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NG WMS
Cycle count

Count the part of the warehouse that matters, and settle variances before posting.

A count is set up for the whole warehouse or just a zone, a location range, an item or an LPN. Before release you see what falls into the scope and which open documents touch it, and variances are resolved on a worksheet before the result goes to the ERP.

  • Targeted scope
  • Blind counting
  • Variance worksheet
  • Recounts
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Interface illustration with sample data
Capabilities

From scope to an approved result

A count is a document with clear steps: what is counted, who counts it, what was found and what happens to each variance.

  • A scope that fits

    The whole warehouse, the whole warehouse including empty locations, only locations holding stock, or targeted: by area, sub-area, zone, location, location range, item, brand, category, group, LPN or serial number — with include or exclude.

  • A preview before tasks

    Before tasks are generated you see which locations are in the count: those holding stock, empty ones and those where confirming an empty location is mandatory.

  • Open-document pre-check

    The system lists documents still open within the scope. In strict mode the count cannot be released while they exist; in tolerant mode it can, with the list kept visible.

  • Blind counting

    The counter does not see the expected quantity. You also set whether a new LPN or an item outside the scope may be added, whether stock type is mandatory and whether the goods owner is recorded.

  • Tasks and progress

    Tasks per location, with assignment, attempts and sequence. Progress is shown as counted locations out of all locations in the scope.

  • Scope from Excel

    The count list is imported from a file: first a check, then an all-or-nothing import. Errors are shown by row number, so the file can be fixed without guesswork.

  • Variance worksheet

    Shortage, surplus, location mismatch, net zero, unknown, not counted or OK. The decision — accept, recount, ignore or set to zero — is made per line or in bulk, with a reason.

  • Reserved stock needs a decision

    A variance that affects stock already reserved does not pass silently: it requires an explicit decision. The net variance per item is shown next to the per-location variances.

  • Analysis after counting

    Cross-zone analysis pairs a shortage with a surplus of the same item, an EAN scan anomaly report singles out suspicious reads, and the count audit keeps cancelled attempts too.

How it flows

How one count runs

Every step has its own status, so you always know how far the count has got.

  1. 01

    Scope

    Choose the count type and criteria, or import the scope from an Excel file.

  2. 02

    Preview and pre-check

    Check what falls into the count and which open documents touch it; strict mode blocks the release.

  3. 03

    Tasks and counting

    Tasks go to counters, and counting is done with a scanner, blind where required.

  4. 04

    Variance review

    The worksheet sorts the variances, and each one gets a decision with a reason.

  5. 05

    Recount

    Disputed locations go back for counting before the result is accepted.

  6. 06

    Approval and ERP

    The count is approved in the WMS, sent to the ERP and closed once the ERP confirms receipt.

What changes in practice

A shortage that is really somewhere else

When an item is short in one zone and over in another, cross-zone analysis pairs the two. The net variance per item then suggests the goods are probably in the wrong place rather than lost.

A decision and a reason for each variance

Variances are resolved in the worksheet, one by one or in groups, with a reason, and the result goes to the ERP only after control and approval in the WMS. Disputes are settled by recounting, not by editing a spreadsheet after the count.

A trail for every count

The office sees who counted, on which device and what was scanned. The audit also keeps cancelled attempts, so corrections are visible too.

Frequently asked questions

Do I have to count the whole warehouse at once?

No. The scope is set by area, zone, location, location range, item, brand, LPN or serial number, so only what is needed is counted. Before release, the pre-check shows open documents within that scope.

What is blind counting?

The counter records what they counted without seeing what the system expects. The counted quantity is therefore independent of the expected one, and the variance only appears on the worksheet.

What happens when a variance affects reserved stock?

Such a variance is not applied automatically. The worksheet singles it out and asks for an explicit decision, because a change would affect orders the stock is already reserved for.

Can I import a list of locations to count?

Yes, from an Excel file. The file is checked first, and the import only goes through if every row is valid; errors are shown by row number.

When does the count result reach the ERP?

After the variance review and approval in the WMS. The count then moves to “Sent to ERP” and is closed once the ERP confirms receipt.

Related

Want to see how this would look in your warehouse?

In a demo we walk through your receiving, picking and dispatch in NG WMS and show how NG Copilot supports your warehouse team.

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