A cycle count discrepancy is any difference between what ShipHero expects in a location or LPN and what your team physically counts. An LPN (License Plate Number) is a barcode ShipHero assigns to a container, such as a pallet or carton, so everything inside it can be tracked as a unit. ShipHero records discrepancies for quantities, for items found where they were not expected, and for LPNs that are missing or found in the wrong place.
LPN Beta Feature Notice
This feature is actively being developed, processes may change and you may encounter occasional bugs. If you experience any issues or have suggestions, please reach out to our support team, your feedback is greatly appreciated as we continue to refine the ShipHero platform!
Before You Begin
- Feature Activation Required: The ShipHero Support team must enable the LPN feature for your account.
- Required User Role Permissions: Your user role must have the Cycle Count Mobile: Create permission enabled to cycle count in ShipHero Mobile.
- If your team will report missing LPNs, go to Cycle Count settings and set up a non-sellable location for missing LPNs. This is the location where ShipHero moves LPNs marked as not found once the discrepancy is confirmed.
Important
Report every discrepancy from the level where the inventory is physically found. ShipHero ties missing and unexpected LPNs to the level where the counter recorded them, so a discrepancy reported at the wrong level corrects the wrong container.
For the standard counting workflow, see How to Cycle Count LPNs in ShipHero Mobile.
Table of Contents
- Types of LPN Cycle Count Discrepancies in ShipHero
- Save an LPN Cycle Count with Discrepancies
- Mark an Expected LPN as Not Found in Cycle Count
- Count an Unexpected LPN in Cycle Count
- Count an Unexpected Item During an LPN Cycle Count
- Remove an LPN or Item Scanned by Mistake in Cycle Count
- Review LPN Cycle Count Discrepancies
Types of LPN Cycle Count Discrepancies in ShipHero
ShipHero records three kinds of cycle count discrepancy.
| Discrepancy Type | What It Means | Where It Can Occur |
|---|---|---|
| Quantity | The counted quantity for a SKU does not match the expected quantity. | Loose in a location, or inside an LPN. |
| SKU | An item was counted that was not expected in that place. | Loose in a location, or inside an LPN. |
| LPN | An LPN was not found where it was expected, or was found where it was not assigned. | In a location, or nested inside another LPN. |
Save an LPN Cycle Count with Discrepancies
If the counted quantity does not match the expected quantity, ShipHero shows a confirmation message: Save with discrepancies? Count does not match expected quantity.
You can choose:
- Recount: Go back and count again.
- Save with discrepancies: Save the count and record the discrepancy.
This prompt can appear when finishing an LPN count or when finishing the location count. Use Recount when you want to verify the physical count before saving. Use Save with discrepancies when the physical count is correct and the variance should be recorded.
| Example cycle count | Discrepancy notification prompt |
|---|---|
Mark an Expected LPN as Not Found in Cycle Count
When an expected LPN is listed in the count but is not physically present, mark it as not found so the count can continue past the missing container.
- Find the LPN card on the count screen.
- Tap Mark as not found. ShipHero tags the LPN as Not found and records an LPN discrepancy.
You can mark an LPN as not found at the location level or inside a parent LPN. Use this option only when the LPN is expected in that location or parent LPN, but you cannot find it physically.
When the discrepancy is confirmed, ShipHero records the missing LPN discrepancy at the level where it was reported. If configured, ShipHero moves the missing LPN to the non-sellable missing LPN location.
Count an Unexpected LPN in Cycle Count
An unexpected LPN is an LPN that is physically present but not listed in the expected count. To add and count one:
- Scan the unexpected LPN. ShipHero adds it to the count list, tags it as Unexpected, and records an LPN discrepancy.
- Scan the items inside it and confirm the quantities.
- Tap Finish LPN count.
- Return to the parent LPN or location level.
- Finish the count when all contents are complete.
ShipHero also shows a message explaining where the LPN was expected:
- When an unexpected LPN is scanned at the location level, ShipHero shows a message that the LPN was not originally assigned to that location.
- When an unexpected LPN is scanned inside a parent LPN, ShipHero shows a message that the LPN was not originally assigned to that LPN.
ShipHero reports unexpected LPNs as discrepancies at the location or parent LPN level where they were found.
| Discrepancy notice: unexpected LPN at a location | Discrepancy notice: unexpected nested LPN | Unexpected LPN badge |
|---|---|---|
Count an Unexpected Item During an LPN Cycle Count
An unexpected item is a SKU counted where it was not expected, either loose in a location or inside an LPN. Scan the SKU barcode and confirm the quantity. ShipHero flags it as an unexpected item and records both a SKU discrepancy and a Quantity discrepancy.
| Unexpected SKU: Blind Count off | Unexpected SKU: Blind Count on |
|---|---|
Remove an LPN or Item Scanned by Mistake in Cycle Count
If an LPN or item is scanned by mistake and added as unexpected, tap Remove on its card before finishing the count. Use this when the scan came from the wrong location or the wrong parent LPN.
Review LPN Cycle Count Discrepancies
After the count is saved, review discrepancies in the task detail on the web dashboard. Go to Inventory > Cycle Count and select the task.
The task detail shows Expected versus Counted for every SKU, broken down by whether the units were loose in the location or inside an LPN, including nested LPNs, with a Discrepancies column. Check the location and LPN where each discrepancy was reported. ShipHero ties missing and unexpected LPNs to the level where the counter recorded them.
| Before cycle count task completed | After cycle count task completed |
|---|---|