---
title: "Stock - Stock Variance"
url: "https://help.aurapos.com/en/article/stock-stock-variance"
language: "en"
last_updated: "2026-11-05T04:37:06.542Z"
---

# Stock - Stock Variance

Shows, for every stock item, how much stock you actually used between two stock takes, how much your sales say you should have used, and the difference between the two: your stock losses. It also scores how reliable your stock data is. It is for store managers, franchisees, head office and accountants who want to find stock that is leaking and fix the habits behind it.

Updated Thu 5 Nov 2026

## Running the report

1

Open **Reports** and choose **Stock Variance** under **Stock**.

2

Choose **Choose your opening stock take** and **Choose your closing stock take**. The opening count must be earlier than the closing count. Optionally tick some stock lists under **Stock list filter**, check **Select your stock costing model** and tick **Hide stock items with no values** if you want a shorter report.

3

Run the report. It lists every stock item of your store with the stock that came in, the stock that is left, what you used, what you should have used and the difference. At the end it shows the average size of your stock losses and a score for the quality of your stock data.

**Run it on a regular rhythm**Most stores run it after every weekly count. Two counts one week apart give the most useful picture: the period is short enough to remember what happened, and long enough for a pattern to show.

**Follow the trail**Almost every heading and item name is a link. Click **Stock losses** to see where a loss came from, an item name to see every movement of that item, and the other column headings to open the stock take, purchases, manufacturing and transfers behind each column. Hover over a figure for a tip.

## Report options

### Choose your 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 the opening count of a later period. Stock takes that are not posted yet, and stock takes that were archived, do not appear.

Mon 5 Oct 2026 at 06:30 (weekly)

Mon 28 Sep 2026 at 06:25 (weekly)

Mon 31 Aug 2026 at 07:00 (monthly)

### Choose your closing stock take

The count the period ends at. The same list, including your most recent posted stock take. It must be later than the opening stock take, otherwise the report tells you what to check instead of showing figures.

Mon 12 Oct 2026 at 06:20 (weekly)

Mon 5 Oct 2026 at 06:30 (weekly)

Mon 28 Sep 2026 at 06:25 (weekly)

The type in brackets is how the count was captured: **spot** (an ad hoc count), **weekly**, **monthly** (Month-End Close), **yearly** (Year-End Close) or **opening** (the very first count when a store starts). Monthly and yearly counts lock the period behind them, which is explained under [Stock concepts](https://help.aurapos.com/en/article/stock-stock-variance#concepts).

### Stock list filter

Tick one or more of your stock lists to see only the items on those lists. Leave it empty to see every item. The report shows **All** next to **Stock lists** when nothing is ticked. The filter also changes the accuracy score, because the score is worked out over the items that are shown.

### Select your stock costing model

How your stock is valued in rand. 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.

Brand's method (FIFO - First in First Out)

Store's method (LC - Last Cost)

The three methods are FIFO (first in first out), WAC (weighted average cost) and LC (last cost). The choice changes the rand values you see in the tips and in the stock value totals. It never changes the units.

### Hide stock items with no values

A tick box, off by default. When it is ticked, items that have nothing at all in the period (no opening or closing stock, no purchases, manufacturing or transfers, no theoretical usage, no spoilage and no voids) are left out. Tick it to shorten the report when your stock list holds many items you do not currently use.

## The report at a glance

BOB'S BURGERS | BOB'S BURGERS TIMES SQUARE

Stock variance report

From Mon 5 Oct 2026 at 06:30 until Mon 12 Oct 2026 at 06:20

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. Under the logo at the top right there is an **Explain this report** link that opens this guide.

1.  [Selected parameters and information](https://help.aurapos.com/en/article/stock-stock-variance#info): the two stock takes, who counted and posted them, your valuation method, whether the report is final, and a key to the colours.
2.  [Stock usage table](https://help.aurapos.com/en/article/stock-stock-variance#usage): one line per stock item, with the calculation from opening stock to stock losses, grouped by stock type and category.
3.  [Totals and notes](https://help.aurapos.com/en/article/stock-stock-variance#totals): the stock value at each count, the average absolute stock losses percentage and the reading notes.
4.  [Data input accuracy](https://help.aurapos.com/en/article/stock-stock-variance#accuracy): a score from A+ to F for the reliability of your stock data (food cost items only).
5.  [Late, archived and incomplete activities](https://help.aurapos.com/en/article/stock-stock-variance#activities): stock activities that were captured late, deleted or never finished, which are the usual signs of stock being forced to balance.

