Stocktaking in OPEN Two

Depending on whether you're working at the cash register or in the BackOffice, there are different ways to handle stocktakes, with the most comprehensive management happening in the BackOffice. A stocktake can have five different statuses: Created, Started, Completed, Recount, and Approved.

• As soon as the stocktake is created, it has the status Created, and while someone is conducting the stocktake (filling in what has been counted), it has the status Started.

• An stocktake must always be completed in its entirety, meaning all articles must be counted before the stocktake can be submitted. As soon as an stocktake is submitted, it gets the status Completed.

• A completed stocktake must be reviewed from the BackOffice before it can be approved (and thus finalized). If the stocktake has too many discrepancies compared to the stocktake balance, you can request a recount. Then, the stocktake gets the status Recount, and all articles that differ from the stocktake balance can be counted again.

• As a final step, the stocktake can be approved, which means the stocktake balance is updated according to what has been counted for the articles in the storage. The stocktake then gets the status Approved.

BackOffice: Create, Conduct, Review, and Approve Stocktakes

You have greater control over stocktakes when working in BackOffice compared to at the cash register. In BackOffice, you can create, fill in, review, and approve stocktakes for all your storages. You can also delete a stocktake regardless of its status, as long as it hasn't been approved (and thus finalized).

Create Stocktake

There are 3 different ways to create stocktakes in BackOffice:

• Standard stocktake: You choose which articles to stocktake for a specific storage and at a specific time.
• Stocktake template: You choose which articles to stocktake for a specific storage, but save this as a template that you can reuse on multiple occasions.
• Scheduled stocktake: You can create a scheduled and recurring stocktake for an entire storage, according to the desired interval. If the storage is linked to a cash register, you'll be notified to conduct a stocktake when you log in to the cash register.

Standard stocktake

Follow the guide below to create a standard stocktake in BackOffice:

1. Select STORAGE in the menu and go to STOCKTAKING. Here, you can see your created stocktakes and templates. Use From, To, Status and Storages to filter the list. Click NEW STOCKTAKING to create a new stocktake.

2. Click on the storage that needs to be counted, and you will be taken automatically to step 2.

3. Select the articles to be included in the count. You can search by name or SKU, or filter the list by Product group and Display categories. The list also shows each article's placement and the date it was last counted (Last inventory date).

4. Press NEXT to proceed.

5. In the final step, you'll see a summary of the stocktake:

   • Give the stocktake a name. The start date is set to today, but you can change it if you wish.

     Note that the start date is only indicative, meaning you can conduct the stocktake as soon as it's saved.
     

   • Press SAVE to save the stocktake.

     

   • If you prefer to save the stocktake as a template instead, click on the 3-DOT MENU next to SAVE and press SAVE AS TEMPLATE.

     

6. You can now see the stocktake in the list of your stocktakes, with the status CREATED. If you have a cash register linked to the storage for which the stocktake applies, you can now access and conduct the stocktake from there. You can also conduct the stocktake from BackOffice.

Stocktaking templates

Repeat steps 1-5 above but choose to save the stocktake as a template. Navigate to the TEMPLATES tab to see an overview of your saved templates. If you want to create a stocktake from a template, follow the steps below.

1. Press CREATE STOCKTAKE on the template you want to use.

2. You are now in the final step of the process for creating stocktakes, with the name, storage and articles from the template filled in. If you wish, you can go back one step to add or remove articles. Otherwise, press SAVE to save a stocktake that you can then conduct.

3. You can now see the created stocktake under the STOCKTAKING tab.

Scheduled stocktake

A scheduled stocktake is set up in the settings for the storage. Select STORAGE in the menu and go to STORAGES, press the PEN button for the storage and open the storage settings with the GEAR ICON. In the "Scheduled inventory" card, press CHANGE.

Choose the interval for the scheduled stocktake, and specify a time for when the stocktake should appear. Press SAVE to close the dialog, then SAVE in the storage settings and SAVE on the storage.

NOTE: Currently, the specific time setting is not implemented, meaning a scheduled stocktake appears immediately after the previous day's closing.

On the specified day, a stocktake will be created, which you can conduct from BackOffice or from the cash register linked to the storage.

Conduct stocktake

If you have the correct permissions, you can conduct stocktakes for all of your storages in BackOffice, whether they are created in BackOffice or from a cash register connected to a storage.

1. Select STORAGE in the menu and go to STOCKTAKING. Under the "Stocktaking" tab, you can see a list of your created stocktakes. Each stocktake has a status, and a new stocktake has the status CREATED.

