Taking stock

Pay attention to the requirements

This page requires that you have installed the PlentyONE Warehouse app on an appropriate device. Note the hardware requirements described on the System requirements page of the manual. In addition, make sure that you are logged into the PlentyONE Warehouse app and that you have carried out all necessary steps for initial setup.

In addition to using the functionality in the PlentyONE back end, you can also take stock using the PlentyONE Warehouse app. This manual page contains all information on the necessary preparatory settings and the process of taking stock with PlentyONE Warehouse.

In addition, you can create and export inventory log exports in the PlentyONE back end after taking stock with PlentyONE Warehouse. For further information on this, refer to the documenting stocktaking chapter.

Use labels for storage locations

To carry out stocktaking in PlentyONE Warehouse, you need to generate a label for every storage location and place it at the respective storage location. During stocktaking, you use your device to scan the label to select the storage location for stocktaking. Have you not created labels for storage locations yet? You can find the appropriate instruction on the Setting up a warehouse page of the manual.

1. Assigning rights for stocktaking

Before stocktaking is carried out in PlentyONE Warehouse, make sure that all users without roles of the type Administrator have been assigned the appropriate rights. Otherwise, the counted stock cannot be registered and saved correctly both in the PlentyONE Warehouse app and in the PlentyONE back end.

Users with roles that are not of the type Administrator can only see certain areas and menus in PlentyONE. This means they only have limited access to the system. Should coworker carry out stocktaking in PlentyONE Warehouse they need at least one of the following rights:

  • PlentyONE Warehouse > Stocktaking

Tip: How to grant rights

Note that only users with roles of the type Administrator can grant rights.

Assigning rights:

  1. Open the menu Setup » Account management » Roles.
    → The roles overview opens.

  2. Click on New (add).
    → The role creation menu opens.

  3. Enter a name for the role.

  4. Make sure that you are using the simple mode. This means that the option Advanced (toggle_off) is not activated.

  5. Assign the rights for the respective area by ticking the check boxes indicated above.
    Note: You can either grant rights for complete areas or limit the rights you grant the user. To only grant limited rights in a certain area, expand the area.

  6. Save (save) the settings.

2. Carrying out settings for stocktaking

With the help of a few basic settings, you can customise the stocktaking function in PlentyONE Warehouse so that it fits your needs and workflows.

Pay attention to required rights

By default, the settings described below can only be carried out by users with roles of the type Administrator. If other app users are supposed to see and edit the settings, administrators have to assign the respective rights in the PlentyONE back end. To do so, open the respective role in the Setup » Account management » Roles menu and activate the desired rights for the Settings option in the PlentyONE Warehouse area.

For example, you can determine how the storage location search works and which possibilities should be available for saving the stock.

Carrying out settings for stocktaking:

  1. Log into PlentyONE Warehouse.

  2. Tap on the menu icon () in the top left corner.

  3. Tap on Settings (settings).
    → The settings menu opens.

  4. Tap on Stocktaking (icon stocktaking).

  5. Carry out the settings for stocktaking. Pay attention to the explanations given in Table 1.

Table 1. Settings for stocktaking in PlentyONE Warehouse
Setting Explanation

General settings area

Mandatory storage location scan

Use this option to determine which rules should apply when selecting storage locations during stocktaking.
Activated () = All target storage locations must be scanned via their label to be selected for stocktaking. It is not possible to select storage locations manually via the search results.
Deactivated () = Storage locations can either be selected by scanning them or by selecting them manually.

Storage location area

Storage location search fields

Use the toggle buttons to determine which criteria can be used for the storage location search while using the stocktaking function. This setting only takes effect if the Mandatory storage location scan setting is not activated.
Activated () = You will be able to use this criterion when searching for storage locations.
Tip: Tap on and hold (drag_handle) for each activated search criterion and drag it to the desired position to determine the order of the search fields.
Note: This setting only takes effect if the Mandatory storage location scan setting is not activated.

Focus on storage location search field

Will you typically select the storage location for stocktaking by scanning its barcode or by searching for the storage location name and selecting the storage location from a list? If you want to scan the barcode, then this setting can speed up the job.
None = There will be no focus on any field. Of course, you can still place the cursor in another search field manually.
Barcode = The cursor will automatically start out in the barcode field when you reshelve items. You can scan the source storage location right away.
Storage location = The cursor is automatically placed in the storage location name field.

Item search area

Item search fields

Use the toggle buttons to determine which criteria can be used for the item search while using the stocktaking function.
Note: This setting only takes effect if the setting Mandatory item scan is not activated. Activated () = You will be able to use this criterion when searching for items.
Tip: Tap on and hold (drag_handle) for each activated search criterion and drag it to the desired position to determine the order of the search fields.

