Aloha Feature Focus: Quick Count
Aloha Feature Focus: Quick Count
Quick Count
Table of Contents
About Quick Count.................................................................................................................. 2
Configuring Quick Count......................................................................................................... 3
Defining Quick Count Tracking Items .................................................................................. 3
Associating Tracking Items to Menu Items .......................................................................... 5
Selecting Items to Project .................................................................................................... 7
Enabling Quick Count and Building the Projections Database ............................................ 8
Allowing Access to Quick Count Functions........................................................................ 10
Adding Quick Count Buttons to FOH Panel ....................................................................... 11
Enabling the Quick Count Report to Print at EOD ............................................................. 15
Interfacing with Video Display Systems ............................................................................. 17
Refreshing Data ................................................................................................................. 19
Using Quick Count ................................................................................................................ 20
Accessing FOH Quick Count Screens ............................................................................... 21
Entering Opening Counts................................................................................................... 23
Entering Add Counts.......................................................................................................... 24
Entering Usage Counts...................................................................................................... 25
Entering Waste Counts ...................................................................................................... 26
Entering Closing Counts .................................................................................................... 27
Reporting Quick Count.......................................................................................................... 28
Quick Count Report ........................................................................................................... 28
Product Projections Report ................................................................................................ 29
Version History ..................................................................................................................... 32
Page 1
Yes
Other References
Aloha QuickService Managers Guide; Aloha QuickService Reference Guide; Aloha TableService Managers Guide; Aloha
TableService Reference Guide
Quick Count enables restaurants to track usage of inventory items and to review historical sales information by product. It is usually reserved for high cost items that tend to shrink and have a short shelf life.
Once you define the ingredients to track every time you sell the associated menu item, you can perform the
following functions:
Enter the daily opening count for an item, or let the system calculate it for you after you enter the
first initial count.
Enter the daily delivery and waste counts for an item.
Enter the daily usage count for an item.
Enter the closing count for an item, or let the system calculate it for you based on the Opening,
Add, Waste, and Usage counts.
As you accumulate history, the Product Projection report enables you to monitor historical sales information by product. This report is highly valuable when determining how many items to prepare.
You must have Quick Count enabled on your Aloha HASP key to use Quick Count functions.
Quick Count
Page 2
Quick Count
Page 3
2. Type an unused number in the Tracking Item drop-down list and press Enter.
3. Type the description to appear on reports for the tracking item.
4. Type the text to appear on the kitchen video summary cell, when using the Video Display Systems
add-on in Short Name.
5. Select FOH Quick Count Report if you want the tracking item to appear on the FOH Quick
Count report. Press the Report Quick Count button in the FOH to access this report.
6. Select Auto Depletion and Replenishment to automatically adjust the selected items sale and
void counts based on sale, void, and refund quantities of the associated menu items (composite
tracking items). Use this for your Open Counts, and Close Counts, but you must still enter your
Add Counts, Waste Counts, and Usage Counts because the system cannot determine these
values and automatically deplete and replenish.
7. Select Show on Tracking Summary to enable the tracking item to display on the kitchen video
summary cell. This setting enables the Priority, Video Groups, and Show if Item is not in
Queue settings, when using the Video Display Systems add-on.
8. Select the sorting priority for displaying the item in a video summary cell and printing on the
kitchen chit, if necessary. The priority level ranges from 01 to 255, with 01 as the highest level and
255 as the lowest level. A high priority item appears above a lower priority item.
9. Select the video group to which to display the tracking item, if necessary. Related Options: Click
Video Group to access the Video Group function tab and create a new video group, if necessary.
Changing a video group changes the video group for all items to which it is assigned.
10. Select Show if Item is not in Queue, to enable the tracking item to display in the summary cell of
the selected video group, whether the menu item appears in that cell or not.
11. Select Open Counts if you want the tracking item to display on the Open Counts screen, when
you press the Opening Counts button, allowing you to enter the opening count for the item.
Related Options: Enter open counts manually or allow the system to automatically track the item
with the Auto Depletion and Replenishment feature. If manually entered, open counts are the
Quick Count
Page 4
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
existing item inventories at the start of the business day. If automatically calculated, opening
counts are the same as your closing counts on the previous business day.
