Understanding Inputs#

Inputs are the foundation of MenuM8's costing system. This comprehensive guide explains what inputs are, how they work, and best practices for managing them effectively.

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Table of Contents#

• What is an Input?
• Why Inputs Matter
• Labour Time Inputs
• Creating Inputs
• Basic Information Tab
• Pricing & Cost Calculation
• Allergens
• Purchase History Tab
• Tags Tab
• Suppliers
• Dependencies Tab
• Managing Inputs
• Best Practices
• Common Questions

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What is an Input?#

An Input is a generic term for anything that needs to be measured that has a material impact on the cost of a product. This includes:

• Food inputs (flour, eggs, butter, olive oil, etc.)
• Labour time inputs (prep time, cooking time, plating time)
• Other supplies (packaging, garnishes, beverages)

Inputs are called "inputs" because they are the raw materials that go into your products (recipes).

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Why Inputs Matter#

Accurate input management is critical because:

Foundation of Cost Calculations#

Every recipe cost is calculated from input prices. If input prices are wrong, all your recipe costs will be wrong.

Automatic Recalculation#

When you update an input price, MenuM8 automatically recalculates:

• All recipes using that input
• All products using those recipes
• All costings containing those products (if the "Refresh Costs and Timings" button is clicked)

Supplier Price Tracking#

Inputs let you track:

• Which supplier provides each item
• Historical prices through purchase records
• Price changes over time

Allergen Compliance#

Allergens assigned to food inputs automatically appear in:

• Recipe allergen lists
• Menu allergen information
• Customer-facing documentation

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Labour Time Inputs#

MenuM8 supports a special type of input for tracking labour time in your recipes and costings.

What Are Labour Time Inputs?#

Labour Time Inputs represent time rather than physical items:

• Used to track prep time, cooking time, plating time, etc.
• Measured in time-based units (hours, minutes)
• Aggregate automatically in costings to show total labour time

When to Use Labour Time Inputs#

Use Labour Time Inputs for:

• Chef prep time
• Cooking time
• Assembly/plating time
• Any time-based cost you want to track separately

Example:

Input: "Kitchen Prep Time"
- Labour Time Input: Checked
- UOM: hours or minutes
- Used in recipes to track prep time
- Costings show total labour hours in HH:MM format

Creating a Labour Time Input#

1. Create a new input
2. Check the "Labour Time Input" checkbox
3. UOM dropdown automatically filters to time units only:
   • hours
   • minutes
4. Set a rate if tracking labour costs
5. Save

How Labour Time Differs from Food Inputs#

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Creating Inputs#

What You'll Need#

To create an input, gather:

• Name: What you call it (e.g., "Chicken Breast", "Prep Time")
• Unit of Measure: How it's measured (kg, liters, hours, etc.)
• Price (optional): What you pay per unit
• Quantity for Price (optional): How much that price is for

Step-by-Step: Creating an Input#

1. Navigate to Inputs: Click Inputs in the main navigation
2. Click "New Input": Opens the creation form
3. Enter Basic Information:
   • Name: Clear, descriptive name
   • Unit of Measure: Select appropriate unit
   • Yield %: Percentage of usable material (default 100%)
4. Set Pricing (optional):
   • Price: What you pay
   • Quantity: For how much
   • MenuM8 calculates price per unit automatically
5. Save: Input is created and available for use

Naming Best Practices#

Choose a consistent naming convention:

Good Examples:

• "Chicken Breast, Boneless"
• "Olive Oil, Extra Virgin"
• "Flour, All-Purpose"

Avoid:

• Inconsistent naming ("chicken breast", "Chicken Breast", "CHICKEN BREAST")
• Unclear abbreviations ("Chckn Brst", "EVOO")
• Too vague ("Chicken", "Oil")

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Basic Information Tab#

When editing an input, the Basic Information tab contains core details.

