Stock Take

ROBOTILL keeps track of your stock levels as you receive, sell and use stock. Actual stock levels can however sometimes differ from the quantities recorded by ROBOTILL due to things such as theft, breakages or stock that was lost without using the Discard Stock option.

A stock take allows you to count the actual stock you have on hand and correct the stock levels in ROBOTILL. There are three different stock take options available. Before choosing an option, it is important to understand the two different methods ROBOTILL can use to update stock quantities.

Stock Update Methods

ROBOTILL uses two different methods when processing stock counts: the Set Quantity Method and the Physical Count Method. The difference is especially important when working with compound items.

Set Quantity Method

The Set Quantity Method tells ROBOTILL what the total stock quantity should be. The quantity you enter replaces the current stock quantity.

If the item is linked to compound items or sub-items, ROBOTILL will also recalculate the quantities of those related items.

For example, assume a case of bottled water contains 24 individual bottles. If you enter that you have 2 cases, ROBOTILL will set the stock to the equivalent of 48 bottles. If you then enter 6 individual bottles, ROBOTILL will not add those 6 bottles to the previous 48. The new quantity of 6 bottles will replace the previous quantity.

For this reason, when using the Set Quantity Method you must count a related group of stock using either the compound item or its lowest-level sub-items, but not both.

For example, if you have cases of water as well as loose bottles, you could count all the water as bottles. If you have 2 full cases containing 24 bottles each and another 6 loose bottles, you would enter 54 bottles.

Alternatively, if you choose to count in cases, you would need to convert the loose bottles to the equivalent case quantity before entering the total.

In short: With the Set Quantity Method, each quantity entered specifies the new total quantity. It does not add to quantities entered previously.

Physical Count Method

The Physical Count Method works differently. It allows you to count stock exactly as you physically find it. You do not need to convert everything to one unit before entering the quantities.

For example, assume bottled water can be stocked as:

• Individual bottles,
• Six-packs containing 6 bottles, and
• Boxes containing 24 bottles.

During a physical count you might find:

• 2 six-packs,
• 2 loose bottles, and
• 1 box.

You can enter each of these quantities exactly as you count them. ROBOTILL will calculate the total amount of underlying stock represented by all the counts.

In this example the total stock is: 12 bottles from the two six-packs, plus 2 loose bottles, plus 24 bottles from the box, giving a total of 38 bottles.

The final quantity updated by ROBOTILL will therefore not simply be one of the quantities you entered. ROBOTILL combines the physical counts, calculates the total underlying stock quantity, and then recalculates the quantities displayed for each related compound item.

In short: With the Physical Count Method, count the stock exactly as you find it. ROBOTILL will combine the different units and calculate the final stock level.

Stock Take Options

To perform a stock take, go to ROBOTILL Back Office > Home > Products and Stock > Stock Level Management.

The Stock Take screen provides three different options.

1) Quick Stock Adjustment

Quick Stock Adjustment uses the Set Quantity Method.

Use this option when you want to quickly count or correct the stock level of individual products.

Scan the barcode of the item you want to count, or enter the stock code. Enter the total quantity you currently have in stock.

The quantity you enter will replace the current quantity for the selected item. If the item is linked to compound items or sub-items, their quantities will also be recalculated.

Remember that when using this method you should count either the compound item or its lowest-level sub-items. Do not count both.

Stock levels are updated immediately when you enter the quantity.

2) Stock Level Review

Stock Level Review also uses the Set Quantity Method.

This option displays your current stock levels in a list and is useful when you want to review a group of products and correct only the quantities that are wrong.

Only change the quantities for items where the actual stock level is different from the quantity currently recorded by ROBOTILL.

When counting compound products, count either the compound item or the sub-item at the lowest level of the compound structure. Do not enter quantities for both.

For example, if cases of water ultimately consist of individual bottles, you can count all the water as bottles and enter the total number of bottles. Alternatively, you can count using another level, but you must convert all the related stock to that same unit before entering the quantity.

Each quantity entered specifies the new total quantity and will overwrite the previous stock level for that item and recalculate linked items.

Stock levels are updated immediately when you change a quantity.

3) Full Stocktake

Full Stocktake uses the Physical Count Method.

Use this option when you want to perform a complete physical count of a selected group of stock.

Select the stock you want to include in the stocktake. You can select stock using filters such as category, department or stock location.

Once you have selected the required stock, click Start Stock Take.

You can then count the stock exactly as you physically find it. Unlike the Set Quantity Method, you can count both compound items and their sub-items.

For example, if you physically find 2 six-packs of water, 2 loose bottles and 1 box, enter all three counts separately. There is no need to manually convert everything to bottles or to another common unit.

ROBOTILL will combine all the counts and calculate the total amount of underlying stock. It will then use that total to calculate the quantities for all related compound items.

In the example above, the final stock level would be based on 38 bottles. The final quantities displayed for the bottle, six-pack and box will therefore be calculated from that total and will not necessarily be the same as any individual quantity you entered during the count.

Stock quantities are not updated while you are counting. You can continue adding counts until the stocktake is complete.

When all the selected stock has been counted, click Complete Stock Take. ROBOTILL will then calculate the final quantities and update the stock levels.

Which Stock Take Option Should I Use?

Use Quick Stock Adjustment when you only need to quickly correct one or a few individual stock items.

Use Stock Level Review when you want to review the current stock levels for a group of products and change only the quantities that are incorrect.

Use Full Stocktake when you are performing a physical stock count and want to count products in the different units in which you physically find them.

Stock Counts Not Making Sense?

If you want to see how ROBOTILL arrived at the current stock quantity for a specific item, you can perform a stock level trace.