Think your bar inventory might be taking too long? You’ll know after reading these four telltale signs: 

A successful bar manager knows that efficient inventory management is crucial for maintaining a lucrative bar. However, taking bar inventory isn’t usually considered the most exciting task, especially if it means spending time in a cramped storage room trying to decipher your own scribbles. Every moment you spend taking bar inventory is time you could be spending on training staff, coming up with new cocktails or marketing your bar. 

1. You’re manually looking up product prices

You’ve attempted to memorize most of your product prices. But if you forget, you have to dig through the papers in your desk drawer to check one of the price sheets. In order to learn about new discounts and sales, you wait for a phone call from one of you reps and jot down the info to revisit later.

If you’re doing your catalog look-ups manually, you’re spending too much time on your bar inventory. Instantly knowing up-to-date prices will help you take advantage of current discounts and make better-informed purchase decisions. Having a modern system means no more memorizing prices or having to manually looking them up.

2. You’re taking inventory with pen & paper

It’s 4:45 am and you’ve just spent what feels like 5 hours taking a 50-page handwritten inventory or navigating a crowded Excel spreadsheet. At this point, you’ve been locked away in the basement for so long, you’re wondering if you’ll ever again see the light of day. Sound like you? Although we commend your hard work, your inventory is taking too long. Doing it with pen and paper can take ages. It can also make it more difficult to look back at previous numbers to track and take advantage of trends and make it challenging to keep the optimal balance between running out of inventory or sitting on too much.

3. You’re calling up each individual rep

When it’s time to order new product, you find yourself sorting through Post-it notes trying to remember that one product your bartenders kept saying you were out of. You guesstimate how many bottles and cases you need and call up each of your reps to place your orders. If you’re going through these steps, your inventory is taking too long.

4. Your sitting inventory is collecting dust

If you’ve got thousands of dollars worth of inventory collecting dust on your shelves, then your inventory is probably taking you hours. The time you spend counting five weeks worth of inventory could be spent focusing on more important tasks that generate greater sales and profit for your business (and you could catch up on a few hours of sleep).

As a bar owner or manager, you might be thinking,

“If it works, why change things now?”

We’re not disagreeing with you. The same method you’ve used for the past 29 years probably works. However, that doesn’t mean it’s the most efficient system. To really be successful in this modern, digital age, a bar management system is crucial. That’s where BevSpot comes in to help you streamline your ordering, cut your inventory time in more than half, and get insights to reduce your sitting inventory. Ready to save money and use your time more efficiently?  Schedule a demo with a product expert to see how we can help!

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