Required Fields#

Name#

• The name you'll recognize in recipes and reports
• Should be clear and descriptive

Unit of Measure (UOM)#

• How the input is measured
• Must match how you'll use it in recipes
• Examples: kg, liters, units, hours

Yield Percentage#

• Percentage of usable material after waste/prep
• Default: 100%
• Example: Chicken with 15% trim waste = 85% yield
• Affects cost calculations automatically

Optional Fields#

Default Price & Quantity#

• Set a default price for the input
• Enter price and quantity together (e.g., £18.00 for 2.5 kg)
• MenuM8 calculates price per unit automatically
• Can be overridden by purchase records

Notes#

• Free text for additional information
• Storage instructions, quality notes, alternatives

Images#

• Upload visual reference photos
• Helpful for training and quality reference
• Multiple images supported

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Pricing & Cost Calculation#

How Input Pricing Works#

MenuM8 stores the price per single unit of measure:

Example 1: Simple Pricing

• You buy 1 kg of flour for £1.20
• MenuM8 stores: £1.20 per kg

Example 2: Bulk Pricing

• You buy 10 kg of flour for £10.00
• MenuM8 stores: £1.00 per kg (£10 / 10)

Cost Calculation Formula#

Cost per UOM = (Price / Quantity) / Yield

Example:
Price: £10.00
Quantity: 5 kg
Yield: 85%
Cost per kg: £10.00 / 5 / 0.85 = £2.35/kg

Recipe Calculations#

When you use an input in a recipe:

• Recipe uses 0.5 kg flour at £1.20/kg
• Cost = 0.5 x £1.20 = £0.60

Price Priority: Purchases vs Default#

MenuM8 uses this priority for pricing:

1. Most recent purchase price (if purchases exist)
2. Default input price (if no purchases)

This means recording purchases automatically keeps your pricing current.

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Allergens#

Allergens are critical for food safety and legal compliance. They apply to food inputs only (not labour time inputs).

Assigning Allergens#

1. Edit the input
2. Find the Allergens section
3. Select all allergens present in this item
4. Save

Common Allergens#

• Milk (Dairy)
• Eggs
• Fish
• Shellfish/Crustaceans
• Tree Nuts
• Peanuts
• Wheat (Gluten)
• Soybeans (Soy)
• Sesame
• Celery
• Mustard
• Sulphites

Allergen Inheritance#

When you add an input to a product:

• The product automatically inherits the input's allergens
• No manual tracking needed
• Flows through to costings and menus

Purchase Allergen Overrides#

If a specific purchase has different allergens (e.g., different supplier):

1. Record the purchase
2. Set allergens on the purchase record
3. Purchase allergens override input defaults
4. Most recent purchase with allergens set becomes the "effective" allergens

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Purchase History Tab#

The Purchase History tab lets you record actual purchases for automatic pricing and complete history.

Why Track Purchases?#

Benefits:

• Automatic price updates: Most recent purchase becomes current price
• Price history: See all past prices and trends
• Supplier tracking: Know who you bought from when
• Invoice documentation: Upload receipt/invoice images
• Allergen accuracy: Track supplier-specific allergens

Recording a Purchase#

1. Edit an existing input
2. Go to Purchase History tab
3. Click Add Purchase
4. Fill in details:
   • Date/Time: When you purchased
   • Price: Total amount paid
   • Quantity: How much you bought
   • Supplier (optional): Who you bought from
   • Notes (optional): Any relevant details
   • Allergen Override (optional): If different from default
   • Images (optional): Upload receipt photos
5. Click Save

How Purchases Affect Pricing#

The Key Rule: Most recent purchase sets the current price

Day 1: Create input with default price: £6.00/kg
Day 3: Record purchase: 10kg @ £65.00 = £6.50/kg (new price)
Day 10: Record purchase: 10kg @ £60.00 = £6.00/kg (new price)

All costings update instantly with each purchase!

Managing Purchases#

Edit: Click on a purchase card, modify fields, click Update Delete: Expand purchase card, click Delete, confirm Images: Upload receipt photos for documentation

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Tags Tab#

Tags help you organize inputs beyond basic search.

