A-Z Glossary
All of the buzzword descriptions that are displayed on the Spec Admin Dashboard
ABV
ABV, or alcohol by volume, is expressed as a percentage for alcoholic products. For non-alcoholic products, use "0," and for items like granulated sugar where ABV does not apply, leave this field blank.
Appellation
Specifies the sub-region or appellation where the product was produced, particularly relevant to wines.
Areas
Efficient inventory management is integral to the success of any bar establishment. Spec simplifies this process by introducing the concept of areas and sections, mirroring the physical layout of your establishment. This spatial representation facilitates easy counting during inventory assessments. Here you have the ability to create and delete areas and sections, as well as add and remove product formats from them.
Category
Nested within Families, Categories offer an additional layer of organization to further subdivide product types. For instance, within the spirits family, default categories include tequila and whiskey, while the wine family encompasses categories such as still and sparkling. Categories enhance precision in cataloging and facilitate more detailed insights into your inventory.
Count
Tailored for products sold that can be discretely divided, such as a case of lemons or a box of napkins.
Customization Options
While the default selections for Families, Categories, and Subcategories align with industry standards, we understand that customization is often necessary. Utilize the '+' and '...' icons to seamlessly create or delete options, tailoring the categorization system to meet the unique demands of your establishment.
Expense Group and Subgroup
Similar to many personal budgeting softwares, Spec allows you to indicate how you would like purchases to be categorized in a two tier system. Expense Groups and Subgroups can be changed according to how your business tracks spending.
Expense Groups
In the financial realm, Spec introduces a two-tier system for categorizing expenses known as expense groups and subgroups. When creating purchase units and processing invoices, this system allows for categorization, providing a nuanced view of your financials. In the expense group tab, you can create and delete these groups and subgroups.
Family
At the highest level of the product categorization system lies the Family. Default selections encompass a broad spectrum, ranging from beer, wine, and spirits to paper & disposable goods. Families serve as overarching containers that encapsulate all the goods you aim to manage within Spec.
Ingredient %
This column shows the percentage of the menu price that is covering the ingredient cost of the product or recipe. It's calculated by dividing the ingredient cost by the menu price. A lower percentage means your profit is higher.
Ingredient Cost
The ingredient cost column shows the cost of the product, or the ingredient (non-labor) cost of the recipe as a portion of the serving size that was set.
Invoice Date
Invoice date is the date you received the invoice.
Invoice Number
Every invoice you receive from your vendors will have a unique number associated with it. Record that number here to make finding invoices easier in the future.
Invoice Status
The status column shows what state the invoice is in:
Unreconciled: The sum of all line items does not match the invoice total. All newly created invoices are unreconciled by default.
Reconciled: The sum of all line items matches the invoice total, but the invoice has not yet been marked as Approved.
Approved: The invoice has been approved and Purchase Unit prices have been updated.
Invoice Total
The invoice total is the total amount paid on the invoice.
Keg Transfer Line Items
Keg transfer line items are for keg deposits and keg returns. You can optionally give this line item a name, like "Budweiser half barrel."
Labor Cost %
The labor cost % column is similar to the one before, only it shows the percentage of the menu price that is covering the labor cost of the recipe. It's calculated by dividing the labor cost by the menu price. A lower percentage means your profit is higher.
Markup
The markup column allows you to change the default markup value that was set for the menu. The markup value is the number you wish to multiply the ingredient cost of the item by to calculate a recommended menu price.
Mass
Typically used for food items that are packaged by weight, such as berries or garnishes.
Menu Labor Cost
The labor cost column shows the cost of labor for recipes, as a portion of the serving size. If a batch of 10 Margaritas cost $10 dollars in labor, and you added just 1 Margarita to the menu, then the labor cost would be $1.
Menu Price
Set the actual price the item is sold at in your establishment in this column. Use the recommended menu price column to help you determine this value.
Menu Total Cost
The total cost column shows the sum of ingredient and labor costs for the product or recipe, as a portion of the serving size.
Miscellaneous Line Items
Miscellaneous line items are for any delivery charges, broken case fees, or products you don't want to put in your library. Every miscellaneous line item needs a name associated with it.
Net Profit
The net profit column shows the profit earned for every sale of the menu item. It's calculated by subtracting the total cost of the item (ingredient cost and labor cost) from the menu price.
Packaging Type
The "Packaging Type" field requires a one to two-word description detailing how the product is contained. Examples include bottle, box, jar, jug, carton, and more.
Together, the Unit Size and Packaging Type fields collectively form a comprehensive description of the Product Format, enabling easy differentiation between Formats of the same Product. For instance, "Narragansett 1/2 bbl keg," "Narragansett 12 fl oz can," and "Narragansett 12 fl oz bottle" are distinct Product Formats under the same overarching Product.
Pars (Low & High)
The "Low Par" represents the minimum quantity of units to maintain at all times, prompting reordering when stock falls below this threshold. Conversely, the "High Par" indicates the maximum quantity of units to be held at any given time, aiding in strategic order creation.
Price
The cost of the Purchase Unit. In situations where you have two Purchase Units, obviously the one with the higher Unit Amount will be more expensive.
Producer
Displays the name of the product's producer.
Product
Product, with a capital "P", is at the highest level of organization within the Product Library. It models all the abstract and non-specific components of the foods, beverages, and goods that establishments use on a daily basis. In other words, no matter who buys the good, where the good is purchased, or how it's used, the properties at the Product level remain unchanged.
