Suggested Quantity Types

Overview:

Suggested Quantity Types ("SQTs") provide a way to configure and utilize suggested quantity calculations for the ordering, transfer, production, or prep features. A User can select a preconfigured SQT to utilize when they run worksheets or do entries for orders, transfers, prep, or production.

If an SQT is selected for an enter feature, then the details for each suggested quantity calculation can be displayed for an item while a User is on the entry display. Even though SQTs are preconfigured, they can be modified when running worksheets or entering transactions. 

Things to know!

• Suggested Quantity Types (SQTs) can be used to suggest quantities for items to order, transfer, prep, or produce.  
• SQTs are preconfigured. Preconfigured SQTs are defaults (to save time), but they can be changed when printing worksheets or entering transactions. 
• An SQT must be set up for each feature (ordering, transfers, prep, or product) that you want to use an SQT for.
• You can set up multiple SQTs for each feature type. For example, if you order or make transfer requests on Mondays and Fridays, you can set up Suggested Quantity Types for each day.
• SQTs can, optionally, be configured to use Par Levels. A Par Level will compare an Item's Par Level to the calculated on-hand quantity and calculate the suggested quantity. Please click this link for more information about Par Levels. 
• SQTs can also be configured to use Usage Projections. A Usage Projection calculates how much of an item will be used between the order, transfer, prep, or production date and the next time you will enter orders, transfers, prep, or production. This link has more information, Usage Projections.   
• SQTs can be configured to include both Par Levels and Usage Projections. Or just one or the other.  
• SQTs can be configured to allow for a percentage increase in the Usage Projection.
• SQTs can be configured to show count units (versus Pack or Batch Size) for suggested quantities.
• When an SQT is selected, the entry display for ordering, transfers, prep, or production will include an option to override the calculated on-hand quantity.
• If you want to use an SQT for the Prep Worksheet, this option must be enabled in your Company Settings via an option on the Recipe Tab.  This link to Suggest Prep FAQs has more information.
• This feature will only be accessible to Administrators and Assistant Administrators.

Add or Edit Suggested Quantity Types (Ordering, Transfers, Prep, or Production):

An SQT must be set up for each feature (ordering, transfers, prep, or product) that you want to use an SQT for.

To add, review, edit, or delete Suggested Quantity Types, use the Sidebar to navigate to the Manage Inventory menu option and then select Suggested Quantity Types from the submenu. Upon selection, a Find Grid will display all of the Suggested Quantity Types that you have previously set up:

The Find Grid includes more tools to help you find, filter, or sort the information on the grid according to your requirements. Some of these tools are intuitive, but other helpful tools can easily be overlooked. Please click this link for more information on Find Grid Tools - FAQs.

Add Suggested Quantity Types: Use the blue "+ Add" button to add a new Suggested Quantity Type.

Edit/Delete: Click the Edit or Delete option next to a row you wish to edit or delete.

Add/Edit:

As mentioned above, an SQT should be set up for each feature (ordering, transfers, prep, or production) that you wish to use an SQT for. In the below example we have selected to edit/view the "Order to Par" Suggested Quantity Type which has been set up for ordering. The SQT fields are very similar for transfers, prep, and production:

Name: Select a name for the Suggested QuantityType that helps you remember which one it is or that makes it unique (especially if you are configuring more than one Suggested Quantity Type or doing so for both ordering and transfer requests.  

Suggested Quantities For: If you have enabled orders, transfers, and production in your company settings, then the drop-down enables you to select whether the SQT you are configuring is used for orders, transfers, production, or prep. This is a required field because the SQTs you configure will show up for the appropriate transaction type you select (orders, transfer requests, production, or prep).  

Use Theoretical On-Hand Quantity: When this box is checked, a Suggested Order, Transfer Request, or Production calculation will start by calculating the theoretical quantity on-hand for an item and then make additional calculations for Par Levels and/or Projected Usage from there. If you have items that typically have no or low stock levels and plan to utilize a Usage Projection, then it may make sense to uncheck this option. 

