Importing Sales Data

Import sales data from your POS system to drive production planning and analyze menu performance.

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Overview

Sales imports let you:

• Calculate production requirements from actual sales
• Forecast future needs based on historical data
• Track which menu items are selling

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File Format

Required Columns

Column	Description	Example
sale_date	Date/time of sale	"2024-01-15 14:30:00" or "2024-01-15"
external_item_name	Item name from POS	"Margherita Pizza"
quantity_sold	Number sold	"12"

Optional Columns

Column	Description	Example
external_item_sku	POS item code	"PIZZA-001"
unit_price	Sale price	"18.99"
line_total	Extended total	"227.88"
external_category	POS category	"Pizzas"
external_order_id	Order reference	"ORD-12345"
customer_name	Customer (for catering)	"ABC Company"

Example CSV

sale_date,external_item_name,quantity_sold,unit_price
2024-01-15,Margherita Pizza,12,18.99
2024-01-15,Caesar Salad,8,12.99
2024-01-15,Tiramisu,5,9.99
2024-01-16,Margherita Pizza,15,18.99
2024-01-16,Pepperoni Pizza,10,19.99

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Import Steps

1. Start Import

Navigate to Imports → New Import → Sales

2. Upload File

1. Click Choose File or drag and drop
2. Select your CSV or Excel file
3. Click Upload

3. Map Columns

Match your POS columns to PrepStation fields:

1. Review suggested mappings
2. Adjust as needed
3. Click Continue

4. Match Menu Items

Link POS items to your PrepStation menu items:

Status	Meaning
Matched	POS item linked to a menu item
Unmatched	Needs manual linking
Skipped	Won't be imported

For unmatched items:

1. Search for the menu item
2. Select the match
3. Or mark as "Skip" if not relevant

5. Process Import

Click Import to process. Sales records are created and linked to your menu items.

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Using Sales Data

Production Planning

After importing sales:

1. Go to Production → Requirements
2. Select Date Range analysis
3. Choose your date range
4. Click Calculate

The system uses your imported sales to determine how many of each recipe to produce.

Forecasting

Sales data enables:

Feature	Description
Historical analysis	See what sold in the past
Trend detection	Identify patterns by day, week, season
Production planning	Base future production on actual demand

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Sales Import Templates

Save column mappings for recurring POS exports:

1. Complete a successful import
2. Click Save as Template
3. Name it (e.g., "Toast POS Export")
4. Future imports auto-map columns

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External System Sync

If your POS supports API integration, you can sync automatically:

1. Go to Settings → Integrations
2. Configure your POS connection
3. Enable automatic sync

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Common Questions

Q: What if my POS item doesn't exist as a menu item?
A: You can skip it during import, or create the menu item first and then re-import.

Q: How often should I import sales?
A: Daily imports give the most accurate production planning. Weekly works for less dynamic menus.

Q: Can I import sales for items not on my menu?
A: Yes, but they won't link to recipes. They'll appear as unmatched sales records.

Q: What's the date format?
A: The system auto-detects most formats (YYYY-MM-DD, MM/DD/YYYY, DD-MM-YYYY).

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Next Steps

• Import Overview — General import workflow
• Production Planning — Use sales data for production
• Building Menus — Create menu items to match