Inventory write-off or summary sales invoice in a bar

#1

Part of our business is a bar, selling alcohol by the drink. We have an extensive (and expensive) inventory of bottles. We currently inventory them on a weekly basis to determine the popularity and re-order requirements of each item.

If we want to use the inventory module (and that may be a mistake), how do we report the reduction of our inventory? Should we use inventory write-off? Should we prepare a weekly sales invoice reflecting the amount of bottles sold? If we choose the latter, we could enter the cost of the bottles but not the selling price since we don’t know that.

It would be easier to not use the inventory module, but then we lose the asset amount from our inventory.

And forgive me, but I have forgotten to tell you of the ease and simplicity of this program. It was selected after looking at other possibilities. This is a great favorite in the office. I actually look forward to using it.

(Oh, I just remembered, it would be nice to be able to print the Summary report. I’ll try screen shots, I suppose. It is just the thing for a quick and simple presentation to the officers of the club.)

Thank you, your work is greatly appreciated.

#2

Perhaps my question has been answered in a topic on restaurants. I’ll try that, I’m sorry for reintroducing a discussed topic.

My compliments stand as written, as does my request for the ability to print the Summary page.

#3

Using the Inventory module would be best as it assists with stocktakes, ordering and assets.

Using a weekly sales invoice would be ideal. You would list all the Inventory Items and the quantities used but give a zero sales value. This way your inventory would be reduced and a valued transferred to your Inventory - Cost account. Don’t have any selling prices against your Inventory Items.

#4

Thank you, very kind. Your assistance, as well as that of the ever present Lubos is one of the big selling points of this software.

As I understand it, without a selling price, there would be no income received and income and expense accounts would not be affected. That’s just what I want.

#5

I’ve just put that solution into effect. It’s fine, with one small (actually, a big) problem.

The sales invoice shows the item code and the item description, but it doesn’t given the Item Name. I’ve tried to enter a custom field, without success.

I suppose I could change all of the Item Codes to show the name, but that would defeat the purpose of having Item codes. I could put the name in the Description field, but then I wouldn’t need an Item Name column. As you know, the inventory report shows all three.

I hate to ask for more help, but I think I need it.

#6

Are you sure about the Sales Invoices & Reports showing the Item Description. Mime only show Item Code & Item Name as shown below.

Sales Invoice

Inventory Reports

With Manager their is no compulsion to use Item Codes, they are optional, same with Item Description. If you don’t use either, then neither will appear, Compare above with below.

00 Summary.jpg717×187 9.37 KB

So the question is why do you need either codes or descriptions. Codes can be useful to group types of Inventory - say Beer with B??? or Wine with W???. Alternatively, codes could be used to facilitate stocktaking - Rack and Shelf with R1S3 etc. You probably have your own criteria.

Same with Item Descriptions - what do you need to put in here, perhaps Item Name & Item Description could be combined.

But getting back to your original point - can you illustrate where this is happening with Item Descriptions ?.

PS: Thank you for the feedback

#7

You’re very kind. May I ask a favor? It’s a half hour after midnight here, I’d like to respond tomorrow. I’m not ignoring you, but my head is going fuzzy.

#8

Ok, I have just worked out what you were illustrating - The “printed” Sales Invoice only shows Item Code & Item Description and not the Item Name. Here is a comment from another topic

"Item name will never show on invoices. It is your internal name of the item. Only code and description of the item will show. Why not add item name to the code or description if you want to show it to customer?

So really depending on the purpose your Item Code was serving you could combine the two - code & name. For Beer you could have
B1 Brand A Type A,
B2 Brand A Type B,
B3 Brand B Type A

#9

Another comment is - just reverse the contents of the Item Code & Item Name fields

“the simplest solution would be to put the item code into the item name field and put the item name into the item code field.”

#10

Why not just print the existing Profit and Loss Statement and Balance Sheet? Set them up to run for your full accounting period and they’ll always be current. The ending or “as of” dates will be wrong, but that will probably be OK for informal presentations. Of course, if you want them to be perfectly correct, you just edit the dates before printing.

#11

Dear Brucanna,

Thanks very much. Yes, that is an idea and it should work. I’m really quite grateful.

The reason that there is a problem at all is that this particular invoice (the one to the bar to account for the weekly usage of bottles of alcohol) IS intended to be an internal document, intended to be used for inventory control. While 99.99% of the invoices don’t need to show the customer the internal name of the item, an inventory control invoice needs it.

So, I suppose I can just cut and paste the Item Name into the Item Code space. It seems a little awkward, but if it works I won’t complain.

A possible ideal solution? Have the invoice allow you to select which columns are seen or printed.

Anyway, thanks again. You’ve been a huge help.

P.s. Oooops! I was working down the column and didn’t get to your second idea. Not bad at all, thanks.

Another stellar idea! Where I would be without you, Tut, and Lubos?

#12

Thank you for that suggestion, it’s the path I will take.

I’m probably just a cranky old man, but in meetings with people of various levels of understanding and patience, I’ve found that one sheet of paper is more willingly received than two.

Well, they’ll just have to learn to like it.

#13

To print the Summary tab report, right click on the screen, select print preview and if you like what you see click print - then you will have your one page report

#14

I think that only works on Windows. It’s an operating system characteristic, not a Manager feature.

#15

Wonderful! Manager isn’t the only software I’m learning. It works well. (I have Windows 7.)