Performing an inventory count.

Here we list the steps required to set up, count, and enter the count into Acctivate to update your inventory levels.

This is the process for performing a formal inventory count. During this process you will prepare and print count sheets, take a manual count of your inventory, enter the count, post the count to the system, and review a variance report. The overall goal is to reconcile the product totals in the computer with an actual physical count.

Important note about performing Inventory Counts:

It is VERY important that you stop all stock movements, post all existing inventory and sales transactions and invoice all shipped orders before preparing and printing count sheets. Acctivate will take a snapshot of the quantity on hand at the time you run the Prepare Count Sheets function. The count adjustment will be based on the “snapshot” quantity and will NOT be adjusted based on additional transactions entered while the Inventory Count is open.

Acctivate allows you to continue processing some transactions. You may continue to enter sales quotes, orders and purchase orders during the inventory count without any conflict.

You may also enter some transactions that affect inventory, but keep in mind that the count should be based on the inventory PRIOR to those transactions.

• Mark incoming Inventory Receipts as “Do Not Inventory” (DNI) and don’t include them in the count
• Count WIP components in your inventory count as they are still part of your inventory and included in the on hand calculation.
• Record count quantities BEFORE picking inventory for sales orders that must ship during the count.
  • If sales orders must ship during the count, include the shipped products into the count quantity as they were still in inventory when the count was created.
• Do NOT process Inventory Balance Adjustments/Inventory Adjustments during the Inventory Count

Also, if you are unable to create a count sheet, please follow step 7 of the Prepare Count Sheets section below to verify whether or not you already have a pre-existing count sheet.

Prepare Count Sheets

1. Warning: It is VERY important that you process all of your inventory transactions before you print the count sheets.
2. If you do not complete your transactions first, your inventory levels will be off when you enter your count.
3. Select Inventory > Enter Count, which will open the Enter Counts window.
4. Press New in the top left to start a new count, which will open the Create Count Sheet window, or use the lookup button to load an existing count.
5. Select the Warehouse that you want to count.
6. Optional: Select a Product Class that the inventory list should be prepared from. 
7. If you do not select a product class, then all products will print. Printing each product class individually breaks the count sheets into smaller groups.
8. Optional: If you perform counting cycles, enter the alphanumeric code that you want to count. 
   1. Cycle counting allows you to count products according to the cycle number that you give products in the Inventory tab of the Product window.
9. Optional: Select whether or not you would like to include empty warehouse locations in the count.
10. Next, determine how you want the count sheets to be sequenced when printed. For example, you can sequence it by
    1. Product ID
    2. Description
    3. Location, Product ID
    4. Location, Description
    5. Product Class, Product ID
    6. Product Class, Description
11. Click the OK button to prepare the count.
    1. Important Note: If you have previously created a count sheet and never entered a count for it, you will be unable to continue and a prompt will open that reads,” There are no products to be counted that match the selection.” You must delete the old count sheet in order to continue:
       1. Select Inventory > Enter Count to open the Inventory Count Entry window.
       2. In the Count Sheet field select the count sheet.
       3. To delete it, click the Delete count sheet button.
       4. Repeat the steps above as needed.
12. This will create a count number to be printed in the Print tab.
13. The user will be prompted with the following message with an option of choosing Yes or No: "BEFORE you prepare count sheets, you MUST:
    1. Stop all movement of the stock to be counted.
    2. Post all inventory transactions.
    3. Invoice all shipped orders.
    Has this been done?"
    
    

Print Count Sheets

When you are ready to print the count sheets, press the Print button at the top of the window. This will open a count sheet that you can print, export, email, or open in another application.

1. The count sheets include the following information:
   1. Section # (the row numbers of each line)
   2. Product ID (the unique number assigned to the product)
   3. Description
   4. Lot/Serial # (if applicable)
   5. Location (warehouse)
   6. Count (a blank box for you to enter a number)
   7. Unit (i.e. Each, Box, Dozen, etc.)
2. Start counting. Manually count each product on your count sheet.
3. Enter the amount of each product you have on your shelves in the Count column of the count sheet.
   • Important Note: Keep in mind that the count should be based on the inventory PRIOR to transactions that affect inventory (i.e. receipts and sales orders).
     For receipts and sales orders entered during the count process:
     • Mark incoming Inventory Receipts as “Do Not Inventory” (DNI) and don’t include them in the count
     • Record count quantities BEFORE picking inventory for sales orders that must ship during the count

1. After the physical count is done, gather the count sheets back together and enter the count numbers into the system.
2. Select Inventory > Enter Count, which will open the Enter Counts window.
3. Select the proper count sheet number in the Sheet field, or find the count session by using the search button.
4. Press Edit at the top, then enter the count numbers that are recorded on the count sheets.
5. If the count is zero, enter zero. If you leave the count quantity blank, Acctivate will skip the item as if you did not count it.
6. Review the counts and make sure they are accurate before continuing.
7. When you are certain that the count was entered correctly, click the Post button.
8. Acctivate will adjust the inventory according to the Variance report.

Variance Report

Upon posting the count to inventory, the system will print the Variance Report, which shows the variance (changes) between the old and new inventory levels. You can now print, export, email, or open the variance report another application.

Congratulations! You've now completed your inventory count in Acctivate.