It takes an organised mind to take on the task of stocktaking. If administration work isn’t your forte, but you’re still driven to tackle it, then you need a game plan before taking on a pile of admin work. Stocktaking comprises of good organisational skills and a head for numbers. Stock taking is like a puzzle. You need to figure out where each item on your itinerary has gone, while still trying to look at the bigger picture. In the end you need to have an accurate account of stock movements and the stock in your backlog.
Round up your tools for the job
You will need the following before getting started:
- Stock sheets
- Calculator
- Clipboard
- Scanner
- Balance sheets
- Multi-coloured markers
These may be basic stationery to you, but to a stocktaker it’s the equipment that will get the job done. Always have extra stock sheets at hand in case you have any slip ups. You may come across a few errors on your first try. As for calculators and clipboards, these are especially handy while you’re walking and checking on items on your list. There’ll be a bit of back and forth, but this is where patience comes in. You can’t do stock taking if you aren’t patient with yourself. Use different coloured markers to mark off what you’ve checked and haven’t checked.
Doing a thorough inspection of your inventory requires a clear mind and the willingness to do a double check, if not a tripple check.
The inspection process of your inventory
The box may state 60 items, but there could actually only be 58 items packed in the box. Be sure to do a count of all the items to avoid having an inventory miscount. Minor mishaps like these have cost people their jobs. Your miscalculation could let supervisores think there was a thief in the stockroom. Keep record of any mistakes from your supplier and do the necessary follow up.
Keep a record of updates
The point of sale in your store will keep an updated list of stock on its system. Ensure there’s a backup of your data that links to iCloud, to recover any data you may lose during a blackout. Take the necessary measures to update all records and note any changes that will allow you to make informed business decisions.
