Checking invoices is part of controlling food cost. A short routine catches most problems without taking over your week.
At the door
- Count cases and check weights on items sold by the pound.
- Check temperatures and quality, and refuse what doesn't meet your standard.
- Note shorts and substitutions on the invoice before you sign, and ask for a credit.
Later the same day
- Check that every line has the quantity you actually received.
- Check that quantity × unit price = line total, and that the lines add up to the invoice total.
- Look for new lines: fees, surcharges, items you didn't order.
Once a week
- Compare this week's prices with the previous invoice from the same supplier.
- Follow up on credits you were promised.
- Update the cost of the ingredients you use most.
Keep good records
Keep invoices in one place, digital if you can. When a question comes up months later, you'll want to see what you paid and when. Forwarding invoices to one inbox and scanning paper ones with your phone is enough to start.
MarginMonday reads your invoices and does the weekly comparison for you. Try the free price check on two invoices.