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Menu Inventory (Inventory Demand) Documentation

Menu Location: Products > Menu Inventory

Access Level: Manager and above

Last Updated: 2026-03-01

Overview

The Menu Inventory page (also known as Inventory Demand or Box Inventory) is the central hub for planning product inventory needs, tracking what's in stock, and generating packing reports for your weekly box orders. This page shows demand across all subscription boxes and helps ensure you have enough inventory to fulfill all orders.

Primary Functions:

  • View product demand for upcoming delivery weeks
  • Track inventory levels (in stock vs. needed)
  • Generate packing reports for warehouse teams
  • Plan purchasing and vendor orders
  • Adjust menu items across all boxes
  • Export inventory reports

Page Layout

Header Section

  • Week Selector: Choose which delivery week to view (current week, next week, future weeks)
  • View Mode Toggle: Switch between demand view and inventory view
  • Print/Export Buttons: Generate packing reports and export data
  • Bulk Actions: Update inventory levels, adjust menus

Product Demand Table

Main table showing all products with columns:

  • Product Name - Name and image of product
  • Category - Product category (Produce, Meat, Dairy, etc.)
  • In Stock - Current inventory quantity
  • Needed - Total quantity needed for selected week
  • Difference - Gap between stock and demand (red if short)
  • Box Breakdown - Demand by box type (Small, Medium, Large, etc.)
  • Vendor - Primary supplier for product
  • Cost - Wholesale/purchase cost
  • Actions - Quick edit, add to order

Summary Dashboard

  • Total products on menu
  • Products with sufficient inventory
  • Products needing ordering
  • Total estimated cost
  • Inventory value

View Modes

Demand View

Purpose: See what you need for upcoming week

Shows:

  • All products on menu for selected week
  • Quantity needed per product
  • Breakdown by box type
  • Comparison to current inventory

Use when:

  • Planning weekly purchasing
  • Generating packing reports
  • Reviewing menu composition

Inventory View

Purpose: Track what you have in stock

Shows:

  • All products in inventory system
  • Current stock levels
  • Products not on this week's menu
  • Overstock items

Use when:

  • Taking physical inventory
  • Updating stock levels
  • Finding excess inventory

Packing View

Purpose: Warehouse packing sheet format

Shows:

  • Simplified layout for packing team
  • Products grouped by category
  • Clear quantities for each box type
  • Checkboxes for completion tracking

Use when:

  • Printing packing instructions
  • Training new packers
  • Warehouse floor operations

Product Demand Analysis

Understanding the Demand Column

Calculation:

  • Sums all subscription boxes for selected week
  • Includes recurring addon items
  • Accounts for box size variations
  • Excludes paused/cancelled subscriptions

Example:

  • 50 Small boxes (4 apples each) = 200 apples
  • 30 Medium boxes (6 apples each) = 180 apples
  • 20 Large boxes (8 apples each) = 160 apples
  • Total Demand: 540 apples

Box Breakdown Columns

See demand by each box type:

  • Small Box - Quantity for small boxes
  • Medium Box - Quantity for medium boxes
  • Large Box - Quantity for large boxes
  • Custom Boxes - Any custom box configurations

Benefit: Understand which box types drive demand

Inventory Gap Analysis

Color Coding:

  • Green - Sufficient inventory (in stock ≥ needed)
  • Yellow - Low inventory (within 10% of needed)
  • Red - Insufficient inventory (short of demand)
  • Gray - Product not on menu this week

Actions based on color:

  • Green: No action needed
  • Yellow: Monitor, may need ordering
  • Red: Order immediately
  • Gray: Check if should be added to menu

Actions & Operations

Update Inventory Levels

Purpose: Record current stock quantities

Individual Product:

  1. Click on "In Stock" number for product
  2. Enter new quantity
  3. Press Enter or click away to save
  4. System auto-saves

Bulk Update:

  1. Click "Bulk Update Inventory" button
  2. Upload CSV with product IDs and quantities
  3. System processes and updates all
  4. Confirmation shows changes made

