Stock counts
A stock count is a worksheet. You list the items of one location, write down what you really counted, and the app shows where that differs from the system. Nothing changes until you post. Posting makes one stock adjustment, dated the day of the count. Stock found goes into Inventory against 5100 Inventory Gain or Loss, and stock missing comes out of it the same way.
- Where
- Inventory › Stock counts
- Number
- None for the count itself. Posting gives the stock adjustment its own number, such as ADJ-000001
- Posts to
- Inventory and Inventory Gain or Loss, only when you post a count that has differences
- Who
- Managers and admins
What it’s for
Section titled “What it’s for”- Check the stock in a shop, store or warehouse against the system. Count a whole location, or one category at a time.
- Share the work. Print a count sheet, give it to the people on the shelf, and type their figures in later.
- Keep proof. A posted count stays in the list for good, with the stock adjustment it made.
Cash counts are a different thing. They check the money in a drawer. See Cash counts.
The steps of a count
Section titled “The steps of a count”- Start a count. Choose the location, the day of the count and, if you like, one category. The app lists every active stock item and the quantity the system holds now. Services are not listed. Items with no stock are listed too, so you can record stock found.
- Count. Print a count sheet if you want one. Type what you counted for each item, and press Save counts. You do not have to count every item.
- Review and post. The review shows how many items differ and what the stock found and missing is worth, about. Press Post count.
Items you did not count stay exactly as they are. A count with no differences is posted with no adjustment and no entry in your accounts.
Only one count can be in progress at a location. A different location can be counted at the same time.
Sales and purchases while you count
Section titled “Sales and purchases while you count”Selling, buying and moving stock are not blocked while a count is open. The app does the following:
- The column In the system now always shows the stock at this moment, not the stock when you started.
- The difference is your counted quantity minus the stock in the system now. So a sale you made before posting is not counted as stock missing, as long as you counted after the sale.
- If stock of an item you already counted moves after the count started (a sale, a purchase, a return or a transfer), the item is marked Stock moved. Its count is no longer trusted. Press Count again, then type what is on the shelf now. You cannot post while any counted item is marked Stock moved.
- Items you have not counted yet are not marked. They are compared with the stock at the time you post.
For the cleanest count, stop selling from that location while you count.
Fields
Section titled “Fields”Start a count
Section titled “Start a count”| Field | What it means | What it changes |
|---|---|---|
| Location | The place you are counting (required) | Which stock is listed, and where the adjustment is posted |
| Category (optional) | Shown only when your company has categories and you may see products. The default is Every item | Lists only the items of that category |
| Day of the count | Defaults to today. It cannot be in the future | The date of the stock adjustment and of its journal entry |
| Note (optional) | Up to 500 characters, for example “month-end count” | Becomes part of the adjustment’s reason, as “Stock count: ‹note›” |
A count can hold up to 3000 items. In a bigger shop, count one category at a time.
The count screen
Section titled “The count screen”| Field | What it means | What it changes |
|---|---|---|
| Search item or code | Finds items in this count | Shows fewer rows. No effect on the count |
| Show | All items, Counted, Not counted yet, With a difference, Stock moved since the count started, or Found stock that needs a cost. Most choices show how many items they hold | Shows fewer rows. No effect on the count |
| In the system now | The stock the system holds at this location right now. If it moved, “Was ‹quantity› at the start” shows under it | What your count is compared with |
| Counted | The quantity you counted. Empty means “not counted”. 0 is a real count: the shelf is empty. Use no sign. Quantities follow the item’s unit, so pieces take whole numbers | The item is included in the posting |
| Difference | Counted minus the system now, for example +2 PCS or -2 PCS. It shows as you type | Shows what posting would add or take out |
| Value of the difference | The worth of the difference, about. It shows after you save | Shows what posting would change in Inventory |
| Cost of each (0 if free) | Appears only for stock found of an item that has no cost on record yet. Type the cost of each extra unit, or 0 if it came free | The cost found stock is added at |
| Leave the system quantity off the sheet | A tick box above the list | A blind sheet: the printed or downloaded sheet shows no system quantity, so nobody counts towards a number |
Type each quantity in the box of its item. Typed counts stay while you change page, search or filter. A count shows 25, 50 or 100 items per page. Press Save counts before you leave. The app asks before you leave with counts that are not saved.
The Value of the difference is an estimate. Stock found is valued at the cost you entered, or else at the item’s average cost. Stock missing is valued at the average cost. The posting works out the exact figures.
