A Distribution Day in PantryPOS, From Opening to Reports
Pantry software is easiest to judge by walking through one real day. Here is a distribution day in PantryPOS in the order a pantry actually works it, from unlocking the building to the report your food bank asks for.
Before the doors open
Log temperatures. The dashboard lists every fridge, freezer and dry-storage area with morning and afternoon checks still due, so nobody has to remember a clipboard.
Pull what goes first. The FIFO board lists every lot in the order it should leave the shelves: earliest best-by date first, then earliest received. Lots expiring soon are flagged, and anything under a recall hold is kept off the floor. Checkout draws down lots in this same order automatically, so the board is only for stocking the shelves to match.
Receiving donations
A volunteer scans the product barcode, or uses a phone camera, and PantryPOS fills in the category, name and package weight. They enter the number of packages, and the lot is recorded with its donor, weight and dates. Produce and bulk items with no barcode get a code and printable labels on the spot.
Guests arrive
Guests with an appointment check in at the front desk or at a self check-in kiosk. Walk-ins are found by name or card code. The household's eligibility record is captured once and reused, which is where the monthly figures come from.
The market
In a client-choice pantry, a volunteer scans the guest's card to open a cart, and each item is scanned as it goes in. At checkout, stock comes off the shelves in FIFO order and the visit is recorded against the household. If the internet drops, PantryPOS keeps working offline and catches up when the connection comes back.
After close
There is no end-of-day tally sheet. Pounds received, pounds distributed, households and people served are already recorded, and inventory on hand is current by category, with anything on hold or close to its date called out. When the food bank or a funder asks for numbers, they can be exported. If your pantry hands out TEFAP food, see which TEFAP records a pantry must keep.
Try it with your own day
PantryPOS has not yet run a live distribution day at a partner pantry, and we are looking for the first few sites to pilot it. See what a pilot looks like, or start the 30-day trial yourself. No card is needed, and there is no automatic billing when it ends.