For example, we buy fresh fish daily and each day we either use it up or give away any unused portions, so we will not include the Theoretical On-Hand in our calculation because the assumption is there is never any fresh fish on hand. 

For an explanation of the Theoretical On-Hand Calculation, please click this link: Theoretical On-Hand FAQs. If you want to include the Theoretical On-Hand quantity on a worksheet or entry display for informational purposes, then check this box only.  

Use Open Transfer Request Quantity: If you have a Site such as a commissary or a central storage area that receives transfer requests from other Sites, and if you want to include transfer requests that have not yet been fulfilled in the suggested order quantity calculation, then check this box. 

Use Open Order Quantity: If you want the Suggested Order calculation to adjust for the item quantities that are on order (not delivered yet), then check this box. This calculation will use the expected delivery date that was entered for the order. 

Use Projected Usage Quantity: An SQT can, optionally, be configured to calculate the projected usage for items. Checking this box will provide additional fields for configuration. Please see below for an explanation of these added fields.

Use Par Levels: COGS-Well provides the option to set up Par Level Types and Par Levels for an Item for each Par Level Type. If you have set up Par Levels and you want them to be included in the SQT that you are configuring, then check this option.  Click this link for more on Par Levels. 

Default Par Level Type: COGS-Well provides the option to set up multiple Par Level Types (such as High Volume and Low Volume, or Weekends and Week Days, etc.). If the SQT you are configuring will frequently use a specific Par Level, then use the drop-down to select it as the default.  You can still override the default when running worksheets or entering transactions. For more information please click this link on Par Level Types.    

Show Suggestion Details in Count Units. Suggested Quantities are shown by Pack Size for inventory and combined items. They are shown by batch size for prep and production items. If you would like the suggested quantities to be shown by Count Unit, then check this box.

Use Projected Usage Quantity:  The projected usage for an item is calculated as the usage between the order, transfer, prep, or production date, and the next delivery, transfer request, prep, or production date. The quantity projected to be used is included in the suggested quantity calculation.

For added information about Projected Usage, please see this link for Usage Projections - FAQs. If you check this box to include Projection Usage in your SQT, then additional fields, which are overviewed directly below, will also displayed:

Allow User to Enter a Projection Adjustment Percentage: When printing a worksheet or entering a transaction for ordering, transfers, prep, or production, this feature adds a field to allow the User to change the projection by a percentage. For example, if the projection is for 10 Packs and 10% is entered, the projection will increase to 11 packs. This added field will not require an entry.

Use User-Defined Historical Date Range: You should only check this box when you will not be using a consistent historical date range for your Usage Projection and prefer to let the User select the range each time they use an SQT.

If you do not check this option, then the projection will always use the historical configuration in the SQT, and the Number of Historical Weeks and the Number of Current Weeks to Skip configurations will not display for Users when running worksheets or entering transactions.

Number of Historical Weeks: This is the number of historical weeks before the order or transfer request date that will be used for the Usage Projection calculation sales portion. 

Number of Current Weeks to Skip: Oftentimes you may be selecting a report date that falls in the middle of a week and you will not have a full week of sales to be utilized in the projection.  The typical configuration is, therefore, to skip the current week by entering 1 so the projection will not include the current week.

Exclude High and Low Quantities: To help smooth the projection calculation, you can check this box to normalize against unusual lows or highs that may have occurred on a given day. Most customers check this box unless their sales volume is very stable throughout the look back number of weeks.   

Project Usage for All Sites: This prompt only displays if you have multiple sites. If you will be running projections for a commissary or warehouse site, then you might want to project usage for all of the sites so their projected usage is factored into the projection calculation.

Save or Exit:

Save - Click the save button to save your entry.

Exit - Click the exit button to exit.  If you have made unsaved changes, you will be asked if you are sure.