Managing Directed and Spot Inventory Counts

The Smart Count SuiteApp enables you to efficiently perform and manage both directed and spot (nondirected) inventory counts using task lists generated from count configuration records. The following outlines how the process works and what to expect:

• Task List Management

  • Count configurations - Each item can be linked to multiple count configurations, but only the most recently activated configuration is shown in the task list.

  • Capacity - Task lists can display up to 1,000 items per location. Administrators can view task lists across all subsidiaries.

• Performing and Managing Counts

  • Pause and resume - Pause a count at any time and resume it later from the task list.

  • Complete all counts - Use the Complete All Counts option to finish all items currently in progress or paused. If an item's on-hand quantity changes during the count, the SuiteApp will prompt you with the appropriate action.

  • Review counted items - Access the Counted Items section to view all completed counts.

  • Recount or update - Use the Spot Count feature to rescan or update an item already counted (status Done),

  How current quantity and total quantity counted fields work

  When you begin counting an item, both the Current Quantity and Total Quantity Counted fields are blank.

  • If you manually enter a quantity (for example, 100) in Current Quantity and press Enter, that value is added to Total Quantity Counted, and Current Quantity is cleared.

  • If you pause the count and then resume, Current Quantity will be blank, but Total Quantity Counted will still show the total counted so far.

  • If you use tally scanning, each scan increases both fields by 1. For example, if you scan 10 items, pause, resume, and then scan 5 more, Total Quantity Counted will show 15, while Current Quantity resets to blank after each pause.

  This helps you keep an accurate running total, even if you pause and resume your count.

• Spot Counts and Inventory Count Dates

  • Bin coverage - All bins must be counted-either through directed or spot counts-for the SuiteApp to update the Last Inventory Count Date and Next Inventory Count Date at the item location level.

  • Count status and task list updates -

    If a spot count is Pending Approval, Tolerance Error, or Paused, a new count configuration is created in the following scenarios:

    • If the count is rejected or set for recount, the item appears as a new count in the Task List based on the new configuration.

    • If the count is approved, the item's on-hand quantity and count dates are updated, and the item appears in the Task List with the new expected quantity.

      Item 1 has an on-hand quantity of 10 at the Florida location.

      • After Spot Count:

        • The counted quantity is 12.

        • The count status is Tolerance Error, Pending Approval, or Paused.

        • A new count configuration is created that includes Item 1.

      • If the count is rejected or set for recount, item 1 will appear as a new count in the task list for the new configuration.

      • If the count is approved, the task list will show Item 1 with the new expected quantity of 12, reflecting the approved count.

  • Updating count dates - If the item location configuration doesn't specify a Last Inventory Count Date, the relevant fields are updated when:

    • Any bin is counted (if the item has no on-hand quantity), or

    • All bins with on-hand quantity are counted.

  How bin counting updates inventory count dates

  Suppose you have an item stored at the San Francisco location with two bins (Bin1 and Bin2), and there is no existing last inventory count date. Here's how different counting scenarios affect the count dates:

  • Case 1:

    • Bin1: On-hand quantity = 0

    • Bin2: On-hand quantity = 0

    • Action: You count any bin on 05/13/2025

    • Result:

      • Last Inventory Count Date: 05/13/2025

      • Count Reason: Spot Count

      • Next Inventory Count Date: 05/14/2025 (if interval = 1)

  • Case 2:

    • Bin1: On-hand quantity = 10

    • Bin2: On-hand quantity = 0

    • Action: You count Bin1 on 05/13/2025

    • Result:

      • Last Inventory Count Date: 05/13/2025

      • Count Reason: Spot Count

      • Next Inventory Count Date: 05/14/2025 (if interval = 1)

  • Case 3:

    • Bin1: On-hand quantity = 10

    • Bin2: On-hand quantity = 10

    • Action: You count both bins on 05/13/2025

    • Result:

      • Last Inventory Count Date: 05/13/2025

      • Count Reason: Spot Count

      • Next Inventory Count Date: 05/14/2025 (if interval = 1)

  This example shows how counting bins-whether empty or with stock-updates the inventory count dates for the location.

• Task List Visibility After Spot Counts

  • If an item is counted using spot count and is in Pending Approval or Tolerance Error status, and then moves to Recount Suggested or Rejected on the same day, it remains visible in the task list for that day only.

  • If the status changes to Recount Suggested or Rejected on a later day, the item will not appear in the task list.

  • If the item is in Paused status after spot count, it will not be visible in the task list from the next day onward.

Related Topics

• Performing Inventory Count on Mobile Devices
• Performing Directed Inventory Counts
• Performing Spot (Nondirected) Inventory Counts
• Completing Count for All Items
• GS1 Barcode Scanning for Inventory Counts

General Notices