A footer on every page shows your store, the report version, the page number, who ran the report and when, and the ids of the two stock takes.

## Stock concepts behind this report

You can read the report without this section, but a few minutes here makes every column easier to trust and act on. Everything below is explained with the same example: **Cheddar slices** at Bob's Burgers Times Square.

### 1\. Stock on hand and the stock take

**Stock on hand (SOH)** is what is physically in your store at one moment. You only know it for certain when somebody counts it. That count is a **stock take**: a snapshot of every item's quantity at a date and time. The report always compares **two** snapshots, the **opening** one (the start of the period) and the **closing** one (the end). Everything that happened to your stock between the two is what the report explains.

### 2\. Actual usage: what really left your stock

Between two counts stock arrives in four ways and leaves in one:

Purchases and returns

Stock you received from suppliers on a goods received voucher (GRV), less anything you returned.

Net manufacturing

Stock you made in house, for example sauce made from raw ingredients, or sliced tomatoes made from whole ones. The ingredients go out of stock and the finished item comes in, so the report shows the net effect per item.

Net transfers

Stock moved to or from other stores. Stock you received counts as plus, stock you sent counts as minus, so the figure can be negative.

Usage

Everything else: stock that was sold, wasted, spoiled, over-portioned, given away, stolen or lost.

The report works backwards from the two counts to find what was used:

**Actual usage = Opening SOH + Purchases and returns + Net manufacturing + Net transfers − Closing SOH**

Example: you opened the week with 400 cheddar slices, received 600 and counted 380 at the end. You used 400 + 600 − 380 = **620** slices. This is what the **Actual usage** column shows. It is called actual because it is based on what you physically counted, not on what the till says.

### 3\. Theoretical usage: what your sales say you should have used

Every menu item has a **recipe**: the stock items and quantities it is made from. If you sold 600 cheeseburgers and each uses one cheddar slice, your sales say you should have used **600** slices. That is **Theoretical usage**: **sales multiplied by recipes**. It is the stock that would have been used if every portion was exactly to recipe and nothing was ever wasted, spoiled or lost.

This is why recipes matter. If a recipe is wrong (say it says one slice but the cook puts on two), the theoretical figure is wrong and the loss will be wrong too. An item that is not in any recipe shows **No recipes**, because there is no theoretical usage to compare against.

### 4\. Stock losses: the difference

**Stock losses = Actual usage − Theoretical usage**

In the example 620 − 600 = **20** slices. A **positive** number means you used more than your sales explain. You are **under**, and the stock has gone somewhere without being sold. A **negative** number means you used less than your sales explain. You are **over**, which looks favourable but is rarely good news: it usually points to a counting mistake, a purchase captured twice, or a recipe that is too generous.

Stock losses come from a handful of causes. Some are recorded: **spoilage** (stock thrown away and captured as a discard) and **operational wastage** (menu items that were voided and wasted). The remainder is **unaccounted shrinkage**: theft, over-portioning, waste nobody captured, or counting errors. The **Stock Loss Breakdown** report, which you reach by clicking the **Stock losses** heading, splits every loss into these three.

### 5\. Prepped equivalent quantities

Some items are kept in two forms: bulk (whole tomatoes) and prepped (sliced tomatoes). Bulk loses weight when it is prepped, through peel, tops and trim. That is the item's **wastage percentage**. To compare everything fairly, the report converts every quantity to one measure, the **prepped equivalent**: the bulk quantity is reduced by the wastage percentage and the prepped quantity is added.

Example: 10 kg of whole tomatoes with 10% wastage is 9 kg of prepped equivalent. If you also hold 2 kg of sliced tomatoes, the report shows **11 kg**. The opening, purchases, manufacturing, transfers and closing figures are all prepped equivalents, so they add up to the actual usage without further conversion.

