Inventory count

What you will do

Count the stock in a location that the system gives you. Record what you find. Finish the location.

Before you start

• A count must be open and have locations to count. A supervisor creates it, or a cycle-count policy makes it. A count can be of whole locations or only of an item (SKUs, lots or LPNs).
• A location must be free to count. A location that is blocked or already being counted is not given to you.
• Know your work area, or count in the whole warehouse.
• Decisions about differences (accept, recount, cancel) are made by a supervisor on another system, not on the RF terminal.

Steps

Get a location

1. On Main Menu, press 2 (Inventory).
2. On Inventory, press 4 (Count Location).

Screen CNTA: the work area field. Focus: 1 Area.

3. On Count — Work Area (header Count Location), read the status line: Scan the work area, or Enter for the whole warehouse.
4. In Area, scan the work area code (up to 30 characters). Or leave it empty. Press Enter.

Screenshot not available yet: CNT00 - Count — Next Location

Screen CNT00: the terminal asks for the next location.

5. On Count — Next Location, the terminal asks for your next location. The line Area shows the area, or whole warehouse. The status line says Getting a location - Enter asks again.
6. If you see an error, press Enter to ask again.

Screen CNT01: Go to, Count, Location. Focus: 1 Go to (where to walk), 2 Location (scan it).

7. On Count — Go To Location, read:
   • Go to: the location to count. A recount adds (recount {n}).
   • Count: the count number.
   • Only: shown only when the count is a count by item. It names what to count in this location, for example SKU A; lot L1. Count only that. Anything else you record is refused (COUNT_OUTSIDE_ITEMS). For a count of the whole location the line is not shown.
8. Walk to the location.
9. In Location, scan the location label (up to 20 characters). The field sends itself. The status line says Go to the location and scan it.

Record what is there

Screen CNT02: Location, Entries, Last, SKU, Lot, LPN, Qty. Focus: 1 SKU, 2 Lot (F2 finds it), 3 Qty.

If the count is Informed, the screen also shows the line System. It shows what the system holds, so you can compare. Before you type a SKU it reads {n} line(s), {units} for the location (or nothing). After you type a SKU (and a lot or LPN) it reads {sku}: {qty}. A Blind count has no such line. A recount is always blind, even on an Informed count. The Only line is shown here too on a count by item.

10. On Count — What Is Here (header Count), read the status line: Scan what is in the location (Lot: F2 finds it); Esc when done.
11. Check Location and Entries (how many entries you made).
12. For each thing in the location, fill in the fields:

Field	What to enter
SKU	The SKU (up to 12 characters). Required.
Lot	The lot (up to 20). Required. Press F2 to find the lot.
LPN	The pallet label, if the stock is on a pallet (up to 40).
Qty	The quantity you count (up to 10 characters). Required.

13. Press Enter. The screen clears for the next entry. Last shows {sku} {lot} x{qty}, and adds LPN if you entered one.
14. When you have recorded everything, press Esc.

Find or create a lot

If you do not know the lot code, press F2 in Lot. Enter the SKU first. Otherwise you see Enter the SKU first: F2 finds a lot among the SKU's lots.

Screen CNTLOT1: the lot attribute search.

1. On Find Lot, read the status line: Type what is on the goods or its receipt No, Enter to search; F6 new lot. Check SKU.
2. Fill in the attribute fields the screen shows. Fill in Receipt No if it is shown.
3. Press Enter.

Screen CNTLOT2: the list titled Pick the lot.

4. On Pick Lot, choose the lot with Enter. You return to Count — What Is Here with the lot filled in.
5. If no lot fits, the screen says No lot of {sku} has these attributes. F6: new lot. Press F6 (New lot), or press Esc to search again.

Screen CNTLOT3: the fields the lot policy asks for. Focus: 1 SKU (here the lot policy asks for the colour).

6. On New Lot, read the status line: Fill what the lot policy asks for, Enter makes the lot. Fill in the fields. Press Enter.
7. You return to Count — What Is Here with the new lot filled in.

Finish the location

Screen CNT03: three choices for the location.

1. On Count — Finish, read Is this location finished? Check Location. The status line says 1 = Done, 2 = Empty, 3 = Leave.
2. Press a key:

Key	Choice	What it does
1	Done - finish this location	Completes the location.
2	Empty - nothing here	Says the location is empty. Use it only if you recorded nothing. You return to Count — What Is Here. The line Entries shows EMPTY confirmed - Esc, 1 to finish. Then press Esc and 1.
3	Leave - give it back for later	Gives the location back. You return to the Inventory menu.

Screen CNT_DONE: the result of the location.

3. After 1, Counted shows Location and one of these lines:
   • Matched - location released: your count matches the system.
   • Within tolerance - adjusted, released: your count differs a little. The difference is within the tolerance your warehouse set, so the system adjusted the stock. No supervisor is needed.
   • Difference found - a supervisor will review it: your count differs.
4. Press Enter for the next location. Press Esc to go to the Inventory menu.

What you should see

• Counted after each finished location.
• The next location when you press Enter.

If something goes wrong

Message	What it means	What to do
nothing to count / nothing to count in area {area}	No location is free to count.	Tell your supervisor. Try another area.
{location} is not given to you: take your next location	You scanned a location that is not yours.	Go to the location shown in Go to.
{location} is being counted by {holder}	Another user counts this location.	Wait. Ask for another location.
nothing was counted in {location}: record what is there, or confirm that it is empty	You pressed 1 with no entries.	Record the stock, or press 2 (Empty).
{location} holds counted stock, so it cannot be confirmed empty	You have entries, so the location is not empty.	Press 1 to finish.
{location} was confirmed empty: nothing more can be recorded in it	You marked it empty.	Press Esc, then 1.
SKU {sku_code} does not exist for this owner	The SKU is unknown.	Check the SKU.
SKU {sku_code} belongs to several owners: name the owner	Several owners have this SKU.	Tell your supervisor.
lot {lot} is not a lot of {sku_code}: F2 on Lot finds a lot by its attributes	The lot belongs to another SKU.	Press F2 on Lot.
quantity {qty} is not a positive number	Qty is zero or not a number.	Type a quantity above 0.
a recount of {location} is counted by somebody other than the first counter	A recount needs a different person.	Tell your supervisor.
the count of {location} is {status}: it is not being counted	The location is no longer open for counting.	Press Esc. Take the next location.
No permission: {screen} ({function})	Your user may not count.	Ask your supervisor.

What the supervisor sees

Each location you finish is compared with the system stock. A small difference within the tolerance is adjusted at once. Any other difference goes to a supervisor, who accepts it, orders a recount or cancels. To accept, the supervisor records why the count differs, for example a pick error or a mix-up. While you count a location, it is frozen.

Related guides

• 07 Stock inquiry
• 11 Troubleshooting and messages