Period Management
Periods
Everything about periods in one place: what they are, how to create them, how to enter and review stock and cash counts, how to approve, complete and fix periods, and answers to common questions.
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About
Periods let you track stock and cash over set timeframes, count at the end of each period, and review how each site performed.
What would you like to know about?
Periods
Periods let sites manage and track stock and cash activity over set timeframes. They give you a structured way to capture counts and review performance regularly.
A period can contain two sections, depending on the modules you use:
For managing and counting inventory.
For recording and reconciling cash.
How a period works
Enter counts
Stock and cash counts are entered on each site's custom count sheets. See Count.
Review results
Reports show performance and highlight any variances in the period. See Count Review.
Close the period
Stock and cash balances are updated from the counts, and the period's data is locked.
Period lengths
Periods can run for different lengths to suit how you operate. To keep period dates the same across multiple sites, use Company Periods.
Period states
Each period moves through these states:
Current
In progress
The period is underway. No action is needed yet.
Pending
Counting
The period has ended. Counts are entered and results reviewed.
Approved
Balances updated
The first stage of closing. Live stock and cash on hand are updated from the counts, and records in the period's date range can no longer be edited.
Completed
Locked
The final stage of closing. The period is permanently locked.
Period reporting
Additional period features
Stock counts
Stock counts are part of the Periods feature in the Inventory Management module. Stock periods give you one place to enter final stock counts and review inventory performance for the period.
Stock count sheets
Tailored to each site, so counts follow the way that site stores and counts its stock.
Counts submitted
Final counts are entered and submitted for the period.
Stock and reporting
Stock on hand is updated, and period reporting shows performance and any variances.
Stock counts in this guide
- Entering and approving stock counts
- Rolling back a stock count sheet
- Stock period results and reporting
- Stock count FAQs
Setting up
Cash counts
Cash counts are part of the Periods feature in the Revenue Management module. Cash periods give you one place to enter cash counts and review cash performance for the period.
Cash count sheets
Tailored to each site, so counts follow the way that site manages and reconciles its cash.
Counts submitted
Cash counts are entered and submitted for the period.
Balances and reporting
Cash balances are updated, and period reporting helps you track performance and keep accurate records.
Cash counts in this guide
- Entering and approving cash counts
- Rolling back a cash count sheet
- Cash period results and reporting
- Cash count FAQs
Setting up
Ready to start?
Go to the Create tab.
Create
Start a new period for your site. A new period is always created in Current state, and how you create it depends on whether your company uses Company Periods.
Recommendation
Create the new period at the start of the period, straight after approving the previous one. It then stays in Current state until it's time to enter counts at the end of the period.
Only one Current period at a time
You can't create a new period while another period is still in Current state.
Does your company use Company Periods?
Yes, Company Periods
The dates come from your company period schedule, so there's nothing to enter.
1
Start a new period
Go to Period Management > Periods and select New Period.
2
Check the new period
The new period opens with the dates and name from your company period schedule. Check they're the ones you expect.
The next period in your company period schedule is now available in Current state.
Setting up Company Periods
No, flexible periods
You choose when each period ends.
1
Start a new period
Go to Period Management > Periods and select New Period.
2
Check the period dates
The New Period page shows:
The description of the previous period, for reference.
When the new period starts. This is set automatically from the end time of the previous period.
When the new period ends. Select the date you need.
3
Create the period
Select Create Period.
The new period is now available in Current state.
Count
At the end of the period, your site will need stock counts, cash counts or both. Before entering any counts, move the period to Pending state to show it's now being processed.
Current
Pending
Ready for counts
Only one Pending period at a time
You can't move a period to Pending while another period at your site is already Pending. Approve the previous period first.
First, move the period to Pending
1
Open the period
Go to Period Management > Periods, find the period and select Stock Period or Cash Period.
2
Move it to Pending
Within the period, select Pending.
The period is now in Pending state, and you can start entering counts.
Then enter your counts
What are you counting?
Stock counts
For sites using inventory, entering a count for each item at the end of the period highlights any stock on hand variances. It also updates each product's stock on hand ready for the start of the next period.