### 6\. Absolute stock deviation percentage

If you lose 10 hams (+10) and gain 10 salamis (-10), a normal total shows 0 and your cold meats look balanced, yet you have two problems. The **absolute** approach ignores the minus signs and adds the sizes: 10 + 10 = 20. The report works out each item's loss as a percentage of its theoretical usage, then averages those percentages **without letting overs and unders cancel**. A low average means your stock is tightly controlled. A high average means counts, recipes or capture habits need attention, even when the overall total looks fine.

### 7\. Counted, not counted and zero

Every item must be counted in **both** stock takes to calculate a usage. An item left blank on a stock take is treated as **not counted**, which is different from zero. If you ran out of an item, capture **0**: you are then telling the system that you counted it and none is left. If you leave it blank you are saying nobody counted it, and the report cannot work out a usage for that item. Use **stock lists** to make sure the same items are counted every time.

### 8\. Stock take types, locking and Draft or Finalised

A **spot** or **weekly** count is a working count. A **Month-End Close** or **Year-End Close** is a **period-locking** stock take: once it is posted, nobody can create or edit stock activities (GRVs, manufacturing, transfers) dated before it. This is what makes the figures final. A report whose closing count is a locking type, or which has a locking count after it, is marked **Finalised**. A report with no locking count after it is marked **Draft**: the figures are right for now, but a GRV or transfer captured later with an earlier date could still change them.

### 9\. Stock rolling, and why the report watches your activities

**Stock rolling** is forcing a stock take to balance. The classic tricks are to capture the closing count, look at the variance, then delete it and capture it again with invented numbers; or to capture a GRV, manufacturing batch or transfer **after** the closing count but dated **inside** the period, so the figures suddenly fit. The report therefore counts stock takes that were archived, activities that were captured late, and activities that were started and never completed. Each one lowers your [Data input accuracy](https://help.aurapos.com/en/article/stock-stock-variance#accuracy) score. Late activities can also be an honest mistake, which is why the report flags them without accusing anyone.

### 10\. Valuation: FIFO, WAC and LC

Units answer "how much". Your **costing model** answers "how much is it worth", because prices change. Suppose you bought 100 slices at R10 each and later 100 at R12 each, and then used 100 slices. **FIFO** (first in, first out) assumes you used the oldest stock first: R1 000. **WAC** (weighted average cost) uses the average of everything you paid, R11 a slice: R1 100. **LC** (last cost) uses the most recent price, R12: R1 200. Your brand chooses the method, and a store can be set to a different one. The costing model changes rand values only, never units.

### 11\. Food cost items and other stock

Stock items have a stock type. **Food cost** items are what goes into your food cost: ingredients and food products. Other stock types, such as packaging or cleaning supplies, are listed on their own pages. Only food cost items count towards the accuracy score.

## Selected parameters and information

The first page opens with a panel that repeats what you chose and tells you where the two counts came from. It has a block for each stock take and an **Information** block in the middle.

| Opening stock take 1   Weekly Close | Information 2 | Closing stock take   Weekly Close |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Counted on Mon 5 Oct 2026 at 06:30 by Sam | Stock losses percentage indicator 3 | Counted on Mon 12 Oct 2026 at 06:20 by Sam |
| Posted on Mon 5 Oct 2026 at 06:41 by Sam | Over -100%0%Under 100% | Posted on Mon 12 Oct 2026 at 06:33 by Sam |
| Notes: Weekly count | Valuation method: **FIFO**   **Draft** 4 | Notes: Weekly count |
|  | Stock lists: All |  |

### 1 Opening and closing stock take

For each count you see its type (**Spot**, **Weekly Close**, **Month-End Close**, **Year-End Close** or **Opening**), when it was counted and by whom, when it was posted and by whom, and any notes typed on it. **Counted** is the date and time the stock was counted. **Posted** is when the count was finalised and became usable. Archived stock takes cannot be chosen in the report options.

### 2 Information

Shows the **Valuation method** (a FIFO, WAC or LC label, from your **Select your stock costing model** choice) and the **Stock lists** you chose (**All** when none are ticked).

### 3 Stock losses percentage indicator

A key to the colour behind the last column of the table. Near 0% the colour is green. It moves towards amber as you go over (negative, up to -100%) and towards red as you go under (positive, up to 100%). The further from green, the bigger the problem.