Select Add Counts if you want the tracking item to display on the Add Counts screen when you
press the Add Counts button, allowing you to enter add counts for item deliveries for the restaurant
to add the count to inventory.
Select Usage Counts if you want the tracking item to display on the Usage Counts screen when
you press the Usage Counts button, allowing you to enter usage counts. Usage counts refer to
items that you use, such as donations to the local school or employee meals that are free, but do not
sell or enter through the POS in the FOH.
Select Waste Counts if you want the tracking item to display on the Waste Counts screen when
you press the Waste Counts button, allowing you to enter waste counts for items thrown away or
unused, such as over-production and spoilage.
Select Close Counts if you want the tracking item to display on the Close Counts screen when you
press the Close Counts button, allowing you to enter closing counts, or allows the system to automatically calculate the closing count based on the other counts for the day. Close counts are the
existing item inventories at the close of the business day and they roll over to the following business day for the opening count.
Click Save and exit the Tracking Items function.
Quick Count
Page 5
3. Click Quick Count, located on the bottom right corner of the tab to display the Quick Count
Tracking Items dialog box. The Quick Count Tracking Items dialog box is identical in the Aloha
QuickService and TableService products.
4. To associate a tracking item to the menu item, select the desired tracking item from the Tracking
Items list box and click Add. The tracking item moves to the Added Tracking Items list box and
is associated with the menu item.
To add more than one tracking item at a time, hold down Ctrl and use the mouse to select multiple
items.
Note: All items defined in Maintenance > Quick Count > Tracking Items appear in the Tracking
Items list. A list of tracking items already associated with the menu item appear in the Added
Tracking Items list. Add only the modifiers for the menu item you want to track.
To disassociate a tracking item from the menu, select the desired item from the Added Tracking
Items list box and click Remove. The tracking item moves to the Tracking Items list box and is
disassociated from the menu item.
To disassociate more than one tracking item at a time, hold down Ctrl and use the mouse to select
multiple items.
Quick Count
Page 6
5. Select the tracking item from the Added Tracking Items list box, if it is not already selected, and
click Update. The Composite Recipe dialog box appears.
6. Type the usage quantity for the composite recipe, to indicate the quantity that applies to the
selected composite tracking item. If the unit of measure is one patty, enter the Usage Quantity as
1.0000. If the unit of measure is pounds and the quantity used for the composite tracking item is
less than one pound, for example a 1/4 lb hamburger, enter the Usage Quantity as .25000.
You must establish a usage quantity for each tracking item, as it pertains to the menu item.
Quick Count
Page 7
2. To include a tracking item for projection, select the desired item in the Dont Project These Items
list box, and click Add. The item moves to the Project These Items list box.
To exclude a tracking item from projection, select the desired item from the Project These Items
list box, and click Remove. The item moves to the Dont Project These Items list box.
3. Click Save and exit the Projection Items function.
Quick Count
Page 8
2. Select Quick Count from the Group drop-down list. The Quick Count group function tab is
identical in the Aloha QuickService and TableService products.
3. Select Enable Quick Count to activate the Quick Count functionality and enable all options on
the Quick Count Options tab.
4. Select Rollover Count Totals, if necessary, to designate all count totals to roll over to opening
counts for the next day, when the EOD runs. For example, if you have 10 Waste counts when the
EOD runs, then the following day you will have 10 waste counts again. Related Options: If you
select both Rollover Count and Auto Calculate, the system performs the Rollover Count function, unless you manually enter the closing counts in the FOH. If you manually enter the closing
counts, they become the opening counts for the next day.
5. Select Auto Calculate Opening Count, if necessary, to calculate closing counts for the current
day, and the closing counts become the opening counts for the next day, when the EOD runs.
Related Options: If you select both Rollover Count and Auto Calculate, the system performs
the Rollover Count function, unless you manually enter the closing counts in the FOH. If you manually enter the closing counts, they become the opening counts for the next day.
6. Select Print Waste Chits, to print a chit when you enter a waste count on the FOH and press
Update.
7. Select Enable Projection Reports, to activate projection reporting and provide the ability to view
them on the FOH. You must add the available buttons to a panel to display on the FOH.
8. Select the number of past weeks to use when calculating sales projections.
9. Select the minimum time interval in which you want the system to calculate the FOH report. The
system displays the number of items sold in the specified time interval. Select from 5, 15, 30, or 60
minutes. The smaller the interval, the longer it takes the system to build the database.
