Physical Inventory
Optional Module
for use with the Unify3 POS System

Introduction

Inventory Runs

Reports

File Import and Export

Download the Stock Replenishment White Paper

Physical Inventory Optional Module
For use with the Unify3 POS System

Inventory is a retail store's single largest asset, therefore, inventory control is vital to the success of any retail enterprise. However, due to human receiving inaccuracies and inventory adjustment errors, maintaining accurate store-level inventories can be a frustrating challenge. Today as in no time before it is vital to a retail store's survival to tighten up inventory levels and to prevent overstocking. Advanced bar code technology now allows for the accurate capture of sales information at point-of-sale; Unify3's Physical Inventory module utilizes bar code technology to quickly bring item level inventory counts back into line through the use of random "cycle counts", blind "cycle counts" and periodic full-store physical inventories.

The Physical Inventory Module allows you to count inventory items using one of three very different methods:

Random "cycle counts" using hand-held computers. A random cycle count allows an operator to employ a hand-held computer to count selective items anywhere in the store usually for purposes of checking high-risk shrink items, items currently being purchased, or periodically bringing suspect inventory levels back into line. Cycle counts can be done daily and usually involve anywhere between 50 and 100 items. Daily or bi-weekly cycle counts are an excellent vehicle for maintaining very accurate in-store item inventories. Random cycle counts, because of their brevity, can be taken during normal business hours with only the smallest potential of variance because of on-going floor sales.

Controlled physical inventory using hand-held computers and/or count sheets. Controlled physical inventories involve downloading a "count file" into a hand-held computer or producing paper count sheets that operators use as a guide for conducting sectional or whole store physical inventories. Operators are restricted to only counting those items found on the count sheet or held in the hand-held computer's memory. This type of physical inventory is useful for evaluating inventory levels for a specific accounting period or for year-end financials.

Controlled physical inventories involve creating a "snapshot" of current on-hand inventory levels which, is then used to eventually compare against the actual counts, thereby creating counted variances. The counted variances, once approved, can be directly posted against the current on-hand levels, thereby correcting on-hand counts. Because of the inventory level "snapshot" principle, controlled physical inventories should be conducted after normal store business hours in order to insure accurate inventory counts are not skewed with on-going sales at the POS terminals.

The essential principle behind creating a "count sheet run" is that a file is generated during off-store hours that captures a "snapshot" of the selected items' on-hand inventory. Only one count sheet run can be generated either before or after normal store hours, and the physical inventory on those selected items MUST be taken before the start of the next business day. However, you then have ample time to key in or upload from a hand-held device the actual counts since Unify3 will eventually only post the difference (variance) in the counts to the items on-hand counts.

Blind "cycle counts" sent from Unify2 (sold separately) host and performed in an opening procedure. A blind cycle count allows an operator to perform a count on previously downloaded host-selected items, if any, from last nights polling during Unify3's opening procedures. A temporary cycle count run number of all 9's is used to contain the counts entered during the opening procedure.

When the cycle count is finished, Unify writes the results to the sale-log. The operator will not be able to finalize the forced cycle count until all records have been counted and the appropriate entries have been made; an entered zero indicates an actual count of 0. Unify3 will import a host-supplied item file during end-of-day closing procedures, thereby forcing the store opener the next day to count the all the items. The cycle count will allow for the counting of defective returns as well as salable merchandise.

Main Menu

The Physical Inventory Menu is comprised of a toolbar and two database browsers. The toolbar is used to choose an action to be performed (i.e., Create a new run, Cancel an existing run, etc.). The top database browser will list all physical inventory runs currently in the database including open, posted and cancelled runs. The bottom database browser will list all line items of the currently selected physical inventory run.

For more information on the Stock Replenishment Module for the Unify3 Point of Sale system, find a reseller near you.