Counts that drag on and still come out wrong are rarely down to the people counting. The causes are usually process ones: stock still moving during the count, items in the wrong place, or open transactions never closed. We deploy barcode and RFID counting together with a counting procedure designed around your site, so the shutdown is shorter and every variance can be explained.
Getting Ready Before You Start
- Close every open transaction — goods received but unposted, and issue notes not yet deducted.
- Return stock to its recorded locations and label zones so they are readable from the aisle.
- Assign each team its area in advance so zones are neither double-counted nor missed.
- Decide when movement freezes — or whether to count zone by zone without stopping at all.
Counting Fast, and Being Able to Audit It Later
- Count with a handheld; every scan records the counter, the time and the zone automatically.
- Use blind count so the system quantity is hidden and nobody unconsciously counts to the expected figure.
- Track progress live — which zones are done and which remain — instead of waiting for the end.
- Re-count only the doubtful items rather than restarting the whole zone.
Handling Variances with an Audit Trail
- Variance reported by zone and by counter, so you can see where problems cluster.
- An approval step before adjustment — never automatic, so the underlying cause is not buried.
- Adjustments post back into the ERP or accounting system you already run, with no re-keying.
- Keep count history so each round can be compared against the last.
This counting capability is part of BN AUTO ID WMS, if you need to control the whole warehouse and not only the count
Auditing fixed assets rather than stock? See RFID asset tracking
Stock Counting FAQ
Can we count stock without shutting the whole warehouse?
Yes — cycle counting splits the work by zone or product group and rotates through the year instead of closing for one big count. It disrupts daily work far less and surfaces discrepancies much sooner than an annual count.
Why do our counts never seem to match?
The usual cause is not miscounting but unrecorded movement during the count — stock issued while a team is still counting that zone — or items in the wrong location being double-counted or missed. Counting with a tool that records time and location makes it possible to tell which happened.
Should we count with barcode or RFID?
Barcode costs far less per item and is enough when item counts are moderate or stock is easy to handle. RFID reads many tags at once without line of sight, so it pays off with high item counts, densely packed stock, or a tight counting window. We work the break-even out from your actual volumes.
What happens when the count does not match the system?
The system produces a variance report by zone and counter, so you re-check only the problem items first, then route them through approval before any adjustment. Automatic adjustment is a bad idea — it hides the cause of the discrepancy.
What has to be ready before counting day?
The step most often skipped is clearing open transactions — goods received but not yet posted, or issue notes not yet deducted. Close those first, put stock back in its locations, label zones clearly, and assign each team its area in advance.
Want the next count to take less time?
Let our team look at your site and how you count today, then assess free of charge where the time can be taken out.
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