### 4 Finalised or Draft

A green **Finalised** label means the figures can no longer change, because a Month-End Close or Year-End Close stock take locks the period. An orange **Draft** label means no locking stock take has been done after your closing count yet, so a stock activity dated inside the period could still be created or edited and the figures might shift if you run the report again later. The reason is spelled out in a note under the table, for example:

**Draft**This report is still in Draft, as no Month-End Close or Year-End Close stock take (the period-locking kind) has been done after Mon 12 Oct 2026 at 06:20. That just means stock activities in this date range can still be created or edited, so the numbers may shift if you re-run it later. Once a period-locking stock take is completed, this report will move to Finalised.

**Finalised**You have a Month-End Close stock saved on Sun 1 Nov 2026 at 23:00. This is a period-locking stock take, which means that you can no longer create or edit stock activities prior to Sun 1 Nov 2026 at 23:00.

When the report has nothing to show, for example because the closing stock take is not later than the opening one, or no item was counted in both, a page appears instead with the things to check: that the closing stock take is after the opening one, that items were counted in both stock takes, that you chose the right stock list filters and that you have created stock lists with items on them.

## Stock usage table

The heart of the report. Items are grouped by **Stock type** (**Food cost** first, then any other type on its own page), then by **Category**, then alphabetically. Read each line from left to right: it starts with what you counted at the beginning, adds what came in, takes away what was left at the end, and compares the result with what your sales said you should have used.

| Item name (PLU) | UoM | Opening SOH | +Purchases & returns | +Net manu-facturing | +Net transfers | −Closing SOH | \=Actual usage | −Theoretical usage | \=Stock losses | Stock losses % of theoretical |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Stock type: Food cost |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
| Category: Dairy |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
| Cheddar slices 1 | Each | 400.000 2 | 600.000 3 | 0.000 | 0.000 | 380.000 | 620.000 4 | 600.000 5 | 20.000 6 | 3.3% 7 |
| Milk | Litre | 24.000 | 36.000 | 0.000 | 0.000 | 21.000 | 39.000 | 40.000 | \-1.000 | \-2.5% |
| Average absolute stock losses percentage for the Dairy category: 8 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 2.9% |
| Category: Meat |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
| Beef patty 150g | Each | 300.000 | 1200.000 | 0.000 | 0.000 | 260.000 | 1240.000 | 1200.000 | 40.000 | 3.3% |
| Chicken fillet | kg | 18.500 | 30.000 | 0.000 | 0.000 | 14.250 | 34.250 | 33.500 | 0.750 | 2.2% |
| Average absolute stock losses percentage for the Meat category: |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 2.8% |
| Category: Produce |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
| Tomatoes | kg | 12.000 | 40.000 | 0.000 | 0.000 | 9.500 | 42.500 | 42.500 | Balanced | 0% |
| Average absolute stock losses percentage for the Produce category: |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 0.0% |
| Category: Sauces |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
| Burger sauce | Litre | 5.000 | 0.000 | 12.000 | \-2.000 | 4.000 | 11.000 | 10.500 | 0.500 | 4.8% |
| Average absolute stock losses percentage for the Sauces category: |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 4.8% |
| ... more items ... |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
| Food cost value: |  | 18 420.50 |  |  |  |  | 15 936.25 |  |  |  |

### 1 Item name (PLU)

The stock item. Click the name to open the **Stock Item Audit** report and see every movement of that item in the period. Hover over it to see its code and description. **UoM** is the unit it is counted in (each, kg, litre).

### 2 Opening SOH and closing SOH

The quantity you counted at the opening and closing stock take, as [prepped equivalents](https://help.aurapos.com/en/article/stock-stock-variance#concepts). Click either heading to open the **Stock Take** report for that count, with its calculations and sub-counts. Hover over a figure to see what that stock is worth in your costing model. If the item was not counted, the cell shows **Not counted** in red instead.

### 3 Purchases & returns, Net manufacturing and Net transfers

The stock that came in or moved between the two counts. Each heading is a link: **Purchases & returns** opens the Purchases report for the period (draft, unbalanced and archived GRVs are left out), **Net manufacturing** opens the Manufactured Stock report and **Net transfers** opens the Transfers report. Net transfers is negative when you sent out more than you received. A grey **.000** is only there to keep the decimal points lined up.

