The sole objective of taking a manual count of the inventory boils down to ensuring there is cent per cent precision and parity between the actual stock sitting in a warehouse and the recorded stock in management software or spreadsheet.
This prevents overselling and needless re-ordering. In addition, there is the small matter of acquiring inventory valuation right for the tax returns. It is necessary for any warehouse operator or retailer to check that the recorded inventory matches the actual inventory.
Well, the following write-up explores a couple strategies and ideas to enhance inventory counting effectiveness using both physical and digitized options. Please check them out right now.
1. Plan
The experts offering the best RFID for inventory said regardless of what methods one use, scheduling the counts in advance is considered beneficial. It is worth monitoring when the sales generally down curves and making amendments for that.
For instance, several retailers find that the end of Jan is slow. But the run up to Christmas is surely not the time to burden the staff with huge inventory count. Get the dates in the diary. Assign shifts carefully, and also inform the customers if the store will be closed during business hours.
2. Be Aware of the Store/Warehouse Layout
Counting inventory inside a warehouse or store is simpler when one knows the exact location of everything. Sketch out each rack, wall, shelf, workstation, display unit, and backroom. Number them to indicate varied sections. This is not just beneficial for proper inventory counting but also for the typical warehouse management practices.
3. Invest in Inventory Tags
Inventory tag is an excellent way of keeping track of what products have been counted until now. Again, it is specifically useful if completing the count manually. Invest in two part tags. Then get the team to fill these out as they perform the count – attaching one to a relevant warehouse and keeping the second for reference.
4. Divide the Team in Counting Partners
Divide the team into pairs. Then assign every pair to the section of warehouse. One person is usually responsible for counting inventory in every bin location of the pair’s section. The other marks up the tags with data. The tags are returned to the central inventory administrator, who will confirm them and assign the pair another warehouse section for counting.
5. Think of the Human Side
Taking manual count of the inventory tends to be a challenging endeavor for everyone involved especially if one is not relying on the digitized option. The team can be there for some time. And infinitely counting and validating the numbers over and over again is quite exhausting. So please think of the human side.
According to the experts providing RFID for inventory, taking manual counts can be an immensely laborious task. And something that pretty much nobody looks forward to. But when the on-hand inventory is correct, one does need to worry about end-of-year taxes or customer experience.
There must be ample drink and food readily available, and please see that the staffs get breaks regularly. It could stop damaging counting mistakes from happening. That’s amazing, right?
Whether going for the physical strategies or digitized cycle counts, keep the tips stated above in mind since they will make things easier for the retailer and his/her team.
