Practical guide to inventory

The easiest way to take stock is by using the PlentyONE Warehouse app. PlentyONE Warehouse offers a newly developed stocktaking function. With the latest version, PlentyONE Warehouse also allows you to export legally compliant inventory log exports in different file formats after you have completed the stocktaking process. In addition, the item and variation quantities that are counted using the PlentyONE Warehouse app are automatically synchronised with your system.

Download the PlentyONE Warehouse app free of charge here on Google Play Store  .

Are you working with the PlentyONE Warehouse app for the first time? Then take a look at the information provided on our overview page.

To make sure that the stocktaking process works exactly as needed for your workflow, some preparatory settings have to be carried out in the Settings area of the PlentyONE Warehouse app. For details and instructions on this step, refer to the Taking stock manual page.

To take stock and document as well as check the results later, you should export both the current stocks and stock movements of your system before starting the stocktaking process.

In this chapter, we explain how you can set your stocks to zero using the import.

Note: This step is only necessary if you are using the stocktaking mode and you want to clear your stocks.

Before starting the stocktaking process, you should decide if you want to set all stocks to zero or not. First, we will show you what you should pay attention to if using this method.

Make sure which methods suits you and your workflow best.
The following table summarises all advantages and disadvantages of clearing stocks once again.

To record the item quantities that are in stock before the stocktaking process is started, you should carry out an export. To do so, use the catalogue and the export format Stocks. After the export, download the file and save it on your computer so that you can access it later and use it to document your processes.

With this method, you compare both files containing the stocks that you have created before and after the stocktaking process. By comparing the stocks for each variation, you can calculate where differences occur and then check them again and adjust them, if needed. Since you only see the stock quantities here, you might have to check the storage location of the items in your system.

Create an export using the catalogue format Stock movements and filter by the date range and the reason for the stock movement (ID 302). This way, only the stock movements that were triggered during and by taking stock are exported. If you also use the filter for the sum of stock movements per variation, the export will only contain a single data row for each variation. However, this is only the case if there is a stock difference for the specific variation before and after stocktaking. If the stock quantities are identical on all storage locations, no data row will be included in the export. If the quantities differ per storage location but the total stock quantity of this variation remains the same, the export will contain a data row with the quantity 0 in the Stock movement field.

Thus, this kind of export allows you to quickly see the items with stock differences regarding the total quantity per variation. For more details, refer to the Identifying and analysing stock differences chapter.

Create an export using the catalogue format Stock movements, but without the filter for the sum of stock movements. You only need to filter for the date range and the stock movement reason (ID 302). With this method, you will get a data row if the stock of a variation on a specific storage location differs before and after stocktaking. This list is helpful if the list containing all stock differences showed that you have to check some variations in more detail. Check each storage location for which differences regarding the variation have occurred to see the exact storage location you should check again. For more details, refer to the Identifying and analysing stock differences chapter below.

To check if the stocks of an item are identical before and after stocktaking, create a catalogue using the Stock movements format. This way, you export all stock movements (grouped by variation) that occurred during the stocktaking process and that have the stock movement reason Correction because of stocktaking.

Within the catalogue, use the filter for the sum of stock movements to group the entries for a variation. Use an additional filter to select the date range in which the stocktaking process took place. To only export stock movements that are related to stocktaking, add the filter for the reason Correction because of stocktaking with the ID 302. The resulting export will include the total stock difference per variation. The difference should always be 0.
Thus, the list shows you at a glance which items have stock differences before and after stocktaking.

Note: This list does not show if 5 additional copies of an item were counted on one storage location, while 3 copies of the same item could not be counted on another storage location. The sum is always 0. Thus, the list is useful to get a general overview of the stock differences, but does not include information on stock differences per storage location.

Over time, it can happen that items have been transferred to another storage location, but no corresponding redistribution has been carried out in the system.
To see stock differences for variations on individual storage locations, create a catalogue using the format Stock movements. This way, you export all stock movements that occurred during the stocktaking process and that have the stock movement reason Correction because of stocktaking.

Use the filter for the date range in which the stocktaking process took place. To only export stock movements that are related to stocktaking, add the filter for the reason Correction because of stocktaking with the ID 302. As a result, the list will include an entry for each stock movement, i.e. for every variation that has a stock difference before and after stocktaking.
Example: In the system, the variation with the ID 123 was booked 10 times on storage location A. However, during stocktaking, the variation was counted 10 times on storage location B. In this case, there is a stock movement for this variation of -10 for storage location a and a stock movement of +10 for storage location B. Consequently, the total quantity for this variation is identical before and after stocktaking, but the variation is on a different storage location than before.

Thus, the list allows you to identify and analyse the differences per storage location. In addition, it’s easy for you to keep an overview on how many items may have been transferred to other storage locations without being properly redistributed in the system.