You must count every active inventory item that
Had an opening count
Its opening count at the start of the period was anything other than zero.
Had movements
It had any movements during the period, such as sales, wastage, orders or transfers.
Stock count sheet states
Pending
Open for counts
The count sheet is open and counts can be entered.
Counted
Ready to check
The count sheet is marked as counted and ready to be checked. Counts can't be entered.
Approved
Counts closed
The count sheet has been approved. Counts can no longer be entered.
Completed
Period completed
The period containing the count sheet has been completed.
A Counted sheet can be set back to Pending if changes are needed. An Approved sheet can be rolled back.
Count sheets
Counts are entered into stock count sheets, which can be customised to suit how each site counts. If you use Mid-Period Counts, make sure the period is in the correct state before you enter counts.
Enter and approve stock counts
1
Open the stock period
Go to Period Management > Periods and select Stock Period against the period.
2
Check the period is Pending
The period needs to be in Pending state before you enter counts. See moving a period to Pending.
3
Open a count sheet
In the Count Sheets section, select Edit against the count sheet you want to count.
4
Enter your counts
Enter counts into the relevant Quantity columns. You can enter counts into more than one quantity field on the same row, and the total is worked out from the different pack sizes.
Look for the green tick
A green tick shows your count has been saved. If you don't see it, stop counting and check your connection.
5
Approve or mark as counted
When the count is entered, select one of:
Approve
The count sheet is fully complete.
Counted
Counting is finished, but the sheet needs more checks before it's approved.
6
Repeat for every count sheet
Carry on until every product is counted and every count sheet is Approved.
Every count sheet is Approved. Next, review your period results.
Need to make a change?
Roll back a stock count sheet
If you need to make changes to an Approved stock count sheet, you can roll it back to Pending.
Approved
Pending
You can only roll back a stock count sheet if
You have roll back rights
If you don't but think you should, find out how to get access.
The period is still open
The period containing the count sheet must be in Current or Pending state.
1
Open the stock period
Go to Period Management > Periods, find the period and select Stock Period.
2
Open the count sheet
In the Count Sheets section, select Edit against the count sheet.
3
Unapprove and confirm
Select Unapprove, then confirm the roll back.
The stock count sheet is now back in Pending state and ready to edit.
Cash counts
For sites using Revenue Management, entering a count for each cash account at the end of the period highlights any cash variances. It also updates each account's balance ready for the start of the next period.
You must count every one of these account types at your site
- Cash accounts
- Float accounts
- Control accounts
Count as at the period end
Your counts should reflect the cash held at the date and time the period ends.
Cash count sheet states
Pending
Open for counts
The count sheet is open and counts can be entered.
Counted
Ready to check
The count sheet is marked as counted and ready to be checked. Counts can't be entered.
Approved
Counts closed
The count sheet has been approved. Counts can no longer be entered.
Completed
Period completed
The period containing the count sheet has been completed.
A Counted sheet can be set back to Pending if changes are needed. An Approved sheet can be rolled back.
Count sheets
Counts are entered into cash count sheets, which can be customised to suit how each site counts.
Enter and approve cash counts
1
Open the cash period
Go to Period Management > Periods and select Cash Period against the period.
2
Check the period is Pending
The period needs to be in Pending state before you enter counts. See moving a period to Pending.
3
Open a count sheet
In the Cash Counts section, select Edit against the count sheet you want to count.
4
Enter your counts
Enter counts against the relevant denominations.
5
Approve or mark as counted
When the count is entered, select one of:
Approve
The count sheet is fully complete.
Counted
Counting is finished, but the sheet needs more checks before it's approved.
6
Repeat for every count sheet
Carry on until every account is counted and every count sheet is Approved.
Every count sheet is Approved. Next, review your period results.
Need to make a change?
Roll back a cash count sheet
If you need to make changes to an Approved cash count sheet, you can roll it back to Pending.
Approved
Pending
You can only roll back a cash count sheet if
You have roll back rights
If you don't but think you should, find out how to get access.
The period is still open
The period containing the count sheet must be in Current or Pending state.
