Inventory counting is an activity many dread. It doesn't have to be that way, and do you know why you should count your stock regularly? We'll give you the answers.
An up-to-date warehouse is important for excellent customer service
We have probably all felt annoyed by ordering an item online that appears to be in stock, but after a little while you are told that it was not in stock after all. When such things happen, it may indicate that the store has a common inventory between the physical store and the online store, where the warehouse is not updated as the sales take place.
If you sell online from the store's inventory, it is important that your inventory is correct, and that the inventory is updated in line with sales both from the physical store and from the online store. If there are discrepancies here, your customers may experience the same irritation as the one you have felt yourself, if you have ever experienced getting a counter message on an item you thought you had bought. In addition to annoyed customers, you will have to spend time manually correcting the inventory in your system, and this is time consuming.
A warehouse that has not been updated can also result in your warehouse being at zero on a particular item, and thus the item is not displayed in the online store. Nevertheless, one garment of this item hangs in your physical store, and then you are completely dependent on the customer seeing the item in your store and buying it there. If the inventory had been updated, the item would have been visible in the online store as well, and thus a greater chance of selling it.
Because accounting requires it?
Traditionally, the inventory count has been a big deal towards the end of the year. Maybe you close the store during opening hours to count, or maybe you require employees to use a New Year's Day to be part of the work that needs to be done. In any case, no one is looking forward to this activity, but everything must be in order before the end of the year. Maybe you close the store during opening hours to count, or maybe you require employees to use a New Year's Day to be part of the work that needs to be done. In any case, no one is looking forward to this activity, but everything must be in order before the end of the year.
The general explanation for the need to count has been that the auditor requires it, and that there must be order in the accounts at the end of the year or early in the new year. This is true, but there is no reason to wait until the very end to count goods. Count the goods regularly and count a little every now and then. If there is dead time in the store, you can count one item group, it does not take that long. If you have good routines on the count, you will find that you do not have to do much counting when the year is nearing its end, precisely because you have built up good routines throughout the year and not waited until the end.
Counting regularly is win-win in terms of updated stock situation, correct inventory both online and in store, satisfied customers, it makes it easier for employees, and it provides a better overview. You have to like this?
At Noa Noa in Østerbrogade in Copenhagen, they have a better inventory overview than ever before.
Noa Noa easily counts with your mobile
Noa Noa in Østerbrogade in Copenhagen uses Front System's POS system, and inventory with mobile phone has made life easier, according to store manager Lise Eltved.
"We started using Front Systems in September 2021, and we have done inventory counting two or three times since then. The system is modern and efficient, and you can use your mobile phone to count. A major advantage is that you can pick up where you left off, this provides greater flexibility in terms of when you carry out the count, and you get a lower threshold for doing the counts more often."
Lise says that they do inventory counting about twice a year, but that they are now considering doing it more often to save time and to get better control. "The more times we count, the faster it goes to count," says Lise. "You also get a more accurate warehouse and better control. We are considering counting even more regularly to save time overall," she says.
Better control than before
In the past, Noa Noa worked a bit old-fashioned. Among other things, they had to go down to the warehouse in the store's basement to check if they had the item the customer requested.
"After we switched to Front Systems we can scan the item to see if it is in stock, we do not have to go down to see. Our warehouse is very good now, but it requires regular inventory counting. This is something we will do more of in the future since it is so easy with Front Systems," concludes Lise Eltved.
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