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A stock counting solution can greatly contribute to your company's inventory management. But before you look for a solution to automatically count your stock, you need to be aware of a few elements. First, we need to explain that stock counting involves checking and recording everything in a specific company's inventory. It is a fundamental part of stock control, and something that also affects purchasing, production, and sales. Like inventory, the stock counting process varies from company to company. And despite the name, it goes beyond just managing stock, as any inventory the company needs must be recorded to avoid supply chain issues. Keeping a regular stock count provides information that allows for better planning. This planning leads to stock optimization, which favors the company's revenue and profits. Counting also identifies and prevents potential losses. Knowing what is in the warehouse helps identify not only when stock has expired, but also if something is missing. In general, stock counting brings clarity to your entire supply chain. So, how do you choose a stock counting solution that has the best technology for you? Check it out in this text!
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Types of stock counting
Whether through a stock counting company, where the service is outsourced, or when the company itself does it, there are different methods to be applied. The most common forms include: • Periodic inventory: a method used when companies are starting their inventory control, periodic inventory is the weekly or monthly checking and recording. But even if the count is accurate at the end, these quantities will not be reliable for long;
• Stock cycle counting: stock cycle counting involves counting a portion of the inventory each day, so that by the end of the month, the entire inventory has been counted. These counts can be used to point out discrepancies and identify trends in damage, shrinkage, and deterioration;
• ABC counting: this method also works in cycles, but adds more data. This involves ranking products according to their priority, based on price and sales popularity.
The top 20% of items that are sold the fastest are classified as “A” items. The bottom 20% least sold are “C” items, and everything in between is classified as “B”. “A” items are counted more frequently, daily or weekly, “B” less frequently, and “C” even less.
Technology in stock counting
A stock counting solution can employ different technologies when providing this service. These are the technologies that make the process much more practical and precise when compared to manual counting. Some examples of technologies and tools that a stock counting system uses include: • Barcode/RFID: the use of barcodes, RFID, or QR codes is one of the methods to track stock levels and movements. This automated process includes some manual work, but it automates the management part of inventory control;
• Batch control: assigning a batch ID to each item in your inventory allows you to identify the batch, making it easier to locate and track items for details such as expiration dates, recalls, country of origin, materials, and more. Batch control uses the ID to ensure regulatory requirements – shipping items separately that cannot be combined, identifying hazardous materials, controlling sales to licensed customers, and more;
• Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) software: it is possible to track movements in your inventory using ERP software. In addition to being automated tools, they perform regular cycle counts, using the data to generate information about the processes present in the inventory. Furthermore, inventory data is always updated and available to the entire organization, ensuring that all parties in the supply chain are kept informed.
• Integrated payment and registration systems: an inventory control system integrated with payments can be highly efficient. As products are sold, they are also removed from the inventory, with the information being updated across all systems that use inventory data.
• Image processing: there are also technologies, such as Pix Counter, capable of performing large-scale counts using image processing. It is an accurate and fast count that provides the necessary information for managing and checking stocks, displaying the quantity of items in real time.
Conclusion
Perhaps your company already performs inventory counts, but irregularly. Or maybe your company is expanding, and your current counting method is no longer sufficient. Therefore, the efficiency of automatic inventory counting through artificial intelligence can bring more savings and high efficiency to your company. Whatever the reason, using technologies or new methods in inventory counting, by performing regular and pre-determined counts, is essential for business success and increased profits. That's why Pix Force can help you, offering a product that, in less than 1 minute, is capable of efficiently counting your company's products. Pix Force has what you are looking for, with Pix Counter being the solution for a real-time, fast, and accurate inventory count. If you want an inventory counting company, then get in touch with us!
Fabio Caraça
Fábio Caraça is the Chief Growth Officer at Pix Force. He leads Pix Force's transformation into a scalable SaaS operation, combining strategic vision, culture, and high-impact execution.
