The loss of products and supplies not only generates economic losses, but also reduces the security and confidence of our customers in our business. To solve this problem, the following 7 recommendations for handling perishable products will help avoid the loss of expired merchandise in any business:
EPSP SYSTEM
The FIFO (first in, first out) method is extremely useful when dealing with perishables. To implement this, you can choose the production date or the expiration date.
To avoid losses due to the expiration date, it is useful to label the products and organize them in groups. Ideally, products that are for sale should be placed first in a dedicated, easily accessible space.
MANAGEMENT AND CONSERVATION
Appropriate equipment is required to ensure the safe and secure storage of these products. Every type of perishable product involves some form of handling and storage. Maintaining the right temperature, avoiding shock and spoilage of food and using a separate space for each item are part of the good management practices of your establishment.
CYCLICAL INVENTORIES
Carrying out a periodic count will allow you to detect losses or errors effectively. The counting cycle is generally applied weekly to different products and on a rotating schedule.
For the above, the useful life of the products must be taken into account. For example, frozen food turnover is typically 1 stock per year, while for produce, 52 to 10 readings are ideal.
PRIORITIZE WITH THE ABC SYSTEM
This method is performed by classifying the products as follows:
A: High value items but low sales frequency.
B: moderate value product with moderate sales.
C: low-value goods with a high frequency of sale.
ACCURATE FORECAST
To make an accurate forecast, it is necessary to take into account the economic context, market trends, growth rate, seasonality of food, sales of the previous year during the same period and guaranteed permanent contracts, among many other factors. Anticipating availability or price increases will bring a competitive advantage.
PLAN B
A contingency plan should consider possible solutions for variables such as:
The supplier does not have the quantity of product requested.
There is more, or less, merchandise than necessary.
There is not enough space in the warehouse.
There is an extra demand for items.
RELY ON TECHNOLOGY
There are various tools to optimize the management of perishables, many of which are incorporated into the software of POS Systems (Point of Sales), software specifically designed for this purpose. Investing in technology is an excellent option for process automation, error reduction, backup and real-time data control.
Good inventory management is one of the keys to avoiding product waste at the end of its useful life, and knowing good practices in this area will allow you to optimize resources and reduce losses.
