Supervise the quarterly stocktake and review inventory levels

What is going on

The September quarter stocktake runs over the weekend of 26 and 27 September across 24,500 pallet positions, the chilled chamber and the dangerous goods store. Last quarter the count produced 140 variances, many caused by unlabelled pallets and pairs counting the same bay range twice, and two customers questioned the results. The General Manager wants the count run to the count sheet template, every variance recounted, a variance report with causes, and then a review of stock levels for Kingfisher Beverages, Merriwa Foods and Coastline Homewares against their agreed safety stock. Adjustments to the stock register need the Warehouse Operations Manager's approval.

Your brief

Plan and supervise the stocktake, control the count sheets and recounts, produce the variance report with likely causes and approved adjustments, and then analyse stock on hand against safety stock for the three largest customers with recommendations for the leadership meeting on 6 October.

Work through it

You do not need to do it all. Doing a few of these will show you what the work is like. Your ticks and notes stay on this device.

• Read the stocktake count sheet and variance report template and the goods receival procedure, and prepare a count plan with bay ranges, pairs, timings and rules for the chilled chamber and the dangerous goods store.
• Freeze receivals and despatches for the count window on the consignment board and confirm with customer service which customers have been told.
• Brief the count teams using a toolbox talk record, covering pairs, unlabelled pallets, not moving stock and how to hand in sheets.
• Run the count using the count sheet template, collect completed sheets by range and log any unlabelled pallets in the stock register as Quarantine.
• Compare counts to the stock register, arrange recounts of every variance by a different pair and record confirmed variances with a likely cause.
• Prepare the adjustment list for the Warehouse Operations Manager's approval and, once approved, enter the adjustments in the stock register with notes.
• Analyse stock on hand against safety stock for Kingfisher, Merriwa and Coastline and identify products that are over or under.
• Write the stocktake and inventory report with results, causes, adjustments, safety stock findings and three recommendations.

What someone in this role would produce

• Count plan and toolbox talk briefing record
• Completed variance report with causes and approved adjustments
• Stock register adjustment entries
• Stocktake and inventory review report for the leadership meeting