Ship and cruise ship catering

Inventory in ship and cruise ship catering - full control between port and high seas

On-board catering on cruise ships is logistically highly complex - especially when it comes to storage. A cruise ship is like a small floating town where thousands of meals and drinks are served every day.

Inventory on a cruise ship is therefore a key element in ensuring that food is available on board at all times. Long voyages and limited replenishment options require perfect inventory management. In this unique environment, precise stocktaking is essential to ensure that nothing runs out between port stops and that no surplus takes up valuable storage space.

Why inventory on board is critical to success

A regular and accurate inventory on board your ship is absolutely critical to success. Why? Because long supply intervals and the inability to spontaneously reorder on the high seas leave no room for error. If an important food or drink runs out, you can't just order more from the wholesaler in the middle of the ocean. At the same time, there are many serving points - from buffet restaurants to specialty restaurants and numerous bars - which means that supplies are spread across various storage locations. The quantities are enormous: a single cruise trip often requires tons of food and beverages. This makes it all the more important to maintain a high level of precision when taking stock. Every bottle and every crate counts to ensure that the guests are fed smoothly and that you can keep an overview at all times, including financially.

Typical challenges

Inventory and warehouse management on the ship pose some special challenges:

• Limited storage capacity: Storage space on a ship is limited. Superfluous supplies not only tie up capital, but also take up space that you need for more important items. Precise stocktaking helps you to only have what you need on board.
• Fluctuating demand: The number of guests and their consumption vary depending on the route and season. Sometimes there are 2,000, sometimes over 5,000 passengers on board - consumption fluctuates accordingly. Your inventory must take these changing requirements into account so that there are no shortages or overstocks.
• Shift work by the crew: Cruise ships have no day off; on-board catering runs 24/7, which means that stocktaking often takes place at night or early in the morning when the guest business is at a standstill. The crew works in shifts, which makes coordination difficult - a simple, quick counting method is therefore worth its weight in gold.
• Many serving locations: From the main restaurant to the crew canteen to various bars and cafés - stocks are scattered across numerous areas. An on-board catering inventory must cover all these locations so that every storage location is included.
• No stable network: In the middle of the sea, there is often no reliable Wi-Fi or mobile network. Digital solutions must work offline so that stocktaking does not come to a standstill. A digital inventory in on-board catering should therefore also work seamlessly without the internet.

How BarBrain simplifies inventory on board

BarBrain, a digital inventory software for cruise ships and restaurants, makes stocktaking on board much easier. The app was specially developed to make stocktaking in cruise ship catering intuitive and time-saving - even under the demanding conditions at sea. Here are some of the most important functions and features of BarBrain:

• Slider for fill levels: Your crew can conveniently record opened bottles, canisters or oil containers using the slider. Instead of laboriously estimating or converting to liters, simply drag a slider to the estimated fill level (e.g. half full). This way, even leftovers are precisely documented.
• Quantity recording via +/- widget: Whole units such as full bottles, cartons or barrels are counted with a simple tap. Use a plus/minus widget to increase or decrease the number of units - much faster and less error-prone than tally lists on paper.
• Offline counting possible: You can take stock with BarBrain even without internet access. Whether in the deepest storage room below deck or on the high seas without Wi-Fi - the app saves all entries offline and synchronizes them as soon as a connection is re-established. This means that digital stock control also works smoothly on the high seas.
• Counting by area or serving location: You can easily organize the inventory by location - e.g. main kitchen, pool bar, crew canteen, storage room deck 1, etc. BarBrain makes it possible to record stocks individually for each area and to merge them later. This gives you a detailed overview of which department has what in stock.
• Clear snapshot on the key date: BarBrain provides you with a complete inventory list as a snapshot on the inventory key date. All data is recorded uniformly and can be evaluated immediately. You have a reliable basis for planning orders for the next port or providing Controlling with precise figures - without time-consuming follow-up work. (Note: As an inventory tool, BarBrain works with key date figures and does not replace real-time inventory management, which is an advantage at sea).

Advantages for cruise ships and on-board operations

This form of digital inventory offers numerous tangible benefits for cruise ships and on-board operations:

• Time saving: With BarBrain, you can complete an inventory that might previously have taken a whole day at sea in a fraction of the time. The intuitive operation and the option to count on several devices at the same time make it possible.
• Greater accuracy: Digital recording drastically reduces the error rate. Transposed figures, reading errors or forgotten items on paper are a thing of the past. You receive exact inventory data for your on-board catering - a huge benefit for purchasing, costing and warehouse management.
• Fewer bottlenecks and losses: With precise figures, you avoid both overstocking and the dreaded "oops, we're out of beer" in the middle of the sea. Shrinkage and spoilage can be detected more quickly because regular inventories can be carried out with minimal effort. This saves costs and nerves.
• Better controlling: Whether the hotel manager on board or the controlling team on land - everyone benefits from transparent inventory results. Inventory software for cruises such as BarBrain creates trust, as the data is traceable and can be called up at any time. This significantly improves planning for future trips and purchases.
• Relieved crew: Last but not least, your crew will thank you. Instead of spending hours balancing through cramped storerooms with a clipboard, the team can take stock quickly using a smartphone or tablet. Motivation increases when stocktaking is easy - and the time saved can be used for guest service or other important tasks.
  

"Taking stock after every cruise used to be a tedious marathon. We spent two days counting, keeping lists and still often had discrepancies. With BarBrain, we can now complete the inventory in just a few hours - even on the high seas without reliable internet. Our crew is more relaxed and we always have an overview of all supplies, whether in the main warehouse or in the bars."

Conclusion: Test BarBrain now free of charge

Stock management and inventory in ship and cruise ship catering no longer have to cause stomach aches. With the right digital support, you can keep full control of your stock between port and the high seas. BarBrain simplifies stocktaking on the cruise ship enormously - from recording to evaluation. See the benefits for yourself in practice: test BarBrain now for 30 days free of charge and experience how smoothly stocktaking can work on board. Have a safe voyage and always well-stocked warehouses!