Ideal usage is a measure of how much stock was theoretically used, based on what was sold (sales information from Terminal) and what the sold items contained (the ingredients or Item Contents defined in Menu Designer). Ideal usage is "ideal" because it assumes perfect portion-control, no unrecorded waste or transfer of stock, and no theft.
Posting Ideal Usage calculates ideal usage for stock items used since the last posting, and reduces stock item levels by that amount.
For example, for every pepperoni pizza purchased by a customer, a certain amount of pepperoni will be recorded in the Ideal Usage file. When that file is posted, the "ideal" amount will be removed from the pepperoni inventory stock levels.
Why record ideal usage? Because it can be compared to actual usage (determined by physical stock counts at the beginning and end of an inventory period) to highlight problems with portion control, wastage, or theft. The difference (or variance) between ideal and actual usage, is shown in the Usage Variance report (see Run Inventory Reports and Interpret the Usage Variance Report). Once you identify excessive usage variance, you can take steps to minimize it and thereby reduce your food costs.
See Also:
•Create an Interim Ideal Usage Report
•Interpret the Usage Variance Report
•Inventory Use and Maintenance (overview)
