Agree what “accurate” means
A stock balance can match while the pallet is in the wrong bay. Before a pilot, agree which records must be correct: product, warehouse, location, pallet identity, quantity, unit of measure and stock status. Record quantity accuracy and location accuracy separately so one cannot hide the other.
This is a proposed study method, not a report of customer results. Use it to design a baseline with your own operations and finance teams.
Choose a sample you can repeat
Include fast-moving items, slow-moving items, mixed pack sizes and stock that moves between locations. Cover more than the easiest aisle. Write down the selection rule and the count date so the second count can use a comparable sample.
- Record the product, pallet, location, expected quantity and unit for each selected record.
- Define the count cut-off and how movements during counting will be handled.
- Use a blind physical count, then have a second person review discrepancies.
- Keep damaged, held and unavailable stock separate from saleable stock.
Use a consistent denominator
One useful measure is exact-match accuracy: matching records divided by records counted, multiplied by 100. Define a match before counting. If you allow a tolerance, document it and report the exact-match result as well.
For example, 48 exact matches out of 60 counted records gives 80% exact-match accuracy. These are fictional arithmetic examples, not Warehouse Wizard performance figures. A record-level result does not measure the financial size of the differences; review quantity and value variances separately.
Explain the differences
Classify discrepancies before correcting them. Was a receipt posted before put-away? Did a picker take a different pallet? Was a case counted as an individual unit? Was stock moved physically without a corresponding transaction? Preserve the original count and the reason for each approved correction.
Ask finance to confirm which cost source and valuation date apply. A quantity difference multiplied by an arbitrary selling price is not a reliable inventory valuation.
Repeat under comparable conditions
Run the follow-up after an agreed pilot period. Use the same matching rules, comparable stock and similar movement conditions. Record changes in staffing, volume or product mix that could explain a different result. Report the count dates, sample size, exclusions and remaining unexplained differences alongside the headline number.
What to bring to a walkthrough
Bring anonymised examples of a receipt, a pallet move, a pick and a count discrepancy. Agree which workflow can be demonstrated now and which needs configuration or integration. Discuss an inventory accuracy pilot.