Short counts work when you count the few items that cost the most, count in shelf order, and compare each count with what sales say you used. Set par levels so a count also tells you what to order. Count the top items often and the rest monthly.
Count less, but count the right things
A full count of every can and napkin takes hours and is out of date by the time you finish. Most of your food cost sits in a small number of items: proteins, cheese, produce with a short life, and alcohol. Count those often. Count the rest monthly.
A common split is an A list, B list and C list. A items are the top few that make most of your spend. B are the next tier. C are everything else. Count A weekly, B every two weeks and C monthly.
Count in shelf order
Print or build a count sheet in the order of your shelves and walk-in, not alphabetical. People then walk once, left to right, and do not miss items. Put the unit you count next to each item: case, bag, pound, each. Count partial cases as fractions.
Set par levels
A par level is the amount you want on hand at the start of service. If the count is below par, order the difference. That turns a count into an order. Review par levels every few weeks, because sales change. See the glossary entry on par level.
Compare with usage
After a count, compare what you used with what sales say you should have used. Usage is beginning count plus deliveries minus ending count. Expected usage comes from recipes times the number sold. The gap is variance. Look at the three largest gaps first. A gap in chicken points at portioning, spoilage or unrecorded comps. A gap in a sauce points at the recipe. See food cost percentage.
Keep it honest
Count before deliveries are put away. Use the same person and the same time each week. Record waste and staff meals as they happen so they do not show as mystery variance.
Tools
Spreadsheets work. A system that holds recipes, sales and counts together does the comparison for you. In Zorveta One, inventory and recipe costing do that, and purchasing builds orders from par levels for you to approve.
A twenty-minute routine
Monday morning, before delivery: count the A list in shelf order. Enter it. Read the three largest variances. Write one action for each. Done.