Inventory Items - Added Recipe Unit Configurations - FAQs

Overview:

It makes sense to configure recipe units for added measure classes when you use an item as an ingredient in recipes across more than one measure class. For example, the recipe unit for red onions is configured for the weight measure class, but you also use them by volume (such as a cup) or count (such as each) in recipes.

Adding a recipe unit configuration for a new measure class accomplishes two things. First, it allows you to select recipe units from the Recipe Unit Library for the added measure class when building recipes. Second, it will enable COGS-Well to calculate theoretical usage and cost for an ingredient regardless of the recipe unit you select to use in a recipe.

Things to Know:

  • There are three industry-standard measure classes for ingredients – Weight, Volume, and Count.
  • COGS-Well automatically configures a recipe unit for every new inventory item based on its primary measure class using the Standard Packaging Definitions.
  • COGS-Well provides a Unit of Measure Conversion tool to make adding new recipe units easier.

Adding Recipe Units for Added Measure Classes:

The Red Onions in the example below have been assigned Weight as the Primary Measure Class, weighted ounces as the Recipe Unit, and 80 as the Recipe Unit Factor because the onions are priced by weight and are packaged in a 5-pound bag.

What if we also use red onions by volume (such as a cup) or count (such as each) in recipes in addition to weight? Unlike other inventory control systems, COGS-Well makes configuring recipe units for added measure classes possible.

Underneath the primary recipe unit configuration in the example above, we can see the options to add a volume recipe unit and a count recipe unit configuration. The drop-down in the used-by field will display recipe units for each new measure class to select from. 

Unit of Measure (UOM) Conversion table: 

To make recipe unit configurations for an added measure class easy, COGS-Well provides a Unit of Measure (UOM) Conversion Table that includes weight, volume, and count measure class conversions for many common ingredients. The UOM Conversions Table is shown below:

The UOM Conversions table contains conversions for inventory items often used as ingredients in multiple measure classes. Produce and spices are examples of inventory items that are often bought by weight, but used in recipes by volume or count.

To create the UOM Conversion Table, COGS-Well used 1 cup as the base recipe unit and then added conversions for weight. All items in the table have volume-to-weight conversions. For Items that may be purchased or used by each, COGS-Well also added a configuration for the count measure class using Each as the recipe unit.

The information in this table has been gathered from sources on the internet that are often based on averages or approximations and different sources do not always agree. COGS-Well, therefore, cannot take responsibility for the accuracy of the information in the table.

Using the UOM Conversion Table: The UOM Conversions table is accessed via the UOM Conversions button on the top right of the Recipe Information display. To add a configuration for red onions we will click the button to access the table:

For the example below, we clicked the UOM Conversions button:

Select an Ingredient: In the example below, we used the search field at the top of theAdd UOM Conversions table and typed in Onion.

The Add UOM Conversions table contains conversions for Onions (large) Onions (medium), and Onions (small). The table shows that 1 cup of onions weighs 5.3 Wz and it takes .53 of one large onion, which weighs 10 Wz on average, to create a cup (5.3 Wz divided by 10 Wz). A cup of onions will always weigh the same regardless of the size of the onion.

Please note that if you do not find the exact ingredient you are looking for, search the table for a similar ingredient. For example, if you don't find onion powder, then search and select garlic powder as the conversions are going to be very similar. The same is true for butter and margarine, etc.

Automatic Configurations: Our Red Onions are medium-sized (6.5 WZ average) so we can either highlight the Onion (medium) and click the Apply Conversions button, or double-click on the Onions (medium) item in the table. Below we have selected onions (medium) from the table:

As we can see in the above example, selecting onions from the table automatically configured recipe units, and recipe unit conversion factors, for volume and count. The conversion factor tells COGS-Well how many of the added recipe units are in the primary recipe unit. The conversion factor is needed so COGS-Well can calculate theoretical cost and usage when the added recipe units are used.

Onions were configured for both volume and count recipe units in the above example. This is because the UOM conversions table had configurations for volume and count for onions.

Now that recipe units for the added measure classes have been configured, we are done and the item can be saved. Going forward, when a recipe that uses this red onion as an ingredient is added or modified, the recipe unit selection search will include choices for recipe units in the weight, volume, and count measure classes.

What if an Ingredient is not in the UOM Conversion Table?

If you cannot find an ingredient, or an ingredient that likely has a similar conversion factor, in the UOM Conversion Table, then you can manually configure recipe units for added measure classes.

To manually add a Measure Class configuration, use the recipe unit drop-down to select a recipe unit for the desired added Measure Class. The drop-down displays options from the Recipe Unit Library for the selected measure class. An Example for adding a Volume recipe unit using the drop-down is shown below:

A Cup is a good Recipe Unit to select when you are adding a Volume Measure Class to an item. This is because you can often find Weight to Volume (or Volume to Weight) conversions for a Cup in online searches. You can usually also find Count to Volume conversions for a cup as well.

Each is usually a good Recipe Unit to select when you are adding a Count Measure Class to Weight or Volume. This is because you can usually find Count to Weight, and Count to Volume (using a cup) conversions for Each in online searches.

Recipe Unit Conversion Factor: As soon as a recipe unit is selected for a new measure class, you will be asked to enter a "recipe unit conversion factor" for the new recipe unit. A conversion factor tells COGS-Well how many of the primary recipe units are in the new recipe unit so theoretical costs and usage can be calculated for the new recipe unit. An example is below:

In the above example, we have entered a cup as an added volume recipe unit for red onions. The display is asking for a recipe unit conversion factor for Wz(s) per Cup. In simple English, the conversion factor is asking, "How many weighted ounces does a cup of onions weigh". This field is required and highlighted in red with an exclamation mark. You cannot save the item until this field is updated.

Most people don't know recipe unit conversion factors off the top of their heads. So what should you do when you don't know the recipe unit conversion factor?

Google Measure Class Conversion Factors: When you don't know the Measure Class conversion for an item, Google is a good resource. For example, we can google "how much does a cup of onions weigh" to obtain a recipe unit conversion factor for a weight-to-volume factor. Below is an example of a Google search for "how much does a cup of onions weigh which in this example is 5.3 Wz:

If we had also added a recipe unit of Each for the count measure class to the onions, then COGS-Well would require a recipe unit conversion factor for Wz(s) per Each. In simple English, "How much does an onion weigh". Below is a Google search to discover how much one onion weighs. When a range is provided we can take the average. For example, we will use 10 Wz for a large onion.

Manually Adding Recipe Unit Conversion Factors: After Googling Onions for a weight-to-volume configuration for a cup, and s weight-to-count configuration for each, we have the information we need to add Recipe Unit Conversion Factors for Volume and Count. Below we have manually added the factors from Google for large onions:

Reverse the Recipe Unit Factor: The double arrow button to the right of a Recipe Unit Factor will reverse the request. For example, selecting to reverse Wz(s) per Cup would change the request to Cup(s) per Wz. For some ingredients, you may find this option useful. In this example, it is not.

Summary:

COGS-Well's ability to use recipe units from multiple measure classes when creating recipe items is unique. Competitive systems are usually limited to one recipe unit, or recipe units from one measure class, and the recipe unit you need is often not available.

Added recipe units and conversion factors are easy to configure if the ingredient, or a similar ingredient, exists in the UOM Conversion table. Conversion factors become a little more challenging for ingredients not in the UOM Conversion table, but you can usually use Google to find them.

Please never hesitate to ask us for assistance with the Recipe Unit and Measure Class configuration process at support@cogs-well.com.

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