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Technology Series for March 2008
This bar management tool let managers conduct inventories at any time to compare consumption to what's been sold.
For the second segment of our technology series, we've covering a bar management tool that simplifies the inventory process and keeps a better tab on what being consumed behind the bar. Not only does it simplify reordering, but it can give you shift-by-shift counts of what's leaving the bar.
WHAT IS IT?
AccuBar is a beverage management program from G4 Technologies Corp. that uses Pocket PC PDAs to scan barcodes on labels of liquor, beer and wine bottles for easy inventory counts as well as receiving and ordering. It's also ideal for transfers between the bar and restaurant and tracking banquet and event consumption, empties and slow-moving stock.
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"You really can't do inventory too often in this industry," explained David Grimm, partner. "The key aspect is to get through the physical inventory process as quick as possible. The lack of this process is costing owners dearly and it can cost them their business." Using AccuBar on a regular basis will inform owners and managers what items are consumed and when to reorder. With bar codes already printed on bottles, they can be quickly scanned with the handheld PDA. While bars tend to do inventory once a month, more frequent checks can accurate tell where problems are. Even quick checks between shifts can detail what's been sold and what's missing.
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"Bar codes were invented to make things easier," he said. "At every part of the process, we eliminate steps and error points, while saving time and labor costs." Once the bar codes are scanned with the handheld PDA, the data is collected and either synchs with a PC or wirelessly sends the encrypted files to the back-end software. Users can then log in through the Web to view AccuBar's functions to see what has sold and know what to reorder.
"In this industry, you have to be careful and have a tight system of accountability," added Grimm. So bartenders won't be the ones conducting the inventories. Managers or owners tend to do them quietly, though some owners will meet with staff to explain the system and let them know they will be accountable, he said. "A lot of people have access to these products, and it's common for people to consider that perk of their employment to give it away." He illustrated a scenario with one of their customers in California. A small restaurant in Silicone Valley with a single bar knew they were having problems, so they conducted an inventory with AccuBar and then did another one a month later. They thought the software wasn't working because it showed that 70 bottles of a particular wine was missing. When they followed the trail, they learned a server was giving away this wine to get better tips.
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