Stock - Stock Loss Breakdown
Updated Mon 2 Nov 2026
Running the report
Report options
Choose an opening stock take
The count the period starts from. The list shows your posted stock takes from the last 120 days, newest first, with the day, time and type of each count. Your most recent posted stock take is not offered here, because it cannot be an opening count for a later one.
Choose a closing stock take
The count the period ends at. Same list, including your most recent posted stock take. It must be later than the opening stock take.
Stock list filter
Tick one or more of your stock lists to see only the items on those lists. Leave it empty to see all items. The report shows All next to Stock lists when nothing is ticked.
Select your stock costing model
How your stock is valued. The first choice is your own level: store users see Store's method first, brand and head office users see Brand's method first. The store choice only appears when your store values stock differently from your brand.
The three methods are FIFO (first in first out), WAC (weighted average cost) and LC (last cost). The choice changes the rand values, not the units.
The report at a glance
The two dates are the days and times the opening and closing stock takes were counted. The report covers everything that happened between those two counts.
- Selected parameters and information: your choices, plus who counted and posted each stock take.
- Losses by item: one line per stock item, grouped by stock type, status and category.
- Totals, charts and score: the total, the absolute variance, your turnover, two charts and a score from A to F.
A footer on every page shows your store, the report version, the page number, who ran the report and when, and a note on how trading days are counted.
Selected parameters and information
At the top of the first page, a panel called Selected parameters repeats the choices you made: OPENING STOCK TAKE, CLOSING STOCK TAKE, STOCK COSTING MODEL and STOCK LISTS.
Below it the Information block shows, for each of the two stock takes, a line like these:
| Opening stock take | Closing stock take |
|---|---|
| Opening stock take status: Posted | Closing stock take status: Posted |
| Counted on Mon 5 Oct 2026 at 06:30 by Sam | Counted on Mon 12 Oct 2026 at 06:20 by Sam |
| Posted on Mon 5 Oct 2026 at 06:41 by Sam | Posted on Mon 12 Oct 2026 at 06:33 by Sam |
| Notes: Weekly count | Notes: Weekly count |
In the middle it shows the Valuation method (a FIFO, WAC or LC label), the Currency (R (cents are rounded)) and the Stock lists you chose. If a stock take has the status Archived, its status line is shown in red, so you know the count has been put away.
Losses by item
The main table lists your stock items, first by stock type (Food cost items, then Non food cost items if you have any), then by status (for example Active items), then by category, then alphabetically. Only items that are used in at least one recipe, and that have a loss figure that is not zero, are listed.
| Spoilage 2 (discards to wastage) | + Operational wastage (voids with wastage) | + Unaccounted shrinkage (unaccounted-for stock wastage such as theft or overtopping) | + Valuation basis adjustment 4 | = Losses 5 (matches losses on variance and GP reports) | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Units | Value (excl) R | % of losses value 3 | Units | Value (excl) R | % of losses value | Units | Value (excl) R | % of losses value | Value (excl) R | Units | Value (excl) R | % of turn-over | ||
| Item name (PLU) 1 | UoM | |||||||||||||
| Food cost items | ||||||||||||||
| Active items | ||||||||||||||
| Category: Dairy | ||||||||||||||
| Cheddar slices (DAIRY03) 1 | Each | 0.000 | - | - | 10.000 | 45 | 125% | -2.000 | -9 | -25% | - | 8.000 | 36 | 0% |
| Totals for: Dairy | - | - | 45 | 125% | -9 | -25% | - | 36 | 0% | |||||
| Category: Groceries | ||||||||||||||
| Cooking oil (OIL01) | Litre | 0.000 | - | - | 0.000 | - | - | -10.000 | -150 | 100% | - | -10.000 | -150 | -1% |
| Totals for: Groceries | - | - | - | - | -150 | 100% | - | -150 | -1% | |||||
| Category: Meat | ||||||||||||||
| Beef patty 150g (PATTY01) | Each | 4.000 | 36 | 22% | 6.000 | 54 | 33% | 8.000 | 72 | 44% | 3 | 18.000 | 165 | 1% |
| Chicken fillet (CHKN02) | kg | 1.500 | 90 | 55% | 2.250 | 135 | 82% | -1.000 | -60 | -37% | -1 | 2.750 | 164 | 1% |
| Totals for: Meat | 126 | 38% | 189 | 57% | 12 | 4% | 2 | 329 | 2% | |||||
| Category: Produce | ||||||||||||||
| Tomatoes (VEG05) | kg | 3.000 | 36 | 35% | 0.000 | - | - | 5.500 | 66 | 65% | - | 8.500 | 102 | 1% |
| Totals for: Produce | 36 | 35% | - | - | 66 | 65% | - | 102 | 1% | |||||
1 Item name (PLU)
The item and, in brackets, its code. It is underlined because it is a link: click it to open the Stock Item Audit report for that item and see every movement behind its figures. The UoM column is the unit the item is counted in.
