Inventory Counts

In Beta

This feature is in beta for select customers. Contact your CSM for more information.

Inventory Counts track the amount and value of items on hand at a specific time. In Restaurant365, the Inventory Counts feature gives restaurants an accurate, shelf-to-sheet view of their stock. It helps managers and staff verify quantities, reduce waste, and keep food costs under control.

When configured with Storage Locations and Inventory Templates, Inventory Counts follow the physical layout of a restaurant. This structure creates an efficient, consistent experience from shelf to sheet—helping teams complete counts faster and with greater accuracy. With shelf-to-sheet setup, staff count efficiently in the order items are stored, while managers gain accurate cost and usage data for decision-making.

Inventory templates can be configured as scheduled templates or on-demand templates. Scheduled templates are configured to be counted once weekly or once a period. Scheduled templates can be counted once per day. On-demand templates are available for spot counts. Spot counts can be counted on the spot, multiple times per day, as needed in 15 minute intervals.

From the Inventory Counts page:

Create and enter an inventory count
Open existing counts for review and approval
Access the Inventory Count Settings page

Spot Counts and Scheduled Counts

Inventory templates can be configured as scheduled or on-demand, and this determines how and when a count can be conducted.

	Scheduled Counts	Spot Counts
Template type	Scheduled template	On-demand template (no schedule configured)
Frequency	Once per day	Multiple times per day, once per 15-minute interval
Start time	EOD (end of day)	Actual timestamp at the time the count is created
Variance compared against	Previous count	Previous count, which may be another spot count from the same day
Reporting	Included in all inventory reports	Excluded from select above-store and variance reports; only EOD counts are considered

Note About Spot Counts and Reporting
The following reports use only end-of-day (EOD) counts and exclude spot counts: Actual vs Theoretical Location Summary, Food Variance, Item Variance Capped, Inventory Stock Count Detail, Inventory Stock Count Detail Data Feed, Inventory Variance by Location, and Above Store Actual vs Theoretical Analysis. All counts using scheduled templates are EOD counts.

When to Use a Spot Count

Use spot counts to check specific items outside of the regular count cycle — for example, to monitor high-value or high-theft items mid-shift, verify a storage area after a delivery, or track shrinkage between service periods. Spot counts do not replace scheduled counts; they can be run as needed throughout the day using an on-demand template.

How Variances Work for Spot Counts

Each count entry is compared to the previous count. For spot counts, the previous count may be another spot count completed earlier that same day rather than a full scheduled count. Variances in spot counts reflect a shorter time window and should be interpreted accordingly.

When to Use a Scheduled Count

Use scheduled counts for end-of-period or end-of-week inventory tracking. Because scheduled templates are tied to a recurring cadence, they ensure counts happen consistently and on time — reducing missed counts and keeping cost and usage data accurate for reporting. Scheduled counts are the foundation of regular inventory management; spot counts supplement them as needed.

Important Note on Updating Inventory Count Templates

Before updating an inventory count template, ensure that all counts using that template are completed and/or approved. If a template is edited while it is in use, then it will be updated to reflect the structure of the In Progress count when that count is marked as completed and/or approved.

Security

Inventory Count permissions are found in the permission tree as follows:

Food
- Inventory Count Templates
  - View Inventory Count Templates
  - Edit Inventory Count Templates
    - Edit Inventory Template General Details
    - Edit Template GL Posting Status
    - Edit Template Count Schedule
    - Edit Items/Recipes
      - Add Items/Recipes
      - Remove Items/Recipes
      - Rearrange Items/Recipes
  - Create Inventory Count Templates
  - Delete Inventory Count Templates
- Inventory Counts
  - View Inventory Counts
    - View Inventory Counts
    - View Count Distribution Tab
    - View Variance Tab
  - Edit Inventory Counts
    - Edit Inventory Counts
    - Edit Count GL Posting Status
    - Edit Count Date/Time
    - Edit Items/Recipes
      - Add Items/Recipes
      - Remove Items/Recipes
  - Create Inventory Counts
  - Unlock Inventory Counts
  - Approve Inventory Counts
  - Unapprove Inventory Counts
  - Delete Inventory Counts
  - Generate Using Theo on Hand

Navigation

Navigation Steps

Open the Inventory app.
Expand Inventory.
Click Inventory Counts.

