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.
Table of Contents#
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).
Inputs vs. Products: Inputs are things you buy or track. Products
are things you make from inputs. This distinction is important for
accurate cost tracking.
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
MenuM8 supports a special type of input for tracking labour time in your recipes and costings.
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
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
- Create a new input
- Check the "Labour Time Input" checkbox
- UOM dropdown automatically filters to time units only:
- Set a rate if tracking labour costs
- Save
| Feature | Food Inputs | Labour Time Inputs |
|---|
| UOM Options | kg, g, L, ml, units, etc. | hours, minutes only |
| Allergens | Yes | No (not applicable) |
| Suppliers | Yes | Optional |
| Time Aggregation | No | Yes (shows HH:MM in costings) |
Labour Time vs. Labour Cost: Labour time inputs track time only. To
track labour cost, set a price (hourly rate) on the input, or calculate
time x rate manually.
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
- Navigate to Inputs: Click Inputs in the main navigation
- Click "New Input": Opens the creation form
- Enter Basic Information:
- Name: Clear, descriptive name
- Unit of Measure: Select appropriate unit
- Yield %: Percentage of usable material (default 100%)
- Set Pricing (optional):
- Price: What you pay
- Quantity: For how much
- MenuM8 calculates price per unit automatically
- 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")
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
Pricing & Cost Calculation#
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 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
Automatic Calculations: You never manually calculate recipe costs. MenuM8
multiplies input prices by recipe quantities automatically.
Price Priority: Purchases vs Default#
MenuM8 uses this priority for pricing:
- Most recent purchase price (if purchases exist)
- Default input price (if no purchases)
This means recording purchases automatically keeps your pricing current.
Allergens#
Allergens are critical for food safety and legal compliance. They apply to food inputs only (not labour time inputs).
Assigning Allergens#
- Edit the input
- Find the Allergens section
- Select all allergens present in this item
- 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):
- Record the purchase
- Set allergens on the purchase record
- Purchase allergens override input defaults
- Most recent purchase with allergens set becomes the "effective" allergens
Food Safety: Allergen information can save lives. Always verify allergen
information from supplier documentation and ingredient labels.
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#
- Edit an existing input
- Go to Purchase History tab
- Click Add Purchase
- 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
- 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
Recommended Workflow: Record every purchase instead of manually updating
prices. You get automatic price updates plus valuable history.
Tags help you organize inputs beyond basic search.
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
- Edit the input
- Go to Tags tab (or find Tags section)
- Select existing tags or create new ones
- Tags auto-save when changed
In the Inputs list:
- Use the tag filter dropdown
- Select one or more tags
- 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
Suppliers#
Tracking suppliers helps with ordering, price comparison, and quality management.
Suppliers are typically assigned via purchase records:
- When recording a purchase
- Select or create a supplier
- 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)
Track in purchase notes or supplier management:
- Contact details
- Delivery days
- Minimum orders
- Special terms
Dependencies Tab#
The Dependencies tab shows which products use this input.
Viewing Dependencies#
- Edit an input
- Go to Dependencies tab
- 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.
- Navigate to Inputs
- Click on input name
- Make changes in any tab
- Save changes
- All dependent recipes recalculate automatically
- Open the input
- Click Delete
- If input is used in products:
- Deletion is blocked
- System shows which products use it
- Remove from products first
- If not used: Input deleted permanently
Deletion is Permanent: Deleted inputs and their purchase history cannot be
recovered.
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
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.
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.
Common Questions#
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.
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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