How to Improve Your Food & Beverage Receiving System

We’ve all had it happen – deliveries arrive late morning or during service when everyone’s busy. Sometimes, it can be when no one is around. This means there are opportunities for short deliveries and mistakes being overlooked, all of which cost you money – and this stock is valuable! Plus, substitutions or short deliveries may only be discovered when the driver has left. Does any of this sound familiar?

When you standardise receiving rules and checking systems, you’ll have fewer short deliveries or unexplained missing items. This has a direct impact on your cost of goods. It also improves the business culture – everyone plays by the rules and respects company property.

Here are six ways to upgrade your delivery system.

1. Create standard ordering sheets and technology systems

• Many businesses are now doing this online, and systems like Restoke enable it to be done easily on a phone or iPad.
• Your suppliers often provide ordering portals—just log in to your account and place your order. This also gives the business owner access to what is being purchased.
• Ideally these portals also show your Par Levels – the minimum quantity that should be in stock so nothing runs out. If not, those figures are important to establish eg ‘par level for pasta is 3 boxes – if we are down to one, that means order 2 more’.

2. Have Delivery Times and Instructions Printed on the Invoice

• eg ‘Deliveries through the rear door between 8am – 11am. No deliveries outside those times.’
• This ensures deliveries happen when they can be checked and helps young staff who may have to deal with impatient delivery people.
• Use mobile apps that can sync with your inventory system to scan barcodes on delivered items and compare them with the order details. This can streamline the checking process and ensure accuracy. Check with your system providers – improvements like this are happening all the time!

3. Do Random and Regular Spot Checks

• One week, all meat could be weighed at the time of arrival, and another week, certain vegetables or frozen goods could be. Try doing an occasional ‘blind audit’ – counting the stock without knowing what the delivery sheet says.
• You’re also checking that the 20 Kg box of mince actually contains 20 kg, not 19 kg, and the carton of timed tomato contains all 24 cans.
• Invest in heavy-duty scales mounted where the delivery happens.
• Any variations are marked on the delivery invoice for immediate follow-up and adjustment.

See also: The Best Way to Do Restaurant and Cafe Stocktaking

4. Improve Staff Training and Accountability

• Set up a detailed training program for staff involved in receiving deliveries. This should include instructions on checking deliveries against invoices, identifying discrepancies, and following up on supplier issues.
• Accountability: staff sign off on deliveries they have checked. This clearly records who was responsible for each delivery and can help identify any recurring issues with specific team members or suppliers.

See also: Kitchen KPIs – How to Measure the Performance of Your Restaurant Kitchen
>> Recipe for Growth: How to Improve the Number Skills of Your Chefs

5. Upgrade your Locks and Security Systems

• Quality security cameras now cost very little and can monitor delivery and storage areas.
• Traditional locks can be replaced with digital systems that give different people a variety of access levels and log when they are used – it’s all part of your audit trail.

6. Strengthen Supplier Relationships

• Set up a feedback loop with suppliers where issues with deliveries are communicated quickly and problems are solved. This can help reduce future errors and keep them on their toes.
• Review supplier performance based on delivery accuracy and timeliness regularly. Use this data to negotiate better terms or consider alternative suppliers if issues persist. Suppliers say they want to ‘partner’ with their customers, but poor delivery systems can undermine those relationships. Let’s make it work much more smoothly.

See also: How to Negotiate Lower Prices with Suppliers

It’s time to upgrade your delivery system and remove any gaps, weaknesses or points of friction and misunderstanding – protect the security of your valuable stock.

Want to get some 1 on 1 help? Talk to one of our coaches

At Foodie Coaches, we encourage you to work on multiple 1% improvements – they soon combine to make a big difference. Work out the 1% difference on your food costs:

If tighter receiving saved 1% on weekly food costs, what would that equal in a full year?


Weekly purchases = $______  divided by 100 =  $______  X 52 = Annual Savings $_______ 

Check the other useful blog posts on the Foodie Coaches website…