### 4 Actual usage

Opening SOH + Purchases & returns + Net manufacturing + Net transfers − Closing SOH. In the example 400 + 600 + 0 + 0 − 380 = 620. When it is negative the figure turns red. That is impossible in real life: it means you counted more stock at the end than you started with plus everything that came in. It is a counting or capture error (see **had babies** below).

### 5 Theoretical usage

What your sales say you should have used: sales multiplied by recipes, so 600 for the example. Click the figure to open a drill-down that shows exactly how it was calculated, item by item. If the item is not in any recipe, the cell says **No recipes**.

### 6 Stock losses

Actual usage − Theoretical usage: 620 − 600 = 20 in the example. Red means you are **under** (a loss), green means you are **over** (favourable), and **Balanced** means the two are exactly equal. Hover over it to read the result in words, what it is worth, and, for a loss, how much came from spoilage, operational wastage and unaccounted shrinkage. Click the **Stock losses** heading to open the **Stock Loss Breakdown** report for the same period.

### 7 Stock losses % of theoretical

The loss divided by the theoretical usage: 20 ÷ 600 = 3.3%. A colour block behind the figure follows the key at the top of the report. A **0%** on green means balanced. The cell shows **n/a** when a percentage cannot be worked out: the item was not counted at both stock takes, or its theoretical usage is zero.

### 8 Average absolute stock losses percentage

After each category, the average of its items' percentages **with the minus signs removed**, so overs and unders do not cancel (Dairy: 3.3% and 2.5% average 2.9%). Use it to compare categories: a category far above the rest is where to look first. The same average is shown for the whole stock type further down.

### Unusual lines

Two situations that look strange but are explained by how the item was counted:

| Item name (PLU) | UoM | Opening SOH | \+ Purchases & returns | \+ Net manufacturing | \+ Net transfers | − Closing SOH | \= Actual usage | − Theoretical usage | \= Stock losses | Stock losses % of theoretical |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Lettuce | Each | Not counted | 24.000 | 0.000 | 0.000 | 6.000 | n/a | 18.000 | n/a | n/a |
| Bacon rashers | kg | 2.000 | 4.000 | 0.000 | 0.000 | 7.000 | \-1.000 | 3.500 | \-4.500 | \-128.6% |

Lettuce: Not counted

Lettuce was counted at the closing stock take but not at the opening one, so nobody knows how much you started with. The report cannot work out a usage, so it shows **n/a** and the item is counted as a data input problem in your accuracy score. Next time, capture the stock take for every item, with **0** for anything you ran out of.

Bacon rashers: had babies

You opened with 2 kg, received 4 kg and still counted 7 kg at the end, which is 1 kg more than could possibly exist. Usage comes out as -1.000 in red. Stock does not multiply, so it is called "had babies". Look for a missed or mistyped GRV, a counting mistake, or a GRV for another store. It is penalised in your score, and it distorts the loss as well.

## Totals and notes

After the last item of each stock type the report adds a short summary.

| Food cost value: 1 |  | 18 420.50 |  |  |  |  | 15 936.25 |  |  |  |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| **Food cost items summary** |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
| Average absolute stock losses percentage for the Food cost items: 2 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | **3.2%** |

### 1 Food cost value

The total rand value of all your items of that stock type at the opening count (under the **Opening SOH** column) and at the closing count (under the **Closing SOH** column), valued in your costing model. The difference between the two, together with your purchases, tells you whether your stock holding is growing or shrinking. It follows your stock list filter.

### 2 Average absolute stock losses percentage

The average of every item's loss percentage with minus signs removed, so a loss of 10 hams and an over of 10 salamis add up to a problem instead of cancelling out. Hover over the small information icon for this explanation. As a rule of thumb, the lower the better, and what matters most is how it moves from one period to the next.

The stock types other than **Food cost** get their own page with the same lines, but no score. Under the whole report three reading notes are printed:

-   Positive losses = you used more stock than theoretical, so you are under (a loss).
-   Negative losses = you used less stock than theoretical, so you are over (favourable).
-   If you have run out of stock of an item that you are supposed to be counting, enter 0 on the stock take. Leaving it empty says the item was not counted. Entering 0 says it was counted and you have run out.

