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Inventory counts
An inventory count is a snapshot of what you have on hand at a specific point in time. Regular counts help you track actual usage against theoretical usage, identify waste or over-ordering, and calculate the true cost of goods sold for any period.
Navigate to your inventory counts at app.digichef.co/inventories/counts.
Why do inventory counts?
Your recipe costs tell you what ingredients should cost based on portion sizes. An inventory count tells you what you actually used. The difference — called variance — reveals waste, spillage, theft, or over-portioning before they become serious problems.
A regular count cadence (weekly or monthly) is one of the most effective habits for controlling food costs.
Setting up inventory zones
Before your first count, it's worth setting up zones to organise where your products are physically stored. Zones make the counting process faster and more accurate by letting your team count one area at a time.
Common zone examples:
- Walk-in Cooler
- Dry Storage
- Freezer
- Bar / Beverage
- Prep Kitchen
Creating a zone
- Navigate to Inventory Counts.
- Click Zones.
- Click Create.
- Enter the Zone Name and click Save.
- Assign products to the zone by selecting them from the product list.
TIP
Assign each product to the zone where it's physically stored. When you're doing a count, you can work through one zone at a time rather than bouncing around the kitchen.
Starting a new inventory count
- Navigate to Inventory Counts.
- Click Create.
- Select the Count Date — typically today's date, or the date of the physical count.
- Select the Store (location) you're counting for.
- Click Create.
DigiChef will open the count, ready for you to enter quantities.
Entering count quantities
For each product in your count:
- Find the product (use the zone filter or search bar to navigate quickly).
- Enter the quantity on hand in the unit of measurement the product is purchased in.
- DigiChef calculates the value automatically based on the current product cost.
TIP
Count what you can see, exactly as it is — don't estimate. If you have 2.5 bags of flour, enter 2.5. The accuracy of your count directly affects the accuracy of your food cost reporting.
INFO
You can count products and prep recipes in the same count. If you batch-prep sauces or stocks, add them to your count as prep recipes — DigiChef knows their cost and will include them in the total inventory value.
Completing a count
Once you've entered quantities for everything:
- Review the count summary — check that the total inventory value looks reasonable.
- Click Complete Count.
Once a count is completed, it's locked and becomes part of your historical record. DigiChef uses completed counts to calculate your cost of goods sold between count periods.
WARNING
Completing a count is permanent. Double-check your quantities before clicking Complete Count — you won't be able to edit them afterwards.
Viewing historical counts
From the Inventory Counts overview, click any completed count to see three tabs:
Count Items
The full list of every product and prep recipe in the count, with the quantity entered, unit of measurement, and calculated value. Use the zone filter to drill into a specific storage area.
Totals
A summary view showing total inventory value broken down by product type. Use this to get a quick read on your overall stock position.
Category Totals
If you've assigned categories to your products, this tab breaks down your inventory value by category — showing exactly how much is tied up in Proteins, Produce, Dairy, Dry Goods, and so on.
TIP
The Category Totals tab is one of the most useful outputs of a well-maintained inventory system. If one category consistently represents a disproportionate share of your inventory value, it's a strong signal to review ordering quantities for those products.
Tips for accurate counts
- Count at a consistent time — end of service, before deliveries, same day each week
- Use a consistent method — count front-to-back or zone-by-zone, never jumping around
- Count physical units, not theoretical — count what's actually there, not what should be there
- Count together — one person counts, one person records; it's faster and more accurate