1
Open the cash period
Go to Period Management > Periods, find the period and select Cash Period.
2
Open the count sheet
In the Cash Counts section, select Edit against the count sheet.
3
Unapprove and confirm
Select Unapprove, then confirm the roll back.
The cash count sheet is now back in Pending state and ready to edit.
Count Review
Before approving the period, check for exceptions and review your results.
Enter counts
All counts are entered into the period.
Clear exceptions
Run a Trial Approve and resolve anything it finds.
Review reports
Check results and investigate any variances.
Approve
Steps
1
Run a Trial Approve
Trial Approve checks the period for any exceptions that would stop it being approved, so you can fix them first. Within the Pending period, select Trial Approve. It may take a moment while it runs through a series of checks.
2
Clear any exceptions
If anything is outstanding, an error message appears and each item is listed in the Exceptions section of the period.
Clear every exception
All period exceptions must be cleared before the period can be approved. Once you've resolved one, run Trial Approve again to clear it from the list.
3
Review your results
Once all exceptions are cleared, we recommend reviewing your period reports before approving the period.
Which results are you reviewing?
Stock period
These reports are available for each stock period. Select a report name to find out more about it.
Using Blind Stock Counts?
For sites with Blind Stock Counts enabled, these reports are only available once a stock period is Approved.
Individual period reports
Shows the stock movements for each stock product during the period.
Using the opening and counted values, it works out any stock variance for each product. Select figures in the report to see the records that make up each total.
Key metrics for the period, including actual versus theoretical costs, actual versus theoretical margin, and an overview of wastage and loss.
Also available with data split by Super Group.
Compares the cost and revenue of each saleable product during the period to give theoretical gross profit margins.
Results are shown per product, per stock count group, and overall for all sales.
Uses each supplied product's sales during the period and its counted quantity to estimate how long your current stock will last before it runs out.
Company-wide period reports
These extra reports are available for companies using Company Periods.
An overview of costs and margins for selected periods across multiple sites, split by site.
It extends the Margin Summary & Stock KPIs report, which covers individual site stock periods.
Stock holding and valuation at the end of a period, for each site and for all sites combined.
Inventory Management reports you can use at any time during a period
Got a variance?
See investigating stock period variances in the FAQs.
Cash period
This report is available for every cash period. Select the report name to find out more about it.
Shows the cash movements for each cash account during the period.
Using the cash counts entered, it works out any variance between the counted and expected values.
Revenue Management reports you can use at any time during a period
Got a variance?
See investigating cash period variances in the FAQs.
When you're happy with the results, approve the period.
Approve
Approve the period once counts are in and results are reviewed. Approving is the first stage of closing a period, and updates your live stock and cash balances.
Before you start
All counts are entered
Every stock and cash count for the period is in.
Results are reviewed
Exceptions are cleared and reports are finalised. See Count Review.
What approving does
Pending
Counting
Approved
First stage of closing
Completed
Fully closed
An Approved period can still be rolled back to make adjustments.
Using Blind Stock Counts?
For sites with Blind Stock Counts enabled, reports become available once the period is approved, so you can review the counts.
Steps
1
Open the period
Go to Period Management > Periods, find the period and select Stock Period or Cash Period.
2
Approve it
Within the period, select Approve.
The period runs through the approval process, then moves to Approved state. When you're ready, complete the period.
Complete
Completing a period is the second and final stage of closing it, after approving it.
Approved
Can be rolled back
Completed
Permanently locked
This can't be undone
A completed period is locked permanently and can't be rolled back.
How do you want to complete it?
One site
Complete one period at a time, from within the period.
1
Open the approved period
Go to Period Management > Periods, find the Approved period and select Stock Period or Cash Period.
2
Complete and confirm
Within the period, select Complete Period, then confirm.
The period runs through the completion process, then moves to Completed state.
Several sites at once
With Company Periods, you can complete periods for multiple sites linked to the same company period in one go.
1
Find the periods from Head Office
Logged in to the Head Office site, go to Period Management > Periods and use the search options to find the periods you want to complete.
2
Complete one or all
In the search results, select one of:
Complete
Against an individual Approved period, to complete just that period.