2. Click on the stocktake that needs to be counted, and a dialog will open showing the articles included in the stocktake. You can choose to either print or download the stocktake list as a PDF.

3. On the right, you can see how the stocktake list looks in PDF format.

4. Count the articles in your storage and then return to BackOffice to complete the stocktake. Click on the stocktake in the list to open the dialog again, and press START.

5. A dialog asks you to confirm that you want to start the stocktake. Press START COUNT.

6. Fill in what you have counted for all articles. You can easily tab down to the next field by pressing ENTER.

   
   You can enter what you have counted in up to three columns: Boxes, Single items and Extra. What you enter is added together, and the total is shown in the Total counted column, in the article's stock unit.

   • For example, if you have counted 1 box and 2 single items of an article with 8 items per box, enter "1" in Boxes and "2" in Single items. The total, 10 pcs, is shown under Total counted.

     

   • If the Boxes column is grayed out, the number of items per box has not been specified for the article. Use Single items instead.

   • For articles with a stock unit in cl (for example a 75cl bottle), you can enter the opened bottle's remaining content in Extra. For example, 2 bottles and 50 cl give a total of 200 cl, shown as 2,67 bottles.

     

   • Click on the arrow at the end of a row to see how the total is calculated.

     

7. Once you have filled in what you have counted for all articles, press SAVE.

8. You can now see that the stocktake has the status COMPLETED.

Review and approve the stocktake

All stocktakes must be reviewed and approved by a user with BackOffice authorization. Only after approval, the stock balance is updated. It is also possible to request a recount if there is a significant difference between the stock balance and what has been counted.

1. In the list of your stocktakes, click on a stocktake with the status COMPLETED. A dialog opens where you can compare what has been counted with the stock balance, and see the deviation and its sales value for each article.

2. You can choose whether the stocktake should be approved immediately or if it needs to be recounted, for example, if there is a significant difference in the articles.

   • Recount

     If the stocktake needs to be recounted, press RECOUNT. The stocktake gets the status RECOUNT.

     

     The stocktake needs to be filled in again, but only for the articles that have differed from the stock balance. You can redo the stocktake either in the cash register or directly in BackOffice: click on the stocktake, press CONTINUE and then START COUNT.

     

   • Approve stocktaking

     If you choose to approve the stocktake, press APPROVE STOCKTAKING. The stocktake gets the status APPROVED, and the stock balance is updated according to the stocktake.

     

Cash register: creating and conducting stocktakes

In the cash register, you can create and conduct stocktakes for the storage linked to the cash register. The stocktake then needs to be reviewed and approved in BackOffice for the inventory balance to be updated.

The stocktake view in the cash register consists of two tabs, Ongoing and History:

• Ongoing: Here, stocktakes that need to be counted are listed, including any stocktakes that need to be recounted.

• History: Here, stocktakes you have counted and submitted are listed, including both completed stocktakes that need to be reviewed from BackOffice and approved stocktakes.

If there is a scheduled stocktake for the storage linked to the cash register, you will receive a notification on the specified day when you log in to the cash register.

Create stocktake

If you create a stocktake from the cash register, it automatically applies to all articles in the storage. For a stocktake involving only a specific number of articles, you need to create the stocktake in BackOffice.

1. Enter your PIN to log in to OPEN Two.

2. Press the Menu button and navigate to STORAGE. Then, open STOCKTAKING.

3. Press NEW STOCKTAKE to create a stocktake. Note that the stocktake will include all articles in your storage.

4. If you wish, you can give your stocktake an optional name. You can also change the planned start date, which is otherwise set to today.

   Note that the start date is merely indicative and does not affect when you can actually conduct the stocktake.

5. Press CREATE to create the stocktake.

6. You can now see the stocktake under ONGOING. If you want to conduct the stocktake immediately, simply press on the card.

Conducting stocktakes

When you conduct a stocktake in the cash register, all articles must be counted before you can submit the stocktake. This is to reduce the risk of inventory balance discrepancies.

1. Enter your PIN to log in to OPEN Two.

2. Press the Menu button and go to STORAGE. Then, open STOCKTAKING.

3. If there is a stocktake to be conducted, it will be displayed under the "Ongoing" tab. Press on the card to start the stocktake.

4. A dialog box now appears, informing you that you are about to start the stocktake. Confirm by pressing START COUNT.

5. Now, a list of all articles included in the stocktake is displayed. There are 3 different ways to count the articles, and you can choose the one that suits you best. Press the THREE-DOT MENU in the upper right corner to switch methods.