When to update:

  • After receiving vendor deliveries
  • After physical inventory count
  • When items are damaged/discarded
  • Daily as products are used

Generate Packing Reports

Purpose: Print instructions for warehouse packing team

Steps:

  1. Select week to pack
  2. Click "Print Packing Report" button
  3. Choose format:
    • By category (group similar items)
    • By box type (pack all small boxes, then medium, etc.)
    • By location (warehouse layout)
  4. Report opens in new window
  5. Print and distribute to packing team

Packing Report Includes:

  • Product name and image
  • Quantity per box type
  • Total quantity needed
  • Storage location (if configured)
  • Special handling instructions
  • Checkboxes for completion

Create Vendor Purchase Order

Purpose: Generate order to send to suppliers

Steps:

  1. Filter products showing red (insufficient inventory)
  2. Click "Create Purchase Order" button
  3. Select vendor
  4. System adds all products from that vendor
  5. Adjust quantities as needed
  6. Add delivery date
  7. Generate PO document or send electronically

Automated Calculation:

  • Needed quantity minus current stock
  • Plus safety buffer (configurable)
  • Rounds to vendor case sizes (if configured)

Adjust Menu Items

Purpose: Add or remove products from menu

Add Product to Menu:

  1. Click "Add to Menu" button
  2. Search for product
  3. Select product
  4. Specify quantity per box type
  5. Save - product now appears in demand

Remove Product from Menu:

  1. Find product in list
  2. Click "Remove from Menu" icon
  3. Confirm removal
  4. Product removed from all boxes for this week

Bulk Menu Changes:

  1. Click "Bulk Menu Editor"
  2. Upload CSV with menu changes
  3. Review changes before applying
  4. Confirm - all boxes updated

Filtering & Sorting

Filter Options

By Category:

  • Produce
  • Meat & Seafood
  • Dairy & Eggs
  • Pantry
  • Add-ons
  • Seasonal

By Inventory Status:

  • All Products
  • Sufficient Stock (green)
  • Low Stock (yellow)
  • Insufficient Stock (red)
  • Out of Stock
  • Overstock

By Vendor:

  • Filter to see products from specific supplier
  • Useful for vendor order planning

By Box Type:

  • Products in Small boxes
  • Products in Medium boxes
  • Products in Large boxes
  • Products in Custom boxes

Sort Options

  • Product name (A-Z)
  • Category
  • Demand (highest to lowest)
  • Inventory gap (most short first)
  • Cost (highest to lowest)
  • Vendor

Common Use Cases

Use Case 1: Weekly Inventory Planning

Goal: Determine what to order for next week

Steps:

  1. Select next week from week selector
  2. Review all products showing red (insufficient inventory)
  3. For each red item:
    • Note needed quantity
    • Check vendor and lead time
    • Add to purchase order
  4. Generate vendor purchase orders
  5. Send orders to suppliers
  6. Update inventory as deliveries arrive

Best Practice: Do this 3-5 days before delivery week

Use Case 2: Generate Warehouse Packing Report

Goal: Print instructions for packing team

Steps:

  1. Select current week
  2. Click "Print Packing Report"
  3. Choose "By Category" format
  4. Print report
  5. Distribute to packing team
  6. As each product/box type is packed, team checks off

Tip: Print early morning of packing day with final numbers

Use Case 3: Physical Inventory Count

Goal: Update system to match actual stock

Steps:

  1. Switch to "Inventory View" mode
  2. Print current inventory list
  3. Physically count each product in warehouse
  4. Update "In Stock" quantities in system
  5. Investigate discrepancies (spoilage, theft, errors)
  6. Document reasons for major differences

Frequency: Weekly recommended, monthly minimum

Use Case 4: Menu Adjustment Due to Supply Issue

Goal: Substitute product when vendor is out of stock

Steps:

  1. Identify unavailable product (vendor called to notify)
  2. Find suitable replacement product
  3. Remove unavailable product from this week's menu
  4. Add replacement product to menu
  5. Match quantities to boxes
  6. Notify customers of substitution (if policy requires)
  7. Update packing report

Example: Strawberries unavailable → substitute blueberries

Use Case 5: Cost Analysis and Budget Planning

Goal: Understand inventory costs for financial planning

Steps:

  1. Select upcoming week
  2. Review "Cost" column for each product
  3. Note total estimated cost in summary dashboard
  4. Export cost report
  5. Compare to budget
  6. Adjust menu if over budget (swap expensive items for lower cost)
  7. Analyze cost per box type

Use for: Weekly budgeting, pricing decisions, margin analysis

Export & Download Options

Export Formats:

  • CSV - For spreadsheet analysis
  • PDF Packing Report - Printable for warehouse
  • Vendor Orders - Formatted for each supplier
  • Excel - Advanced formatting with charts

Export Data Includes:

  • Product list with demand
  • Inventory levels
  • Cost data
  • Vendor information
  • Box breakdown

Export Process:

  1. Select week
  2. Apply any filters
  3. Click "Export" button
  4. Choose format
  5. Select included columns
  6. Download file

Integration Points

Vendor Management System

  • Links products to vendors
  • Auto-populates vendor contact info on POs
  • Tracks vendor lead times
  • Historical ordering data
  • Syncs with menu configuration
  • Shows impact of menu changes on demand
  • Validates product availability

Orders System

  • Calculates demand from active subscriptions
  • Includes one-time addons
  • Accounts for order modifications

Troubleshooting

Demand Numbers Seem Wrong

Symptoms: Demand calculation doesn't match expected

Check:

  1. Verify correct week is selected
  2. Review active subscription count for week
  3. Check if menu was recently changed
  4. Ensure all box types are included in calculation
  5. Verify no test/dummy orders are included

Common Causes:

  • Menu changes not reflected yet
  • Week selector on wrong week
  • Cancelled orders still counted

Cannot Update Inventory Levels

Symptoms: Clicking "In Stock" doesn't allow editing

Solutions:

  1. Verify you have Manager access or higher
  2. Check browser JavaScript errors
  3. Try refreshing page
  4. Use bulk upload if individual edit fails

Common Causes:

  • Permission restrictions
  • Browser compatibility issue
  • Session timeout

Packing Report Missing Products

Symptoms: Some products don't appear on printed report

Check:

  1. Verify products are on menu for selected week
  2. Check filter settings aren't hiding products
  3. Ensure products have quantity > 0
  4. Review product category settings
  5. Try different packing report format

Solution:

  • Clear all filters before printing
  • Switch to "All Products" view
  • Regenerate report

Vendor Purchase Order Shows Wrong Items

Symptoms: PO includes unexpected products or wrong quantities

Check:

  1. Verify correct vendor selected
  2. Review product-to-vendor mappings
  3. Check inventory levels are current
  4. Ensure demand calculation is correct
  5. Verify safety buffer settings

Adjustment:

  • Manually edit PO before sending
  • Update product vendor associations
  • Recalculate demand if menu changed
  • Menu Builder - Configure weekly menus and box contents
  • Dashboard Inventory - Visual dashboard for inventory management
  • Inventory Invoices - Track vendor invoices and payments
  • Product History - Historical product usage and trends
  • Orders - View and manage customer orders driving demand

Typical Workflow:

  1. Menu Builder → Configure next week's menu
  2. Menu Inventory → Review demand and inventory levels
  3. Generate vendor purchase orders → Send to suppliers
  4. Update inventory levels → As deliveries arrive
  5. Print packing report → For warehouse team
  6. Orders → Monitor order modifications up to pack day

Permissions & Access

Required Access Level: Manager or higher

Access Level Capabilities:

  • Customer Service: View only (read-only access to reports)
  • Manager: View, update inventory, generate reports, create POs
  • Administrator: All Manager + bulk updates, menu changes, cost data access
  • Kiva Admin: All features + system configuration, data exports