Complete All
At the top of the list, to complete every Approved period in the search results.
Each selected period runs through the completion process, then moves to Completed state.
Search
Find the periods you need using filters for name, date and state.
Shown straight away
When you open Period Management > Periods, every period in these states is already listed: Current, Pending and Approved.
Searching from Head Office
If your company uses Company Periods and you're logged in to the Head Office site, you can see periods across all sites for a selected company period. Extra site and company period filters appear in the Search panel.
Searching
Use any of these filters in the Search panel at the top, then select Search:
Periods whose name matches all or part of what you enter.
Periods that start or end within the selected dates.
Periods currently in the selected states.
What's shown
The site name.
When the period starts.
When the period ends.
The name of the period.
The period's current state.
The number of exceptions, for periods in Pending state.
Roll back
Reopen an Approved or Pending period so you can make changes. How far you can roll a period back depends on its current state.
Current
Earliest state
The period is back in progress.
Completed
Can't be rolled back
Completed periods are permanently locked.
What state is the period in?
Approved
Roll an Approved period back to Pending if you need to make changes.
You can only roll back if
You have roll back rights
If you don't but think you should, find out how to get access.
No other Pending period
Your site can't already have a period in Pending state.
1
Open the period
Go to Period Management > Periods, find the period and select Stock Period or Cash Period.
2
Undo the approval
Within the period, select Undo Approval, then confirm the roll back.
The period is now back in Pending state and can be edited.
Count sheets stay Approved
Rolling back the period doesn't roll back its count sheets. If you need to change one, roll it back too: stock count sheets or cash count sheets.
Pending
Roll a Pending period back to Current if needed.
You can only roll back if
No other Current period
Your site can't already have a period in Current state.
1
Open the period
Go to Period Management > Periods, find the period and select Stock Period or Cash Period.
2
Move it back to Current
Within the period, select Current, then confirm the roll back.
The period is now back in Current state.
Delete
Permanently remove a period you no longer need.
You can only delete a period if
You have delete rights
If you don't but think you should, find out how to get access.
The period is Current
Only periods in Current state can be deleted. If it's further along, roll it back first.
This can't be undone
Deleting is permanent. The period and any counts in it can't be recovered.
Steps
1
Open the period
Go to Period Management > Periods, find the period and select Edit.
2
Delete and confirm
Within the period, select Delete, then confirm.
The period has been deleted.
FAQs
Answers to common questions and troubleshooting tips, whether you're opening a new period, completing stock and cash counts or reviewing period results. Choose an area to see its questions.
Which area is your question about?
Periods
Frequently asked questions
QHow do I resolve period exceptions?
When you approve a period or run a Trial Approve, you may see a message saying period exceptions are preventing approval.
A period exception is an outstanding task the approval process has found, which needs finishing before the period can move to Approved. Every exception is listed in the Exceptions section of the period.
Run Trial Approve again
Once you've resolved an exception, select TRIAL APPROVE within the period to re-run the checks and clear it from the Exceptions list.
Jump to an exception type
Approved Count Sheet exception
A stock count sheet in the period hasn't been Approved yet.
To resolve
1
Select COUNT SHEET to open the stock count sheet.
2
Within the count sheet, select APPROVE.
Bank Deposit exception
A bank deposit dated within the period hasn't been marked as Deposited.
To resolve
1
Select BANKING to open the bank deposit.
2
Within the bank deposit, do one of the following:
Cash Count exception
A cash count sheet in the period hasn't been Approved yet.
To resolve
1
Select CASH COUNT to open the cash count sheet.
2
Within the count sheet, select APPROVE.
Cash Event exception
A cash event dated within the period hasn't been Approved.
To resolve
1
Select CASH EVENT to open the cash event.
2
Within the cash event, do one of the following:
Cash Movement exception
A cash movement dated within the period hasn't been Approved.
To resolve
1
Select CASH MOVEMENT to open the cash movement.
2
Within the cash movement, do one of the following:
Cash Purchase exception
A cash purchase dated within the period hasn't been Approved.
To resolve
1
Select CASH PURCHASE to open the cash purchase.