Buttons
Section titled “Buttons”Nothing touches your stock or accounts until Post count.
| Button | When you see it | What happens | Accounts |
|---|---|---|---|
| Start a count | On the Stock counts list, if you may post stock adjustments | Opens the start form. Start count creates the worksheet and takes a note of the stock now | No change |
| Continue / View | On each row of the list | Opens a count in progress, or a finished one | No change |
| Save counts | A count in progress. It shows how many counts are waiting, for example “Save counts (2)”, then “Counts saved” | Saves the quantities you typed | No change |
| Count again | Next to an item marked Stock moved | Clears the old count of that item and starts it again from the stock now. Type the new count | No change |
| Print count sheet | Any count | Saves what you typed, then shows the sheet to print: Item, Code, Unit, In the system (unless left off) and Counted (empty to write in), with lines for Counted by and Checked by | No change |
| Download count sheet (CSV) | Any count | The same sheet as a file | No change |
| Review and post | A count in progress, once something is counted | Saves what you typed, then opens the review with the checks | No change |
| Show these items | In the review, when items moved or need a cost | Goes back to the list, showing only those items | No change |
| Post count | In the review. It is off while items are marked Stock moved, while found stock still needs a cost, and while nothing is counted | Posts the differences as one stock adjustment | Posts |
| Back to the count | In the review | Closes the review | No change |
| Cancel this count | A count in progress. It asks “Cancel this count?” first | Drops the counts entered. The count stays in the list as Cancelled | No change |
| View adjustment ‹number› | A posted count that made an adjustment | Opens the stock adjustment | No change |
| All counts | A count that is open | Goes back to the list. The app asks if you have unsaved counts | No change |
Statuses you will see: In progress, Posted and Cancelled. On the list, a posted count shows its adjustment (for example “Adjustment ADJ-000001”) or “Nothing to adjust”. A cancelled count shows “No change to stock”. There is no Delete button, and a posted count cannot be cancelled.
What gets posted
Section titled “What gets posted”Posting a count makes one stock adjustment for the location, dated the day of the count. It holds one line for each counted item that differs. The reason on it reads “Stock count”, or “Stock count: ‹note›” when you added a note. The adjustment has its own journal entry, dated the same day, which uses two standard accounts.
| Item | What the adjustment does | Journal entry |
|---|---|---|
| Found (counted more than the system now) | Adds the difference to the location | Debit 1200 Inventory, credit 5100 Inventory Gain or Loss |
| Missing (counted less than the system now) | Takes the difference out of the location | Debit 5100 Inventory Gain or Loss, credit 1200 Inventory |
| Counted the same | Nothing | Nothing |
| Not counted | Nothing | Nothing |
An item that differs adds to one pair of lines. If a count finds some items and misses others, the entry has both pairs. The two are not netted. Inventory goes up by the value of the stock found and down by the value of the stock missing. The same amounts go the other way on 5100. The entry touches no other account.
5100 Inventory Gain or Loss works like an expense. A loss increases it and a gain reduces it.
The cost used
Section titled “The cost used”- Stock found is added at the item’s average cost, so the average cost does not move. The count asks for a cost only for an item that has none.
- An item with no average cost (for example, one you have never bought) must have a cost typed before you can post. The cost you type is the cost of each extra unit. Type 0 if the stock came free. Stock found at no cost has no value, so its line adds nothing to the entry in your accounts, and the item’s average cost goes down.
- Stock missing is taken out at the item’s company average cost. If the count takes out everything the location holds (you counted 0), it is taken out at exactly the value held there. Stock adjustments has the full list.
Worked figures
Section titled “Worked figures”Example: a location holds 10 Apple juice, average cost 4.00, and 5 Bottled water, average cost 2.00. A third item, Cola, is also on the list. You count 12 Apple juice and 3 Bottled water, and you do not count Cola.
- Apple juice: 2 found, worth 2 × 4.00 = AED 8.00.
- Bottled water: 2 missing, worth 2 × 2.00 = AED 4.00.
- Cola is left alone.
The review shows stock found about AED 8.00 and stock missing about AED 4.00. Posting adds 8.00 to Inventory and takes 4.00 out of it, with the opposite amounts on 5100.
Found stock that was already sold
Section titled “Found stock that was already sold”If your company allows selling stock that has not arrived, some stock may be sold before it is counted. Stock found in a count counts as stock arriving. It first clears what is owed to customers, oldest sale first, at the real cost of the stock found. The entries below are one such clearing.
- Units of this sale cleared by the stock found2
- Estimated cost kept in Stock owed (2 × 10.00)20.00
- Real cost of the 2 units (2 × 12.00)24.00
- Difference4.00
| Account | Debit (AED) | Credit (AED) | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5000Cost of Goods Sold | 4.00 | The real cost was 4.00 more than the estimate | |
| 2060Stock owed (estimated cost) | 20.00 | The estimate is cleared | |
| 1200Inventory | 24.00 | The found stock is used up by the sale at its real cost | |
| Total | 24.00 | 24.00 | Balanced |
Each sale it clears gets its own set of lines like these. The found stock itself still goes into Inventory against 5100 Inventory Gain or Loss, as in the table above. If the stock found had no cost, the count is refused, because what was sold must be costed from it.
Where it shows up
Section titled “Where it shows up”| Place | What changes |
|---|---|
| Stock counts list | The row becomes Posted, with the adjustment number |
| Inventory › Adjustments | The adjustment appears with the count’s reason, dated the day of the count. See Stock adjustments |
| Stock levels and movements | The quantity at the location changes from the count day. Each item that differs gets one movement, typed Adjustment |
| Stock value and the Balance sheet | Inventory (1200) goes up by stock found and down by stock missing |
| Profit and loss | 5100 Inventory Gain or Loss, a loss as expense and a gain reducing it |
| Day book | One entry for the adjustment. A count with no differences adds nothing |
| VAT return | Nothing. A count has no VAT |
See also Stock.
