How do I manage cycle counts in the system?

Last updated: May 2024

Create a Worksheet

Cycle Count Tips

Adding to your Inventory

Removing Items from your Inventory

One of the goals when using ConnectSx is to maintain an accurate record of your inventory data as a living, ever-changing database that matches reality in real-time.

This can be difficult when there are many moving pieces and, at times, inventory counts can become inaccurate.

It's good to do regular inventory audits or cycle counts to verify the inventory you have in the field or in your warehouse. These are the steps for processing a cycle count in ConnectSx and making sure it stays accurate with any other warehouse management system or ERP. 

The easiest way to verify your inventory counts is to use the built-in Inventory Audits to assign audit requests to your users and collect the data. However, this article explains how you can execute an audit even if you don't use the inventory audit workflow. 

Create a Worksheet

The first step is to determine what needs to be counted and construct a worksheet for recording the counts.

1. Navigate to your inventory screen in the console and locate the inventory reports section. 

2. Apply search filters for the inventory to be counted in this batch (by catalog, lot, custody, UDI, etc.). Some questions to consider:

   1. Will you count everything?

   2. Will you count everything for a selection of catalog numbers? Certain locations only?

   3. Determine the parameters so you can export the correct data from your ConnectSx account.

3. Download the entire data set with your filters applied.

4. Open the exported document and add a column next to “Quantity” and title it “Quantity Counted” or “Actual Count” (Whatever terminology suits your needs). This empty column will be where the new count is recorded.

5. If the worksheet is intended to be given to another party to count without knowledge of the current system counts, then delete the “Quantity” column so the inventory can be audited without knowledge of what the count is supposed to be.

Tips for Executing Cycle Counts: 

1. If you have UDI stored in ConnectSx and have access to a barcode scanner, consider using a barcode scanner to audit your inventory using our app, UDIdentify. This app allows you to scan your inventory, collecting the UDIs and parsing the data into its component parts to then export to a CSV file that you can use to continue your audit.

2. Determine how you will execute the audit count.

   1. Are you doing a complete audit or only a selection of inventory?

   2. What determines what will be counted? Certain catalog numbers? Certain lots? Will you go location by location?

   3. Will you shut down activity on those locations to prevent inventory from changing further during the counts?

3. Make sure you’re counting by Item Number and Lot Number, rather than just Item Number. This way you’ll know which Lots to add or remove from your inventory counts. 

4. We recommend that you execute and process your cycle counts one location or custodian at a time to maintain the accuracy of your data and consistency of your updates. 

5. Always good to double or triple check your counts for accuracy, especially when there are deviations from your previous inventory counts. 

6. The Difference column will tell you how many of each Item Number/Lot combination need to be removed from the system. 

7. We recommend that you collect the data in a similar way to the data below. Noting the item number, lot number, old count, new count, and the difference between the two (New Counts minus Old Counts). 

8. If you are also manually maintaining another inventory management system, such as an ERP or an Excel spreadsheet, we recommend executing the quantity corrections in your other system in real time alongside ConnectSx to ensure the systems stay in-sync with each other (as long as the other system is also off in the same ways). 

Example: Warehouse #10291 Cycle Counts (12/19/19)

Adding to your inventory

1. To increment a quantity of an item in ConnectSx, you can navigate to the Inventory Tab and click on “Add Inventory”. 

2. Enter the relevant details for your inventory - required fields include: item number, manufacturer, description, product line, and quantity. 

3. Make sure you’re entering the DIFFERENCE - this action will add exactly the number of items that you enter in the quantity field. 

4. Once complete click “save” and your item(s) will be added to your inventory. 

5. Alternatively, if you have many changes to make, you might prefer to enter your data into a spreadsheet and import it. In that case, please reference the section on importing inventory in the ConnectSx Knowledge Base.

Removing Items from your Inventory

To remove items from your inventory the items will need to be deactivated and there are three possible ways to accomplish this: 

1. You may create a Stock Adjustment Event with a title such as “Cycle Counts 12-19-19”. Then mark all of the devices that you need to remove. When you close the event the items will be deactivated and will be effectively removed from your inventory. Add comments to the Event to record notes and context about the audit correction for future reference. 
   1. This is the best option for removing inventory as it creates an enduring record of what inventory was removed and allows you to add context for historical reference. 

2. Find the item using inventory search and enter its detail page. Click on the “Deactivate” button. The item will be made inactive and will be effectively removed from your inventory.

3. You may create a container with a title such as “Cycle Counts 12-19-19”, then add all of the items that you need to remove to this container. Then enter the container’s detail screen and click on the “Deactivate” button. The container and all of the items it holds will be made inactive and effectively removed from your inventory.