The Physical Inventory tool is used to count each piece of inventory in your store, allowing you to use a wireless barcode scanner if available and to work in teams if desired.
It is recommended you do a full count just prior to going live with Orchid POS, then most businesses do annual or semi-annual counts moving forward to maintain inventory quantity in stock accuracy (important for inventory assets, taxes, cost of goods sold, and more).
The tool will walk you through the process:
- Collect the count
- Post the results which makes the inventory adjustments in bulk
- Review any parts Orchid POS shows as having in stock, that you did not count
- Reset these remaining items to zero
- Review remaining items you have not counted, to make sure all were addressed
- Mark your inventory process as complete
Important Notes on the Physical Inventory tool:
- The tool is found in Inventory > Manage Products > Physical Inventory.
- There are two tab views on the Physical Inventory page: View You and View All.
- Each user has their own View You page. This allows multiple people to count at once without interference.
- The counts are cumulative between the View You pages. If User A counts 3 of an item and User B counts 6 on the other side of the store, View All / the final count results will show a total physical count of 9 for that item.
- It is best to complete the full inventory before posting results, but it is not necessary.
- NOTE: If you count an item, post results, then count additional pieces of that item and post again, the second posting overwrites the first. This is important when planning your inventory count time and process, and we advise taking into account any inventory you may have in storage in addition to front end displays.
- The counts are not adjusted if an item is sold while the inventory is taking place. If you count 2 of an item then sell one, the count on the Physical Inventory page will remain at 2. It is best to conduct your inventory outside of regular business hours, or be aware of any sales that happen during the process.
- Any item that has its count adjusted as a result will have be noted on the Inventory Adjustments report and changes reflected on all inventory related reports including Inventory Assets.
Using the Physical Inventory tool
Counting Your Inventory:
- Go to Inventory > Manage Products > Physical Inventory.
- With View You selected, the cursor will default to the Part Number field. Begin to scan your inventory’s barcodes with your barcode scanner.
- Each time an individual item is scanned it will be counted as one piece.
- With the first scan you will see the part number appear on the screen with its own row. It will show the physical count as 1 and will also display the current system count (what the software thinks you have in stock) along with the difference. As you continue to scan each instance of that item, the physical count will increase.
- You can also scan the item once to identify it, then manually enter the total count into the My Physical Count field.
- You do not have to have a scanner to use this feature. You can also type the part number, barcode, or description, select the item from the drop down search results, then type in the total count to the My Physical Count field.
- If the an item is scanned that Orchid POS cannot identify, you will hear a very loud BEEP and be presented with a Quick Add screen. You may want to confirm on another tab that the item is indeed not yet in your database, but then can add it quickly here. Particularly for new users of Orchid POS, this can help you fill in the gaps to get started.
Reviewing the Total Count
- When your count is complete and you are ready to post the results (adjust quantity in stock for all counted items), click View All.
- Orchid POS will ask if this a new inventory, or a continuation of a previous results posting. If you are working over a period of time, it may be a continuation. Your selection here will affect which items show in your “not yet counted” list (and then which are reset to zero at the end), so please choose carefully.
- The View All page shows all counted parts, with their cumulative totals.
Posting the Changes:
- After reviewing your counted items, click Post Count Results. Orchid POS will confirm you want to post your counts then work to make these adjustments.
Completing the Inventory Count Process
- Now, click View Items Not Yet Counted & Complete Inventory. You will see a popup window with a series of steps to complete the process.
- Step 1 shows you any item with quantity in stock, that was not counted during this process. It is best to confirm that all items are truly not in stock before proceeding.
- Step 2 resets these items to zero: you did not count them, and you do not have them in stock.
- Step 3 reviews all other not yet counted items: was anything missed during your count?
- Step 4 marks your inventory as complete. You’re done! Your inventory is now spot-on.