Field sales & merchandising / Audit
Check a store stock count
Spot a difference between system and physical stock.
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Count difference
Enter system on hand.
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What it covers: Spot a difference in system and physical stock.
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How to work out the difference between a stock count and the system
When the system shows one number and the shelf shows another, orders go wrong. A quick count tells you how far apart they are. This checker compares the system on-hand figure with every physical unit you count, including damaged stock, and shows the count difference.
- Choose one product and note the system on-hand units at the time you count.
- Count the units on the shelf, including any other display spots for that product.
- Count the units in the backroom, including opened cases.
- Count damaged units and enter them separately. They are still physical stock to set against the system figure.
- Read the count difference. It shows Balanced, or how many units are missing or extra against the system, with the physical total and the sellable units within it.
- Recount before you report or adjust anything, then check recent deliveries, returns and transfers that may not have been recorded.
Tips and common mistakes
- Count when sales and deliveries are quiet, so stock is not moving while you count.
- Count each unit once. Units moved from the backroom to the shelf during the count are easy to count twice.
- Do not leave out damaged stock. The system usually still holds it until it is written off.
- A difference does not always mean loss. Unrecorded deliveries, returns and scanning errors also cause gaps.
Questions
How do you do a stock count in a store?
Count one product at a time. Count every unit on the shelf, in the backroom and in damaged stock, then compare the total with the system on-hand figure. Recount any product with a difference before taking action.
Why is my physical stock different from the system?
Common reasons are deliveries or returns not recorded, items scanned as the wrong product, damage or expiry not written off, and loss. Check recent movements for that product before adjusting the system.
Should damaged stock be included in a stock count?
Yes, count it but keep it separate. Until it is written off, the system usually still holds it as on hand. Counting it shows whether the system figure is right and what needs writing off.
What should I do when a stock count does not match?
Recount first. If the difference remains, check deliveries, returns and transfers, then follow your store or customer process to report or adjust it. Keep a note so repeat gaps on the same product stand out.
How often should a store do stock counts?
Many stores count fast-selling or high-value products more often and slower lines less often. Choose a routine you can keep, and count any product whose orders keep coming out wrong.
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