Par Level Calculator
Set par levels that match your delivery days. Enter how much you use and how often trucks arrive, and see the par, what to order today and how often you can expect to run short. Then build the par sheet for the whole site.
- Order-today quantity
- Whole-site par sheet
- CSV export
- No sign-up
01Item
02Daily usage
Standard deviation of daily usage
03Supply
Order placed → delivered
How much it varies
e.g. 3 or 4 for Monday & Thursday deliveries
04Service & cost
Chance a delivery cycle doesn’t run out
Par level
21cases
Order up to this every 3 days
Reorder point
11cases
Reorder when stock falls to this
Safety stock
5cases
Buffer for a 97% service level
- Order today
- 16 cases
- Safety stock value
- $571
- Avg. stock held
- $1,137
- Expected stockouts
- 3.7 / yr
05Demand over the next 5 days
From ordering until the delivery after next you expect to use 16 cases (σ 2.6). A par level of 21 covers that 97% of the time. The shaded tail is the chance of running out. Your current 5 cases on hand and on order cover it 0% of the time.
06What each extra point of service costs
Safety stock rises steeply as you approach 100%. At 97% you hold $571 of buffer; going to 99% would take $723.
07Par sheet for a whole site
Paste or edit rows: sku, avg daily usage, usage σ, lead time, lead time σ, unit cost, on hand. Uses the 97% service level and 3-day cycle above.
| SKU | Safety stock | Reorder point | Par level | On hand | Order now | Buffer value |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken breast 40lb | 4 | 11 | 21 | 5 | 16 | $571 |
| Romaine hearts 24ct | 2 | 5 | 12 | 3 | 9 | $136 |
| Fryer oil 35lb | 3 | 8 | 12 | 4 | 8 | $156 |
| Burger buns 8ct x 12 | 5 | 12 | 35 | 9 | 26 | $181 |
| To-go clamshell 9in | 5 | 11 | 14 | 6 | 8 | $310 |
| 5 SKUs | $1,353 | |||||
5 SKUs · 1 site · one point in time
These par levels are only right until usage or lead times change. In most kitchens and supply rooms that is next week.
Bollard recalculates par levels for every SKU at every site from actual usage and supplier lead times, then drafts the replenishment order for approval.
Method
Par that matches your delivery schedule
A par level has to last from today’s order until the delivery after next, so it covers lead time + days between deliveries. With Monday and Thursday deliveries and next-day lead time, that is about four or five days of usage.
On top of expected usage, a safety stock of z × √((L+R)·σd² + d²·σL²) covers busy days and late trucks. z depends on the service level you choose: 1.88 for 97%, 2.33 for 99%.
Order today = par level − on hand − on order, rounded up to whole units.
From one site to every site
One par sheet takes an afternoon. With twenty sites it becomes a full-time job.
Bollard keeps par levels current for every item at every location from actual usage, turns each count into a suggested order, and sends approved orders to your vendors.
- Par levels per site, updated from usage
- Counts on a phone that become orders
- Delivery schedules per vendor and site
- Waste and stockouts tracked against par
Questions
Frequently asked
How do you calculate a par level?+
Par level = average daily usage × (lead time + days between deliveries) + safety stock. The safety stock covers days when usage runs high or a delivery is late. On each order day you order the par level minus what is on hand and already on order.
What is a par sheet?+
A par sheet lists every item a site stocks with its par level, so whoever does the count can see what to order. This tool builds one from a pasted SKU list and downloads it as a CSV for your ordering guide.
How often should par levels be updated?+
Whenever usage or delivery patterns change: menu changes, seasonal volume, a new supplier or a change in delivery days. In practice that means checking at least monthly, and more often for high-volume or perishable items.
Should par levels be the same at every location?+
No. Each site has its own volume, storage space and delivery schedule, so the same item can need a very different par at a busy downtown restaurant than at a small campus location.
What service level should a restaurant or hospital use?+
Use 97 to 99 percent for items whose absence stops service, such as a signature protein or a critical clinical supply. 90 to 95 percent is usually enough for items with easy substitutes. Higher service levels mean more cash tied up and, for perishables, more waste.
Is my data sent anywhere?+
No. The calculator and par sheet run entirely in your browser.
Related tools
All tools- Safety Stock & Reorder Point CalculatorGet reorder points and par levels from usage, lead-time variability and a target service level.
- EOQ Calculator with Price BreaksEconomic order quantity with vendor price breaks, case-pack rounding and shelf-life limits.
- Expiry Risk & Inter-Site Transfer PlannerFind stock that will expire before it is used and suggest transfers to sites that need it.
- Goods Receiving Note GeneratorRecord what arrived against the PO, including shorts, damage and temperatures, and get it signed.
Free tools
Calculators and document builders for organisations that buy across many sites.
Runs in your browser
I. Spend & Leakage
II. Purchasing Documents
III. Inventory & Stock
IV. Governance & Controls
Free tools, no sign-up. Your figures are processed in your browser and are not uploaded to a server unless you ask us to email you a result. Results are estimates for planning and do not constitute financial, legal or tax advice.