2 Spoilage, operational wastage and unaccounted shrinkage
The loss is split in three, each with its units and its value:
- Spoilage (discards to wastage)
- Stock that was thrown away and recorded as a discard. Click the heading to open the Discards report for the same period.
- + Operational wastage (voids with wastage)
- Menu items that were voided and wasted, converted to the stock they used. Click the heading to open the Voids report for the same period.
- + Unaccounted shrinkage
- What is left once the two above are taken off: stock that went missing without a record, such as theft, over-portioning or counting mistakes. A negative figure means you have more stock than you should (an over).
A grey - means the figure is zero. Units are shown with three decimals; the light grey zeros at the end are there only to keep the decimal points lined up.
3 % of losses value
How much of the item's total loss each part is. Because overs offset losses, these percentages can add up to more than 100% or show a minus sign, as in the Cheddar slices line, where the voids are 125% of a loss that is smaller than the voids because an over of 2 units cancels some of it. They leave out the valuation basis adjustment.
4 + Valuation basis adjustment
Thrown-away stock has a slip, so its own price is used. Missing stock has no slip, so the average price is used. This column is the gap between those two prices, so that spoilage, operational wastage, unaccounted shrinkage and this adjustment add up to the losses on the same line.
5 = Losses
The total loss for the item, in units and in value, and as a percentage of your turnover. This is the same loss you see on the Stock Variance and Gross Profit reports. After each category a Totals for: line adds up its items.
Totals, charts and score
After the last category of each stock type the report starts a new page with the totals for that stock type.
| Spoilage Value (excl) R | % of losses value | + Operational wastage Value (excl) R | % of losses value | + Unaccounted shrinkage Value (excl) R | % of losses value | + Valuation basis adjustment Value (excl) R | = Losses Value (excl) R | % of turn-over | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total wastage of Food cost items: 1 | 162 | 51% | 234 | 74% | -81 | -26% | 2 | 317 | 2% |
| Absolute variance: 2 | 617 | 3% | |||||||
| Turnover (excl taxes) from Mon 5 Oct 2026 at 06:30 until Mon 12 Oct 2026 at 06:20: 3 | 18 600 | ||||||||
1 Total wastage of Food cost items
The totals of every column for the whole stock type. The total loss turns red when it is a loss and green when it is an over. A small information icon next to each column holds a tip on what to do about it.
2 Absolute variance
The size of your losses and overs added together, ignoring the sign. If you lose 10 hams (+10) and gain 10 salamis (-10), a normal total shows 0 and looks balanced, but the absolute variance adds 10 and 10 and shows 20. It is the best measure of how accurate your stock counts and stock data are, which is why the score is based on it.
3 Turnover (excl taxes)
Your sales, excluding value-added tax or your country's equivalent sales tax, between the two counts. Every % of turnover figure uses it. If it is zero, the percentages show a grey - and no score is shown.
Charts (food cost items only)
Two pie charts follow the totals. Profile of total stock losses by value shows how much of the loss is spoilage, operational wastage and unaccounted shrinkage, for example Spoilage R162, Operational wastage R234, and nothing for unaccounted shrinkage because it is negative in this example. The 5 categories with the highest wastage value ranks your categories, for example Meat R329, Produce R102 and Dairy R36. Both charts leave out negative values, because negative means stock that is over, and both follow your stock list filter, like the table.
Score (food cost items only)
Your absolute variance as a percentage of turnover gives a grade from A (best) to F. A coloured label next to it says Low absolute variance (up to 5%), Medium absolute variance (over 5% up to 10%) or High absolute variance (over 10%), with the percentage.
| Data input scoring (Absolute variance %) | ||
|---|---|---|
| A | 0% | to 2% |
| B | 2% | to 4% |
| C | 4% | to 6% |
| D | 6% | to 8% |
| E | 8% | to 10% |
| F | more than 10% | |
| Your score 1 | B Low absolute variance of 3% | |
1 Your score
In this example the absolute variance of R617 against R18 600 of turnover is 3%, which is a B. If there are no losses at all the report shows No net losses! instead of a grade.
