A cycle count is an inventory auditing procedure that allows users to check the accuracy of a subset of inventory. It helps ensure that the physical inventory balance matches the inventory in ShipHero.
Cycle counting allows you to perform periodic counts and maintain accurate inventory without stopping your day-to-day operations. It is a more flexible process than a total physical count, which would involve shutting down operations and counting everything in the warehouse.
Benefits of Cycle Counting
- Cycle counts are less disruptive to daily operations since you can cycle count without shutting down your warehouse. Users can still receive inventory, pick, pack, and ship orders without disruption.
- Cycle counts can be tailored to focus on specific items such as high-value or high-selling SKUs.
- Having accurate inventory means:
- Less time to fulfill orders, allowing orders to get out the door faster
- Fewer mispicked items
- Faster pick times
- Fewer emergency replenishments (occurs when you have less inventory than expected)
- Fewer over-replenishments (occurs when you have more inventory than expected)
- Less manual inventory adjustments
- Cycle counting can help you identify areas to improve your operating procedures by:
- Identifying consistent inventory mistakes
- Finding damaged inventory before it gets picked
- Locating inventory stored incorrectly
- Consistent cycle counting ensures that your physical inventory matches your systematic inventory, making your whole process more efficient!