We recommend setting the minimum time interval to a low number, such as 5, even though it
might take longer to build. You cannot change the time interval in the FOH to a smaller interval
than the interval specified in this check box.
Quick Count
Page 9
10. Click Build Projections DB to create or update the projections database to use for Quick Count.
For each projected item, the projections database includes a summary of sales per the defined
interval.
11. Click Yes to build projections, or click No to cancel the operation. Upon selecting Yes, the EOD
process updates the Projections database each day with new sales information. You only need to
rebuild this file when you define new tracking items to include in the report, or if you modify
Number of Weeks to Project or Minimum Time Interval to Project.
The system uses the Prjt.dbf and the Prjc.dbf files located in the \Data subdirectory of \AlohaQS
or \Aloha to create projection reports. Store these two files in the \Data directory only.
12. Click Save and exit the Store Settings function.
Quick Count
Page 10
2. Select the Employee tab. See Figure 7 for QuickService. See Figure 8 for TableService.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Quick Count
Page 11
For QuickService installations, you must add buttons to a panel to provide access to the Quick Count functions in the FOH. For TableService installations, you can add buttons to a floor plan in use or you can use
the hard-coded buttons accessible from the Working with Tables screen.
Create a button for each of the following count functions:
Opening Counts
Add Counts
Usage Counts
Waste Counts
Closing Counts
Also, create two additional buttons: Report Quick Count and Product Projections. The Report Quick Count
function displays the FOH Quick Count Summary report, which compiles data from each tracking item
and composite tracking item that you defined to appear for a count. The Report Prep Projections function
displays the FOH Product Projections report, which compiles tracking item data from prior days and
weeks.
The following screen depicts a sample Quick Count panel as it might appear in the FOH. It shows each of
the count function buttons required by Quick Count.
The following procedures take you through the creation of the Quick Count buttons. Do not exit Panel Editor until you complete all procedures.
To create the Quick Count function buttons:
1. Select Maintenance > Menu > Panel Editor for QuickService or Maintenance > System >
Floor Plan > Panel Editor for TableService.
Quick Count
Page 12
2. Select Create New Panel > Button Functions from the Commands menu.
3. Double-click an available button or select New Button from the Commands menu to display the
Edit Buttons dialog box.
4. Select the Quick Count function from the Function drop-down list.
5. Type a name for the text to appear on the button, such as Opening Counts.
6. Select a count type from the Select the Type of Quick Count group box. Assign only one type
per Quick Count button.
7. Complete the properties of the button, such as text, background, and bitmap properties.
8. Click OK.
9. Click Save.
10. Repeat steps 1 through 9 until you define all count buttons.
Quick Count
Page 13
2. Select the Report Quick Count function from the Function drop-down list.
3. Type a name for the text to appear on the button, such as Quick Count Report, or accept the
default name of the button function.
4. Complete the properties of the button, such as text, background, and bitmap properties.
5. Click OK.
Quick Count
Page 14
2. Select the Report Prep Projections function from the Function drop-down list.
3. Type a name for the text to appear on the button, such as Product Projections Report, or accept
the default of Report Prep Projections.
4. Complete the properties of the button, such as text, background, and bitmap properties.
5. Click OK.
6. Click Save
Quick Count
Page 15
3. Select the End of Day tab. Refer to Figure 13 for QuickService, and Figure 14 for TableService.
Quick Count
Page 16
Quick Count
Page 17
4. Select Show on Tracking Summary to display the menu item on the video summary cell. Use this
option with the Video Display Systems add-on to restrict such things as modifiers from appearing
in the cell, if desired. For example, you can define T-Bone to display in the summary cell, but not
Medium. Related Options: You can define items configured as tracking items to display in the
video summary cell in Maintenance > Quick Count > Tracking Items.
5. Click Save and exit the Items function.
To configure tracking items to display in the summary cell, by video queue:
1. Select Maintenance > Hardware > Video Queues. The Video Queue Maintenance function tab is
identical in the Aloha QuickService and TableService products.
