Preparing for a stock count: a 7-day plan

The tidier the warehouse on count day, the faster and cheaper the count. If goods are out of place, empty boxes block the aisles and documents are still open, the counters spend half their time tidying instead of counting, and you pay for those hours. The plan below starts a week before count day and needs no special equipment.

Days 7 and 6: people and scope

First decide who answers for what. You need at least three people: the person in charge of the site (usually the warehouse manager), the person in charge of the records (an accountant or bookkeeper) and a staff member who prepares the data. Then write down the scope: how many positions (articles) there are, how many places (racks, rooms, floors) will be counted, and how many buildings or branches take part. For example: 2,400 positions, 180 bins, one building. Without these three figures a contractor cannot quote an exact time or price.

Write down the purpose too: is it a full or a selective count, for the annual report or because the warehouse manager is changing? The purpose decides the method and the depth of the check.

Days 5 and 4: physical order

Physical order has the strongest effect on counting speed. Walk round the warehouse and do the following:

• Gather identical goods in one place where possible. A position scattered over three racks is counted three times, and the chance of error rises with it.
• Move damaged, expired and returned goods to a separate zone and label it.
• Take out empty boxes, packaging and rubbish, which block the view.
• Write or refresh rack and bin numbers so they are clearly visible.
• Set aside goods with no label or an unreadable one, as they will need extra time.

Days 3 and 2: documents and data

Export the book balances from 1C or Excel into a file: article, name, unit of measure, code (if any) and the quantity on the books. If the contractor arrives with this list, reconciliation after the count can begin at once. At the same time check for open documents: is there stock with no receipt entered yet, goods handed to a customer but not written off, a transfer to another branch that is already on the road? Such documents later turn into "mysterious" differences.

Pay special attention to units of measure: the books may count goods in boxes while the warehouse counts pieces (or the other way round). If the list says how many pieces are in a box, the count will not throw up a crowd of false "differences".

Tell your suppliers the count date as well. If you can, agree not to receive new goods that day, or keep arriving goods in a separate zone and out of the books.

The day before and count day

Remind staff of the rule: during the count nobody moves goods, takes them without a record or puts new stock on the racks. Tell the contractor's team in advance about passes, parking, sockets and lighting. If there are dark, cold or locked rooms, find out who holds the keys. Agree in advance how the rooms will be locked up after the count and when the result will be handed over.

In the morning, walk round with the counters and show them the zones and the order of work. Name one person to answer questions: different answers from two or three people stop the work. At the end of the day look at the first result together, and the places that need correcting become known straight away.

Common preparation mistakes

• Starting preparation a day before the count. Moving goods goes on all night and a tired team begins counting in the morning.
• Not refreshing the balance file on the last day. The latest receipts and issues are missing from the list, so the difference is already built in.
• Not naming a responsible person. The contractor does not know whom to ask and stands idle.
• Mixing defective goods with ordinary stock. Unusable items then get counted as usable.

Conclusion

Good preparation cuts the time, the cost and the arguments afterwards. The plan is simple: name the people responsible, put things in order, prepare the data and warn the staff. With a StockCheck order we too begin by asking about the size and condition of the warehouse and, if needed, visit the site, so the preparation list is exact.