2
Within the cash purchase, do one of the following:
Cash Up exception
A cash up that ends within the period hasn't been Approved.
To resolve
1
Select CASH UP to open the cash up.
2
Within the cash up, do one of the following:
Count exception
An inventory product that needs a stock count doesn't have one.
To resolve
Enter a count for the product on a stock count sheet. How you do this depends on what the exception shows:
A COUNT button shows
The product is already on at least one count sheet. Select COUNT to see which sheets, then enter the count.
No COUNT button
The product isn't on a count sheet yet. Add it to a count sheet, then enter the count.
Which products need a count?
Any inventory product that had an opening value other than zero at the start of the period, or any movement during the period, such as a sale, wastage, transfer or order. If you use Mid-Period Counts, you'll also be asked to re-enter counts for products on more than one count sheet if stock moved between the counts.
Customer Order exception
A customer order with a dispatch date within the period hasn't been marked as Dispatched.
To resolve
1
Select CUSTOMER ORDER to open the customer order.
2
Within the customer order, do one of the following:
Mid-Period Count exception
This only happens if Mid-Period Counts is enabled. A product has been counted on more than one count sheet, and stock moved, for example through sales or wastage, between the first and last count.
To resolve
1
Select COUNT to see the product's counts on each count sheet.
2
Re-count the product and enter the updated counts on the count sheets shown.
No Cost Net Base exception
A product has movements within the period, but those movements have no theoretical cost.
To resolve
1
Select PRODUCT to open the product setup page.
Don't have product rights?
Cinchio can't assign product costs on your behalf. Contact your company's Inventory Management administrator.
Order exception
A supplier order expected within the period hasn't been marked as Delivered.
To resolve
1
Select ORDER to open the supplier order.
2
Within the supplier order, do one of the following:
Product Preparation exception
A product preparation scheduled within the period hasn't been marked as Made.
To resolve
1
Select PRODUCT PREPARATION to open the product preparation.
2
Within the product preparation, do one of the following:
Transfer exception
A transfer dispatched within the period hasn't been marked as Received by the receiving site.
To resolve
Select TRANSFER to open the transfer. What to do next depends on its state:
In Preparation
Dispatched
Unprocessed Transaction exception
A transaction hasn't been processed into Cinchio Back Office because it needs further checks.
Contact Cinchio support
If you see this exception, contact us and we'll help:
Wastage exception
Wastage dated within the period hasn't been Approved.
To resolve
1
Select WASTAGE to open the wastage record.
2
Within the wastage record, do one of the following:
QCan I manage periods for all sites in one place?
Yes, if your company uses Company Periods. Log in to the Head Office site and go to Period Management > Periods, then use these filters:
The sites you want to see periods for.
Fills the Company Period list with company periods in that range.
The company period you want to see site periods for.
Periods currently in the selected states.
Select SEARCH to see every matching period. From the results you can check each period's status, open any period, and complete all Approved periods at once.
Troubleshooting
The Approve Period button isn't showing
Check the period is in Pending state. The APPROVE PERIOD button only shows for Pending periods.
If the period is Pending and you still can't see the button, you don't have rights to approve periods. If you think you should, find out how to get access.
The Approve Period button is disabled
Your site can only have one period in Approved state at a time. If the previous period is still Approved, the APPROVE PERIOD button is disabled.
To fix this, complete the previous period, then approve this one.
The Complete Period button isn't showing
Check the period is in Approved state. The COMPLETE PERIOD button only shows for Approved periods.
If the period is Approved and you still can't see the button, you don't have rights to complete periods. If you think you should, find out how to get access.
I'm getting the message "Some Bank Deposits are not Reconciled"
When you select COMPLETE PERIOD, you may see this message:
Some Bank Deposits are not Reconciled for this period.This happens if your company uses Bank Deposit Reconciliation, and there are bank deposits within the period that haven't been reconciled yet.
Reconcile first
Reconcile every bank deposit in the period before completing it.
Stock counts
Frequently asked questions
QWhich products can be counted?
You can add these product types to stock count sheets:
Supplied products
Regular stock items.