2. Select the video queue from the Number drop-down list and press Enter.
Quick Count
Page 18
3. Select Show Tracking Items to display all tracking items routed through this queue, on the video
summary cell. Use this option with the Video Display Systems add-on to restrict such things as
modifiers from appearing in the cell, if desired. For example, you can define modifiers to display
in the summary cell for the Fry video queue, but not the Cold Food video queue.
4. Click Save and exit the Video Queues function.
Refreshing Data
After all settings are in place in Aloha Manager, you must select Utilities > Refresh Data to transfer the
new information to the FOH terminals, or wait for the End-of-Day (EOD) process to accomplish the data
refresh for you. After the data refresh is complete, all new settings become operational across the Aloha
network.
Quick Count
Page 19
Some considerations that are important, when using Quick Count, are as follows:
Manual Count Sheets You can replace your current count sheet process by entering your counts manually. Each time you adjust a count, touch Update to allow the system to calculate the adjustment. The Over/
Short appears on the Quick Count report
Automated Count Sheets You can greatly reduce the maintaining of counts and free your time during
morning and closing times by automating counts through the following methods:
The system can automatically deplete and replenish items defined as tracking items when you sell,
void, or refund a menu item (composite item). With this feature, each time you enter an Add
Count, Usage Count, and Waste Count, the system automatically calculates your adjusted totals.
Refer to Defining Quick Count Tracking Items on page 1-3 to enable your counts to automatically deplete and replenish totals. Sales, voids, and refunds affect counts in the following ways.
Quick Count
Page 20
For sales, the sale count for the menu item increases and the sale count for the associated tracking
item increases by the amount sold times the usage quantity.
For voids, the sale count for the menu item decreases and the void count increases by the voided
amount. The sale count for the associated tracking item decreases and the void count increases by
the voided amount times the usage quantity.
For refunds, the sale count for the menu item decreases by the refunded amount, and the sale count
for the associated tracking item decreases by the refunded amount times the sale count.
The system can automatically roll over all counts to counts for the next day, or automatically calculate your closing counts as the opening counts for the next day. You must still enter your Add
Counts, Usage Counts, and Waste Counts. Refer to Enabling Quick Count and Building the Projections Database on page 1-8 to enable your counts to automatically populate and roll over.
For TableService operations, you can access Quick Count functions from a floor plan panel on which you
added your Quick Count buttons, or use the hard-coded screens now available on the Special Functions
screen. From the Working with Tables screen, select Special Functions.
Quick Count
Page 21
Touch Quick Count to display the Quick Count screen from which to select your Quick Count functions.
Use the Count buttons to enter one of the five types of counts supported by Quick Count: Opening, Add,
Usage, Waste, and Closing. When entering a count, select the corresponding Count button and a count
screen displays. The following buttons are available on each of these screens:
Undo Button
Update Button
Touch Update to update the Total Count and Last Count entries with your most
current counts.
Clear Button
Touch Clear to delete the Current Count. You must select Clear prior to updating
the count.
Done Button
Touch Done to exit the current screen when you complete your entries.
Quick Count
Page 22
Quick Count
Page 23
Quick Count
Page 24
Quick Count
Page 25
Quick Count
Page 26
Quick Count
Page 27
The items that appear are determined by the FOH Quick Count Report options in Maintenance > Menu >
Items > Quick Count for menu items (composite items) and Maintenance > Quick Count > Tracking Items
for associated tracking items. Each item displays, one at a time, on the screen. Use the up/down arrows to
scroll through the tracking items. Touch Print to receive a hard copy of this report at the receipt printer
attached to the terminal. Touch Done to exit the report.
The report is also accessible from the BOH by selecting Reports > Quick Count.
Quick Count
Page 28
The items that appear are configured in Maintenance > Quick Count > Projection Items. Items that are
ingredients may appear in two different locations on the report. Global Ingredients display the amount used
restaurant wide for the time intervals shown. Local Ingredients display the amount used when preparing a
specific menu item for the time intervals shown. Touch Done to exit the report.
Select items for the Product Projections report from the tracking items and composite tracking items.
Based on these items, a time interval, and the number of weeks, you create a projections database. The
FOH then uses this database to produce the Product Projections report. Once you create the report, you can
change the dates used in the report calculation. For example, if the report displays an uncharacteristically
high number of items sold of a particular product because it included sales made on a holiday, you can
exclude the date for the holiday and recalculate the report to reflect a more realistic projection.
