Managing Units of Measure#

Units of measure (UoMs) define how you measure ingredients and recipe outputs in MenuM8. This guide explains how to create, edit, and use UoMs effectively.

What Are Units of Measure?#

Understanding UoMs#

Units of Measure in MenuM8:

• Define how ingredients are measured (kg, g, L, pieces)
• Specify recipe output quantities (portions, servings, batches)
• Enable conversions between related units
• Support labour time tracking (hours, minutes)

Why UoMs Matter:

• Accurate cost calculations
• Consistent recipe scaling
• Proper shopping list generation
• Clear communication with suppliers

Example UoMs:

Weight: kg, g, lb, oz
Volume: L, ml, gal, pt, fl oz
Time: hr, min
Count: pc (pieces)
Custom: dozen, bunch, case, sheet

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Pre-loaded Units of Measure#

MenuM8 provides these common UoMs when you create an account:

Weight#

Volume#

Time#

Count#

These UoMs come with pre-configured conversions (e.g., 1 kg = 1000 g). You can edit, delete, or add to these as needed.

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Creating UoMs#

Adding a New Unit of Measure#

Step-by-Step:

1. Go to Settings → Units of Measure
2. Click Add UoM or New Unit
3. Enter the UoM details:
   • Name: Full name (e.g., "Dozen")
   • Symbol: Short abbreviation (e.g., "doz")
   • Type: Category (weight, volume, time, count, length, temperature)
4. Save the UoM

Example - Creating "Dozen":

Name: Dozen
Symbol: doz
Type: count

UoM Fields#

Name (required):

• Full, descriptive name
• Used in dropdowns and reports
• Example: "Kilogram", "Dozen", "Bunch"

Symbol (required):

• Short abbreviation
• Displayed alongside quantities
• Example: "kg", "doz", "bunch"

Type (required):

• Categorises the UoM for filtering
• Options: weight, volume, time, count, length, temperature
• Affects which UoMs appear in certain contexts (e.g., labour inputs only show time-type UoMs)

Common Custom UoMs#

Count-based:

Dozen (doz) - 12 items
Case (case) - varies by product
Box (box) - varies by product
Sheet (sheet) - pastry, nori, etc.

Produce:

Bunch (bunch) - herbs, greens
Head (head) - lettuce, cabbage
Clove (clove) - garlic

Bakery:

Loaf (loaf) - bread
Slice (slice) - bread, cake
Roll (roll) - bread rolls

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Editing and Deleting UoMs#

Editing a UoM#

To edit an existing UoM:

1. Go to Settings → Units of Measure
2. Find the UoM in the list
3. Click to edit
4. Update name, symbol, or type
5. Save changes

What You Can Edit:

• Name (e.g., rename "Kilogram" to "Kilo")
• Symbol (e.g., change "kg" to "KG")
• Type (e.g., recategorise if needed)

Deleting a UoM#

To delete a UoM:

1. Go to Settings → Units of Measure
2. Find the UoM
3. Click delete
4. Confirm deletion

Deletion Rules:

• Cannot delete UoMs that are in use by inputs or products
• Must first remove or reassign all references
• Check the Dependencies tab to see where a UoM is used

Example - Deleting "Gallon":

Before deleting, check:
- Which inputs use "gal" as their UoM?
- Which products use "gal" for output?
- Are there any conversions referencing "gal"?

If the UoM is in use:
1. Edit affected inputs/products to use a different UoM
2. Then delete the UoM

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Managing Conversions#

What Are Conversions?#

Conversions define relationships between UoMs, enabling:

• Automatic unit conversion in recipes
• Flexible quantity entry
• Accurate scaling

Example Conversions:

1 kg = 1000 g
1 L = 1000 ml
1 hr = 60 min
1 dozen = 12 pc

Adding Conversions#

To add a conversion:

1. Go to Settings → Units of Measure
2. Select a UoM
3. Find the Conversions section
4. Click Add Conversion
5. Select the target UoM
6. Enter the conversion factor
7. Save

Example - Adding "Dozen to Pieces":

From: Dozen (doz)
To: Piece (pc)
Factor: 12

Meaning: 1 dozen = 12 pieces

Conversion Direction#

Conversions work both ways automatically:

• If 1 kg = 1000 g
• Then 1 g = 0.001 kg

You only need to define the conversion once.

Editing Conversions#

To edit a conversion factor:

1. Open the UoM
2. Find the conversion in the list
3. Click to edit
4. Update the factor
5. Save

When to Edit:

• Correcting an error
• Adjusting for different pack sizes
• Updating supplier-specific conversions

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Base Time Unit Setting#

What Is the Base Time Unit?#

The Base Time Unit is an account setting that controls how labour time is displayed throughout MenuM8.

