Stock counts and goods receiving: explain quantity differences
A stock count should not begin by replacing the software number with whatever you find on a shelf. Count a defined scope at a defined time, then investigate differences between purchases, receipts, dispatches and returns. A carton may contain fewer units than the invoice, while an announced return may still be with…
A stock count should not begin by replacing the software number with whatever you find on a shelf. Count a defined scope at a defined time, then investigate differences between purchases, receipts, dispatches and returns. A carton may contain fewer units than the invoice, while an announced return may still be with the carrier. Record each real event once, with its reference, so the difference remains explainable.
Define what you are counting and when
Select a reference, storage area or small category and record the start time. Distinguish saleable, reserved, damaged and packed outgoing goods. If staff keep removing pieces during the count without recording them, you cannot tell when a discrepancy arose. Briefly pause movements in that zone or log each one crossing it.
Do not count from memory or a distant photograph. Define whether your unit is a carton, an individual piece or separate bundle components. Record every storage location when the reference is kept in several places. An apparent shortage may simply be stock on another shelf outside the counted area.
Match purchasing instructions to physical receipt
Check reference, specifications, quantity and documents before mixing goods with existing stock. Separate ordered, received, accepted and still pending. A twenty-unit invoice does not establish twenty received units when you count eighteen. Record the shortage and ask the supplier about the balance or the appropriate document correction.
The Shopify purchasing-receipt documentation provides an example of separating expected and received goods, not a description of every platform. Apply the principle in your own record and add saleable stock only after your appropriate inspection.
Record dispatches, gifts and physical returns
Link every stock exit to an order or explicit reason. A gift taken from the same reference is a physical unit even if no separate revenue is collected. A sales line alone is insufficient when the packing team adds bundle components. For cancellation, distinguish releasing an unshipped reservation from receiving an item that already left.
An announced return is not yet in your warehouse. At receipt, check reference, quantity and condition, restoring only saleable goods. Keep isolated units visibly separate so they are not packed for another customer. An old label may represent several components: count contents, not simply bags.
A worked example: saleable versus physically present
A fictional opening balance contains forty saleable units. Eighteen accepted units arrive from a twenty-unit purchase, twelve leave for shipping and three saleable returns are received. Later, two previously saleable pieces are isolated after damage. Expected saleable stock is 40 + 18 − 12 + 3 − 2 = 47 units.
| Movement | Saleable effect | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Opening | 40 | Previous reliable count |
| Accepted receipt | +18 | Two purchased units still missing |
| Dispatch | −12 | Shipment references |
| Accepted return | +3 | Excludes returns in transit |
| Isolation | −2 | Present but unavailable |
| Expected saleable | 47 | Plus two isolated gives 49 physical |
The count finds 45 saleable units with the two isolated pieces separately. The difference is two saleable units. At an illustrative cost of 12 TND, their value is 24 TND. This does not establish theft or permanent loss; an unrecorded exit or missed location may explain it. All figures are teaching assumptions.
Investigate before adjusting the number
- Recount without being guided by the expected result.
- Check alternative shelves and packed parcels.
- Match receipts, exits and returns near the count time.
- Look for duplicate movements or different units of measure.
- Record explanation, approved correction and reviewer.
Do not add the two missing supplier units as though they arrived. A purchasing shortage and a shelf discrepancy need separate references. If adjustment remains necessary after investigation, preserve the original finding and explanation rather than deleting the events that show how the balance developed.
Make counting a sustainable routine
Divide references into groups and count sensitive or fast-moving items at a suitable frequency. The whole store need not stop every time. A short list of references and locations makes review practical. If gifts repeatedly explain discrepancies, fix their preparation and recording instead of merely counting more often.
The GS1 traceability checklist provides examples of information connecting identity, quantity, receipts and dispatches. Use those links to improve records without claiming your spreadsheet is certification. Another person should be able to trace a specific movement and understand its evidence.
Matjri product and order tools can organise operational references. Verify how statuses affect your actual stock, especially options and gifts. Maintain additional detail where your workflow needs information not recorded automatically. A software quantity cannot replace physically checking the item.
Questions about counting and receiving
Should I immediately change the system to the counted number?
Recount and review movements first. Where correction is still required, record the reason, date and responsible person rather than hiding a repeatable issue behind an apparently correct balance.
Is everything received from a supplier available for sale?
Not necessarily. Shortages, differences and defects need inspection and separation. Record what was actually accepted and leave unresolved items pending.
What should I do today?
Select one reference, list movements since the last reliable count and count all its locations. Link the difference to evidence before making a broad inventory adjustment.