The system also takes items that differ from other items, such as chicken, into account. Typically, restaurants that sell chicken cut the whole chicken into a certain number of pieces. Most chicken restaurants cook
only whole heads (chicken) at a time. Although they may sell only three pieces during a certain time
period, a whole chicken is prepared according to the desired type (crispy, spicy, etc.). Every time you sell a
piece of chicken, the system converts how much of the head was sold. The report reflects how many
heads were actually prepared, therefore, creating a more realistic view.
The Product Projections report displays both the menu items and tracking items previously selected on the
Projection Items screen. Touching a menu item from the list enables the ingredients, as well as the sales
history, to be shown or hidden by touching the respective buttons located at the bottom of the screen.
At least one week of history (one week of dated subdirectories) must exist before you can run this
report.
Quick Count
Page 29
All dates, going back to the number of weeks specified in Quick Count Options, appear. The projection
average includes the selected dates. By default, all dates matching the current day are selected. For example, if the current day is Wednesday and the number of specified weeks is three, then the prior three
Wednesdays are highlighted. To run the report for a day other than the current day, select the day of the
week located at the top of the Product Projections screen before touching the Select Dates button.
To add a date to the projection average, touch the date to select it. To remove a date from the projection
average, touch the date again. Use this when one of the selected dates skews the projections when it is
included. For example, if the selected dates include a holiday, such as Mothers Day, the sales for the holiday skew the average sales. Touch the corresponding date for Mothers Day to remove it, then select
another date to replace the sales for the holiday.
Each change made in the Dates function is specific to the selected day. For example, any date changes
made for the product projects for Tuesday do not carry over for the product projections for Wednesday.
You can make up to 16 changes for each day, however, you can only select or clear the dates which are
active (highlighted in dark grey).
Located at the bottom of the screen are left and right arrow buttons. Use these to decrease or increase the
number of weeks included in the projection. You cannot increase the weeks more than the number specified in Number of Weeks to Project. However, you can decrease the weeks, and then increase back up to
the number of specified weeks. Also located on the bottom of the screen is a Reset button. Use this button
to revert back to the original date selections before changes were made.
Quick Count
Page 30
Adjust Qty%
Use the Quantity Adjust function to predict future usage of an item based on time intervals of the current
day. Press the + or - button to match past usage trends with current day values. As you press these buttons,
the adjustment percentage to the left of the buttons changes accordingly. The system provides an estimated
usage for future time intervals for the current day. Setting the Quantity Adjust to 0% brings the data back to
its original value.
Quick Count
Page 31
Version History
Supported Versions
Enhancement Description
Aloha QuickService 3.904 and Implemented Quick Count with the QuickService product.
above.
Aloha QuickService 3.964 and Added the ability to roll over closing counts to the next day with the
above.
Auto-calculate Opening Counts option. Added the ability to roll over all
counts to the next day with the Roll Over Count Totals option.
Aloha QuickService 4.129 and Added functionality for the Quick Count report and Product Projection
above.
report.
Aloha QuickService 5.127 and Added support to automatically print a waste chit each time you enter a
above.
waste count and press Update.
Aloha QuickService 5.3.24 and Changed the functionality to print a waste chit each time you enter a
above.
waste count and press Update to optional.
Aloha TableService 5.3.24e 77, Implemented Quick Count with the TableService product.
and above.
Copyright 2006, Radiant Systems, Inc. The information contained in this publication is confidential and
proprietary. No part of this document may be reproduced, disclosed to others, transmitted, stored in a
retrieval system, or translated into any language, in any form, by any means, without written permission of
Radiant Systems, Inc.
Radiant Systems, Inc. is not responsible for any technical inaccuracies or typographical errors contained in
this publication. Changes are periodically made to the information herein; these changes will be incorporated in new editions of this publication. Any reference to gender in this document is not meant to be discriminatory. The software described in this document is provided under a license agreement. The software
may be used or copied only in accordance with the terms of that agreement.
Radiant Systems, Inc., 2006. All Rights Reserved. ALOHA is a U.S. Registered Trademark of Radiant
Systems, Inc. Microsoft, and Windows are registered trademarks of Microsoft, Inc. IBM is a registered
trademark of International Business Machines Corporation. Other products mentioned are trademarks or
registered trademarks of their respective companies.
Quick Count
Page 32