When to use this
Use the Build-To’s (PAR) List when you’re guessing order quantities, 86’ing the same items every week, or sitting on slow-moving dead stock. Most operators refresh PAR levels monthly or after major menu or traffic changes.
Inputs — what goes where
- Category — Dry, Refrigerated, Frozen, Bar, Paper, etc.
- Item Name / Description — clear name your team and vendor both recognize.
- Unit (each / case) — the unit you use for counting and ordering.
- Units per Case — how many units live in one full case (e.g., 200 liners/case).
- Lead Time (days) — days from placing the order to delivery.
- Safety Stock (days) — extra cushion for late trucks or sales spikes.
- Coverage Days — days you want on hand after the next delivery (often 7).
- Week 1–4 Usage — actual units used each of the last four weeks.
- On Hand (units) — what you physically have on shelf now.
- On Order (units) — anything already ordered but not yet received.
Formulas — exactly what the sheet does
- Average Weekly Usage = AVERAGE(Week 1 : Week 4)
- Peak Weekly Usage = MAX(Week 1 : Week 4)
- Daily Usage = Average Weekly Usage ÷ 7
- Build-To (units) = Daily Usage × (Lead Time + Safety Stock + Coverage Days)
- Order Quantity (units) = MAX( 0, Build-To − On Hand − On Order )
- Build-To (cases) = Build-To (units) ÷ Units per Case
- Order Quantity (cases) = Order Quantity (units) ÷ Units per Case
Goal: Set realistic Build-To (PAR) levels based on real usage and lead time, then order just enough to cover the next cycle without clogging the walk-in.
Walk-through example
Suppose a high-volume item moves 28, 35, 32, 30 units over the last four weeks. Lead Time = 3 days, Safety Stock = 2 days, Coverage Days = 7 days. Units per Case = 12. On Hand = 20 units, On Order = 10 units.
- Average Weekly Usage = (28 + 35 + 32 + 30) ÷ 4 = 31.25 units
- Peak Weekly Usage = 35 units
- Daily Usage = 31.25 ÷ 7 ≈ 4.46 units/day
- Total Days Covered = 3 + 2 + 7 = 12 days
- Build-To (units) = 4.46 × 12 ≈ 53.5 → rounded to 54 units
- Order Quantity (units) = 54 − (20 + 10) = 24 units
- Build-To (cases) = 54 ÷ 12 = 4.5 cases
- Order Quantity (cases) = 24 ÷ 12 = 2 cases
On the sheet, you’ll see Build-To and Order Quantity both in units and in cases, so you can round orders up or down based on truck space and storage.
Common pitfalls
- Mixing cases and units — entering weekly usage in cases when the sheet expects units.
- Leaving Lead Time at “2 days” when deliveries quietly shifted to once a week.
- Using the same Coverage Days for fast movers and slow movers.
- Ignoring seasonality — patio season and holidays will change average usage.
- Forgetting to include On Order, which causes over-ordering and bloated inventory.