You must perform a physical inventory to ensure accurate counts for all food and supply items. Depending on your District, you may need to perform physical inventory on the last day of every month, quarterly, semi-annually, etc. This process ensures over-ordering does not occur, items in-stock are accurate and accounted for, profit/loss reports are accurate, and assists with audits.
Before beginning a physical inventory, make sure you have received all invoices, produced all meals for all serving days, and completed all transfers for the current month.
By selecting Cancel Physical, ALL previously entered counts will be cleared from the system.
If you have not completed a physical inventory for the previous month, you will be notified when attempting to perform normal daily operations. You should complete a physical inventory as soon as you can.
Begin New Physical Inventory
- From the Home tab, select Physical Inventory.
Click Start New Physical to begin the physical inventory process. If you need to conduct inventory for a different site, you must use the Edison icon in the top, left corner and change the Site attachment.
Supervisors may use the Search area to narrow results of physical inventories for review. Search for a specific site by clicking the ellipsis icon or use the drop-down menu to select a specific Inventory Period.
Establish Physical Inventory options. Then, click Ok.
- Click Print and select Worksheet.
- Establish worksheet options. Then, click Ok.
Print the report. Then, enter counted quantities in the space provided on the printed copy.
Your District determines if the Calculated Quantity column should appear on your worksheet.
The storage area (dry food, frozen, refrigerated, uncategorized, etc.) is noted along with the catalog number, item description, slot name (if applicable), inventory tag, lot number (if applicable), expiration date, brand, case/unit description, and calculated quantity.
Enter Counts
Once you have completed the Physical Inventory Worksheet, click Enter Counts.
- If you are conducting a physical inventory for the first time, click Prefill from Ordering List to create inventory tags for all available items available for ordering at the site.
- Click Ok to confirm adding line items to your ordering/receiving list.
- Use the calendar tool to establish an ordering list date and click Ok.
Enter physical inventory counts from your Physical Inventory Worksheet. Then, click Save Changes.
You may click Save Changes at any point during the process; however, you must complete Step 10 in order to commit the physical inventory for the period.
- By default, each category is expanded. You may click the arrow next to each storage category to collapse a category section.
- For each item, enter the totals in the Counted Quantity column where applicable or use the Scan Barcodes option.
For any items that do not have inventory quantities, leave blank.
Refer to Item Quantity Entry for examples of how quantities may be entered into the system.
Calculated Quantities highlighted in red indicate an item has been over issued and negative inventory exists. You may need to ask your District contact how to handle these issues.
- Click Ok to confirm adding line items to your ordering/receiving list.
- From the Physical Inventory Process tab, select Commit Physical.
Discrepancies
If discrepancies exist between inventory on-hand and quantities listed in Edison, a window will appear with a list of those discrepancies.
If you are sure the quantities you entered are correct and you would like to commit to those changes, click Ok to complete the physical inventory process. Otherwise, click Cancel and make any necessary adjustments in Step 8.
By selecting Cancel Physical, ALL previously entered counts will be cleared from the system.
Print Additional Reports
After you have committed an inventory period, you may wish to print additional reports.
Physical Inventory Worksheet with Previously Entered Counts
Printing the Inventory Worksheet after you have committed to your physical counts will provide an accurate record as to which changes have been made. You may review, print or export the report. Once you are done, click Close Preview.
- From the Physical Inventory Process tab, select the correct Site and Inventory Period.
- Locate Print, then select Worksheet.
- Leave Show Previously Entered Counts checked to review the quantities entered. Then, click Ok.
Corrections Detail
The Corrections Detail report displays overages, shortages, quantities with no change, and items with no quantities entered.
- From the Physical Inventory Process tab, select the correct Site and Inventory Period.
- Locate Print, then select Corrections Detail.
- Establish report criteria. Then, click Ok.