Restaurant Inventory Exception Dashboard
Design an operations dashboard that helps a restaurant manager respond to low stock, supplier changes, and menu impact before service.
The brief
Understand the problem
Background
Restaurant managers coordinate ingredients, supplier orders, menu availability, and staff prep under tight deadlines. A list of quantities is not enough when one shortage affects several dishes.
User context
Marta manages a busy neighborhood restaurant. Two hours before dinner, the seafood supplier reduces today's delivery and a prep cook calls in sick.
Product problem
The interface must connect stock exceptions to recipes, service demand, orders, and staff tasks so Marta can decide what to substitute, reorder, or mark unavailable.
Objective
Create an exception-led inventory and service preparation dashboard for a restaurant manager.
What to design
Define the experience
Required experience
- Operational overview
- Stock exception investigation
- Supplier comparison and order adjustment
- Menu and staff action plan
Screens and states
- Operations dashboard
- Ingredient detail
- Supplier comparison
- Purchase order edit
- Service action plan
Core user flow
Follow the critical path
- 01
Marta sees two critical shortages
- 02
She opens the fish inventory and affected dishes
- 03
She compares an alternate supplier with a later delivery
- 04
She reduces one menu item and reassigns prep tasks
Product rules
Requirements and constraints
Requirements
- Prioritize exceptions by service impact
- Trace ingredients to recipes and open orders
- Compare price, minimum order, reliability, and delivery
- Require approval for material order changes
- Record who changed menu availability
Constraints
- Inventory counts can be stale
- Supplier data updates at different times
- Tablet use occurs in a busy kitchen
- Staff permissions differ
Reality check
States worth considering
Ready-to-use content
Mock data
Use this content to test hierarchy and realistic data states. You can expand it when the concept needs more depth.
Dinner exceptions
- Sea bass, 8 portions available, forecast demand 24
- Affected dishes: grilled sea bass and seafood stew
- Alternate supplier: delivery by 17:30, 12 percent higher cost
- Prep team: 1 absence
Finish line
What to deliver
- Five desktop or tablet screens
- An exception card that connects stock, menu, supplier, and owner
If you want more
Optional extensions
Optional direction
Visual resources
Use these as a starting constraint if you want one. They are not part of the required solution.