Overview

We've compiled a list of Tips & Tricks as well as Frequently Asked Questions when it comes to Inventory Counting in Cloud Retailer.

Tips, Tricks and FAQs

Preparation Tips

• If this is your first Inventory Count or if it's just been a while, do a test run!
  • Inventory Counting is critical and time-consuming, it's important to get right the first time. 
  • If you are ever not 100% comfortable with the process, generate a very small inventory count and practice (you can even delete it later)
  • Reach out with any questions prior to the live inventory count to ensure a "quick question" does not turn into an "emergency"!
• Planning to use Mobile devices, laptops, wireless scanners?  Make sure you charge everything at least a day prior to your inventor count!
  • Nothing worse than holding up the show for a dead battery!
• Identify Inventory Location and Precount whenever possible
  • Do you have more product on the shelf?  In the cooler?  In back? How about displays? Ensure you know where all of a given product may be located.  This is easier to do with a smaller Inventory Count.
  • For each of the locations where a product is, especially if it's not the shelf or cooler (places where counts may change rapidly) count as much as possible.  Use sticky notes to make counting as easy as scan, enter, go.
• Upgrade to Cloud Retailer Mobile and a rugged scanner
  • Our Cloud Retailer Mobile app and rugged Android-scanner pair to streamline the inventory process even further
  • Please contact our Customer Success team for additional details if interested

• If you would like a guided version of training on our Inventory Counting, please contact our Customer Support team and let them know you are looking for this training.  Please note this is considered premier support!
• Best ways to keep inventory accurate
  • Ensure all products are properly created in the system with proper Untis of Meaure and Supplier properties
  • Ensure purchase orders are being entered for all product being received and transfers being created for all product shipped between locations
  • Ensure cashiers are properly trained on returns and exchanges at the POS

Inventory Counting Tips

• Use meaningful Reference Numbers for Inventory Counts
  • Whenever possible, add some type of naming that indicates when or what is being counted so that it's easier to find when counting or finalizing later
• Make use of "cycle counts" when possible
  • No one likes counting all inventory in the entire store
  • Whenever possible break down your counting into smaller chunks you do less frequently
  • For example, you could:
    • Do monthly checks by Department rotating through each
    • Perform weekly checks on a rotating cooler / shelf (provided your Bin Locations / Tags are set up)
    • Spot-check key items on an ongoing basis to track high-turn or high-shrinkage items
• When counting with multiple people, make each person responsible for 1 "section"
  • This could be a shelf, display, row in the back, etc.
  • Keeping separate assignments helps prevent double or missing counting
• Finalize Inventory Counts as soon as possible after creating them
  • From the time you create an Inventory Count until you Finalize it, Cloud Retailer keeps track of all Product movement (Sales / PO Receipts / etc.) so that proper final counts can be achieved even during normal business operations
  • The more movement that happens (meaning the longer between start and finish) the more calculations have to be performed to finalize the inventory count
  • Keeping this window as small as practical helps cut down processing / calculation time
• If you want a Product to be "zeroed out", ensure it's on the Inventory Count with a quantity of 0
  • If a Product is not on an Inventory Count its Inventory value will not be changed (it is ignored)

FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions)

• What happens if I perform an Inventory Count while open and making sales?
  • As mentioned above, Cloud Retailer intelligently keeps track of when Products were counted in relation to when they were sold and received
  • In these situations, it's generally helpful to count the areas that will have the least amount of movement first.  Typically meaning "the back", then Displays, then the shelves.
• What happens with new Products or Products that will not scan?
  • When you have a new Product that has not been entered into your system or has been entered incorrectly, finding this out during an Inventory Count can be frustrating.  Here is our suggested workflow to deal with this:
    1. Dedicate a "go-to person" to deal with these situations
    2. Throw the Products that don't scan into a shopping cart (along with a sticky note as to the count and location)
    3. For each Product in the cart:
       • If the Product is in the system, add an Alternate Barcode
       • If the Product is NOT in the system, add it
    4. Save the Inventory Count (so it refreshes)
    5. Join the Inventory Count
    6. Scan the Products and set the counted quantity

References

• Overview of Inventory Counting in Cloud Retailer
• Overview of Inventory Counting in Cloud Retailer (pre v4.6)