What Are Tags?#

Tags are flexible labels you assign to inputs:

• Multiple tags per input
• Custom tags you create
• Used for filtering and searching

Example Tags:

• Category: Dairy, Produce, Meat, Labour
• Dietary: Vegan, Gluten-Free, Organic
• Storage: Frozen, Refrigerated, Pantry
• Usage: High-Use, Specialty, Seasonal

Assigning Tags#

1. Edit the input
2. Go to Tags tab (or find Tags section)
3. Select existing tags or create new ones
4. Tags auto-save when changed

Using Tags for Filtering#

In the Inputs list:

1. Use the tag filter dropdown
2. Select one or more tags
3. View filtered inputs

Example Uses:

• Find all organic inputs
• View all frozen items
• See high-cost inputs for review
• Filter labour inputs separately from food inputs

Tag Best Practices#

• Use consistent naming ("Gluten-Free" not "GF" or "Gluten Free")
• Start simple, add tags as needed
• 3-5 tags per input is usually sufficient
• Document your tagging system for team consistency

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Suppliers#

Tracking suppliers helps with ordering, price comparison, and quality management.

Assigning Suppliers to Inputs#

Suppliers are typically assigned via purchase records:

1. When recording a purchase
2. Select or create a supplier
3. Supplier linked to that purchase

Managing Multiple Suppliers#

If you buy the same item from different suppliers:

Option 1: Separate Inputs

• "Flour (Supplier A)" and "Flour (Supplier B)"
• Different prices tracked separately
• Use whichever you're currently ordering

Option 2: Single Input, Switch Supplier

• One "Flour" input
• Record purchases from different suppliers
• Current price = most recent purchase (from any supplier)

Supplier Information#

Track in purchase notes or supplier management:

• Contact details
• Delivery days
• Minimum orders
• Special terms

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Dependencies Tab#

The Dependencies tab shows which products use this input.

Viewing Dependencies#

1. Edit an input
2. Go to Dependencies tab
3. See tree of products using this input

Information Shown:

• Product names
• How products are connected (direct use, or via component products)
• Click to navigate to dependent products

Why Dependencies Matter#

Price Impact: When you update an input price, all dependent products recalculate costs.

Deletion Protection: MenuM8 prevents deleting inputs used in products. You must remove from products first.

Change Assessment: Before changing an input, see what will be affected.

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Managing Inputs#

Editing Inputs#

1. Navigate to Inputs
2. Click on input name
3. Make changes in any tab
4. Save changes
5. All dependent recipes recalculate automatically

Deleting Inputs#

1. Open the input
2. Click Delete
3. If input is used in products:
   • Deletion is blocked
   • System shows which products use it
   • Remove from products first
4. If not used: Input deleted permanently

Updating Prices#

Option 1: Edit Default Price

• Edit input
• Update price and quantity fields
• Save

Option 2: Record Purchase (Recommended)

• Add purchase to Purchase History
• Price updates automatically
• History preserved

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Best Practices#

1. Use Consistent Naming#

Choose a format and stick with it for all inputs.

2. Track Purchases#

Record purchases for automatic price updates and complete history.

3. Update Prices Regularly#

• Weekly for fresh items
• Monthly for stable items
• Or just record every purchase

4. Assign Allergens Carefully#

Verify against supplier documentation. When in doubt, mark as present.

5. Use Tags for Organization#

Create a simple tagging system that helps you find inputs quickly.

6. Account for Yield/Waste#

Set yield percentage to account for trim, waste, or prep loss.

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Common Questions#

Should I create an input or a product?#

Use an Input when: You buy it from a supplier (raw materials, purchased items) Use a Product when: You make it from other inputs (recipes, sub-recipes)

Can I have different prices for different suppliers?#

Yes, through purchase tracking. Record purchases from different suppliers. The most recent purchase sets the current price. Or create separate inputs per supplier if you want parallel tracking.

What if I don't know the allergen information?#

Check supplier spec sheets, packaging labels, or manufacturer websites. When unsure, err on the side of caution and mark potential allergens as present.

How do I handle items I buy in different units than I recipe in?#

Use UOM conversions (if available) or ensure the input UOM matches how you'll use it in recipes.

Do I have to track purchases?#

No, purchase tracking is optional. You can use default prices only. However, purchase tracking provides automatic price updates and valuable history.

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Related Articles#

• Creating Your First Recipe
• Understanding Products
• Menu Costings
• Managing Suppliers
• Managing Tags