Operator-built notes on franchise inventory ops
Field notes from running a juice bar franchise and building the AI tools that fixed my own operational pain. New posts twice a week.
How AI invoice scanning works on a Sysco invoice
Photo → line extraction → catalog match → contract-price check → flag. The actual mechanics, the failure modes vendors skip over, and the checklist I'd use to evaluate any tool.
Compeat became reporting-only: what franchise operators should do next
The R365 acquisition left many franchise operators with PDF reports instead of a back office. What you lost, and a checklist for replacing it.
How to tell if your team is actually counting inventory
4 signals that reveal whether daily counts are real, fudged, or fabricated — and the simplest fix that doesn't require sitting in your store.
Why weather changes how much frozen fruit you order
A 90°F day in Napa moves frozen-fruit volume 30%+ higher than a 65°F day. If your ordering doesn't know the weather, you're guessing twice — once on consumption, once on the variable that drives consumption.
Why I scan my Sysco invoices instead of typing them in
Manual data entry was the worst part of my week. Here's the math on why AI invoice scanning saved me 4 hours and $200 per delivery.