Why lock areas and functions in tspoonlab, and how do you do it?
Locking areas and functions in tspoonlab stops accidental changes to the data you've already checked. You can lock ingredients, materials, recipes, dishes, purchases, sales, inventories, stores and productions. A padlock next to the name confirms each lock, and you can unlock a production when you need to correct it.
This article is for managers, head chefs and cost controllers who want to protect the data in their tspoonlab account. To lock and unlock, your user needs the "Can lock" permission, which the support team turns on for you.
Locking areas and functions in tspoonlab has two main benefits:
Security and operational integrity: locking stops your team from making accidental or unauthorised changes to the critical elements of your business.
Accurate, reliable management: your costs, recipes and stock records stay stable, so you can rely on your financial and operational analysis.
📢 Important: to lock areas in tspoonlab, ask support to turn on the "Can lock" permission for your user. Contact them through the built-in Support Chat in the bottom-right corner of your screen. Until it's on, you can't lock or unlock anything.
Step-by-step guide to locking areas individually in tspoonlab
To lock areas individually in tspoonlab, use each item's own three-dot menu. Open the ingredient, recipe, purchase, sale, inventory, store or production and choose the lock option. Once it's locked, a padlock appears next to its name.
How do you lock ingredients and materials in tspoonlab?
Locking an ingredient or a material in tspoonlab prevents any change to the ingredients, raw materials and materials saved in your database.
Go to "Offer", then "Ingredients" or "Materials". In the search box on the left of the screen, select the ingredient or material you want to lock.
On the Ingredient Page or Material Page that opens, click the three-dot menu on the right of the screen. Select "Lock product".
Check that a padlock appears next to the ingredient or material name, in the header and in the list. tspoonlab also shows the "Locked" message at the bottom of the screen. The padlock confirms the lock is active.
How do you lock recipes and dishes in tspoonlab?
Locking a recipe or a dish in tspoonlab protects its recipe costing (technical sheet), so no one changes its ingredients or preparation steps.
Go to "Offer", then "Recipes" or "Dishes". In the search box on the left of the screen, select the recipe or dish you want to lock.
In the recipe or dish that opens, click the three-dot menu on the right of the screen. Select "Lock product". The option has the same name as for ingredients.
Check that a padlock appears next to the recipe or dish name. tspoonlab also shows the "Locked" message at the bottom of the screen. The padlock confirms the lock is active.
How do you lock purchases in tspoonlab?
Locking a purchase in tspoonlab prevents retroactive changes to the Purchase Orders you've sent and the delivery notes you've already received.
Go to "Management", then "Purchases". In the search box on the left of the screen, select the order or group of orders you want to lock, for example a week.
In the order or group of orders that opens, click the three-dot menu on the right of the screen. Select "Lock order".
Check that a padlock appears next to the purchase name, in the header and in the list. tspoonlab also shows the "Locked" message at the bottom of the screen. The padlock confirms the lock is active.
How do you lock sales in tspoonlab?
Locking sales in tspoonlab prevents mismatches in the sales recorded and integrated from your POS (Point of Sale). You can lock a whole group of sales or just one sale in the group.
Go to "Management", then "Sales". In the search box on the left, select the group of sales that contains the sales you want to lock, for example a week.
In the group of sales that opens, choose what you want to lock:
The whole group of sales: click the three-dot menu at the top right of the screen and select "Lock sale".
Just one sale in the group: click the three-dot menu on the right of that sale's row, for example a customer's, and select "Lock".
Check that a padlock appears next to the name of the sale or group of sales. tspoonlab also shows the "Locked" message at the bottom of the screen. The padlock confirms the lock is active.
How do you lock inventories in tspoonlab?
Locking an inventory in tspoonlab protects its quantities and valuation, and stops anyone changing or deleting it by mistake.
Go to "Management", then "Inventories". In the search box on the left of the screen, select the inventory you want to lock.
In the inventory that opens, click the three-dot menu on the right of the screen. Select "Lock inventory".
Check that a padlock appears next to the inventory name. tspoonlab also shows the "Locked" message at the bottom of the screen. The padlock confirms the lock is active.
💡 Tip: don't delete old inventories from tspoonlab. They're part of your history and keep your stock traceable. To protect them from accidental changes and deletions, lock each inventory as soon as you finish it.
How do you lock stores in tspoonlab?
Locking a store in tspoonlab protects the physical or logical store, so its current status and allocation don't change.
Go to "Management", then "Stores". In the search box on the left of the screen, select the store you want to lock.
In the store that opens, click the three-dot menu on the right of the screen. Select "Lock store".
Check that a padlock appears next to the store name. tspoonlab also shows the "Locked" message at the bottom of the screen. The padlock confirms the lock is active.
How do you lock productions in tspoonlab?
Locking a production in tspoonlab protects its data, such as quantities, ingredients used and batches, so no one changes it or deletes it by mistake.
Go to "Management", then "Production". In the calendar, select the day of the production. Click the production you want to lock.
In the production that opens, click the three-dot menu on the right of the screen. Select "Lock production".
Check that a padlock appears next to the production name. It confirms the lock is active: from then on, no one can change or delete the production until it's unlocked.
💡 Tip: lock each production in tspoonlab once it's finished. That way, the stock and real cost recorded when you finished the production don't change, and your Food Cost analysis stays reliable.
📌 Note: only users with the "Can lock" permission can unlock a production in tspoonlab. If you don't see the "Unlock production" option in the three-dot menu, ask support to check your user's permissions.
Who can lock and unlock in tspoonlab?
In tspoonlab, only users with the "Can lock" permission turned on can lock and unlock ingredients, materials, recipes, dishes, purchases, sales, inventories, stores and productions. Other users see the padlock, but they can't change or delete locked items.
💡 Tip: give the tspoonlab "Can lock" permission to just one user on your team. This reduces the risk of someone unlocking an inventory or a production and then changing or deleting it by mistake.
Which areas can you lock in tspoonlab, and what does each lock protect?
In tspoonlab, you can lock seven areas individually, and each lock protects a different type of data:
Ingredients and materials: prevents any change to the ingredients, raw materials and materials saved in your database.
Recipes and dishes: protects your recipe costings, so no one changes the ingredients or the preparation steps.
Purchases: prevents retroactive changes to the orders you've sent and the delivery notes you've already received.
Sales: prevents changes or mismatches in the sales recorded and integrated in the platform.
Inventories: protects stock valuations and stock closings from unwanted changes.
Stores: protects physical or logical stores, so their current status and allocation don't change.
Productions: protects recorded productions, so no one changes the quantities, ingredients used or batches, or deletes them by mistake.
When should you use bulk locking or a period close instead of individual locking?
Individual locking in tspoonlab protects one specific item, such as an ingredient, an order or a production. When you want to protect all the records in a period, tspoonlab gives you two faster options:
Bulk locking by period: locks a period's purchases, sales, inventories, transfers, waste, productions and supplier invoices in one go, and you choose which areas to lock. Find out more in Lock areas and functions in bulk.
Period close: locks everything that happened within a date range. If you work with several Cost Centres, you close the period from the master Cost Centre and it applies to all the others. Find out more in Close a period.
Still need help?
Click the built-in Support Chat in the bottom-right corner of your screen and our team will get back to you.