Türkçe 
English 
Before beginning the warehouse inventory count, it is necessary to determine which products or locations will be counted. The business can plan a general count covering the entire warehouse, or a partial count for specific product groups, shelves, or locations.
On the WMS, inventory count orders can be created, defining the scope, date, warehouse, location, and responsible users. This transforms the inventory process from a matter of personal planning into a systematic workflow.
2. Counting Tasks Are Assigned to Users
The areas or products to be counted can be assigned to specific users. Each operator can only see the locations or product groups assigned to them.
This structure facilitates the division of inventory workload in large warehouses. The risk of two different people accidentally counting the same area or skipping certain locations is reduced.
3. Locations are verified with barcodes.
When the operator arrives at the shelf or location to be counted, they can first scan the location barcode. The WMS then verifies that the user is in the correct area.
This process is particularly important in warehouses with numerous shelves and compartments. It helps prevent inventory counts from being recorded in the wrong location and strengthens the link between physical space and digital records.
4. Products are counted using barcodes or handheld terminals.
Once the location is verified, the barcodes of the products in the area are scanned and the physical quantities are entered into the system. Scanning barcodes instead of manually typing the product code reduces the possibility of selecting the wrong product.
When using a handheld terminal, the operator can transfer counting results directly to the WMS while moving around the warehouse. This reduces the need to enter paper lists into the system later.
5. Lot, Batch and Serial Numbers are Counted Separately
For products tracked by batch, lot, or serial number, simply counting the total quantity may not be sufficient. Different lots of the same product should be treated as separate records.
WMS can show the location and quantity of each lot or serial number. During physical counting, this information is individually verified to maintain traceability.
How to Manage Inventory Count Results and Stock Discrepancies?
6. Physical Counting is Compared with System Stock.
Once the counting is complete, the physical quantities are compared with the quantities recorded in the system. WMS can automatically show differences based on product and location.
If the physical quantity is lower than the system quantity, a shortage or surplus may occur. It is easy to see which products and locations these discrepancies occur in.
7. A recount will be conducted to determine stock discrepancies.
For products where discrepancies were found during the initial count, a recount task can be created. This allows for checking for issues such as data entry errors, incorrect location, or incomplete counts.
According to business rules, records exceeding certain difference levels can be recounted by a second user or administrator. This approach ensures the difference is verified before any inventory adjustment is made.
8. The reasons for the discrepancies in the census results are investigated.
The difference between physical and system inventory may not be due to counting errors alone. Incorrect location transfers, unregistered product movements, incomplete goods receipt, faulty picking or shipping processes can all cause inventory discrepancies.
By examining the movement history on the WMS, the processes the product has undergone can be seen. This allows for a more systematic investigation of the source of the discrepancy.
9. Stock adjustment will be made after approval.
Once the inventory discrepancy is verified, the necessary stock adjustment can be made. Depending on the company's authorization structure, the adjustment process may require approval from administrators or specific users.
The correction amount, reason, user, and date information can be recorded in the system. This allows for retrospective tracking of why stock changes were made.
10. Census Results are Reported and Analyzed
WMS can report indicators such as counting accuracy, discrepancy amounts, products with the largest discrepancies, problematic locations, and user-based counting performance.
This data can be used not only for inventory correction but also for improving warehouse processes. If recurring inventory discrepancies originate from a specific location or operation, the relevant process can be re-evaluated.
What is Warehouse Inventory Counting with WMS?
WMS involves comparing the physical quantities of products in the warehouse with digital system records and managing any discrepancies in a controlled manner. Inventory counts can be performed based on location, product, lot, or serial number.
What is Cycle Count?
Cycle counting is the practice of counting specific products or locations at planned intervals, rather than counting the entire warehouse at once. For example, fast-moving or high-value products may be counted more frequently. WMS can help create cycle counting plans.
What is the difference between a general count and a cycle count?
A general inventory count involves counting all warehouse stock on a specific date. Cycle counting, on the other hand, involves checking stocks in installments over periods spread throughout the year. Cycle counting can help to regularly check stock accuracy without completely shutting down operations.
Is blind counting possible with WMS?
Depending on the system's structure, blind counting can be performed without displaying the current stock quantity to the user. This allows the operator to enter only the physically visible quantity, unaffected by the system's inventory count. This method can be used to improve counting accuracy.
What are the advantages of barcode-based inventory counting?
Barcode-based inventory counting reduces the need to manually enter product and location codes. This lowers the risk of processing the wrong product or on the wrong shelf. Additionally, transferring counting results directly from the handheld terminal to the system can shorten processing time.
Does WMS halt warehouse movements during inventory counting?
This depends on the company's counting method and WMS configuration. In some counts, relevant locations may be temporarily closed to operations. In cycle counts, only the movements in the counted areas may be restricted in a controlled manner. The aim is to minimize discrepancies that may arise from new movements during the counting process.
What to do if there is a stock discrepancy?
First, the discrepancy must be verified by recounting the inventory. Then, the product movement history, including receipt, transfer, picking, and shipment records, can be reviewed. Once the reason for the discrepancy is determined and the necessary approvals are obtained, the inventory adjustment can be made.
Which systems can WMS integrate with?
WMS can integrate with systems such as ERP, QMS, EBR, and LIMS. Stock adjustments resulting from inventory counts can be transferred to the ERP system, discrepancies can be associated with QMS, and products with quality status can be managed with different counting or stock rules.
What are the benefits of using WMS for inventory counting for a business?
WMS-based warehouse inventory counting helps improve stock accuracy, shorten counting time, identify incorrect location records, reduce manual data entry, and more easily investigate the causes of stock discrepancies. Regular cycle counts ensure stock accuracy is maintained throughout the year.
Conclusion
WMS enables the digital management of the entire inventory counting process, from creating the counting plan and verifying location to counting barcoded products, analyzing stock discrepancies, and approving corrections. This helps maintain better alignment between physical warehouse and system stock levels.
Especially in businesses with high product variety, numerous locations, or lot-based inventory tracking, WMS-based counting processes offer significant advantages in maintaining inventory accuracy. Analyzing counting data along with movement history provides a valuable data source not only for correcting discrepancies but also for preventing these discrepancies from recurring.
To learn more about Centra solutions, you can contact us through the information request form.
```
