Goal: Learn essential housekeeping tasks and systematic approaches to keep your RoastLog inventory organized, accurate, and valuable as your business grows.
Prerequisites: You must have been using RoastLog for at least one month with active inventory.
Why Housekeeping Matters More Than You Think
As your coffee business grows, maintaining a clean and accurate inventory system becomes increasingly critical to your success. We've learned from many roasters that regular housekeeping is the difference between a system that supports your growth and one that becomes a burden.
Getting the most from RoastLog's inventory management capabilities requires keeping your bean lots organized and Roastables up-to-date. The biggest benefits of systematic housekeeping include:
Clear communication between roasters, your green buyer, Quality and Production teams
Better production insights for your Management team
Accurate physical inventory that matches what RoastLog displays
Fewer inventory adjustments and reconciliation headaches
Reliable roasting history and reporting data
It's usually best to assign these housekeeping responsibilities to one person, such as the green coffee buyer or production manager. Focusing on these key areas will keep your operation running smoothly and generally makes life in your roastery much easier.
Understanding When and How to Archive Bean Lots
The coffees you offer to your customers naturally change over time. When a new crop of coffee or a different lot arrives, the best practice is to create a new Bean Lot. Conversely, it's equally important to archive lots that you no longer sell.
When to Archive Bean Lots
Archive a Bean Lot when:
The inventory is completely exhausted
The coffee lot is no longer available from your supplier
You do not plan to order any additional coffee from that particular lot
Quality issues make the remaining coffee unsuitable for use
A new crop has replaced the old one
How to Archive Bean Lots
Go to your Inventory page
Click the name of the Bean Lot to be archived
On the toolbar, click Archive
Click OK to confirm the action
Use the Archive function to keep your active inventory list focused on current coffees.
Important: When you archive a Bean Lot, RoastLog automatically archives any Roastables that use that Bean Lot as a component. This includes both single-origin Roastables and blends. If you want to continue using those Roastables, you must first update their recipes to use a different Bean Lot before archiving the original one. Otherwise, those Roastables will become unavailable in your system.
Managing Roastables Through Inventory Changes
Roastables represent your roasting approach and how coffee is prepared and served. Examples include a pre-roast blend named "House Blend", single-origin coffee named "Amaro Gayo" and a single-origin named "Brazil dark."
When a bean lot is no longer available, it's essential to update all associated Roastables where the coffee is listed as a component. This keeps your inventory synchronized and ensures accurate reporting.
How to Update Roastables
Go to the Roastables page
Click the name of the Roastable that needs updating
On the toolbar, click Edit this item
Make changes to the Roastable by clicking the component name(s)
Change the percentage(s), if applicable
Scroll to the bottom and designate the roasting location where the Roastable is available
Click Save to apply your changes
Update Roastables proactively when Bean Lots are running low.
Pro Tip: If you no longer intend to use a Roastable, it can be archived from the Roastables page. This won't prevent you from running reports based on the retired Roastable, but it keeps your active list clean.
Understanding Bean Lot Versions
RoastLog automatically creates different "versions" of Bean Lots to ensure accurate cost tracking. A new Bean Lot version is created when any of these key attributes differ from an existing bean:
Bean parent
Lot identifier
ICO bag mark
Physical location
Purchase price
This versioning system enables precise tracking of your roast costs, even when you use the same coffee over time but at different prices.
Example of Bean Versioning
If you have 100 bags of a coffee at your warehouse and move portions to your roastery over time:
Same price: You'll have one Bean Lot at your roastery
Different prices: You'll have multiple Bean Lot versions, each with its specific cost
For example, if you paid $5.10/lb for the first batch and $5.35/lb for the second batch, RoastLog creates two distinct Bean Lots under the same Parent Coffee. This granular tracking provides accurate cost analysis for individual roasts.
Establishing Regular Maintenance Schedules
Consistent maintenance prevents small issues from becoming major problems. Here's our recommended schedule based on business size:
Weekly Tasks
Review inventory levels and identify coffees approaching zero
Update Roastables using Bean Lots with low inventory
Check for any data entry errors or inconsistencies
Verify that recent deliveries were properly recorded
Monthly Tasks
Perform complete physical inventory counts
Reconcile physical counts with system records using adjustment features
Archive completely depleted Bean Lots
Review and clean up unused or obsolete Roastables
Quarterly Tasks
Conduct review of naming conventions
Archive old contracted coffees that won't be delivered
Review overall inventory organization strategy
Clean up duplicate entries or inconsistent data
Annual Tasks
Complete review of inventory management procedures
Update standard operating procedures documentation
Review and optimize your Parent Coffee organization structure
Analyze year-over-year inventory performance
Plan improvements for the following year
Creating Sustainable Naming Conventions
Consistent naming conventions become increasingly important as your business grows. Establish and document standards for:
Parent Coffees
Be consistent with geographical hierarchies (Country > Region > Sub-region)
Use standard short codes for country and region names or producers
Examples:
El Salvador Finca San Miguel → ELS-FSM
Ethiopia Hambela Buliye → ETH-HAM
Ethiopia Sidama Shantawene → ETH-SID
Guatemala Antigua Pulcal → GUA-ANT
Rwanda Gitwe → RWA-GIT
Timor Leste Letefoho → TLS-LET
Bean Lots
Include crop year when relevant
Include lot numbers or identifiers from suppliers
Use consistent formatting across all entries
Roastables
Use names that your customers and team will recognize
Include roast level or intended use when helpful
Maintain consistency with your retail naming
Document your conventions and ensure all team members follow them. This prevents confusion and makes training new staff members much easier.
Assigning Clear Team Responsibilities
Successful inventory housekeeping requires clear ownership of specific tasks:
Green Coffee Buyer
Adding new Bean Lots with complete information
Updating contract details and pricing
Making decisions about which lots to archive
Maintaining producer and supplier relationships in the system
Production Manager
Creating and updating Roastables
Scheduling deliveries and managing receiving
Coordinating physical inventory counts
Monitoring inventory levels for production planning
Head Roaster
Ensuring roasts are recorded correctly in RoastLogger
Flagging inventory discrepancies discovered during production
Providing feedback on Roastable accuracy and usability
Warehouse/Receiving Staff
Processing incoming deliveries accurately
Conducting physical inventory counts
Identifying and reporting damaged or problematic lots
Finance/Management
Reviewing inventory value reports
Analyzing cost trends and purchasing performance
Setting inventory targets and policies
Summary
Regular housekeeping transforms RoastLog from a simple tracking tool into a strategic asset that supports better decision-making and smoother operations throughout your business.