What does a food service inventory management system typically track?

A food service inventory management system is designed to provide a comprehensive view of various elements crucial to managing food supplies and ensuring efficient operations. It typically tracks stock levels, which indicates the quantity of each item on hand. This is essential for understanding what is available and for making informed purchasing decisions to avoid shortages or overstock situations.

Additionally, the system keeps a record of order history, which helps management analyze past purchasing patterns and make better forecasting decisions in the future. This data can reveal trends in demand, assisting with timely reordering and minimizing food waste.

Furthermore, tracking product sales is a key function, as it allows businesses to identify which items are selling well and which are not. This information can guide menu adjustments, marketing strategies, and promotional efforts, optimizing profitability and customer satisfaction.

In contrast, while staff schedules and food safety protocols are critical components of food service operations, they fall outside the primary focus of inventory management systems. Similarly, while menu items and pricing changes are important aspects of a restaurant's operations, they are typically managed through other systems rather than being a direct function of inventory management. Thus, the combination of stock levels, order history, and product sales makes option B the most accurate description of what a food service inventory management system tracks.