Common cost calculation issues and how to fix them
Let's look at the most common cost calculation issues in Poster: why the cost is incorrect, equals 0, or causes negative profit.
If the cost in Poster differs from what you expect, equals 0, or results in negative profit, the cause is usually related to deliveries, the weighted average cost method, or stock levels.
Poster calculates cost using the weighted average cost method only.
The cost doesn't match the latest purchase price
Poster calculates cost using the weighted average cost method. If there is still stock purchased at an older price, a new delivery does not replace the existing cost. Instead, it is combined with the current stock when calculating the new weighted average cost.
To use only the latest purchase price:
- Open Inventory → Inventory checks. Create:
- a partial inventory check if you need to update the price for a specific product;
- a full inventory check if you need to update the cost of all stock.
- For the required product, enter 0 in the Actual stock column and complete the inventory check. This resets both the quantity and the current weighted average cost.
- Create a new delivery.
The system will automatically calculate a new cost equal to the latest purchase price. This recalculation does not affect the cost of sales made before the inventory check. It applies only to the stock received afterward.
The cost is 0 after creating a delivery
Right after creating a delivery, the system may not have finished recalculating the cost of the ingredient or product yet. We recommend waiting until the end of the day while the system completes the calculation.
A missing cost immediately after creating a delivery does not prevent you from selling the product. Once the recalculation is complete, the system will automatically update the cost, including for sales that have already been processed.
The dish cost is calculated incorrectly
If the dish cost is incorrect, check the following:
- the current ingredient cost in Inventory → Stock;
- ingredient supplies — if the price or quantity is incorrect, edit the delivery;
- the dish — make sure it matches the actual recipe. If you changed ingredient quantities or the dish yield, update the tech. card. Otherwise, the cost will continue to be calculated using outdated data.
After you make the necessary changes, the system automatically recalculates the dish cost.
Profit is negative in the sales report
If profit is shown as negative in the Sales report, it usually means that the weighted average cost of the product or dish is higher than its selling price.
Check the following:
- the product or ingredient cost in Inventory → Stock;
- whether deliveries were entered correctly;
- whether you need to update the purchase price by completing an inventory check and creating a new delivery;
- whether the selling price and recipe match the actual cost.
Cost values in the Ingredient movements report differ from manual calculations
The ingredient movements report calculates cost using the entire product movement history for the selected period. It takes the following into account:
- supplies;
- sales;
- write-offs;
- transfers between storage locations;
- negative stock.
Because of this, the result may differ from a manual calculation if negative stock is not taken into account.
For example, at the beginning of the day, the stock balance for the «Lemon» ingredient is −5 kg with a previous cost of $9.50/kg. The total value of this balance is −$47.50. During the day, you create a delivery of 10 kg for $100 ($10/kg) and sell 3 kg.
The system calculates a new weighted average cost by combining the negative stock with the new delivery:
(−$47.50 + $100) ÷ (−5 kg + 10 kg) = $52.50 ÷ 5 kg = $10.50/kg
The cost of the 3 kg sold at this price is:
3 × $10.50 = $31.50
If you calculate it manually using only the latest purchase price ($10/kg) and ignore the previous negative stock, you get:
3 × $10 = $30
The difference is $1.50: $31.50 − $30 = $1.50. This happens because the negative stock increases the weighted average cost above the price of the latest delivery when the two are combined.
If all inventory documents are entered correctly, no further action is required. The report displays the correct data based on all inventory movements.
If the cost is still calculated incorrectly
If you've checked the deliveries, stock levels, and tech. cards but the cost is still calculated incorrectly, contact us via chat. We'll help you identify the cause and explain how to fix it.