For example, Evan Williams Black Label is produced by the same company and has the same ABV no matter what country it's purchased in, what establishment purchased it, or what bottle size it's packaged in. That's why the producer ABV fields are at the Product level.
The fields at this level are as follows: name, family, category, subcategory, producer, ABV, region, raw material, product description, tasting notes, appellation, vintage, and product status.
Each instance of a Product is completely independent from the next, that is, there is no linking, nesting, or inheritance between them.
Product Format
Product Format is at the middle level of hierarchy in the Product Library. It models all the physical, realized, and specific properties of a food, beverage, or good. How a good is packaged and how a single good is defined and measured are some of the things that are defined at the Product Format level.
The fields at this level are as follows: Unit Size, packaging type, case quantity, UPC (universal product code), and Product Format status.
A Product Format cannot exist without a parent Product.
Instances of Product Format inherit all properties of the parent Product instance. For example, an instance of Product Format called "Evan Williams, Bottled in Bond, 750 mL" would inherit the ABV field value of 0.500 from the parent Product instance "Evan Williams, Bottled in Bond". Subsequently, any other instantiations at the Product Format level would share the same ABV as other instances.
Product Format Image
Each Product Format is equipped with its own image, allowing for unique visual representation. This ensures that distinct Product Formats, such as "Budweiser 16 oz can" and "Budweiser 12 fl oz bottle," can feature individualized pictures.
Product Library
Spec shows the user's created products in a dedicated space called the Product Library. The Product Library is organized into three levels: Product, Product Format, and Purchase Unit.
Product Line Items
Product line items are for linking to products in your product library. Use the search bar to find the product format, and use the purchase unit dropdown to change from your default purchase unit if necessary.
Product Name
This indicates the name of the product. For guidance on naming products, refer to "Creating a New Product."
Purchase Unit
Purchase Unit is at the lowest level of the Product Library hierarchy. It stores all the necessary details for how an establishment purchases a Product Format. How many units are bought, who the product is bought from, and how much a product costs are some of the things that are defined at the Purchase Unit level.
The fields at this level are as follows: Purchase Unit Name, Unit Amount, Price, Vendor, SKU, Expense Group, and Expense Subgroup.
A Purchase Unit cannot exist without a parent Product Format.
Like Product Format inherits from Product, Purchase Unit inherits all properties of the parent Product Format, and subsequently Product.
Purchase Unit Name
Every Purchase Unit requires a name in order for vendors to understand how much of something is being ordered. Typically, the name will be a shorthand for the actual number of units being ordered, like "bottle" or "case."
Raw Material
This section details the raw material used in the product's production. For wine, include grape varietal and percentages, and for whiskey, provide the mashbill.
Recipe Tags
Tagging a recipe allows you to group recipes with similar characteristics of your choosing.
Recipe Training Details
If you wish to provide any training information to you staff, you can do so here.
Description
All recipes have a story or function behind them. Input anything you wish your staff to know about it before tasting or preparing it. If the recipe is a cocktail, you can provide the creator and history of the drink. If the recipe is an ingredient like lime juice, you can describe how lime juice functions in cocktails and foods.
Tasting Notes
This is the place to provide any tasting notes to your staff. This is helpful for recipes that are cocktails or food items, as this enables your servers and bartenders to describe the flavor profile accurately. Again, with a recipe like lime juice, you may decide to forego inputting any information here.
Directions
The recipes you use in your establishment need to be prepared a certain way. Write out the steps to execute the recipe successfully here.
Region
Identifies the region (country and/or city) from which the product originates.
Sections
Sections operate like a tag for individual product formats in an area. A single product format can be assigned to multiple sections, though keep in mind the count for a product in a single area will be shared among all the sections it's placed in. During stock counts, an area can be filtered to just show the product formats in a section, allowing for easy and clutter-free counting. While not all areas you create will require this level of granularity that sections provides, it remains as an option for larger areas.
SKU
SKU stands for "Stock Keeping Unit" and its a code that vendors use internally to differentiate products from each other. Ensuring you have the correct SKU stored helps to avoid confusion between you and your vendors.
Status
The "Status" field determines the visibility of the Product, Product Format or Purchase Unit, primarily in Ordering. By default, it is set to "Active," but can be changed to "Inactive" for any that are no longer used.
Remember that if the "parent" Product or Product Format is marked as inactive, this will likewise render the Product Format inactive.
Subcategory
The bottom layer of categorization, Subcategories, refines organization even further. Within specific Categories, such as whiskey, you can find subcategories like bourbon, rye, and others.
Target Spread
The target spread column shows how far off the menu price is from the recommended menu price. This shows you, at a glance, if you are over or undercharging for menu items. It's calculated by subtracting the recommended menu price from the menu price.
Unit Amount
The amount of units received when ordering the purchase unit. Obviously, ordering a "bottle" will mean 1 units is received, but 1 "case" can be 6 or 12 units, depending on how the vendor sells the product.
Unit Size
The "Unit Size" field denotes the quantity of product in a singular unit. This encompasses the volume of a bottle, the weight of a case of lemons, or the count of individual items, such as straws. Unit Size accommodates three distinct categories of measurement: volume, mass, or count.
UPC (Universal Product Code)
The "UPC" field denotes the Universal Product Code or barcode associated with the Product.
Vendor
The vendor that the invoice is from.
Vintage
Indicates the year of release for the product. This field can also store additional identifying information, such as release codes for whiskeys. Ensure that vintage information is incorporated into the product name to facilitate easy differentiation if you have multiple products across different vintages.
Volume
Ideal for liquids like spirits, beer kegs, and wine.