Setting Up Smart Count Preferences
The Smart Count SuiteApp lets you set up the following preferences at the item level, company level, or both depending on the type of preference. Only the Smart Count Inventory Manager role can set these preferences.
Company Level Preferences
The following are the company level preferences:
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Force Blind Count – Setting this preference lets you apply blind count, which means that the expected inventory quantity is not displayed to a counter. When the preference is set at the company level, the set up applies to entire inventory in your organization. To set up force blind count only for a specific item, skip setting this preference at the company level. To set up this preference at the item level, go to the Item Location configuration record.
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Allow Manual Count Entry – Setting this preference lets the counter to manually enter the quantity when counting items. When the preference is set at the company level, the set up applies to entire inventory of your organization. However, you can override this setup by setting up the Restrict Manual Count Entry preference at the item level.
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Complete and Next – Setting this preference lets you display the Complete and Next button when counting an item.
When you click this button, the SuiteApp displays the count page of an item in the order of count status. The SuiteApp first displays the items available for count followed by the items for recount. If there are no items for count or recount, the task list is displayed.
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Default Action for On-Hand Change During Count – Setting this preference lets you select a default action for the counter to handle on-hand quantity changes during item count.
The following are the default actions:
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Allow Counter to Select an Option – This action lets the counter choose between recounting and continuing with the count.
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Force Recount – This action forces the counter to recount an item that has on-hand quantity changes during count.
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Continue Without Alert – This action allows counter to continue count without giving any alert about on-hand quantity changes during count.
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Ignore Serial Number Until Variance – Setting this preference lets you count a serialized item without entering the serial numbers.
When you set this preference, the Scan or Enter Serial Number field is unavailable at count start. If the SuiteApp detects quantity variance when you try to complete an item count, it prompts you to recount the item to validate the serial numbers. At recount, the Scan or Enter Serial Number becomes available when counting an item.
If you set this preference at the company level, you cannot set the preference at the item level.
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Ignore Lot Number Until Variance – Setting this preference lets you count a lot numbered item without entering the lot numbers.
When you set this preference, the Scan or Enter Lot Number field is unavailable at count start. If the SuiteApp detects quantity variance when you try to complete an item count, it prompts you to recount the item to validate the lot numbers. At recount, the Scan or Enter Lot Number becomes available when counting an item.
If you set this preference at the company level, you cannot set the preference at the item level.
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Enable Advanced Bar Code Scanning – Setting this preference lets you scan GS1 bar codes for inventory counting. This preference is available only for WMS users.
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Set Next Inventory Count Date for Spot Count – Setting this preference lets you set the next inventory count date for spot counts. When you check this box, the SuiteApp automatically sets the next inventory count date based on the last inventory count date and count interval for an item.
If an item is associated with multiple bins in a location, the SuiteApp does not update the next inventory count date for the item.
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Account for Spot Count Variance – Setting this preference lets you select an account to post item count variance for spot counted items.
If this account is not set, the Default Inventory Count Account on the Accounting Preferences page is automatically selected. By default, this field is set to blank.
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Auto Approve Variance Within Tolerance – Setting this preference lets you automatically approve item count variances within tolerance.
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Quantity Tolerance – Setting this preference lets you define the quantity tolerance value, which when exceeded, will require approval.
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Quantity Percentage Tolerance – Setting this preference lets you define the quantity percentage tolerance value, which when exceeded, will require approval.
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Amount Tolerance – Setting this preference lets you define the amount tolerance value, which when exceeded, will require approval.
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Amount Percentage Tolerance – Setting this preference lets you define the amount percentage tolerance value, which when exceeded, will require approval.
To set up company level preferences:
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Go to Setup > Smart Count > Preferences.
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Set the required preferences.
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Click Save.
Item Level Preferences
The following are the item level preferences:
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Ignore Serial Number Until Variance – Setting this preference lets you count a serialized item without entering the serial numbers.
