizes based on the recipe item. For example, olive oil might be used by the fluid ounce on a sandwich and by the cup or quart for a salad dressing recipe. While each of these recipe units is in the volume measure class, they represent a different recipe unit size.
Version 20.02.02 adds the ability to assign multiple UOM classes to an ingredient so you can use an ingredient by weight, by volume or by count based on how it is called for in each recipe item. This release also creates the ability to use recipe units of a different size (a weighted ounce or a pound, or a gram or a kilo), for different recipe items.
Ingredients can be inventory items, combined items, or recipe items that are flagged as used in other recipes. All three of these ingredient types now have these expanded recipe unit options.
The net impact of the expanded recipe units is much greater flexibility for building recipes. Instead of converting the quantity of an ingredient used in a recipe to match the UOM class that was defined for costing that ingredient, you can now configure an ingredient match other ways you use it in recipes.
Please be aware that while there is now much greater flexibility for recipe units, there is no requirement to implement this flexibility or change what you have already set up for your ingredients and recipe items. The use of the expanded recipe unit options is optional.
Help has been updated to address expanded recipe units for the Inventory, Recipe, and Combined Item setup articles. We have also published a new article in the FAQ section titled "How to Use Recipe Units". This article focuses on the newly expanded recipe unit options. Please click this link to see the article: How to use Recipe Units.
Recipe Unit Library:
The Recipe Units library enables you to view and select Recipe Unit scales for ingredients. Examples of scale within the measure class of weight are WZ, Pound, Gram, and Kilo. Examples within the volume measure class are FZ, Cup, Quart, Milliliter, and Liter.
COGS-Well has created a "Recipe Unit Library" for version 20.02.02 that contains most of the standard recipe unit scales and the conversion factor. You can also add your own recipe unit definitions to the recipe unit library. You can search and select from this library anywhere within ingredients or recipe items when you are selecting recipe units. If you move from FZ to Cup, as an example, any scaling of recipe unit quantities is automatic.
Prep Instructions:
Many of our customers have asked for the ability to include information about how to prepare a recipe item, versus only including the ingredients and their portion sizes. Version 20.02.02 adds this capability.
Prep Instructions enable you to do the following for a recipe item: 1) add a description, 2) create steps for preparing the recipe, 3) attach a picture of the recipe, 4) enter the prep time, 5) list the required preparation equipment, and 6) assign a prep station. You can do any single, or any combination, of these prep instruction options for any type of recipe.
The help article for recipe item setup has been expanded to include Prep Instructions. We have also added an article to our FAQs for setting up Prep Instructions. To see the article in FAQs, please click this link: How to use prep instructions.
Reports:
Prep Instructions Listing: A new listing that includes the prep instructions for recipes. This report can be run for a specific prep station, sales category, or recipe item. This listing resides in Recipes & Sales>Listings.
Prep Instructions Display: A new display that includes the prep instructions for recipes. This display can be run for a specific prep station or recipe item. If you select a specific recipe item, the recipe can be scaled to different batch sizes and the ingredient portions will adjust accordingly. This display resides in Recipes & Sales>Listings.
Inventory Count Worksheet - Single Storage Location: The inventory count worksheet now includes a field to select and print for a single storage location. The count worksheet resides in Inventory>Reports.
Notes on Orders:
You can now enter specific instructions for your Vendors in version 20.02.02:
Clone and Order Template:
An order template can now be cloned in version 20.02.02:
Storage Locations - Copy Items:
A "Copy Items" button has been added to the Storage Location Assignment Function in version 20.02.02. It is located at the bottom of the available and selected items dual list box (see below). This feature enables you to copy the items that have been selected for a storage location, to a different storage location. Please see the example below:
Using the example above, If the "Dry Storage - Flour" storage location is being eliminated and we are moving the items assigned to this storage location to the "Dry Storage - Spices" storage location, then we can select the Copy Items button and the copy items feature will display as shown below:
Use the drop-down to select the new Storage Location to assign these items to and then select "Copy".
New Interfaces
- A Micros 3700 POS Interface (sales mix) has been added to version 20.02.02.
For more information on COGS-Well Interfaces, please click this link: COGS-Well Interfaces.