Preparing properly for a warehouse inventory is imperative to the success of the count.  Preparation includes organizing the areas as well as the inventory items and how the count will be recorded.

The initial focus of a warehouse inventory is documenting and evaluating the results of the inventory, it is incredibly important to understand that the driving force behind a satisfactory count is the accuracy of the warehouse inventory itself.

The integrity of the count is predominantly down to:

• How organized the warehouse is (organized inventory locations, tidiness)
• How well the bins and inventory are labeled
• How many staff are available to do the initial count, recount(s) and any spot check audits
• What level of inventory movement is there going to be during the counting process

If you use the following questions they will assist you in planning your warehouse inventory:

• When is the warehouse inventory to be completed?
• Is it going to be a full or partial count of the warehouse?
• How long do you estimate it will take to complete the warehouse inventory?
• How long do you estimate it will take to input the count quantities and locations?
• Will the business or warehouse be open or closed (are you considering counting over a weekend, holiday or shutting down)?
• Which staff will be available to perform the count and be able to complete the data entry?
• Who specifically will be in control of the distribution of count sheets/tags?
• Will variance be required before or after the warehouse inventory?
• How will you identify that a section of a warehouse has been counted?
• How will you identify that all inventory has been counted? (Visual check of the Warehouse)
• Always consider consignment inventory:
• Do you have inventory consigned out to customers?
• Do you have inventory consigned to you from suppliers?
• Do you have consignment inventory to go to stores?
• How will you be identifying these inventory items and reporting on these inventory items?

The subsequent list includes suggestions to assist you in the preparation of your warehouse for the warehouse inventory, this is recommended to be completed well in advance of the warehouse inventory:

• Basic general housekeeping - tidy the warehouse to allow for easy access, cleared passageways, and ease of counting any stacked inventory items.
• Inventory locations - where possible, try to consolidate types of inventory into a single location.
• Logical organization of count areas - by bin location, product code, SKU (inventory keeping unit), supplier's product code, etc.
• Clearly label inventory for easy identification by staff counting the inventory.
• Remove from count area any inventory not being counted, such as damaged inventory awaiting return to the supplier or for disposal.

Good Luck with your warehouse inventory.