Inventory Physical Count

[atobias]

We do a physical count twice a year. The routine is cumbersome. Has there been any fixes or advances?

Inventory; Inv. Transactions; Physical Count. Input part number, tab, part comes up, change count, update, then input another part number. Is there any way to auto advance to the next part number? Is there a database tool that I can use to open the whole DB and edit the QOH globally?

Doing the routine as Mitchell designed is excessively time consuming. Please fix.

[motley06]

So, just yesterday I started putting together a 'daily close out' procedure for myself (how I've managed to stay in business for 4 years without any procedure like this is a miracle, I know). Anyway, after looking at some of the other posts on this forum, it seems as though most folks are running both 'low inventory' reports and checking those daily. Another report I'm likely to start running is the 'current inventory - negative only' report. A quick glance through our inventory list shows a lot of negative numbers that need to be corrected (this was due to us not using the PO system correctly). I think if you were to work these 2 or 3 reports daily, you might spend 5-10 minutes a day correcting 1 or 2 entries. Then if you can monitor, observe, and correct how things are getting entered incorrectly, you can adjust your procedures and probably eliminate most errors... Just my 2 cents, though. Ricmorin seems to have a lot of good policies and procedures going on at his shop, so maybe he'll chime in.

[ricmorin]

One thing you can do to speed up the process is to get your parts list by search in the Inventory window. In the example below, I've searched for 3M stuff that I stock. Then I open the first record and navigate through using the arrow buttons circled. This will get you through a lot faster. I use this often when I;m going through filter inventory because it gives me a 'last sold' value and I can decide if I want to return it or not.

inventory2.png (25.53 KiB) Viewed 3577 times

I do inventory monthly by category. Much easier.

[atobias]

These are both good ideas but not exactly what I'm looking for. In the normal course of business inventory changes, additions, deletions, and errors. You can run the reports by manufacturer, vendor, and description and so forth. Problem I find is parts records are only as good as the input made. For instance, if you create an inventory record through the purchase order process the record has many null fields. I find to do a complete inventory you print out the inventory worksheet by location. Then go shelf by shelf counting. You will find parts that aren't even in the database that somehow were placed on the shelf.

The big question is not how you or I do it, it's the ease of how it can be accomplished in the system. This Mitchell physical count process is to say it mildly, horrible. Crazy time consuming, cumbersome, and inaccurate.

Unfortunately, this is the only way you can get the discrepancy report. This is the report you run immediately following doing the physical count routine that gives you the differences you are then able to reconcile in your accounting system.

I get on this forum every 5 or so years when one of these items that I've been asking to be fixed for years hasn't seen any attention. I don't have a lot of inventory (only $60k between my 2 locations) but this process takes me as long as it takes the warehouse I buy from with $5m in inventory to do theirs.

[motley06]

Yes, agreed, inventory is not fun, and Mitchell could probably do some things to improve it. And trust me, I'm not one to give Mitchell much of a break on lack of improvements. However, I think there are a few things to consider.
1.) Large companies hire other companies to do inventory for them. This is a clear sign that inventory is a PITA. This is not an excuse for Mitchell, but rather an acknowledgement that inventory is not an easy task, regardless of what method or software you use.
2.) If you are finding parts on the shelf that aren't in inventory, the only way that happened was by your service advisor not receiving them in Mitchell into inventory. That's not a Mitchell problem, that's a process problem on your end. I think reviewing how parts are received and entered into Mitchell. Trust me, we JUST started trying to use the PO and inventory part of Mitchell as it's designed, and there is definitely a learning curve.

I know for me, getting processes and procedures in place is not an easy task. As soon as I think I have something figured out, some odd ball situation happens that makes me reexamine what I just came up with. And usually coming up with a process for one aspect of your business makes you aware of how it will affect another aspect or how that other aspect affects it. Keep at it, search around on the forums, and I think you'll find what your looking for.

[atobias]

Thanks for the update.

Apparently, none of friends have large enough companies that hire someone to do inventory for them. I have one friend with 15 locations and each location does their own inventory. You're probably right for a dealership?

My warehouse does their own inventory. The difference is they use software that is inventory controls and knows what is required. I've watched the process and yes, it's tedious but extremely fast.

No one in your place every puts a part back on the shelf that is not inventoried but should have been returned to the supplier I'm sure.

Yes, we make mistakes from time to time. The process you are using is fraught with mistakes. It assumes you live in a perfect world and no one makes a mistake. There is no double checking.

[motley06]

Thanks for the update.

Apparently, none of friends have large enough companies that hire someone to do inventory for them. I have one friend with 15 locations and each location does their own inventory. You're probably right for a dealership?

My warehouse does their own inventory. The difference is they use software that is inventory controls and knows what is required. I've watched the process and yes, it's tedious but extremely fast.

No one in your place every puts a part back on the shelf that is not inventoried but should have been returned to the supplier I'm sure.

Yes, we make mistakes from time to time. The process you are using is fraught with mistakes. It assumes you live in a perfect world and no one makes a mistake. There is no double checking.

You're right, we're not perfect. We do make mistakes. I was just trying to help and give you some ideas. I think what I was trying to get across was that, if you can identify an individual problem you're running into consistently, back track and identify where the mistake was made, then try to implement a policy/procedure to avoid that mistake again, hopefully you will reduce the headaches you run into. Best of luck!

[atobias]

I hadn't thought of that. I don't know how I've made that past 29 years of being in business without this knowledge. LOL