Recipe products
Only those flagged for Batch Counting.
Production products
Made and prepared items, if you use the production feature.
How Recipe counts are used
Stock period reporting only uses Supplied products in its calculations. When you count a Recipe product with Batch Counting enabled, the counted quantity is automatically shared across the recipe's Supplied component products, in their defined proportions.
Do I need to count everything?
No. You only need to count Supplied products that:
Had an opening count
Their opening stock at the start of the period was anything other than zero.
Had movements
They had any stock movement during the period, such as sales, wastage, transfers, orders or deliveries.
Missed a product?
If a product that needs counting isn't counted, a Count exception appears when you run a Trial Approve.
QCan I enforce blind stock counts?
Yes. With Blind Stock Counts enabled, users can't see expected stock on hand or period reports while a period is still open. Once counts are entered and the period is Approved, the reports become available to review.
Troubleshooting
I have a stock count variance that needs investigating
The Period Variance report breaks down any stock variances at the end of the period. It also shows each product's opening stock, carried forward from the previous period's closing count, and every stock movement recorded during the period.
Use it to trace where a variance came from. These are the most common causes:
The Opening column only shows the previous period's closing count once that period is approved. Move the previous period to Approved.
Check the Count column matches the physical stock on hand at the end of the period. If it doesn't, correct the count on the count sheet.
This makes the Opening column wrong in this period. Roll back the previous period and correct the count.
Run a Trial Approve to find any outstanding records that need finalising in the period.
Check the product's movement totals match what actually happened during the period. If they don't, select the value to review the records behind it (see the Period Variance report). Roll back any record with the wrong date, correct it and re-approve it.
Check the product's movement totals as above. Roll back any record containing a mistake, correct it and re-approve it.
There's a difference between actual and theoretical costs
The Margin Summary & Stock KPIs and Period KPI Results reports show the total Actual Cost and Theoretical Cost for the period. There's usually a small difference between them, caused by known losses:
Period count variance
At the end of the period.
Declared wastage
During the period.
Yield loss wastage
During the period, if you use Product Preparations.
You can see these losses for each period in the Wastage Analysis section of the Margin Summary & Stock KPIs report:
Why the difference might not match your losses
Sometimes the difference between actual and theoretical cost doesn't equal the total losses in Wastage Analysis. This happens when costs change during the period, because Actual Cost values opening stock at the costs from the start of the period, and closing stock at the costs from the end.
Cost changes within a period are usually small, so the effect is minimal. This exaggerated example shows how it works:
| Opening Stock | Purchases | Sales | Closing Stock | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Units | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 |
| Value | £100 | £150 | £125 | £150 |
Actual Cost is Opening + Purchases − Closing, so £100 + £150 − £150 = £100.
Actual Cost
£100
Opening + Purchases − Closing
Theoretical Cost
£125
Cost at the time of each sale
Difference
£25
Caused by the cost change
Cash counts
Frequently asked questions
QWhich accounts need counting at period end?
Every cash period automatically shows all site accounts of these types assigned to the site, and each one needs a count at the end of the period:
- Cash
- Control
- Float
Account no longer used?
If the period shows an account your site no longer uses and it has no balance, you can remove it from your site accounts so it stops appearing in cash periods.
Troubleshooting
I have a cash count variance that needs investigating
The Cash Account Variance report breaks down any variances at the end of the period. It also shows each account's opening balance, carried forward from the previous period's closing count, and a summary of every cash movement in the period, grouped by movement type.
Use it to trace where a variance came from. These are the most common causes:
The Opening column only shows the previous period's closing count once that period is approved. Move the previous period to Approved.
Check the Count column matches the physical cash held in each account at the end of the period. If it doesn't, correct the count on the count sheet.
This makes the Opening column wrong in this period. Roll back the previous period and correct the count.
Run a Trial Approve to find any outstanding records that need finalising in the period.
Check each account's movement totals match what actually happened during the period. If they don't, review the records behind the total. Roll back any record with the wrong date, correct it and re-approve it.
Check each account's movement totals as above. Roll back any record containing a mistake, correct it and re-approve it.