Focus on item search field

Do you typically search for items using a specific criterion? Tap on the criterion that you use most frequently. When you search for items later during stocktaking, the cursor will automatically be placed in this field at the beginning. Of course, you can still place the cursor in another search field manually.
Note: This setting only takes effect if the setting Mandatory item scan is not activated.

Prioritisation of item names

Tap on this option to determine the order in which the components of item names are displayed. Tap and hold (drag_handle) for each component to adjust the order of the displayed elements.

Save stock area

Enable saving by button

How do you wish to save the stock after finishing the counting process for a storage location? Activated () = As soon as all items of a storage location have been counted, a button that allows you to save the stock is displayed.
Deactivated () = he counted stock for a storage location is saved automatically if you scan the storage location label once again after counting all items.

Display confirmation dialogue for completing stocktaking

Activate this option () to display a confirmation dialogue before saving the counted stock for the storage location.
Activated () = Users must confirm before the stock details are saved.
Deactivated () = Stock details are saved immediately.

Display warning if counted stock differs from target stock

Do you want to display a message if the counted stock is higher or lower than the target stock after stocktaking has been completed?
Activated () = Users have to confirm that the counted stock differs from the target stock before they can finish stocktaking.

Item registration area

Mandatory item scan

Use this option to determine which rules should apply when registering items during stocktaking.
No limitations = Items can either be registered by scanning their barcode or by selecting them manually.
Limit item search = Items without barcodes can be registered via the item search. Items with barcodes must be registered by scanning the barcode on the item label.
Mandatory item scan = All items must be registered by scanning the barcode on the item label. It is not possible to select items manually via the search results.

Number of items to scan individually

Use this setting to determine how many items need to be scanned or entered via the quantity dialogue to open the quantity dialogue. Then, you can use the input field in the quantity dialogue to enter the total quantity of all counted items and thus register this quantity for stocktaking.
Example: If you select the value 5 here, the quantity dialogue will open automatically after registering the fifth copy of the item.

3. Checking stock

Do you want to check all stock changes at once after completing stocktaking? Then start by using the export format catalogue format Stocks to export your current stock.

After you have finished stocktaking with the PlentyONE Warehouse app, use the import tool to create a data import. Once you have created the import, you can view the stock changes for each item in the Tab: Stock » Tab: Stock movement area of the item. In addition, the import will be displayed as a separate entry in the Stock » Incoming items menu. Open this entry to view the stock changes.

4. Taking stock

When taking stock with the PlentyONE Warehouse app, you can either scan each copy of an item individually or enter the counted quantity using the keypad. Use the Mandatory item scan option described above to determine which method you want to use.

4.1. Scanning each piece of an item individually

Users do not have to physically count the stock. Instead, they can scan the labels of each piece of an item repeatedly until they have scanned all pieces of an item present at the storage location. The quantity is updated incrementally in the background. For this counting method, the Mandatory item scan setting in the Settings » Stocktaking menu has to be activated.

Scanning each piece of an item individually:

  1. Log into PlentyONE Warehouse.

  2. Tap on the menu icon () in the top left corner.
    Or: Find the Stocktaking tile in the Functions area on the dashboard.

  3. Tap on Stocktaking (icon stocktaking).

  4. Scan the storage location label.
    → The storage location is selected. The quantity of scanned items is booked to this storage location.

  5. Scan the label of each piece until you have scanned all items present at the storage location.
    Tip: If the storage location contains more than one type of item, the quantity of the correct item is increased automatically during scanning.
    Note: To correct the scanned quantity manually, tap on the item and enter the correct quantity.
    → If best before dates, batches or both are managed for the variation in the selected warehouse, you are asked to enter a date, a batch or both.
    Optional: Select the best before date and/or enter the batch.
    → The stock is booked in.

  6. To finish the count, scan the storage location label again or tap on Save stock if the button is shown.
    → The counted quantity is saved.
    → The counted stock is imported to the Stock » Storage location management menu of the PlentyONE back end.
    → The stock information is saved in the Item » Managing items menu of the variation.

4.2. Entering the counted quantity

Instead of scanning the label of each copy of the item stored at the storage location individually, warehouse staff can also count how many copies of an item are available at the storage location. After the counting process, the result is entered manually. For this counting method, the Mandatory item scan setting in the Settings » Stocktaking menu has to be deactivated.

Entering the counted quantity:

  1. Log into PlentyONE Warehouse.

  2. Tap on the menu icon () in the top left corner.
    Or: Find the Stocktaking tile in the Functions area on the dashboard.

  3. Tap on Stocktaking (icon stocktaking).

  4. Scan the storage location label.
    → The storage location is selected. The quantity of scanned items is booked to this storage location.

