Stock Take & Cycle Counting
STOCK TAKE MODULE
An advanced stock taking module exists in DATASCOPE WMS to optimize your stock take (inventory) count accuracy and to reduce the overall time for the counting.
Counts are opened in SYSPRO as normal and then flagged to start in the DATASCOPE WMS system. Teams are then sent out to count and counting data is transacted live into the stock take module. An intuitive stock take review screen allows the controllers to monitor progress of the count through the day. Bins with variances are highlighted within minutes of the count start time and second count teams can be sent out to recount bins with variances immediately
The full count history is recorded at a user level so that we can easily track the number of times a bin was counted and by whom and when with all quantity counted records.
Due to the implementation of a TrackID on every pallet, drum, bale etc., the counting process is far quicker than in a manual count environment. For instance, is a pallet is counted in a bulk location and that locations warehouse is flagged to allow closed pallet counts, the user can simply scan the bin location and the pallet and move on. There is no need to count all SKU’s on the pallet as we know it is still closed.
When counting pick face bin locations, the stock take will enforce the correct SKU to be counted in each bin if the setting is activated to validate the pick face setup records. Functionality also exists to ensure that users scan stock codes and lot numbers. This prevention of manual entry can reduce finger errors and incorrect counts.
Stock can be counted in stocking, alternate or other unit of measure to reduce confusion on the floor. The PC based review screen allows the controllers to view these conversions to stocking uom and edit or delete these where required.
Although SYSPRO manages expiry dates at a bin level, DATASCOPE will recognize the same lot in another bin location and automatically use the correct expiry date should the stock be counted into a new location during stock take. Functionality also exists to not post expiry dates to SYSPRO at all and thus allow SYSPRO to manage expiries alone.
In the case where a warehouse needs to continue trading during a stock count we typically have to setup options. One is to break the warehouse into two virtual warehouses in SYSPRO – one a bulk “warehouse” and the other a pick face “warehouse”. This way we can replenish the pick face warehouse before opening a bulk warehouse stock count. The pick face warehouse remains fully active during the count of bulk – which is often 80% or more of the total inventory holding. The other option is to allow for picking to continue during the count. This is not best practice but sometimes a reality for call in customers and the like. In this case the SYSPRO count can be cancelled while the DATASCOPE count is in progress. SYSPRO then remains active and DATASCOPE can be used to continue picking, packing and invoicing orders. At the end of the count and after recounting affected bins the SYSPRO count is reopened and the DATASCOPE stock count is posted.To count each trackID, users can count each stock code and quantity blindly, or be prompted by sku and/or quantity. In a carton environment, 2D carton labels can be scanned and summed for each bin. Closed pallet stock take allows the user to scan only the trackID in the bin, importing the full qty on the trackID to the count. This is particularly useful in environments where bulk pallets have been pre-counted and wrapped and should not be re-opened to validate unit quantities.
All stock count history is automatically saved as each stock count is given a unique count ID. Reporting can be pulled to compare count accuracies over time.