When you set this preference, the Scan or Enter Serial Number field is unavailable at count start. If the SuiteApp detects quantity variance when you try to complete an item count, it prompts you to recount the item to validate the serial numbers.
At recount, the Scan or Enter Serial Number becomes available when counting an item. You cannot set this preference at the item level if it is set at the company level.
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Ignore Lot Number Until Variance – Setting this preference lets you count a lot item without entering the lot numbers.
When you set this preference, the Scan or Enter Lot Number field is unavailable at count start. If the SuiteApp detects quantity variance when you try to complete an item count, it prompts you to recount the item to validate the lot numbers.
At recount, the Scan or Enter Lot Number becomes available on the count page. You cannot set this preference at the item level if it is set at the company level.
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Restrict Manual Count Entry – Setting this preference for a specific item restricts a counter from manually entering the quantity of an item count.
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Quantity Tolerance – Setting this preference lets you define the quantity tolerance value for a specific item, which when exceeded, will require approval.
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Quantity Percentage Tolerance – Setting this preference lets you define the quantity percentage tolerance value for a specific item, which when exceeded, will require approval.
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Amount Tolerance – Setting this preference lets you define the amount tolerance value for a specific item, which when exceeded, will require approval.
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Amount Percentage Tolerance – Setting this preference lets you define the amount percentage tolerance value for a specific item, which when exceeded, will require approval.
To set up item level preferences:
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Go to an item record.
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Click the Smart Count subtab.
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To enforce blind count for the item, check the Force Blind Count box.
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To restrict manual count entry for the item, check the Restrict Manual Count Entry box.
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To validate the serial numbers of a serialized item only if quantity variance is detected during count, check the Ignore Serial Number Until Variance box. This preference is available for serialized items only.
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To validate the lot numbers of a lot numbered item only if quantity variance is detected during count, check the Ignore Lot Number Until Variance box. This preference is available for lot numbered items only.
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Click the Purchasing/Inventory subtab.
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Click the Locations subtab.
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To set preference for a location, click Edit beside the location.
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On the Item Location Configuration page, click the Inventory Count subtab.
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In the Inventory Count Interval field, enter the count interval for this item. Based on this field value, the SuiteApp automatically updates the next inventory count date after the item's previous count is approved.
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In the Next Inventory Count Date field, enter the next count date for this item. Based on the inventory count interval, the SuiteApp automatically updates the next inventory count date after the item's previous count is approved.
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To set tolerance values for the item, enter values in the following fields under the Tolerance Preferences section.
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Quantity Tolerance
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Quantity Percentage Tolerance
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Amount Tolerance
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Amount Percentage Tolerance
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Click Save.
The Smart Count SuiteApp verifies the tolerance values first at the item location level. If no tolerances are set at the item location level, the tolerance values set at the company level is automatically selected.
The Smart Count SuiteApp enables you to validate tolerances at the item, bin, and inventory status levels. Tolerances are validated against each of the inventory statuses that you have defined for your inventory. These validations help provide an overview of inventory status, which helps in inventory planning.
Validations at Inventory Status Levels
You have an item ABC in your inventory. The inventory statuses are “good” and “damaged” for this item. Each item costs $10 and the total number of units is 150.
The following are the tolerances defined for ABC:
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Quantity Tolerance = 5 units
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Quantity Percentage Tolerance = 2%
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Amount Tolerance = $10
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Amount Percentage Tolerance = 2%
Out of the total 150 units of ABC, 100 units are expected to be in good condition, and 50 units are expected to be damaged condition. The expected cost is $1000 for good units and $500 for damaged units.
After count, 97 units with a total cost of $970 are found to be in good condition. There is a variance of 3 units and $30 from the expected values. Similarly, 48 units with a total cost of $480 are found to be damaged. There is a variance of 2 units and $20 from the expected values.
The SuiteApp will now validate the tolerances defined for ABC against the good and damaged inventory statuses. After validation, the SuiteApp will either automatically approve or send an Item Count record for approval based on the set preferences.