Options:

• Minutes - Labour time shown as minutes (e.g., "45 min")
• Hours - Labour time shown as hours (e.g., "0.75 hr")

Where to Find It#

1. Go to Account → Settings
2. Find the Time Unit or Base Time Unit option
3. Select your preference
4. Save

How It Affects Display#

With Minutes as base unit:

Prep Time: 30 min
Cook Time: 45 min
Total Labour: 75 min

With Hours as base unit:

Prep Time: 0.5 hr
Cook Time: 0.75 hr
Total Labour: 1.25 hr

Choosing the Right Setting#

Use Minutes when:

• Most tasks are under an hour
• Your team thinks in minutes
• You want whole numbers in reports

Use Hours when:

• Tasks are measured in hours
• You're calculating hourly labour costs
• Staff schedules use hours

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Using UoMs with Inputs#

Selecting a UoM for Inputs#

Every input (ingredient) requires a UoM:

1. Create or edit an input
2. Find the Unit of Measure field
3. Select from the dropdown
4. The UoM defines how you price and use this ingredient

Example:

Input: All-Purpose Flour
UoM: kg
Price: £1.20 per kg

Input: Eggs
UoM: pc (piece)
Price: £0.15 per piece

Input: Olive Oil
UoM: L
Price: £8.00 per litre

Labour Time Inputs#

For tracking labour costs, create inputs with time-type UoMs:

1. Create a new input
2. Mark it as a Labour Time input (or select "Labour" category)
3. Only time-type UoMs (hr, min) will be available
4. Set the hourly or per-minute rate

Example:

Input: Prep Time
UoM: min
Price: £0.25 per minute (£15/hr)

Input: Chef Time
UoM: hr
Price: £18.00 per hour

Creating UoMs While Adding Inputs#

If you need a UoM that doesn't exist:

1. Open the UoM dropdown
2. Look for Create New or Add UoM option
3. Enter the new UoM details
4. Save and continue with your input

This inline creation saves time when you encounter a new measurement need.

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Using UoMs with Products#

Output Quantity UoM#

Every product (recipe) has an output quantity with a UoM:

Example:

Product: Tomato Soup
Output Quantity: 4
Output UoM: portions

Product: Pizza Dough
Output Quantity: 1
Output UoM: kg

Product: Chocolate Cake
Output Quantity: 12
Output UoM: slices

Choosing Output UoM:

• Portions/Servings: For dishes sold individually
• Weight/Volume: For batch recipes or components
• Count: For items like rolls, cookies

Component Quantities#

When adding ingredients to a recipe, you specify quantities with UoMs:

Example - Tomato Soup Recipe:

Components:
- Tomatoes: 500 g
- Onion: 200 g
- Garlic: 10 g
- Olive Oil: 30 ml
- Vegetable Stock: 750 ml
- Prep Time: 15 min
- Cook Time: 30 min

Output: 4 portions

The UoM for each component should match how you purchase or measure that ingredient.

UoM Matching#

For accurate cost calculations, component UoMs should be convertible to the input's UoM:

Works well:

Input: Flour (priced per kg)
Recipe uses: 500 g
→ Automatic conversion: 500 g = 0.5 kg
→ Cost calculated correctly

Requires conversion:

Input: Flour (priced per kg)
Recipe uses: 2 cups
→ Needs cup-to-kg conversion defined
→ Otherwise, calculation may fail

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Best Practices#

Naming Conventions#

Be Consistent:

• Use the same capitalisation (e.g., all lowercase symbols)
• Use standard abbreviations where possible
• Avoid duplicates with different spellings

Good Examples:

Kilogram (kg)
Gram (g)
Litre (L)
Millilitre (ml)
Piece (pc)

Avoid:

Multiple versions: "kg", "Kg", "KG", "kilo"
Unclear names: "unit", "each", "item"
Overly long: "individual piece"

When to Create New UoMs#

Create new UoMs for:

• Supplier-specific packaging (e.g., "case" for specific supplier)
• Industry-standard units not pre-loaded
• Custom measurements for your kitchen

Avoid creating UoMs for:

• One-off uses (use existing UoM with conversion)
• Slight variations of existing units
• Units that can be expressed as conversions

Conversion Accuracy#

Double-check conversions:

• Verify against reliable sources
• Test with sample calculations
• Review periodically for accuracy

Common Conversion Errors:

Wrong: 1 lb = 500 g (should be ~454 g)
Wrong: 1 gal = 4 L (US gal = 3.785 L, UK gal = 4.546 L)
Wrong: 1 oz = 30 g (should be ~28.35 g)

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Common Questions#

Can I delete UoMs that came with my account?#

Yes. All UoMs are fully editable. You can delete any UoM as long as it's not being used by inputs or products.

What happens if I edit a UoM's symbol?#

The new symbol will appear everywhere that UoM is used - in inputs, products, recipes, and reports. Existing data is updated automatically.

How do I convert between unrelated units?#

You can only convert between UoMs where a meaningful relationship exists. For example:

• kg ↔ g (weight) ✓
• L ↔ ml (volume) ✓
• kg ↔ L (weight to volume) - Requires density, not typically supported

For ingredients where weight-to-volume matters (like flour), consider pricing by weight consistently.

Why can't I select certain UoMs for labour inputs?#

Labour time inputs only allow time-type UoMs (hours, minutes). This ensures labour calculations work correctly with the account's base time unit setting.

Can I have the same UoM with different conversions for different suppliers?#

Not directly. Each UoM has one set of conversions. If suppliers use different pack sizes, consider:

• Creating supplier-specific UoMs (e.g., "case-SupplierA", "case-SupplierB")
• Using a base unit (kg, L) and tracking pack sizes in notes

How do conversions affect recipe scaling?#

When you scale a recipe, MenuM8 uses conversions to calculate accurate quantities. If a conversion is missing or incorrect, scaling may produce unexpected results.

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Related Articles#

• Understanding Inputs
• Understanding Products
• Managing Your Account
• Menu Costings