  5. Scan the label of an item or search for the item manually.
    → If best before dates, batches or both are managed for the variation in the selected warehouse, you are asked to enter a date, a batch or both.
    Optional: Select the best before date and/or enter the batch.
    → The Enter quantity window is displayed.

  6. Enter the quantity that you counted for the item.

  7. To finish the count, scan the storage location label again or tap on Save stock if the button is shown.
    → The counted quantity is saved.
    → The counted stock is imported to the Stock » Storage location management menu of the PlentyONE back end.
    → The stock information is saved in the Item » Managing items menu of the variation.

5. Documenting stocktaking

After importing and importing the stock and the actual stocktaking with the PlentyONE Warehouse app, the third important step is to create a legally compliant protocol of the results. For this purpose, the Inventory log export menu is available in the Stock » Stocktaking area. Depending on the selected filters, you can sort the contents of the inventory log export according to your requirements.

Important note on storage location with no stock

Note that under certain circumstances, storage locations are not listed in the inventory log export. More specifically, this is the case if no items are available at a sgtorage location and a stock of 0 has been registered for this storage location during stocktakin accordingly.

If necessary, start by assigning the appropriate user rights to employees that should be able to create inventory log exports but do not have an Admin account.

Assigning rights for users without admin accounts

Users with roles that are not of the type Administrator can only see certain sections and menus in PlentyONE. This means they only have limited access to the system. If employees can create inventory log exports, they need at least the following rights:

  • Stock > Stocktaking > Inventory log > Create

Tip: How to grant rights

Note that only users with roles of the type Administrator can grant rights.

Assigning rights:

  1. Open the menu Setup » Account management » Roles.
    → The roles overview opens.

  2. Click on New (add).
    → The role creation menu opens.

  3. Enter a name for the role.

  4. Switch to the advanced mode by toggling Advanced (toggle_on) slider.

  5. Assign the rights for the respective section by ticking the check boxes indicated above.
    Note: You can either grant rights for complete sections or limit the rights you grant the user. To only grant limited rights in a certain section, expand the section.

  6. Save (save) the settings.

The simple mode and advanced mode are connected. If you check menu visibilities in the simple mode the corresponding permissions in the advanced mode will be checked automatically. The connection only exists in this direction. If you check permissions in the advanced mode no menu or plugin visibilities will be checked automatically.

5.1. Exporting the inventory log

Exporting the inventory log:

  1. Go to Stock » Stocktaking » Inventory log export.

  2. Carry out the desired filter settings. Pay attention to the information provided in Table 2.

  3. Click on Generate PDF or Generate CSV.
    Tip: Read on below to get advice on selecting the appropriate file format.
    → The inventory log is created and downloaded automatically.

Table 2. Available filters for exporting the inventory log
Setting Explanation

User

Select the user who carried out the stocktaking for which the inventory log should be exported.

Warehouse

Select the warehouse in which the stocktaking for which the inventory log should be exported was carried out.

Storage location

Enter the name of the desired dimension in this field to export an inventory log that contains the storage locations included in this dimension.

Date from

Select the start date for the period of time in which the stocktaking for which the inventory log should be exported was carried out.

Date to

Select the end date for the period of time in which the stocktaking for which the inventory log should be exported was carried out.

Sort by

How should the entries in the inventory log export be sorted? Select one of the options Storage location, Date or User to sort the entries accordingly.

Include purchase prices

Should the purchase prices for the counted variations be included in the inventory log export?
Activated () = Two columns containing the purchase price and the moving average purchase price for the variation will be added to the inventory log export. For more background information on these two types of purchase prices, refer to the Managing incoming items page of the manual.
Deactivated () = The purchase prices for variations are not included in the inventory log export.

Only consider latest counting results

Which counting results should be included in the inventory log export in case e.g. stocktaking has been carried out twice for a storage location within the selected period of time?
Activated () = Only the latest counting result is included.
Deactivated () = If multiple counting result exist, every result is displayed individually. In other words, multiple entries can be created for the same storage location. Use this setting carefully, as it can lead to unclear data in the inventory log export.

Using the different formats for inventory log exports

You can download the inventory log export in CSV and PDF format. Choose the file format that is appropriate for your use case.

  • CSV file

  • PDF file

  • The CSV file can be edited after it has been created. It is especially useful if you want to add further information manually. In addition, you should choose this file format if you wish to import the data into your accounting software or other tools for further processing.

  • The PDF file cannot be edited after it has been created. Thus, it can serve as a receipt that you can use for your tax advisor and store for your own accounting purposes.

    Delay when generating PDF files

    Depending on the filters you have selected for the inventory log export, generating the PDF files can take some time due to the quantity of data that has to be processed. For example, this is the case if you have selected filters for a high number of storage locations at once. Try using different filter settings to generate multiple smaller exports. We are already working on fixing this behaviour so that a quicker generation of PDF files will be possible.