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Unit Conversions Unit conversions define how ordered products are converted into ingredient stock.
They are used when Mathership receives orders, updates inventory, calculates stock balances, creates inventory ledger entries, and calculates inventory value.
What unit conversions are used for Use unit conversions when a product is ordered in one unit but inventory is tracked in another unit.
Common examples:
A vendor product is ordered as a box, but stock is tracked in kilograms
Milk is ordered in packs, but inventory is tracked in liters
Bottles are ordered as cases, but stock is tracked as single bottles
A recipe uses grams, but the ingredient is stored in kilograms
POS sales reduce stock in smaller units than the purchasing unit
How unit conversions work Mathership separates three concepts:
Concept Meaning Product unit The unit or packaging used when ordering a product Ingredient base unit The unit used to track inventory for an ingredient Conversion factor The amount of ingredient stock created from one ordered product unit
Example:
Ordered product Ingredient Conversion 1 box tomatoes Tomatoes 10 kg 1 pack milk Milk 10 L 1 case beer Beer bottle 24 bottles
If you receive 2 boxes of tomatoes and one box equals 10 kg, Mathership creates a receipt of 20 kg.
Base units Each ingredient has a base unit.
The base unit is the main unit used for inventory balances, ledger entries, reports, and recipe usage.
Examples:
Ingredient Base unit Flour kg Milk L Eggs pcs Ribeye kg Wine bottle
Choose the base unit carefully. Changing the base unit later can make old reports and stock movements harder to compare.
Product-to-ingredient conversion Unit conversion is usually configured through product-to-ingredient mapping.
A product mapping defines how a vendor product becomes an ingredient quantity.
Field Meaning Vendor product Product ordered from the vendor Ingredient Ingredient that receives stock From unit Unit from the ordered product or packaging To unit Ingredient stock unit Factor Quantity added to inventory per ordered product unit
Example:
Vendor product Ingredient Factor Tomato box Tomatoes 10 kg Milk pack Milk 10 L Flour sack Flour 25 kg
Conversion factor The conversion factor tells Mathership how much ingredient stock one ordered product unit creates.
Example:
Ordered quantity Factor Inventory receipt 1 box 10 kg 10 kg 2 boxes 10 kg 20 kg 5 boxes 10 kg 50 kg
The calculation is:
Received inventory quantity = Ordered quantity × Conversion factor Packaging levels Packaging levels describe nested product packaging.
They are useful when a product has multiple layers.
Example:
Level Quantity per parent Unit Box 6 Pack Pack 1 kg
In this example, one box contains 6 packs, and each pack contains 1 kg.
The total quantity per box is 6 kg.
Packaging example A vendor sells flour as a box with 4 bags. Each bag contains 2.5 kg.
Packaging level Quantity per parent Unit Box 4 Bag Bag 2.5 kg
Result:
Ordered product Inventory quantity 1 box 10 kg 2 boxes 20 kg 3 boxes 30 kg
Automatic factor calculation Mathership can help calculate a conversion factor from packaging information.
For example, if a product packaging says Box with 6 bottles of 0.75 L , Mathership can calculate:
Product Base quantity 1 box 4.5 L
If the mapped ingredient uses liters as the base unit, the factor becomes 4.5.
Automatic conversion depends on clear packaging information. Always review the calculated factor before using it for inventory.
AI-assisted packaging detection Mathership can use AI-assisted packaging detection to interpret product packaging information.
This helps when a vendor product contains packaging text such as:
Packaging text Suggested factor 6 x 0.75 L 4.5 L 4 x 2.5 kg 10 kg 24 bottles 24 bottles
Mathership can use this information to create packaging levels and calculate a suggested conversion factor.
AI-assisted suggestions should always be reviewed before saving. Incorrect packaging text can lead to incorrect stock quantities.
From unit and to unit A mapping can use a source unit and a target unit.
Field Meaning From unit Unit detected from the product packaging To unit Unit used for the ingredient Factor Converted quantity from product to ingredient
Example:
From unit To unit Conversion g kg 1000 g = 1 kg ml L 1000 ml = 1 L kg kg 1 kg = 1 kg L L 1 L = 1 L
Receiving orders Unit conversions are used when receiving vendor orders into inventory.
Example:
Ordered product Ordered quantity Factor Ledger receipt Tomato box 2 10 kg RECEIPT +20 kgMilk pack 5 10 L RECEIPT +50 LFlour sack 1 25 kg RECEIPT +25 kg
If a product has no mapping, Mathership cannot correctly convert it into ingredient stock.
Products without a valid product-to-ingredient mapping cannot be received into inventory correctly.
Partial receiving When receiving an order, the received quantity can differ from the ordered quantity.