Restricted Features:

  • Update Inventory Levels: Requires Manager
  • Modify Menus: Requires Manager or Administrator
  • View Cost Data: Requires Manager or Administrator (may be hidden for Customer Service)
  • Bulk Operations: Requires Administrator

Best Practices

Inventory Management

  1. Update inventory daily or after each vendor delivery
  2. Count physical inventory weekly to catch discrepancies
  3. Set par levels for commonly used products
  4. Use safety buffers to account for spoilage and damaged items
  5. Track waste to improve ordering accuracy

Ordering & Planning

  1. Review demand 3-5 days before delivery week
  2. Know vendor lead times and order accordingly
  3. Build relationships with backup vendors for critical items
  4. Order slightly over to account for quality issues
  5. Track seasonal availability of produce items

Packing Operations

  1. Print final packing report morning of pack day
  2. Group similar items for efficient packing
  3. Use checkboxes to track completion
  4. Separate storage for each box type's items
  5. Quality check products as they're packed

Cost Control

  1. Monitor product costs weekly for increases
  2. Compare vendors for best pricing
  3. Buy in season for produce when possible
  4. Negotiate bulk pricing for high-volume items
  5. Track cost per box to maintain margins

Things to Avoid

  • ❌ Waiting until last minute to check inventory
  • ❌ Ordering without checking current stock first
  • ❌ Ignoring red (insufficient stock) warnings
  • ❌ Not updating inventory after deliveries
  • ❌ Printing packing reports too early (order changes)
  • ❌ Failing to account for quality/spoilage buffer

Quick Reference Card

Task Action/Location
View next week's demand Week selector → Select next week
Check what's needed Look for red (insufficient) items
Update product stock level Click "In Stock" number, enter new quantity
Print packing report Click "Print Packing Report" button
Create vendor order Filter by vendor, click "Create PO"
Add product to menu Click "Add to Menu", search product
Remove product from menu Click remove icon on product row
Export inventory data Click "Export", choose format
View product cost Check "Cost" column (Manager+ only)
Filter insufficient stock Status filter → "Insufficient Stock"
Switch to inventory view Toggle "Inventory View" mode
See box type breakdown Review breakdown columns in table

FAQs

How often should I update inventory levels?

Update inventory whenever you receive deliveries from vendors, and perform a full physical count at least weekly. Daily updates are ideal for busy operations.

What's the difference between "needed" and "demand"?

These terms are used interchangeably on this page. Both refer to the total quantity required to fulfill all orders for the selected week.

Why is a product showing red when I just received a delivery?

You likely haven't updated the "In Stock" quantity yet. Click on the number and enter the new quantity after receiving your delivery.

Can I edit the quantities needed for each box type?

Not directly from this page. Quantities per box type are set in the Menu Builder. This page shows the calculated totals based on those menu configurations.

How far in advance should I plan inventory?

Most businesses plan 1-2 weeks ahead. Know your vendors' lead times - some items need ordering 3-5 days in advance, others can be ordered day-of.

What if I don't have enough of a product to fulfill all orders?

You have several options: 1) Emergency order from vendor or backup supplier, 2) Substitute with similar product and notify customers, 3) Reduce quantity in some boxes, 4) Remove item from menu for this week.

Can I print a packing report for multiple weeks at once?

Yes, select the date range when generating the report. This is useful for long-term planning but typically you'll print one week at a time for actual packing.

How does the system calculate the safety buffer for ordering?

The safety buffer (if configured) is typically 5-15% extra to account for quality issues, spoilage, and damaged items. This is set in system settings and can be adjusted per product or category.

What happens if I update the menu after printing the packing report?

The packing report is a snapshot at print time. If you make menu changes, print a new report. This is why it's best to print the report morning of packing day after order modifications close.

Can I track inventory by storage location or bin number?

This depends on your system configuration. Some implementations include location/bin tracking. Check with your administrator if you need this feature enabled.

End of Documentation

For additional help, contact your system administrator or Kiva Logic support.