Every December a familiar drama plays out: the warehouse shuts, staff are pulled off their jobs, weekend overtime is paid, and a single giant count produces a number nobody fully trusts.
Why annual stock takes fail
- They happen once a year � variances have months to compound.
- They require shutting trading.
- They produce a snapshot, not a trend.
- They demoralise staff.
How cycle counting wins
A small, scheduled subset of SKUs is counted every day. Over the quarter, every SKU has been counted at least once � fast-movers more often. The warehouse never closes. Variances are caught within days, while the cause is still recoverable.
How to roll it out
- Classify SKUs with ABC analysis.
- Schedule A items monthly, B items quarterly, C items twice a year.
- Let the WMS generate the daily count list.
- Investigate every variance.