tags: [] - coffee/roasting - coffee/roasting/production aliases: - Green coffee inventory - Roastery stock management

Inventory Management¶

Tags: #coffee/roasting #coffee/roasting/production Aliases: Green coffee inventory, Roastery stock management Related: Roasting MOC | Production Scheduling | Yield Calculation | Cropster Status: ✅ Complete

Overview¶

Inventory management in a coffee roastery encompasses the tracking and control of green coffee stock, roasted coffee stock, and consumables (packaging, bags, labels) to ensure production continuity, quality, and financial efficiency. For specialty roasteries, green coffee inventory management is particularly critical because green coffee quality degrades with time and improper storage, and because supply chains can be long and unpredictable — a specific lot from a specific farm may only be available once per year. Poor inventory management leads to either stock-outs (unable to fill orders) or overstock (green coffee aging to below-standard quality before it can be roasted).

Green Coffee Inventory¶

Tracking by lot: Green coffee should be tracked individually by purchase lot — not commingled between different lots or crop years, even from the same origin. Each lot has its own: - Purchase date and green weight received - Origin, farm, variety, processing method, crop year - Expected roast yield percentage - Storage location and orientation - Target use-by date (typically within 12–18 months of crop harvest for specialty)

Storage conditions: Green coffee must be stored in stable, cool (15–21°C), low-humidity (50–65% RH) conditions away from direct sunlight and strong odour sources. Green coffee absorbs ambient odours readily — avoid storing near cleaning products, roasted coffee bags, or other aromatic materials.

Stock turnover — FIFO: First In, First Out is the standard rotation: older lots are used before newer arrivals. The exception is if a newer lot is of higher quality or more time-sensitive.

Minimum stock levels: Production scheduling requires sufficient lead time to order green coffee before stocks run out — shipping from origin to roastery can take 4–12 weeks. Minimum stock levels (the reorder trigger) must account for this lead time.

Roasted Coffee Inventory¶

Roasted coffee has a shorter practical shelf life than green coffee: - Whole bean specialty roasted coffee: best within 2–6 weeks of roast date (nitrogen-flushed packaging extends this) - Ground coffee: best within 2 weeks of roast - Cold brew production: use within 7–10 days post-roast for optimum extraction

Roasted stock should be dispatched on a freshness basis: oldest stock within acceptable freshness window ships first. Avoid building roasted stock reserves beyond 1–2 weeks of typical demand.

Consumables Inventory¶

Packaging materials (bags, tin ties, labels, boxes) must also be tracked: - Shortfalls in packaging halt production even if green coffee and roasting capacity are available - Order packaging with the same lead time awareness applied to green coffee

Software Tools¶

Cropster: Integrates green coffee inventory with roast profiles; automatically deducts batch yields from green stock; generates stock level reports and reorder alerts. The most comprehensive tool available for specialty roastery inventory management.

Spreadsheet: Adequate for small operations; tracks lot quantities manually with each batch logged against the appropriate lot.

Dedicated stock management software: Some roasteries use general food production inventory software; these require adaptation for coffee-specific parameters.

Key Facts¶

Track green coffee individually by lot (not commingled); record origin, variety, processing, crop year, received weight, and storage location
Store green coffee at 15–21°C, 50–65% RH, away from strong odours; use within 12–18 months of crop harvest for specialty
Apply FIFO rotation; maintain minimum stock levels that account for 4–12 week shipping lead times from origin
Roasted coffee stock: dispatch within freshness window (2–6 weeks whole bean); do not build reserves beyond 1–2 weeks typical demand
Cropster automates green stock deduction from roast yields and generates reorder alerts; essential for medium to large operations

References¶

Changelog¶

Date	Change
2026-04-27	Note created

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