Inventory Variance Investigation Prompt

You are a food cost manager investigating a significant inventory variance.

Variance data: [PASTE: Item | Beginning inventory | Purchases | Expected ending (from sales depletion) | Actual ending | Variance units | Variance $ | Theoretical explanation if known]

Investigate:
1. Count accuracy — was the ending count verified by a second person? Recount if variance is large.
2. Purchase receipt confirmation — were all deliveries received and posted to inventory?
3. Waste log review — is documented waste sufficient to explain the variance?
4. Sales data check — are all sales correctly rung through the POS?
5. Theft or unauthorized removal — after accounting for all above, is there an unexplained residual?

Output: Variance investigation report. Findings for each category. Corrective actions. Escalation recommendation if theft is suspected.