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Resolving Cost Issues

PrepStation automatically detects when recipe costs can't be calculated and shows you exactly what's missing. Each issue has a resolution button that lets you fix it directlyβ€”no hunting through menus.

Overview

Cost issues occur when PrepStation needs more information to calculate an ingredient's cost:

Issue Type Cause Solution
Conversion Needed Recipe unit differs from vendor unit Define a conversion
Vendor Item Needed Ingredient has no vendor pricing Set up vendor item
No Vendor Cost Vendor item exists but no price Add price to vendor item
Missing Unit Recipe ingredient has no unit Edit the ingredient

How Issues Are Displayed

Warning Banners

When a recipe has cost issues, you'll see:

  1. Amber warning banner in the cost section
  2. Count of affected ingredients
  3. Expandable details showing each issue

Color-Coded Buttons

Each ingredient row shows a colored button indicating its status:

Color Meaning
🟒 Green Cost calculated successfully
🟑 Yellow Conversion needed
🟠 Orange Vendor setup needed
πŸ”΄ Red Missing unit (requires edit)

Where to Look

Cost issues appear on:

  • Recipe show page β€” Cost section and ingredient rows
  • Recipe index β€” Warning icon on recipe cards
  • Menu items β€” Expandable "Cost Issues Detected" section

Resolving Conversion Issues

When This Happens

You need a conversion when:

  • Recipe uses cups but vendor sells by pound
  • Recipe uses tablespoons but vendor sells by ounce
  • Recipe uses each but vendor sells by case

Essentially, when the recipe unit category (volume, weight, count) differs from how you purchase it.

How to Fix It

  1. Find the yellow button on the ingredient row

    • Shows "Conversion Needed"
    • Displays the units: "cup β†’ pound"

  2. Click the button

    • Opens the conversion modal

  3. Enter the conversion

    • Example: "1 cup = 0.5 pounds"
    • This tells PrepStation how much the ingredient weighs per volume

  4. Save the conversion

    • Cost recalculates automatically
    • Button turns green showing the cost

Example: Flour

Scenario Solution
Recipe uses 2 cups flour
Vendor sells flour by pound
1 cup of flour β‰ˆ 0.5 lbs Enter: 1 cup = 0.5 pound

After saving, PrepStation calculates:

  • 2 cups Γ— 0.5 lbs/cup = 1 lb needed
  • 1 lb Γ— $0.50/lb = $0.50 cost

Tip

Conversions are saved to the ingredient, so you only need to define them once. All recipes using that ingredient will benefit.

Resolving Vendor Issues

Vendor Item Needed

When this happens: The ingredient isn't linked to any vendor products.

How to fix it:

  1. Click the orange "Vendor Item Needed" button
  2. Choose an option:
    • Link to existing vendor item
    • Create new vendor item
  3. Enter pricing details:
    • Vendor
    • Pack size (e.g., "50 lb bag")
    • Price
  4. Set as preferred (optional but recommended)
  5. Save

No Vendor Cost

When this happens: A vendor item exists but has no price entered.

How to fix it:

  1. Click the orange "No Vendor Cost" button
  2. Select or confirm the vendor item
  3. Enter the price
  4. Save

Setting Preferred Vendor

If an ingredient has multiple vendor items, you need to tell PrepStation which one to use for cost calculations:

  1. Click the vendor button on the ingredient
  2. Review available vendors and prices
  3. Click "Set as Preferred" on your chosen vendor
  4. Cost updates automatically

Resolving Missing Unit Issues

When This Happens

The recipe ingredient was added without specifying a unit type.

How to Fix It

This requires editing the recipe ingredient directly:

  1. Click on the ingredient in the recipe
  2. Select a unit from the dropdown
  3. Save the change

The cost button will update once a unit is assigned.

Note

Missing unit issues are rare and usually occur with imported or legacy data.

Sub-Recipe Cost Issues

When a recipe contains a prep recipe (sub-recipe), cost issues may show "N/A" with a yellow badge.

How to Fix It

  1. Open the prep recipe directly
  2. Resolve cost issues in the prep recipe
  3. Return to the main recipe
  4. Cost will recalculate using the updated prep recipe cost

Bulk Resolution Tips

For Many Conversion Issues

If you have many ingredients needing conversions:

  1. Go to Ingredients β†’ select an ingredient
  2. Click Conversions tab
  3. Add all needed conversions in one place
  4. Recipes using this ingredient will update

For Many Vendor Issues

  1. Go to Vendors β†’ select a vendor
  2. Bulk add vendor items for multiple ingredients
  3. Set preferred vendors as you go

Using Imports

If you're setting up many ingredients:

  1. Import ingredients with vendor pricing
  2. Include pack sizes and prices in your CSV
  3. Vendor items are created automatically

See Importing Ingredients for details.

Understanding Cost Calculations

The Cost Formula

Ingredient Cost = (Recipe Quantity Γ— Conversion Factor) Γ— (Vendor Price Γ· Pack Size)

What Breaks It

Missing Data Result
No conversion factor Can't convert units β†’ "Conversion Needed"
No vendor item No price to use β†’ "Vendor Item Needed"
No price on vendor item Price is $0 β†’ "No Vendor Cost"
No unit on ingredient Can't calculate quantity β†’ "Missing Unit"

What You'll See

When everything is set up correctly:

  • Green button with the calculated cost
  • Correct total in recipe cost section
  • Accurate food cost percentage on menus

Common Scenarios

New Ingredient, No Cost Showing

  1. Check if vendor item exists β†’ If not, create one
  2. Check if preferred vendor is set β†’ If not, set one
  3. Check if conversion is needed β†’ If yes, add it

Cost Seems Wrong

  1. Verify the conversion factor is correct
  2. Check the vendor item price is current
  3. Ensure pack size matches how you buy it
  4. Confirm preferred vendor is the one you expected

Multiple Vendors, Which Price?

PrepStation uses the preferred vendor's price. To change:

  1. Click the ingredient's cost button
  2. Select a different vendor
  3. Click "Set as Preferred"

Best Practices

Set Up Ingredients Completely

Before using an ingredient in recipes:

  1. Add at least one vendor item
  2. Enter current pricing
  3. Set a preferred vendor
  4. Add common conversions (weight ↔ volume)

Keep Prices Updated

When you receive invoices:

  1. Review price changes
  2. Update vendor items
  3. Costs recalculate across all recipes

Use the Ingredient Library

PrepStation's ingredient library includes:

  • Pre-built conversions (density data)
  • Common yields
  • Standard units

See Ingredient Library for details.

Common Questions

Q: Why do I need conversions?
A: Because you might use "cups" in a recipe but buy by the "pound." PrepStation needs to know how to translate between these units.

Q: Can I skip setting up vendor items?
A: Yes, but you won't get accurate costs. Recipes will show $0.00 for those ingredients.

Q: What if I don't know the conversion?
A: Check the ingredient packaging, look it up online, or use PrepStation's ingredient library which includes common conversions.

Q: Do I need to fix every issue?
A: For accurate costing, yes. But recipes will still workβ€”you just won't have complete cost data.

Q: Will fixing one ingredient fix all recipes using it?
A: Yes! Conversions and vendor items are set on the ingredient, not the recipe. All recipes benefit.

Next Steps

Last updated: March 23, 2026

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