Every organization, whether manufacturing or retail, needs to maintain an accurate count of stock to meet customer needs on time. Hence, accurate warehouse stock counting techniques form the backbone of effective warehouse management. They ensure that businesses maintain optimal inventory levels, prevent stockouts or overstocking, and streamline their supply chain operations. The evolution of such techniques has seen significant advancements, moving from manual counts to sophisticated automated systems. In this blog, we delve into the various inventory counting processes and methods, the role of technology in modernizing these processes, and the best practices for maintaining accurate inventory records.
The inventory counting process involves systematically counting and recording all items in a warehouse to ensure that the physical stock matches the recorded inventory levels. This process is essential for financial reporting, order fulfillment, and overall inventory management. Accurate inventory counts—powered by sound warehouse stock counting techniques—help businesses understand stock levels, forecast demand, and reduce discrepancies that can lead to financial losses or operational inefficiencies.
This method involves counting the entire inventory at specific intervals, such as monthly, quarterly, or annual intervals. While periodic counts can provide a comprehensive overview of the inventory, they often require significant downtime and resources, making them less efficient for larger warehouses.
Cycle counting is a more efficient and less disruptive method compared to periodic counting. It involves counting a subset of inventory items on a rotating schedule throughout the year. This method helps maintain continuous inventory accuracy without halting operations and is one of the most reliable warehouse stock counting techniques.
Spot checking involves randomly selecting and counting a small sample of inventory items. This method is useful for verifying the accuracy of inventory records and identifying potential issues with specific products or storage areas.
Warehouses will either resort to manual or automated mode of inventory counting when following any of the above-outlined warehouse stock counting techniques. Generally, small warehouses resort to traditional, manual forms of counting or employ it as a verification step in other counting methods. However, in the manual form of counting, inventory accuracy is compromised, while the process itself is tedious and time-consuming.
To overcome the problems encountered in manual counting, most warehouses nowadays adopt automated counting techniques. This involves either barcode or Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) scanning, or sometimes a combination of both. Barcode scanning involves using handheld scanners or mobile devices to read barcodes on products. This method significantly reduces counting time and errors, as each scan automatically updates the inventory records.
RFID scanning, on the other hand, uses electromagnetic fields to automatically identify and track tags attached to products. RFID counting is highly efficient and accurate, allowing for real-time inventory updates without manual intervention.
The physical inventory counting process involves several key steps to ensure accurate and efficient counting of all inventory items. Here are the typical steps involved:
This is the first stage of the inventory counting process. In this stage, you first define the objectives, including establishing the goals of the inventory count such as accuracy, compliance, or reconciliation with financial records. After defining the objectives, set a date and time when operations are slow to minimize disruptions. Now, create a detailed schedule for the inventory process including start and end times and assign responsibilities for the inventory team.
After establishing a comprehensive plan for inventory counting, the subsequent step is to organize training sessions. These sessions should train all personnel tasked with carrying out inventory counting procedures. The training should also cover the correct use of equipment and adherence to safety protocols. Additionally, distributing written instructions and guidelines is crucial to guarantee consistency and precision.
As part of this step, organize inventory to ensure all inventory items are properly arranged, labelled, and accessible. Clear the counting areas of any non-inventory items to avoid confusion. Lastly, ensure that all the necessary inventory transactions are recorded in the inventory management system.
Conduct the first physical count of all inventory items by utilizing count sheets, barcode scanners, or other counting devices to record quantities. Also, adhere to pre-established counting procedures, such as counting in teams or using specific warehouse stock counting techniques (e.g., by location, SKU, or category).
Perform recounts of selected items or areas to verify accuracy and identify discrepancies. Next, compare physical counts with inventory records and investigate significant variances. Once done, record any discrepancies found during the verification process.
Analyze the reasons for variances between physical counts and inventory records (e.g., theft, damage, or data entry errors). Then, update inventory records to reflect the accurate physical count of quantities. Once updated, generate reports detailing the inventory count results, discrepancies, and reconciliation actions taken.
As part of the post-count procedures, supervisors and managers review and approve the final inventory count and reconciliation. Once this is done, enter the reconciled inventory data into the inventory management system. Based on this data, analyze inventory and patterns to identify areas for improvement in inventory control and management.
Perform periodic audits to ensure ongoing accuracy and compliance with inventory policies. Assess the effectiveness of the inventory counting process and make necessary adjustments for future counts. Based on the lessons learnt during the evaluation stage, implement process improvements and feedback from the inventory count.
This is an important stage wherein you need to maintain detailed records of the inventory count process, including sheets, variance reports, and reconciliation documents. Based on the documented records, generate comprehensive reports summarizing the inventory count, findings, and any corrective actions taken. Subsequently, share this inventory count results with relevant stakeholders, such as management, finance, and operations teams.
These steps help ensure a thorough and accurate physical inventory count, which is essential for effective inventory management and financial reporting.
Mobile inventory management solutions play a pivotal role in automating warehouse stock counting techniques. These solutions offer several benefits that include:
A mobile inventory management solution allows warehouse staff to update inventory records in real-time using a handheld device or smartphone. This eliminates the need for manual data entry and reduces the likelihood of errors.
A mobile inventory management solution enhances accuracy and minimizes human error by automating the counting process using the barcode and RFID scanning capabilities of a mobile device.
A mobile inventory management solution streamlines the counting process, reducing the time required for inventory counts and enabling staff to focus on other critical tasks.
Real-time updates provided by a mobile inventory solution offer better visibility into inventory levels, helping businesses make informed decisions about stock replenishment and order fulfillment.
A mobile inventory management solution is highly scalable, making it suitable for warehouses of all sizes. It can easily integrate with existing inventory management systems, ensuring seamless operations.
A mobile inventory management system provides advanced integration with existing ERP systems like Oracle and SAP, enabling seamless access to ERP data from anywhere at any time. This proves especially beneficial for warehouse staff who can process ERP transactions directly and receive real-time updates on inventory transactions via their mobile devices.
In the above backdrop, explore a good mobile inventory management solution that is affordable and offers the right features in tune with your unique business requirements. In this regard, explore Propel Apps' mobile inventory management solution for Oracle Cloud Supply Chain and SAP S/4 HANA.
Using this solution, your warehouse personnel can maintain the data, automate inventory management, and sync data to the centralized ERP system. This means your up-to-date barcode inventory data is immediately available to your desktop and mobile users, enabling faster decision-making.
To learn more about this solution, call us to schedule a free demo today.
