2026-01-28 · Field Notes
Preparing the binder before inventory day
What warehouse managers can stage the week before we arrive so count sheets stay clean and cut-off arguments stay short.
The smoothest inventory observations we attend share one habit: someone has already reconciled the perpetual records to the last month-end and flagged known damaged lots.
Print count tags in sequence, freeze receiving until the count window closes, and park in-transit goods in a marked bay. We still test cut-off, but disputes shrink when drivers know which dock is closed.
Keep the prior year’s slow-moving list handy. We often re-test those SKUs first, and a manager who can explain why a part still sits on the shelf saves everyone a follow-up email.
If your count spans two buildings, assign a runner who knows both layouts. Our observers follow your map; we do not invent floor plans on the morning of the count.