How to count stock without closing the shop

A full stock count once a year means closing for a day and finding a year of mistakes at once. Cycle counting spreads the work: count a few items every week, so every item is counted several times a year and errors are caught while the reason is still fresh.

What to count

• Fast sellers often. The items that make most of your sales (class A) every few weeks.
• Everything else in turn. Whatever has gone longest without a count.
• Anything odd. Items that went below zero, or that a customer could not find.

Blind counts

Do not show the counter the expected number. People who see "48" tend to count 48. Count, write the number, and let the system compare.

Sales during the count

You do not need to stop selling. Take a snapshot of the expected quantity when the count starts. The difference is counted minus snapshot; apply that difference to today's balance, which already includes sales made during the count.

Acting on differences

A small difference is normal. A big one has a cause: a delivery not entered, a sale on the wrong item, damage nobody recorded, or theft. Look at the item's ledger for the last weeks before you post the count.

In Ovelit Stock

A cycle count is started every week on the day you choose, fast sellers first. Count by typing or by scanning barcodes with the phone, post when done, and large differences raise an alert.