This guide explains how to create, export, and manage Bills of Materials (BoMs) in Apicbase for recipes, menus, and production planning - including stock handling, sales data imports, and supplier order generation.
Table of Contents
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Creating a BoM in Apicbase
2.1. Importing Historical Sales Data and Using Multipliers -
5.1. Recipes & Menus
5.2. Production Plan
5.3. Internal Ordering Aggregated Overview
1. What is a Bill of Materials (BoM)
A Bill of Materials (BoM) is a key tool in Apicbase that helps manage ingredient ordering for recipes, menus, and production plans. It provides a complete overview of what ingredients are needed, how much is in stock, and what must be ordered.
Using a BoM ensures that production and procurement run smoothly, without missing ingredients or unnecessary waste.
BoMs are particularly useful for:
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Ordering ingredients for recipes and menus based on actual needs
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Planning production in a central kitchen and distributing stockable recipes to outlets
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Aggregating internal orders into supplier orders
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Taking current stock levels into account when creating orders
2. Creating a BoM in Apicbase
Regardless of where you generate a BoM (Recipe, Menu, Production Plan, or Internal Orders), the process follows the same steps.
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Open the relevant section (Recipes, Menus, Production Plan, or Internal Orders)
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Click the Bill of Materials (BoM) button
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Select the outlet where the BoM will be applied
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Enter the portioning details to determine required quantities
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Review the generated ingredient list, including:
- Ingredient name
- Quantity needed
- Stock availability
- Quantity to order (if stock is insufficient)
- Packages to order (based on supplier packaging)
- Choose Product (Apicbase suggests the last ordered [LO] or cheapest [C])
- Total cost
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Adjust if needed (change portion sizes or select alternative supplier packages)
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After generating the BoM, either:
- Export it to Excel, PDF, or CSV (available in Settings → Exports)
- Use it to generate supplier orders directly in Apicbase. You will be automatically redirected to the Procurement page, where the shopping cart is filled.
If you encounter a warning while generating a BoM, possible reasons include:
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Ingredient not set as orderable
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Ingredient not linked to the active outlet
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Ingredient archived
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Ingredient deleted (not recommended, as it removes history)
2.1. Importing Historical Sales Data and Using Multipliers
When generating a BoM for recipes or menus when a PoS is connected, you can also import historical sales data to auto-populate the required portions.
This feature lets you base your BoM on actual sales performance over a selected period.
To use it:
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Choose the outlet for which you want to generate the BoM.
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Set the start and end dates for the sales period to import.
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Apicbase automatically fills in the portions for the recipes included in that period.
You can refine this forecast using the multiplier field:
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Enter a multiplier to adjust for expected sales variations.
Example: enter 1.05 if you expect to sell 5% more, or 0.95 for 5% less. -
This allows you to quickly adapt production or ordering to expected demand changes while keeping BoM quantities consistent with your sales data.
3. Stock Handling in a BoM
When generating a BoM, Apicbase automatically accounts for stock levels for each item:
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Sufficient stock: the item is excluded from the order
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Partial stock: only the missing quantity is added
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Negative theoretical stock: treated as zero to ensure accuracy
For central kitchens:
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If a stockable recipe is available, its ingredients are not included
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If a stockable recipe is not available, its ingredients appear in the BoM for production
4. Stockable Recipes in a BoM
When a BoM includes a stockable recipe, Apicbase handles it differently depending on your setup:
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Central Production Kitchen: lists the ingredients required to produce the stockable recipe (e.g. flour, salt, yeast for pizza dough) when stock is insufficient
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Outlets: lists the stockable recipe itself as a single orderable item, instead of showing its ingredients
4.1. Example
A central kitchen produces pizza dough as a stockable recipe.
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If a production plan is created to produce dough, the BoM includes the raw ingredients.
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If an outlet orders pizzas, the BoM lists “Pizza Dough (Stockable)” instead of its ingredients, because the outlet orders it directly from the central kitchen.
5. Where to Find the BoM Option
You can generate a Bill of Materials from several modules in Apicbase.
5.1. Recipes & Menus
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Navigate to Products → Recipes or Products → Menus
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Select the relevant item
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Click Bill of Materials
- For Recipes: under Ingredients & Preparations
- For Menus: under Tools → Bill of Materials -
Enter portion details and generate the BoM
5.2. Production Plan
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Go to Planning → Production Planning
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Select the relevant plan and open the options menu (using "⋮")
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Click Bill of Materials
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Review and generate
5.3. Internal Ordering Aggregated Overview
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Go to Internal Ordering → Incoming Orders
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Open the Aggregated Orders tab
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Select the internal orders to include
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Click Generate BoM to create a supplier order based on total internal demand
6. Exporting and Placing Orders from a BoM
After generating a BoM, you can:
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Export it to Excel, PDF, or CSV for use outside Apicbase (Settings → Exports)
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Generate supplier order documents directly in Apicbase
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Adjust ingredient quantities or supplier packages before confirming
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Finalize and send via the Create Orders module
7. Conclusion
The Bill of Materials (BoM) feature in Apicbase is an essential tool for efficient food production and procurement.
Whether you manage a central kitchen, a restaurant, or multiple outlets, BoMs help ensure:
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Smooth production and ordering workflows
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Optimized stock levels
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Reduced waste and improved cost control
By combining historical sales data with stock insights, Apicbase empowers you to plan production and procurement accurately, every time.