Cycle Counting vs Annual Stock Take: Stop Closing the Warehouse

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

1. Classify SKUs with ABC analysis.
2. Schedule A items monthly, B items quarterly, C items twice a year.
3. Let the WMS generate the daily count list.
4. Investigate every variance.

VasKem schedules cycle counts automatically.