## Data input accuracy

The score at the end of the food cost items measures something different from your stock losses: how **reliable your stock data** is. A store can have small losses on paper because its counts were forced to balance, and a store can have big losses on paper because it forgot to capture a delivery. The score tells you how far to trust the figures above it. It starts at 100% and loses points for every data problem found in the period. It does not take stock losses into account: your score on losses is on the **Stock Loss Breakdown** report.

| Data input accuracy 1 | Count | Penalty | Total |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| \# of opening stock items not counted: | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| \# of closing stock items not counted: | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| \# of stock items that 'had babies': | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Forced balancing likelihood (deep scan): | 0 | 60 | 0 |
| Activities captured after the closing stock take... |  |  |  |
| GRV's: | 1 | 12 | 12 |
| Manufacturing: | 0 | 12 | 0 |
| Transfers: | 0 | 12 | 0 |
| Archived activities between these stock takes... |  |  |  |
| GRVs: | 0 | 12 | 0 |
| Manufacturing: | 0 | 12 | 0 |
| Transfers: | 0 | 12 | 0 |
| Stock takes: | 0 | 36 | 0 |
| Incomplete activities between these stock takes... |  |  |  |
| GRVs: | 0 | 12 | 0 |
| Manufacturing: | 0 | 12 | 0 |
| Stock takes: | 0 | 36 | 0 |
| Penalty score: 2 | 5 | 13.0 |  |
| Number of food cost stock items counted: 3 | 120 |  |  |
| Your total penalty score percentage is 13.0 / 120 = 11% |  |  |  |
| Your data input accuracy score 4 | **89% Data input accuracy** (grade B+) |  |  |

### 1 Count, Penalty and Total

Each line is a type of problem. **Count** is how many were found, **Penalty** is the points one of them costs and **Total** is count multiplied by penalty. A count is green when it is 0, orange when it is 1 or 2 and red when it is more than 2. Next to the lines, an **Actions to take** column tells you in plain words what to look at, and the wording varies from run to run so the messages stay fresh.

Items not counted (opening and closing)

Items that were counted at one stock take but not at the other, so no usage can be worked out. They are shown in red in the usage table. At the moment they are counted and listed but cost no points, so you can clean them up without being marked down.

Items that 'had babies'

Items with a negative actual usage, shown in red in the usage table. Each costs 1 point.

Forced balancing likelihood (deep scan)

Reserved for an automatic scan that looks for patterns suggesting figures were faked to balance. At present it shows 0.

Late, archived and incomplete activities

Explained in the next section. Each one costs one activity penalty; a stock take costs three times that.

### 2 How the penalty is set

The penalty for one late, archived or incomplete activity is the **number of food cost items counted divided by 10**, to one decimal. With 120 items counted that is 12. This means **one late, archived or incomplete activity costs about 10 percentage points of your score, whatever the size of your store**, and a stock take costs about 30. A single item that had babies costs only 1 point in 120, under 1 percentage point. The total penalty can never be more than the number of items counted, in which case the report says it was adjusted to 100%.

### 3 Number of food cost stock items counted

The items that are on your report as food cost items, after your stock list filter and the **Hide stock items with no values** option are applied. Because the penalty is divided over these items, changing the filter can change the score.

### 4 Your score

Penalty score percentage is the total penalty divided by the number of items counted, as a percentage. In the example 13.0 ÷ 120 = 11%. Your accuracy is 100% minus that: 100% − 11% = **89%**.

| Data input accuracy scoring |  |
| --- | --- |
| **A+** | 95% to 100% |
| **A** | 90% to 95% |
| **B+** | 85% to 90% |
| **B** | 75% to 85% |
| **C** | 50% to 75% |
| **D** | 25% to 50% |
| **E** | 0% to 25% |
| **F** | 0% |

Each grade includes its lower limit, so exactly 90% is an A. The score ends with a picture of the grade, and with links to the **Purchases**, **Manufacturing**, **Transfers** and **Stock Loss Breakdown** reports so you can jump straight to the activities to check.

