Operations
Cycle counting for continuous accuracy
Full warehouse shutdowns for physical counts are expensive and disruptive. Crate's cycle counting lets your team verify inventory on a rolling basis — counting a portion of stock each day while operations continue uninterrupted.
Why Cycle Counting
Keep inventory accurate without stopping work
No Operational Shutdown
Count a subset of inventory on a rolling schedule. The warehouse continues normal operations — receiving, putaway, transfers — while counting happens in parallel.
Barcode-Assisted Counting
Scan items and bins during the count process. Crate shows expected quantities and records actual counts, flagging variances for immediate review.
Reason-Coded Adjustments
When counts don't match, record adjustments with reason codes — damage, count correction, expiry, theft, or custom categories. Every adjustment is traceable.
Immutable Audit Trail
Every count result and adjustment is recorded as an immutable transaction — who counted, what they found, what was adjusted, and why. The trail can never be modified or deleted.
Accuracy Tracking
Track inventory accuracy over time by warehouse, zone, or SKU category. Identify which areas consistently have variances and investigate root causes.
Compliance Ready
Cycle counting records support regulatory audits and financial reporting. Export count results with full adjustment history for external review.
How It Works
Cycle counting workflow
- 1
Select items or locations to count
Choose which SKUs, bins, or zones to include in the cycle count. Count by ABC classification, by zone, by time since last count, or a combination.
- 2
Count physical inventory
Walk the warehouse with a phone or tablet. Scan bin barcodes to load expected quantities, then enter actual counts. Crate highlights mismatches in real time.
- 3
Review variances
After counting, review all items where the physical count differs from the system record. Investigate root causes before approving adjustments.
- 4
Apply adjustments with reason codes
Approve adjustments for confirmed variances. Select a reason code for each — damage, expiry, count correction, theft, or a custom reason. Stock positions update immediately.
- 5
Review the audit trail
Every count and adjustment is logged with timestamp, operator, location, old quantity, new quantity, and reason. Use the trail for compliance reporting or internal review.
Adjustment Reasons
Categorize every inventory variance
When cycle counts reveal discrepancies, Crate requires a reason code for every adjustment. Over time, these codes reveal patterns — whether shrinkage is from damage, expiry, miscounts, or theft.
Item physically damaged and no longer sellable or usable.
System quantity was wrong — physical count is the source of truth.
Item expired and must be removed from available inventory.
Suspected or confirmed loss due to theft or unauthorized removal.
Start counting smarter
Schedule a demo to see how cycle counting works in Crate — from barcode-assisted counting to reason-coded adjustments and audit-ready reports.