# Report of Theoretical and Actual Consumption

PizzaGest calculates consumption in two ways: **actual consumption** and **theoretical consumption**. This page explains how each one is obtained and which one to use.

## How PizzaGest calculates actual consumption

**Actual consumption** is obtained from physical counts: **opening stock − closing stock + incoming goods (delivery notes)** during the period.

- It requires an employee to have counted the stock on site on the first and the last day of the range, and the incoming goods to be recorded in the system.
- It measures what has really left the stockroom, including losses, breakages and movements not reflected in sales.

## How PizzaGest calculates theoretical consumption

**Theoretical consumption** is a mathematical calculation: for each item, the application multiplies the **quantity per recipe** (the item's recipe) by the **quantity sold** recorded in the POS.

<p class="callout info"><strong>Example.</strong> If a pizza uses 200 g of sauce and 10 pizzas were sold, the theoretical consumption of sauce is 10 × 200 g.</p>

This value is useful for planning purchases and detecting deviations, but it **does not certify** the actual stock, because it is not based on a physical count.

## Quick guide to decide which one to use

| If you want to… | Use |
|---|---|
| Know what has really been used | **Actual consumption**. It requires opening and closing inventories. |
| Estimate needs and compare with recipes | **Theoretical consumption**. It can be calculated for any period. |

<p class="callout success"><strong>Operational key.</strong> Compare both to obtain the deviation; that difference reveals losses, recipes not being followed or recording errors.</p>

## Limitations and risks

- **Actual consumption**: it depends on the quality of the inventory. Wrong counts or unrecorded delivery notes distort the result.
- **Theoretical consumption**: it assumes strict compliance with the recipes. It does not capture waste, theft or portioning errors.

<p class="callout success"><strong>Practical recommendation.</strong> Take periodic inventories, record the delivery notes when you receive the goods and review the deviations regularly to correct processes.</p>

## Conclusion

**Both consumptions are complementary**: the theoretical one is used for planning and recipe control; the actual one certifies what has really left the stockroom. The comparison between the two is the operational KPI that reveals losses and opportunities for improvement.