**How to raise your score**Capture every GRV before you capture the closing stock take. Never delete and redo a stock take: if you made a mistake, finish and post it, then explain it in the notes. Complete or remove manufacturing, GRVs and transfers you started. Count every item on your lists, entering 0 for anything you ran out of. Investigate every item that had babies.

**Only food cost items are scored**The score is shown for food cost items. Other stock types show the usage table and the average absolute stock losses percentage only.

## Late, archived and incomplete activities

These three groups of stock activities are the things that most often make a stock report unreliable. They are listed in the accuracy table so you can see them next to the score they cost you. Counts of activities are links: late activities open a list, and archived and incomplete activities open the matching report (Purchases, Manufacturing or Transfers) for the period.

### Activities captured after the closing stock take

A goods received voucher (GRV), a manufacturing batch or a store transfer that was **completed after** your closing stock take was counted, but is **dated inside** the period. The report therefore changed after you counted. Click the underlined number to see exactly which activities these are:

| Type of stock activity | Event created on the portal | Stock movement date time | Performed by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| GRV | Mon 12 Oct 2026 at 08:15 | Sat 10 Oct 2026 at 14:00 | Sam |

The list shows the type (**GRV**, **Manufacturing**, **Store Transfer (Sent)** or **Store Transfer (Received)**), when the activity was captured on the portal, the date and time of the stock movement, and who did it. In this example a delivery on Saturday afternoon was only captured on Monday morning, after the closing count. It is often an honest delay, and it is also what happens when a count is adjusted after the fact, which is why it is flagged.

### Archived activities between these stock takes

Stock takes, GRVs, manufacturing batches and transfers that were done between your two counts and later archived (deleted). Archived stock takes are the most serious: doing a stock take, checking the variance, deleting it and redoing it with different closing values is the classic way to roll stock, so each one costs three times the usual penalty.

### Incomplete activities between these stock takes

Stock takes that were started but never posted, GRVs that were never completed and manufacturing batches left unfinished. Stock only moves when an activity is completed, so an incomplete activity is a common reason for a variance that has nothing to do with real losses.

## Watch the video

A short walkthrough of the report: choosing the two stock takes, reading each column, and understanding the accuracy score.

[Report walkthrough video](https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/_BrbEQmdcIw?rel=0)

Can't see the video? [Watch it on YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_BrbEQmdcIw).

## Frequently asked questions

Why does an item show "Not counted"?

The item was counted at one of the two stock takes but not the other, so the report cannot work out how much of it you used. It is shown in red in the column that is missing, and the actual usage and stock losses show **n/a**. Count the item at every stock take. If you ran out of it, capture 0, because a blank means "not counted" and a 0 means "counted, none left". Use stock lists to make sure the same items are counted each time.

Why is an item's actual usage negative and red?

You counted more stock at the end than you had at the start plus everything that came in. That cannot happen, so something is wrong: a GRV was not captured or was captured to the wrong item, a count was mistyped, the unit of measure was confused (kilograms entered as grams, or a case counted as a single item), or stock was moved without a transfer. The report calls this "had babies" and takes a point off your accuracy score for each.

Why is a loss percentage huge for an item I barely use?

The percentage is the loss divided by the theoretical usage. If your sales only explain a tiny amount of an item, even a small loss is a big share of it. Look at the units and the rand value before the percentage, and use the category average to see whether it is a one-off.

Does a negative loss (an over) mean I made money?

No. Being over means you used less stock than your sales say you should have, so something in the data is off: a count was too high, a delivery was captured twice, a recipe is too generous, or a loss for another item was recorded here. Overs are as worth investigating as losses. This is why the averages use absolute values and do not let overs cancel losses.

Why does it say "Draft"?

No Month-End Close or Year-End Close stock take has been done after your closing count. Until one is, stock activities dated inside the period can still be created or edited, so the figures could change if you run the report again. Once a locking stock take is posted the report becomes Finalised.

Why did my accuracy score change when I picked a stock list?

The score is worked out over the items shown, and the penalty is divided by the number of food cost items counted. A stock list changes that number, and it also changes how many items had babies or were not counted. Run it without a stock list for the whole-store score.

Why does one late GRV cost so many points?

