Why Stock Takes Do Not Have to Mean Closed Doors
Many Kenyan business owners dread stock takes because they associate them with shutting down operations for a day or more. Lost sales, disrupted customers, and exhausted staff working after hours are common complaints. But a well-planned stock take can happen alongside normal business operations with minimal disruption.
The key is shifting from the traditional full-count approach to smarter methods like cycle counting, combined with proper preparation and the right tools. Businesses that adopt these methods report 70% less downtime while actually achieving more accurate results.
Cycle Counting: The Modern Alternative to Full Stock Takes
Cycle counting means counting a small portion of your inventory on a rotating schedule rather than counting everything at once. You might count one product category per week, or focus on your highest-value items more frequently. Over the course of a quarter, you cover your entire inventory without ever needing to close.
The ABC analysis method works well for cycle counting. Your A items (top 20% by value, often 80% of total inventory value) get counted monthly. B items (next 30% by value) are counted quarterly. C items (remaining 50% by value) are counted twice a year. This ensures your most valuable stock is always accurate.
Preparation: Setting Yourself Up for an Accurate Count
- 1Organize your storage areas at least one week before the count, ensuring all items are in their designated locations
- 2Process all pending receipts and dispatches so your system records are current
- 3Print count sheets or prepare mobile devices with your inventory list pre-loaded
- 4Brief your counting teams on procedures, especially how to handle damaged or unidentifiable items
- 5Designate a staging area for items that are received during the count to prevent double-counting
- 6Assign specific zones to each counting team to avoid overlap and missed areas
The Counting Process: Step by Step
Start your count at the beginning of the day before the rush of customer activity. If you are doing a full count while staying open, rope off the section being counted and direct customers to staff who can retrieve items for them. Use two-person teams where one counts and the other records to reduce errors.
| Step | Action | Common Mistake to Avoid |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Count items in their storage location systematically, shelf by shelf | Skipping shelves or counting the same shelf twice |
| 2 | Record the count immediately on your count sheet or device | Trying to remember counts and recording them later |
| 3 | Mark counted areas with tape or tags to track progress | Losing track of which sections have been counted |
| 4 | Perform a blind recount of items where the first count seems off | Accepting a count without verification when it differs from expected |
| 5 | Note any damaged, expired, or unidentifiable items separately | Including damaged goods in your sellable stock count |
Reconciliation: Making Sense of Discrepancies
Once counting is complete, compare your physical counts against your system records. Discrepancies are normal, but the goal is to understand why they exist. Common causes include unrecorded sales, receiving errors, theft, damage, and data entry mistakes. Categorize each variance so you can address the root cause.
Set a tolerance threshold for investigation. Many businesses use 2% of item value as the cutoff. Variances below this threshold are adjusted in the system with a standard note. Variances above the threshold require a recount and a documented explanation before adjustment.
Tips for Keeping Business Running During a Count
- Schedule counts during your slowest business hours to minimize customer impact
- Use handheld barcode scanners to speed up the counting process by 60% compared to manual methods
- Freeze stock movements in the section being counted, even if the rest of the business continues normally
- Communicate with customers about potential minor delays and ensure frontline staff are briefed
- Keep your best sales staff on the floor while dedicated teams handle the count
Businesses that switch from annual full counts to monthly cycle counting reduce inventory discrepancies by an average of 45% within the first six months. The key is consistency, not scale.