What a posted count protects
Section titled “What a posted count protects”- A posted or cancelled count cannot be changed, and its list of items cannot be changed. No count can be deleted. They stay as evidence.
- A count’s adjustment always has the count’s own location and day. The location, day and category of a count can never be changed once it has started.
- A count is posted once. Pressing Post count twice, or retrying after a lost answer, returns the same adjustment and never makes a second one.
- Starting a count twice with one press (a double click) makes one count.
- The adjustment follows the normal rules for stock adjustments. A locked period, or a day on which the stock would go below zero, is refused, and then the count stays open and nothing is posted.
What the app blocks
Section titled “What the app blocks”A refused posting is all-or-nothing. The count stays in progress and nothing is written.
Starting a count
Section titled “Starting a count”| Situation | What you see |
|---|---|
| No location chosen | Choose the location you are counting. |
| Day left empty | Enter the day of the count. |
| A day in the future | The day of the count cannot be in the future. |
| The location is not active | Select an active stock location. |
| The category is not valid | Select a category. |
| The category holds no stock items | This category has no stock items to count. |
| No stock items at all | There are no stock items to count yet. |
| More than 3000 items | This count would hold ‹number› items. Count one category at a time (up to 3000 items). |
| A count is already open at this location | A count is already in progress at this location. Finish or cancel it first. |
Entering counts
Section titled “Entering counts”| Situation | What you see |
|---|---|
| A quantity that is not a number, is negative, or has more than 6 decimal places | Enter a quantity of 0 or more, with no more than 6 decimal places. |
| More decimals than the item’s unit allows | PCS accepts whole-number quantities only. or ‹unit› accepts at most ‹number› decimal places. |
| A cost that is not a number, or has more than 4 decimal places | Enter a cost of 0 or more, with no more than 4 decimal places. |
| Typing over an item whose stock moved | Stock of this item moved after the count started. Count it again to use the stock as it is now. |
| An item that is not in the count | This item is not part of this count. |
| Changing a count that is finished | This count was already posted, so it cannot be changed. or This count was cancelled, so it cannot be changed. |
Posting
Section titled “Posting”| Situation | What you see |
|---|---|
| Nothing counted | Enter the counted quantity of at least one item before posting. |
| A counted item moved | Stock moved after the count started for ‹items›. Count it again, then post. Nothing was posted. |
| Found stock of an item with no cost | Enter the unit cost for the stock found extra of ‹items› (0 if it came free). Nothing was posted. |
| Found stock at no cost, but the item is owed to customers | ‹item› is owed to customers at this location, so it needs its real unit cost: what was sold has to be costed from it. Nothing was posted. |
| The count day is inside a locked period | The accounting period is locked through ‹date›. Choose a later date, or ask an administrator to reopen the period. |
| The count day would leave negative stock at a date | This posting would leave negative stock or an unmatched inventory value on an accounting date. Check the date and quantity against earlier stock receipts. |
| A standard account is missing or archived | Setup needed: the standard ‹account› account is missing or archived, so nothing was saved. Ask an administrator to review Shop & counter setup in Settings. |
When a posting is refused, the review stays open with the reason in front of you, and the app adds “Nothing was posted.”
Warnings that do not stop posting
Section titled “Warnings that do not stop posting”- The review shows “(about)” next to the value of stock found and missing. The exact figures are on the adjustment.
- Items you did not count stay as they are, with no warning. The review shows how many there are.
Who can do it
Section titled “Who can do it”| Action | Admin | Manager | Cashier |
|---|---|---|---|
| See the Stock counts list and open a count | Yes | Yes | No |
| Start, enter, print, post and cancel a count | Yes | Yes | No |
| Delete or reopen a posted count | No one | No one | No one |
These are the standard roles. Seeing counts needs the right to see stock. Every step that changes a count needs the right to post stock adjustments, because posting a count posts an adjustment. Your administrator can give a custom role each right separately in Settings › Users & access.
Fixing a mistake
Section titled “Fixing a mistake”- A wrong quantity, count not posted yet. Type the right quantity and press Save counts. To say that an item was not counted after all, empty its box and save.
- An item is marked Stock moved. Press Count again beside it and type what is on the shelf now. Then review and post.
- You chose the wrong location, day or category. These cannot be changed once a count starts. Press Cancel this count, which changes no stock, and start a new count. The location is free again at once.
- The count was posted, and a figure was wrong. A posted count cannot be reopened, changed or deleted. Do not edit the adjustment it made. Start a new count of those items. It compares your new figures with the stock as it is now and posts a second adjustment for the difference. You can also post a stock adjustment. See Stock adjustments.
- The period is locked. Ask an administrator to reopen the period. Or cancel the count and start one with a later day, then count again.
- You only need to correct a few items. For a short list, use Adjust stock on Stock adjustments. Choose I counted on each line and type the counted quantity. This keeps no count worksheet and does not check whether stock moved.