KitchenLens Module 3 – Waste Tracking

🎯 Module Overview

Primary Purpose: Capture, categorize, and quantify kitchen waste events in real time with minimal friction, ensuring data integrity and linking waste directly to product cost, supplier, and potential root cause.

👨‍🍳

Primary Users

Kitchen Hand / Chef / Section Leader

Log waste as it happens

👔

Secondary Users

Head Chef / Manager

Review, approve, analyze waste

<10s

Entry Time

Quick Stages

Image Recognition

Real-time

Data Capture

🎯 User Goals

⚡

Immediate Logging

Log waste immediately without disrupting workflow

📊

Reduce Recurring Waste

Understand and reduce waste by item, staff, or process

💰

Accurate Data

Keep data accurate for reorder logic, COGS, and pricing decisions

🔍

Root Cause Analysis

Link waste to supplier, product, and potential causes

🔄 Workflow Stages (5-10 Second Entry)

Quick Entry

⚡

5-10 seconds

Tap floating "+ Waste" icon (visible on all screens)
System auto-fills: User, Time, Date
Select Waste Type via color-coded button grid:
- • Prep Waste
- • Spoilage
- • Customer Return
- • Over-Prep
- • Damaged
- • Training / Other
Tap Next

Add Product / Source

📸

Option A: Scan or Snap

Take photo of item, label, or tray
AI recognizes product + cross-matches to inventory
Shows confidence: "95% match: Chicken Breast 2kg"
If unrecognized → manual search

Option B: Search Product

Type name or pick from "Recently Used"
App auto-fills: unit size, supplier, cost
Enter Quantity (keypad or +/− stepper)
Optional: photo evidence + notes

Review & Submit

✅

System calculates: Total Waste Value = Unit Cost × Quantity
Review summary card:
- Product name + photo
- Waste reason + category
- Quantity + calculated cost
- Staff member + timestamp
Tap "Submit" → instant save
Show "Undo" button (10 seconds)
Offline mode: "Pending Sync" badge until uploaded

🗑️ Waste Type Categories

🔪

Prep Waste

Trimming, peeling, normal preparation loss

🦠

Spoilage

Expired, moldy, or spoiled products

↩️

Customer Return

Sent back by customers, quality issues

📦

Over-Prep

Prepared too much, couldn't be used

💔

Damaged

Dropped, broken packaging, mishandled

📚

Training / Other

Practice runs, testing, miscellaneous

⚙️ System Logic & Automation

📊 Data Processing

Pulls product metadata (cost, supplier, unit size, category) from Inventory DB
If image uploaded → runs recognition AI → maps to SKU via confidence threshold
Deducts quantity from Stock On Hand (Inventory module)
Supports offline caching and background sync

🧮 Waste Calculations & Analytics

Daily/Weekly Totals By:

Category (Prep / Spoilage / Return)
Staff member
Supplier
Product

Dashboard KPIs Updated:

Total Waste ($)
Waste % of Purchases
Trending Products
Cost per waste event

🚨 Smart Alerts & Pattern Detection

If Waste Value > $50 or key ingredient (e.g., Protein) → triggers manager push notification: "⚠ High-Value Waste Recorded"
Detects repeat waste for same product within 7 days → flags "Recurring Waste Pattern"
Syncs waste data into Reorder Engine to refine usage forecasts
Updates Smart Reorder suggestions based on actual waste rates

📝 Waste Event Object Structure

                        {
  UserID: "chef_001",
  Timestamp: 1699632000000,
  ProductID: "SKU-12345",
  ReasonCode: "SPOILAGE",
  Quantity: 2,
  Cost: 45.80,
  PhotoURL: "https://...",
  Status: "SUBMITTED",
  ApprovalState: "PENDING"
}
                    

🗄️ Data Inputs & Dependencies

📦 Inventory Database

Products catalog
Current costs
Supplier information
Stock levels

🏷️ Waste Reason Codes

Category definitions
Color coding system
Display priorities
Reporting groups

👤 User Table

User roles
Permissions
Login credentials
Shift assignments

🤖 AI Recognition Model

Trained product library
Confidence thresholds
Image preprocessing
SKU mapping

💵 Cost History

Invoice data
Unit prices
Price trends
Supplier costs

📡 Network Status API

Online/offline detection
Sync queue management
Background uploads
Retry logic

🎨 UI Elements & Outputs

📱 Main Interface Components

➕

Floating "+ Waste" Button

Visible on all core screens, always accessible, min 60px tap zone

🎨

Quick-Add Modal

Large button layout, minimal fields, optional photo, color-coded categories

📋

Visual Summary Card

Product photo + Name + Reason + Cost display after entry

⏳

Progress Bar

"Syncing Waste Entry…" indicator for offline mode

📊 Analytics & Reporting

Waste Log Table

Columns: Date, Product, Reason, Staff, Cost, Status

Charts & Visualizations

Top 5 wasted items, Waste by Reason, Waste by Staff, Total $/week

Dashboard Widget

"Today's Waste – $86.20" + % vs last week

Alert Badge

Red dot on tab when unreviewed waste > threshold

🎛️ Interaction Features

👆 Swipe Gestures

Left = delete (pre-approval), Right = duplicate entry

↩️ Undo Function

10-second window to undo after saving

🔍 Manager Filters

Filter by product, staff, or supplier in review mode

📡 Offline Mode

"Pending Sync" badge until upload completes

💡 UX Design Guidelines

Speed Priority

Entry flow must take <10 seconds on mobile/tablet

Large Touch Zones

All buttons min 48px tap zone for gloved fingers

Visual Recall

Each reason has distinct color for quick recognition

Smart Defaults

Autofocus search field; show recent items to save time

Async Uploads

Photos upload asynchronously, don't block save action

Running Total

Show running waste total per shift (motivational feedback)

Quick Undo

Allow "Undo" for 10 seconds after saving entry

Offline UX

Save locally → show "Pending Sync" badge until uploaded

Manager View

Advanced filtering by product, staff, or supplier

📈 Complete Process Flow

Start Tap "+ Waste" button

↓

Auto-Fill Context User, Time, Date

↓

Select Waste Type Color-coded button grid

↓

Product Entry Method?

Scan/Snap

→

AI Recognition

↓

→

Manual Entry

Enter Quantity Keypad or +/− stepper

↓

🧮 Calculate Value Unit Cost × Quantity

↓

Review Summary Product, Reason, Cost

↓

✅ Submit & Log Update inventory & analytics