Inventory
Inventory records purchases of goods for your cafe. Every time you receive a shipment from a supplier (whether it is canned drinks, snack boxes, cleaning supplies or any other item) you record the delivery as a stock receipt. This creates a permanent log of what was bought, how much was paid and where it came from.
Inventory entry moved from Settings to the main navigation. Receipts are entered on the Stock Receipt tab of the Stock page. This page describes the data each receipt line stores.
Receipt Fields
A receipt is entered once per delivery and shares these fields across its lines:
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
invoice_no |
The invoice or receipt number from the supplier's document. All lines of the same delivery share it. |
invoice_date |
The date printed on the supplier's invoice. |
supplier |
The supplier the delivery came from, selected from the supplier directory. The receipt stores a direct link to the supplier record. |
cashier |
The staff member who entered the receipt. Recorded automatically. |
Receipt Line Fields
Each line on a receipt represents a single purchased item:
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
product |
The catalog product the line restocks. The line stores a direct link to the product record so stock and movement history update automatically. |
name |
The name or description of the item purchased (e.g., "Cola 330ml", "Sandwich Bread", "Paper Cups"). |
unit |
The unit of measurement for the quantity (e.g., "piece", "kg", "liter", "box", "case"). |
quantity |
The number of units purchased. This is a decimal field to support fractional quantities (e.g., 2.5 kg). |
unit_price |
The purchase price per unit in minor currency units (e.g., cents). |
discount_rate |
An optional discount percentage applied to the line. |
vat_rate |
The VAT percentage on the line, taken from the invoice. |
currency |
The currency of the purchase. Fixed to the system currency configured in Settings > Pricing. |
category |
An optional category label for grouping (e.g., "Beverages", "Food", "Cleaning", "Equipment"). |
notes |
A free-text field for additional information such as lot numbers, brand names, quality notes or expiration dates. |
Linking to Suppliers
Each receipt stores a direct reference to a supplier record from the Suppliers directory. When entering a receipt you select an existing supplier or type a new name. Consistent supplier records let you filter receipt history by vendor and understand your spending patterns with each supplier.
Recording a New Purchase
To record a delivery:
- Open the Stock page from the sidebar and switch to the Stock Receipt tab.
- Select or type the supplier.
- Enter the invoice number and invoice date from the supplier's document.
- Add a line per item: scan or type the barcode, pick the product, then enter the quantity, purchase price, optional discount and VAT rate. An unknown item can be added as a new product directly from the line.
- Review the subtotal, discount, VAT and grand total.
- Click Save.
The receipt in progress is kept as a draft automatically. You can leave the page and continue later. See Stock for the full receipt workflow including validation rules and receipt history.
Inventory and Product Stock Integration
Saving a receipt increases the stock of every product on it by the received quantity and records a purchase movement in the product's stock log. Each movement links back to the receipt for traceability. Stock levels and movement history are visible on the Stock Status tab of the Stock page.
Viewing Receipt History
The Receipt history button on the Stock Receipt tab lists all saved receipts, newest first, with the invoice number, supplier, date, line count and total. Selecting a receipt shows its individual lines.
Using the Notes Field
The notes field on receipt lines serves as a flexible annotation area. Common uses include:
- Lot or batch numbers: Record the manufacturer's lot number for traceability, especially for food items.
- Brand information: Note the specific brand when the item name is generic (e.g., "Cola" might be from different brands on different purchases).
- Quality observations: Flag any issues noticed during receipt (e.g., "2 cans dented", "near expiry date").
- Expiration dates: Record the best-before date for perishable goods.