Non food cost items get the same totals, absolute variance and turnover lines, but no charts and no score.
Watch the video
A short walkthrough of the report: choosing the two stock takes, reading the losses by item and understanding the score.
Can't see the video? Watch it on YouTube.
Frequently asked questions
Why is an item I expected missing from the report?
The report lists only items that are used in at least one recipe, that are on the stock lists you ticked (if you ticked any) and that have at least one loss figure that is not zero. To work out a loss an item must also have been counted at both stock takes. If you run out of an item, enter 0 on the stock take instead of leaving it blank, so the item counts as counted.
Why is a percentage over 100% or negative?
The % of losses value columns show each part as a share of the item's net loss. When an over (a negative figure) cancels part of a loss, the net loss is smaller than its parts, so one part can be more than 100% and another can be negative. The three parts and the valuation basis adjustment together still add up to the loss.
Why is the absolute variance bigger than my total loss?
The total loss lets overs cancel losses. The absolute variance adds them instead, so it is always equal to or bigger than the total. A big gap between the two means you have both large losses and large overs, which usually points to counting or stock data mistakes rather than real loss.
Why does my loss differ from the Stock Variance or Gross Profit report?
The = Losses column is built to match those reports. If it does not, check that all the reports use the same opening and closing stock takes, the same stock lists and the same stock costing model. This report also leaves out items that are not used in any recipe.
Why are the charts and the score missing on some pages?
They are shown for Food cost items only. Non food cost items get the table, the totals, the absolute variance and the turnover line.
Why does it say "Please choose a closing stock take date that is after the opening stock take date."?
The report has nothing to show. Most often the closing stock take is the same as, or earlier than, the opening one, or none of your items has a loss in that period. Choose a later closing stock take, or a different opening one.
Why can't I find my stock take in the list?
Only posted stock takes from the last 120 days are offered, and the opening list leaves out your most recent posted one. A stock take that is still open, or that is older than 120 days, will not appear.
Why do the percentages show a dash and no score?
A percentage of turnover cannot be worked out when your turnover between the two counts is zero, for example when two counts were done on the same day with no sales in between. Those figures show a grey dash and no grade is given.
Why is a total R1 different from the lines above it?
Values are shown without cents, but the totals are added up from the exact amounts. The difference is only rounding.
Glossary
- Absolute variance
- Losses and overs added together with the minus signs removed. It shows the full size of your stock problems and drives your score.
- Archived
- A stock take status for a count that has been put away. The status line turns red.
- Closing stock take
- The count the period ends at.
- Costing model
- The method used to value stock: FIFO (first in first out), WAC (weighted average cost) or LC (last cost).
- Food cost items
- Stock items counted towards your food cost. Charts and the score are shown for these only.
- Losses
- Spoilage plus operational wastage plus unaccounted shrinkage plus the valuation basis adjustment. A positive loss means you used more stock than you should have.
- Non food cost items
- Stock items that are not part of your food cost, such as packaging. They get totals but no charts or score.
- Opening stock take
- The count the period starts from.
- Operational wastage
- Menu items that were voided and wasted, shown as the stock they used.
- Over
- A negative loss: you have more stock than you should. Shown in green in the totals.
- Posted
- A stock take that has been finalised, so its counts are used in reports.
- Score
- A grade from A to F based on your absolute variance as a percentage of turnover.
- Spoilage
- Stock that was thrown away and recorded as a discard.
- Stock list
- A named group of stock items, used to count or report on part of your stock.
- Turnover (excl taxes)
- Your sales between the two counts, excluding value-added tax or your country's equivalent sales tax.
- Unaccounted shrinkage
- Stock that went missing without a record, such as theft, over-portioning or counting mistakes.
- Under
- A positive loss: you used more stock than you should, so you are short.
- Valuation basis adjustment
- The gap between the slip price of thrown-away stock and the average price of missing stock, so each line adds up.
- Value (excl)
- A value excluding value-added tax or your country's equivalent sales tax, in your currency.