• Scroll - With this method, you scroll to the correct number. On most devices, you can also use the volume buttons to step up or down.

• Tap on screen - With this method, the counted quantity is increased one step at a time by tapping on the screen. On most devices, you can also use the volume buttons to step up or down.

• Numeric keypad - With this method, you simply enter the counted quantity on the numeric keypad. This is the default counting method.

6. Press on an article row to input what you have counted. You can then easily proceed to the next article by pressing NEXT.

   To collapse the window, swipe down on the indicator at the top.

7. When you have counted all your articles, press FINALIZE.

8. The stocktake now appears under the "History" tab, where it has the status "Completed", until someone reviews and approves it from BackOffice. The reviewer will see the result of what you have counted and compare it with the inventory balance.

If there are discrepancies among the articles, the stocktake may need to be recounted. It will then reappear under the "Ongoing" tab with the status "Recount". You will only need to recount the articles where what you have counted differs from the inventory balance.

Once the stocktake has been approved, it will instead appear under the "History" tab with the status "Approved".

Error messages

No connected storage

The error message appears if there is no storage with the same cost center as the cash register's cost center. To resolve this, go to BackOffice and select the cash register's cost center for the desired storage in the storage settings.

Unable to start stocktake

The error message appears if you try to conduct a stocktake where some articles also exist in another stocktake for the same storage that has not yet been approved (and therefore completed). Make sure that previous stocktakes are approved before starting this one.

Stocktake already completed

The error message appears if you try to submit a stocktake that has already been completed from another device.

Stocktake has been deleted

The error message appears if you try to submit a stocktake that someone has deleted in BackOffice while you have been accessing it.

Guidelines for stocktaking

If your company has an Enterprise structure with a larger main storage and several smaller storages (for example, a franchisee), there are certain guidelines to follow to ensure inventory accuracy. In this scenario, the main storage regularly receives goods from an external Ongoing storage and also sends out goods to the smaller storages on a daily basis.

Guidelines for stocktaking of the main storage:

1. Isolated stocktaking process

   Stocktaking of the main storage should be conducted as a separate and independent process without being influenced by other activities. This is because the inventory balance of the main storage decreases when an order is marked as 'Completed', and to avoid misunderstandings about what should be counted or not counted in the stocktake.

2. Finalize stocktake before processing orders

   Before any orders are picked or delivered from the main storage, the stocktake should be finalized. This is to avoid inaccuracies in the inventory balance and to ensure that everything is counted correctly.

3. No withdrawals or deliveries during stocktaking

   During ongoing stocktaking of the main storage, neither withdrawals nor deliveries should take place to avoid inaccuracies in the stocktake.

4. Stocktake does not need immediate approval

   The stocktake of the main storage needs approval to be considered finalized, but it does not need to happen immediately after the stocktake has been conducted. As soon as the stocktake is completed, it is possible to start picking orders, etc. However, make sure to approve the main storage's stocktake before starting a new one.

5. Recount stocktake

   If the stocktake of the main storage needs to be recounted, it is important to consider any changes in the inventory balance that may have occurred after the initial stocktake. For example, if goods have arrived from the external Ongoing storage or deliveries have been made to the smaller storages, this may have affected the inventory balance.

Guidelines for stocktaking of the smaller storages (which are also sales points):

1. Isolated stocktaking process

   Stocktaking of the smaller storages should be conducted as a separate and independent process without being influenced by other activities.

2. Complete stocktake before delivering orders from the Main storage

   Ensure that the smaller storages are fully inventoried before any orders from the main storage are delivered to them. This is important because the inventory balance increases upon delivery of orders, which can lead to confusion for the seller regarding the stocktake.

3. No sales or deliveries during stocktaking

   During ongoing stocktaking of the smaller storages, neither sales nor deliveries should take place to avoid inaccuracies in the stocktake.

4. Stocktake does not need immediate approval

   A representative from the main storage needs to approve the stocktakes of the smaller storages for them to be considered finalized, but it does not need to happen immediately after the stocktake has been conducted. As soon as the stocktakes are submitted (and they have the status 'Completed'), the sellers can receive deliveries and conduct sales. However, make sure to approve the stocktakes of the smaller storages before the sellers proceed with the next stocktake of their storage.

5. Recount stocktake

   Regarding requests for recounting of the stocktakes of the smaller storages, it is important to clearly inform the seller about which goods have been added since the initial stocktake. This is especially important if there have been deliveries after the initial stocktake, as these goods need to be included in the updated inventory balance.