No 12oz lids on a Friday
Friday morning, the rush has just started, and there are plenty of 12oz cups but no 12oz lids. The 8oz lids do not fit. Someone runs to the cash and carry, which has a different brand, and the lids leak. Last month it was the 16oz cups; the month before, the sleeves.
Your branded cups take weeks to arrive and come in a minimum run. So you over-order to be safe, and the stockroom is full of cups you will not use until next spring, while the lids you actually need are gone. The hot cup sleeves are stacked on top of the flour, and the cold cups for iced drinks are somewhere behind the spare grinder. Nobody can tell at a glance how many of anything you have.
Why packaging runs out
- Packaging is ordered by eye, when someone notices a low shelf.
- Cups, lids and sleeves are separate items that run out at different rates.
- Takeaway share changes with weather and season, so usage is not steady.
- Branded or compostable items have long lead times and minimum orders.
- Storage space is limited, so large orders crowd the back room.
What running out costs
Emergency packaging from the cash and carry costs more per item and may not match your cups. Running out of a size forces customers into a different drink size, which confuses the till and annoys regulars. Leaky or mismatched lids mean spills and complaints. And over-ordering to be safe ties up money and space.
How we track packaging
- We read takeaway drinks from your till by size, so each sale uses one cup, one lid and a sleeve if it is hot, plus any carriers.
- Each packaging item has its current stock, which is counted on a phone once a week and adjusted between counts by sales.
- Your supplier's lead time and minimum order for each item are recorded, including longer times for branded cups.
- A reorder alert goes out when stock will not last until a new delivery could arrive, allowing for the season.
- The suggested order respects case sizes and minimums, and can be sent to your packaging supplier by email.
- A monthly view shows usage by item, so you can plan branded cup runs with better timing.
| Item | What drives usage | What to watch |
|---|---|---|
| Cups by size | Takeaway drinks by size | Seasonal takeaway share |
| Lids by size | Same as cups | Mismatched lids |
| Sleeves and carriers | Hot drinks, multi-drink orders | Office orders |
| Branded cups | Takeaway volume | Long lead time, minimum run |
This can run in your till's own inventory module if it has one. We set that up first and only build the reorder alerts if the till cannot do them.
A stockroom that makes sense
On Monday someone counts the packaging shelf in two minutes on a phone. On Wednesday you get an alert: 12oz lids will run short before Friday's usual delivery would arrive, so order today. The order goes to the supplier with the right case quantity. The branded cup run is booked when the forecast shows you need it, not when the shelf is empty.
The back room has space again because you are no longer over-ordering cups to feel safe.
Is packaging catching you out?
- You have run out of lids or a cup size during service.
- Someone has made an emergency run to the cash and carry for packaging.
- Branded cups are ordered in a panic or far too early.
- Your stockroom is full of the wrong sizes.
- Nobody knows how many cups you use a week.