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Usage is a measurement of previous on-hand + purchases – on-hand. Focusing on these three variables from within the formula will allow a user to more effectively resolve their issue.

Negative Usage

Negative usage is almost always associated with a missing invoice, but it can also be a product of incorrect inventory data captured in the current or previous period.

In example 1 to the right,  a simplified breakdown of how a negative usage can occur is displayed. With a formula of Prev. On-hand (+) Purchases (-) On-Hand, identifying the error can appear relatively easy. It is important to verify each of the formula variables prior to digging deeper into the issue.

• Prev. On-Hand: Sum of all Full Count & Weight data in the previous period
• Purchases: Quantity data derived from an invoice in the current period
• On-Hand: Sum of all Full Counts & Weight data in the current period

Incorrect/Missing Invoice

Invoices are sometimes difficult to gather in a timely manner, but they are absolutely essential. Not only do they assign the purchased item a cost, but they also provide our system with the required information needed to offset any growth and calculate an appropriate used amount.

If it has been identified that the issue is potentially related to a missing or incorrect invoice, a user should do the following:

Step-by-Step

1. Generate a Purchase Report, and search for the item in question.
2. Review the purchase information for any abnormalities in trends such as:
   • No Purchase Data
   • Incorrect Purchase Quantity
   • Partial Purchases
   • Negative Purchases
3. If any of the scenarios outlined above are identified, a user will need to resolve them in the following ways:
   • No Purchase Data: Contact your client to identify any missing invoices. Never input a false invoice, assuming one was missed without the original
   • Incorrect Purchase Quantity: Review the original invoice information to verify the accuracy of data, if Fintech is being utilized, verify the item mapping is accurate.
4. Other potential abnormalities that have the potential to result in an unexplained/odd usage should be resolved in the following ways:
   • Partial Purchases: Partial purchases sometimes stem from an event or banquet. If the item was accounted for previously, but then removed from the location without accounting, and then accounted for via a partial purchase on a mock invoice to come back in (or vice versa), this can result in a number abnormality.
   • Negative Purchases: A negative purchase is sometimes utilized as a return, credit, or transfer from a client. Negative purchases can be used as long as the amount that is being transferred out (negative quantity) exists on hand in the current period.

Incorrect Item Setup

If an item is set up incorrectly, it may result in a negative usage depending on the scenario that exists. To identify if the item has been set up incorrectly which is resulting in a negative usage, a user should do the following:

Step-by-Step

1. Note / Document the Brand, UPC, Empty & Full weights of the item with a negative usage.
2. Open the Weights feature within the online inventory platform.
3. Input the item name or UPC into the search filter to eliminate all other data.
4. Review the displayed data, are there any numbers that appear Purple? This is a Key Indicator
5. Review the captured weight(s) of the item, and compare it against both the Empty & Full weight of the item setup. If the captured weight is outside of the defined size, the item will need to be corrected within Item Setup