Set the Table, Setting the Tone: A Series on Food, Beverage, and Hospitality

Here I'll be covering a range of topics across the hotel and hospitality industry; from helpful hints working in the hospitality industry, to current events/trends, and even some that could be interesting conversation starters along the way. A few of these will come through the lens of F&B (food and beverage) but like any good menu selection there will be something for everyone to enjoy!

Who’s Ready for Month-End Inventory?

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In most food and beverage departments this week is always an eventful one, for something that happens at the end of every month without fail: Month-End Inventory. ? At the end of the last day of the month everything must be counted and accounted for to see what your actual costs are for the month, to track movement in your stock and have a clearer picture of what you have in house. There are many attributes that someone can learn that apply to building and shaping your career in hospitality, and not just food & beverage so let's talk inventory: ?

How often are you taking a personal/professional inventory, keeping an updated resume and portfolio? Instead of only updating resumes when looking for work, try reviewing it once every 6 months (2x a year). Use it to record new skills, big wins, and track if careers goals are being met (or have changed) since the last update. What also happens is if after a year there are no major additions then questions start being asked, which brings a natural level of self-accountability.? Some may review a resume or portfolio more often than twice a year and that’s okay: The key is to find a rhythm that works for your situation and stick to it, don’t forget to check in with your references too! ?

An inventory is the culmination of all of the work you’ve done up to that point. While doing inventory and making my notes I tend to think back on all of the decisions I have made or didn’t make during that month: the time I ordered a case of mints instead of one box, how I reduced my par levels on a few items to manage storage space, even remembering to add the new items to account for that menu tasting that popped up last minute (those are always fun).? The fact is, although inventory is completed on the last day of the month; the process starts on Day 1 and every move made builds on how it turns out on Day 30 or Day 31.

The first time is always the toughest. When doing inventory for the first time what makes the process time consuming is taking the time to discover where everything is kept, including the backup storage areas (and the secret backup storage places) matching it to the document, and getting the numbers correct. Going through the process each month gets easier over time because you are familiar with the process and product and the same principle applies to your resume: if you just started one, created one due to transition, or hadn't reviewed it in 3-4 years, the first time will always take the longest, and get easier upon repetition.

?This is my favorite reason: It starts to feel innate/organic What I discovered while doing inventory over time was not only did it get easier, but there came a point where I felt I could sense when products/items were moved and how items flowed in and out of the F&B storeroom as the month went on. Because I was involved in accounting for and keeping eyes on products, it was natural to start observing what was happening daily. The best way to describe it is when swimming and you sense a current or wave underwater; you are immersed in an environment and changes are something you can't see but you feel (and adjust accordingly) The same concept applies here: keeping a consistent pace and being attentive in your career, resume, and portfolio keeps you in tune with changes that might occur in your perspective, aspirations, and personal growth might have taken place.

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The vision is to have a resume or portfolio that is living, vibrant and active, much like a successful food and beverage operation.? A successful monthly inventory program is a strong component to help track loss, product usage, and movement to keep businesses successful because there are many other areas it helps support and complement.? It works for other businesses, why not the business of you (literally)?