1. A method for managing financial data, comprising the steps of: (a) receiving a case at a store, where the case includes one or more components capable of being used to produce a variable number or type of items; (b) receiving case code information identifying the nature of components in the case and case cost information; (c) receiving case composition information for the received case, where the case composition information identifies one or more types of food items capable of being produced using the components of the case; (d) calculating an item cost for each of the one or more types of food items capable of being produced using the components of the case, wherein the calculating uses the case composition information and the case cost information; (e) storing the item cost in a store cost database and a division cost database; (f) producing a food item using a food preparation operation by processing one or more components of the case; (g) placing the food item on display for consumer purchase; (h) identifying the food item by scanning a bar code associated with the food item, the food item being separate from the one or more components of the case and being identified separately from any of the one or more components; (i) associating the item cost with the identified food item, the step of associating the item cost with the identified item comprising looking first in the store cost database for the item cost calculated in step (d) and if the item cost calculated in step (d) is not in the store cost database then looking in the division cost database for the item cost calculated in step (d), the division cost database being associated with a number of stores, while the store cost database being associated with only the store; and (j) generating financial data using the item cost for the identified food item.