What is Inventory Management?
Track Everything Your Hotel Consumes
Software to manage hotel supplies - F&B ingredients, housekeeping materials, guest amenities, maintenance items. Control costs, prevent theft, automate reordering.
What Does Inventory Software Do?
- Stock tracking: Real-time inventory levels across stores
- Purchase orders: Create and track POs to vendors
- Goods receipt: Record incoming stock with GRN
- Issue to departments: Track consumption by department
- Recipe costing: Calculate food cost per dish
- Reorder alerts: Automatic low-stock notifications
- Vendor management: Track vendor prices, performance
- Wastage tracking: Record and analyze wastage
Types of Hotel Inventory
| Category | Items | Managed By |
|---|---|---|
| F&B Raw Materials | Vegetables, meat, dairy, dry goods | Kitchen/F&B stores |
| Beverages | Liquor, beer, wine, soft drinks | Bar stores |
| Housekeeping | Cleaning supplies, linens, amenities | HK stores |
| Guest Supplies | Toiletries, stationery, minibar items | Central stores |
| Maintenance | Spare parts, tools, consumables | Engineering stores |
| General | Office supplies, printing, packaging | General stores |
Why You Need Inventory Management
Without proper tracking: 5-10% of F&B cost can be lost to pilferage, wastage, and poor ordering. For a hotel spending ₹10 lakh/month on F&B = ₹50,000-1,00,000 potential savings.
- Cost control: Know exactly what you're spending
- Prevent theft: Accountability for every item
- Reduce wastage: Track expiry, FIFO compliance
- Better purchasing: Buy right quantities at right time
- Recipe consistency: Standard portions, consistent quality
- Vendor negotiations: Data for price comparisons
Key Features to Look For
- POS integration: Auto-deduct ingredients when dish sold
- Recipe management: Define recipes with ingredient quantities
- Multiple stores: Manage different store locations
- Barcode scanning: Quick stock entry and counting
- GST handling: Track input GST on purchases
- Approval workflows: PO approvals, issue requests
- Physical count: Stock taking and variance analysis
- Reports: Consumption, cost, variance reports
Inventory Control Best Practices
- FIFO: First In, First Out - use older stock first
- Par levels: Set minimum and maximum stock levels
- Daily issues: Issue stock daily based on requirements
- Weekly counts: Physical count of high-value items
- Monthly reconciliation: Full inventory count monthly
- Variance analysis: Investigate discrepancies immediately
- Spot checks: Random audits to ensure compliance
Popular Solutions in India
| Software | Best For | Integration |
|---|---|---|
| eZee Optimus | eZee ecosystem hotels | eZee PMS, POS |
| IDS Materials | Large hotels | IDS Next suite |
| FusionResto | F&B focused | Multiple POS |
| Tally + customization | Basic tracking | Manual/Excel |
Start Simple: If a full system is beyond budget, start with Excel-based tracking for high-value items (liquor, meat, dairy). Discipline in tracking matters more than software sophistication.