inventory home / Playbook
Operations / practical steps
Reconcile stock before automating it
A small-team playbook for stock records, reservations, cycle counts and reliable order handoffs.
STEP 01
Give each sellable unit one identity
Record a stable SKU, description, unit of measure and variant attributes. Keep supplier codes as separate fields. Decide how bundles consume components and how damaged or quarantined goods are represented instead of treating every unit as sellable.
STEP 02
Define the stock states
Separate physical on-hand, allocated, unavailable and available-to-sell quantities. Write down when an order reserves stock and when a cancellation releases it. Use the same definitions in the store, warehouse and reporting system.
STEP 03
Make every movement explainable
Capture receipts, picks, returns and adjustments with a reference, quantity, time and responsible person. Avoid editing a balance without an adjustment reason. When integrations retry, use a stable event identifier so the same receipt is not applied twice.
STEP 04
Count and investigate regularly
Count a manageable subset without confusing live movements with discrepancies. Compare the count to a snapshot taken at a known time. Investigate repeated patterns by SKU, location or process before simply accepting an adjustment.
Choose the right next step
- One sales channel: a disciplined movement ledger may be enough to start.
- Multiple channels: agree reservation timing and which system is authoritative.
- Frequent discrepancies: fix receiving and adjustment controls before adding more automation.
Worked example
A shelf holds 80 units, 12 are reserved and 3 are damaged. Under a simple policy where reserved and damaged stock cannot be sold, available stock is 65. The team documents the calculation so channels do not each advertise the full physical count.