Inventory Counts Page

	Button/Field	Description
1	Inventory Count Settings	Opens the Inventory Count Settings. From the Inventory Count Settings, inventory templates can be viewed, created, and managed. Read more about new inventory templates.
2	Create	Starts a new inventory count.
3	Views	{{snippet.Flavor-Table-Views}}
4	Table Actions	Search - Filters the table for the entered text. {{snippet.Flavor-Table-Filter}} {{snippet.Flavor-Table-Columns}} {{snippet.Flavor-Table-Export}} {{snippet.Flavor-Table-Refresh}} {{snippet.Flavor-Table-Row-Height}} {{snippet.Flavor-Table-Striped-Rows}} {{snippet.Flavor-Table-Column-Filtering}}
5	Inventory Counts Table	Lists all created Inventory Counts and their details. Read about the column details below.

Table Columns

Column	Description
Status	The status of the inventory count. The status may be one of the following: In Progress - For counts that are still being conducted. These have not been marked as completed or approved. Completed - For counts marked as complete but are still awaiting approval Approved - For counts that have been approved.
Location	The location that the count is associated with.
Date	The date the count represents. This is the date selected upon creation of the inventory count.
Start Time	Time stamp on the inventory count. The start time is automatically assigned by the system at the time the inventory count is created. When this column says EOD, it was a count done at the end of the day. Scheduled counts are tagged with EOD count start times. Users with the Edit Count Date/Time permission can adjust the count time from the inventory count review screen, if needed.
Type	Type of count that is used. This is determined by the type(s) of inventory templates used to create the count. If more than one template is used, the types will be separated by commas.
Total	Total dollar amount for the items counted on the inventory count. This is based on the each amount of each item and the quantity of the items.
Template	Name(s) of the template(s) used to conduct this inventory count.
Theo Generated	Whether the count quantities were entered using the Generate Qty button on the inventory count. Read more about generating a count using theo on hand.
GL Posting	Whether any of the items on the count were GL posting or not. The GL Posting status is tied to inventory templates. If the inventory count utilized a template that was GL posting, this status will be Yes.
Completed By	User that marked the inventory count as complete.
Completed On	Date and time that the inventory count was marked as complete.
Created By	User that created the inventory count.
Created On	Date and time that the inventory count was created.
Modified By	User that last edited or made changes to the inventory count.
Modified On	Date and time that the inventory count was last edited.
Approved By	User that approved the inventory count (if the count has a status of Approved).
Approved On	Date and time that the inventory count was approved (if the count has a status of Approved).

Inventory Counts Setup

Before starting a count, set up the storage locations and inventory templates that organize items in the restaurant:

Storage Locations define where inventory is stored, such as Walk-In Cooler, Dry Storage, or Bar.
Inventory Templates determine which items appear on a count for a location and whether the count posts to the general ledger. Templates can be set to run on demand or on a schedule to ensure counts are completed regularly. Spot counts can be created from on-demand count templates. Scheduled templates can only be counted once per day.
Note About GL Posting Templates
If GL posting is enabled on the template, the approved inventory count automatically updates the restaurant's accounting records. The system calculates item distributions and posts them directly from the count. GL posting settings are now controlled on the Inventory Template rather than on individual counts. Items linked to a posting template post automatically once the count is approved.

Setting these up in advance ensures the count mirrors the restaurant's layout and supports a true shelf-to-sheet workflow.

Inventory Counts

To conduct a count, record the quantity of each item directly in the count sheet. Items sorting is determined by storage location setup, allowing staff to move through the restaurant in the same order they would physically check shelves.

Spot counts can be conducted "on the spot" once every 15-minute interval multiple times per day. Spot counts can only be counted using on-demand count templates. Counts using scheduled templates can only be counted once per day. Each entry is compared to the previous count. If an unusual change is detected, the system alerts users. These alerts help identify potential data entry errors or missing quantities before submission. Read more about creating and entering an inventory count.

Mobile Inventory Counts

Inventory Counts can also be completed in R365 Mobile using a phone or tablet. Read more about mobile inventory counts.

When using a mobile device, barcode scanning makes it faster to locate and count items directly from the shelf, ensuring accuracy and saving time during busy inventory periods. Read more about barcode scanning for inventory counts.

Review and Approve Counts

Once all items are entered, the count moves into Review. In this step, verify quantities, resolve alerts, and adjust variances as needed. Once verified, the count can be completed and/or approved. Approval finalizes the count and records it for accounting and reporting. Learn more about reviewing and approving counts.