Automate Food Waste Tracking with Telegram & Google Sheets

Streamline Your Restaurant's Food Waste Management with Telegram & Google Sheets

Take control of your restaurant's food waste effortlessly by automating the tracking process with our dedicated n8n workflow. Designed for precision and efficiency, this workflow captures your food waste entries sent via Telegram and logs them straight into Google Sheets. It then generates a comprehensive weekly report analyzing waste over the past 30 days, assigning costs based on ingredient prices, and spotlighting key waste reasons against your restaurant's targets.

What this workflow does

• Trigger: The workflow activates upon receiving a Telegram message or automatically every Sunday at 20:00.
• Data Parsing: It loads your venue-specific configuration values and smartly parses Telegram messages into structured fields such as date, product, quantity, unit, and reason, using plain rules for consistent outcomes.
• Data Logging: If identified as a waste entry, it promptly appends the waste log to the designated "Waste" tab in Google Sheets and confirms the entry via Telegram. Fail-safe mechanisms prompt manual logging if any concerns arise.
• Error Handling: Unparsable messages receive a Telegram reply with formatting guidance for accurate re-entry, ensuring data integrity.
• Report Generation: On receiving a report request or on its scheduled run, it aggregates the last 30 days of data, computes waste costs, categorizes by various parameters, formulates a markdown report, and shares the insights through your Telegram chat.

Use cases

• Restaurants eager to minimize food waste while maintaining detailed records in a streamlined manner.
• SaaS operators looking to integrate practical automation for operational efficiency.
• Automation engineers wanting to showcase the capabilities of n8n workflows in real-time business scenarios.

Technical details

• Integrations: Telegram, Google Sheets
• n8n Nodes Used: set, code, merge, switch, telegram, sticky note

This process not only aids in reducing waste but also enhances decision-making with valuable insights into waste patterns, ultimately boosting your restaurant’s sustainability initiatives. Experience the seamless integration and watch your operational efficiency soar!