Example:
Ordered quantity Received quantity Factor Inventory receipt 10 boxes 8 boxes 10 kg 80 kg 5 packs 5 packs 10 L 50 L 6 cases 4 cases 24 bottles 96 bottles
Mathership uses the received quantity for the inventory receipt.
Recipes and unit conversions Recipes use ingredient quantities.
The ingredient base unit should match how the ingredient is normally consumed.
Example:
Recipe item Quantity used Ingredient base unit Ribeye steak 0.3 kg kg Tomato soup 0.15 kg kg Milk sauce 0.2 L L
When a POS sale or recipe issue is posted, Mathership reduces stock using the ingredient unit.
POS usage POS mappings can reduce inventory through recipes or direct ingredient mappings.
Example:
POS item Recipe usage Inventory issue Ribeye steak 300 g ribeye ISSUE -0.3 kgTomato soup 150 g tomatoes ISSUE -0.15 kgCappuccino 0.15 L milk ISSUE -0.15 L
POS stock usage depends on correct recipe quantities, product mappings, and ingredient base units.
Inventory ledger impact Unit conversions directly affect inventory ledger entries.
When an order is received, the ledger stores the converted ingredient quantity.
Example:
Ordered quantity Conversion factor Ledger quantity 2 boxes 10 kg +20 kg 5 packs 10 L +50 L 3 cases 24 bottles +72 bottles
The ledger does not only store the vendor order quantity. It stores the converted stock movement in the ingredient unit.
Cost conversion Costs are also affected by the conversion factor.
If one ordered product costs €20 and creates 10 kg of stock, the unit cost is €2 per kg.
Example:
Ordered product cost Factor Unit cost €20.00 per box 10 kg €2.00/kg €15.00 per pack 5 L €3.00/L €24.00 per case 24 bottles €1.00/bottle
This unit cost is used for inventory value and weighted average cost.
Common workflows Create a product mapping
Go to Inventory → Ingredients
Select an ingredient
Open Product Mapping
Select the vendor product
Choose the target ingredient
Enter or calculate the conversion factor
Save the mapping
Use AI-assisted factor calculation
Select the vendor product
Select the target ingredient
Let Mathership analyze the product packaging
Review the suggested packaging levels
Review the calculated factor
Save the mapping if the result is correct
Review a calculated factor
Open the product mapping
Check the packaging levels
Confirm the bottom-level unit
Compare the calculated factor with the real package size
Save only if the result is correct
Receive an order with conversions
Open the received order
Check which order items are mapped
Select the storage unit
Review the received quantity
Review the converted base quantity
Post the receipt to inventory
Fix a wrong conversion
Open the product-to-ingredient mapping
Check the packaging levels
Check the from unit and to unit
Correct the factor
Save the mapping
Review affected receipts and ledger entries
Changing a mapping affects future inventory movements. It does not automatically rewrite old ledger entries.
Best practices Use clear base units Use base units that match how you manage stock.
Good examples:
Ingredient type Recommended base unit Meat kg Vegetables kg Milk and liquids L Bottled drinks bottle or L Eggs pcs
Keep packaging levels accurate Packaging levels should match the real product structure.
Check:
Number of items per box
Weight or volume per item
Correct bottom-level unit
Correct order of packaging levels
Check conversion factors before receiving A wrong factor can create large stock errors.
Example:
Wrong factor Result 1 box = 1 kg instead of 10 kg Stock too low 1 pack = 10 L instead of 1 L Stock too high 1 case = 1 bottle instead of 24 bottles Stock too low
Use one consistent unit per ingredient Avoid mixing base units for the same ingredient.
For example, do not track the same ingredient sometimes in grams and sometimes in kilograms.
Use one base unit and convert everything into that unit.
Common problems Received stock is too high Check:
Product mapping factor
Packaging levels
From unit and to unit
Whether the ordered quantity was entered correctly
Whether the product was received twice
Received stock is too low Check:
Product mapping factor
Missing packaging levels
Wrong bottom-level unit
Product mapped to the wrong ingredient
Partial received quantity
Product cannot be received into inventory Check:
Product is mapped to an ingredient
Ingredient exists and is active
Ingredient has a base unit
Mapping has a valid factor
Storage unit was selected
Unit cost looks wrong Check:
Product price
Conversion factor
Received quantity
Unit cost override
Weighted average cost history
Packaging was parsed incorrectly Check:
Product packaging text
Packaging levels
Quantity per parent
Bottom-level unit
Calculated factor
If automatic parsing creates the wrong result, edit the packaging levels manually.
Related pages
Ingredients Manage ingredients and their base units.
Product Mapping Map vendor products to inventory ingredients.
Receiving Orders Receive vendor orders and convert products into ingredient stock.
Inventory Ledger View converted inventory movements and running stock balances.
Recipes Use ingredient quantities for recipes and POS stock reduction.
Inventory Reports Analyze stock, movement quantities, costs, and inventory values.