Each late, archived or incomplete activity costs the number of food cost items counted divided by 10, so about 10 percentage points of your score, however many items you have. A stock take costs three times that. This is deliberate: these activities are how stock gets rolled, so the score drops fast when they appear. Capture your GRVs before your closing count and the points are never at risk.

What does "No recipes" mean?

The item is not used in any recipe, so your sales cannot explain any usage of it. Add it to the recipes of the menu items that use it. Until then you cannot see a meaningful loss for it.

Why do my figures differ from the Stock Loss Breakdown or Gross Profit report?

Check that all the reports use the same opening and closing stock takes, the same stock lists and the same costing model. This report shows units, the other two show rand values, and the Stock Loss Breakdown leaves out items that are not in any recipe or have no loss.

Why is Net transfers negative?

It is the net of stock received and stock sent to other stores. If you sent out more than you received, the figure is negative, and it is subtracted from your opening stock plus purchases like the other movements.

Why can't I find my latest stock take in the opening list?

Only posted stock takes from the last 120 days are offered, and the opening list leaves out your most recent one, because it cannot be the start of a later period. Choose it as the closing stock take instead. A stock take that is not posted yet, or has been archived, will not appear.

Does the costing model change my usage figures?

No. FIFO, WAC and LC only change the rand values: the tips when you hover over a figure and the **Food cost value** totals. Every unit column, and therefore every loss, is the same whichever model you pick.

Why does the report show a page with "things to check" instead of figures?

There is nothing to show: usually the closing stock take is not later than the opening one, no item was counted in both stock takes, or your stock list filter has no items on it. Choose a later closing stock take, a different opening one, or clear the filter.

## Glossary

Absolute stock deviation percentage

The loss percentage of each item with the minus sign removed, then averaged, so overs and unders do not cancel out.

Actual usage

Opening SOH plus purchases and returns plus net manufacturing plus net transfers, less closing SOH: the stock that really left your store's stock between the two counts.

Archived

An activity or stock take that has been put away (deleted) after it was done.

Closing stock take

The count the period ends at.

Costing model

How stock is valued in rand: FIFO (first in first out), WAC (weighted average cost) or LC (last cost). It changes values, never units.

Data input accuracy

A score from A+ to F for the reliability of your stock data. It loses points for late, archived and incomplete activities and for items that had babies.

Draft

A report with no Month-End Close or Year-End Close stock take after its closing count, so its figures could still change.

Finalised

A report whose period is locked by a Month-End Close or Year-End Close stock take, so its figures are final.

Food cost items

Stock items counted towards your food cost. Only these are scored.

GRV (goods received voucher)

The record of stock received from a supplier.

Had babies

An item whose actual usage is negative: you counted more at the end than could possibly exist. A counting or capture error.

Late activity

A GRV, manufacturing batch or store transfer completed after the closing stock take but dated inside the period.

Net manufacturing

Stock made in house (in) less the ingredients used to make it (out), per item.

Net transfers

Stock received from other stores less stock sent to them.

Not counted

The item was missing from a stock take. Different from 0, which means counted and none left.

Opening stock take

The count the period starts from.

Over

A negative stock loss: you used less than your sales explain. Shown in green, and worth investigating.

Period-locking stock take

A Month-End Close or Year-End Close stock take. Once posted, stock activities before it can no longer be created or edited.

Prepped equivalent

One common measure for bulk and prepped forms of an item: the bulk quantity less its wastage percentage, plus the prepped quantity.

Purchases and returns

Stock received on GRVs less stock returned to suppliers.

Recipe

The stock items and quantities a menu item is made from.

SOH (stock on hand)

The quantity of an item counted in your store at a stock take.

Stock list

A named group of stock items, used to count or report on part of your stock.

Stock losses

Actual usage less theoretical usage. Positive is a loss (under), negative is an over.

Stock rolling

Forcing a stock take to balance, for example by deleting and redoing a count or by capturing activities after the closing count.

Stock take

A count of your stock at a date and time. Types are spot, weekly, monthly (Month-End Close), yearly (Year-End Close) and opening.

Theoretical usage

What your sales say you should have used: sales multiplied by recipes.

UoM

Unit of measure: the unit an item is counted in, such as each, kg or litre.

Under

A positive stock loss: you used more than your sales explain. Shown in red.