POS Technical Documents
Tips for organizing your inventory - Microsoft RMS
Tips for organizing your inventoryIf the inventory in your store database is well organized, you can create count sheets for specific portions of your inventory. This allows you to count your inventory in sections, for specific zones in your store, or by product type, which in turn makes it easier for you to divide the work of counting your inventory among a number of employees.
For example, suppose your store carries a selection of toys, with all of the toys located in one area of the store. By assigning all of the toys to one department in your store database, you can create a count sheet just for that area and ask one employee to perform the count for that department, while other employees count other departments.
Another way to achieve similar efficiency is by setting the bin location for each of your items. Bin locations can be shelves, displays, baskets, rooms, or areas in the store, as you choose. When it is time to count your inventory, you can generate a count sheet for each bin location and distribute the count sheets to your employees.
Using bin locations or departments and categories can speed up the physical inventory count considerably, even if only a portion of your inventory is organized this way.
To create a department and its categories
For step-by-step instructions, see Using departments and categories.
To assign an item to a department and category
1.
On the Database menu, click Items.
2.
Select the item you want to modify, and then click Properties.
3.
Next to the Department box, click the magnifying glass, select the department you want the item to be in, and then click OK.
4.
Next to the Category box, click the magnifying glass, select the category you want the item to be in, and then click OK.
5.
Click OK to save the item.
To set the bin location for an item
1.
On the Database menu, click Items.
2.
Select the item you want to modify, and then click Properties.
3.
Click the Special tab.
4.
In the Bin location box, type information about where the item is located in the store. Be sure to use the exact same text in every item in this location; otherwise, the items could end up on different count sheets.
5.
Click OK to save the item.
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Creating count sheets
Microsoft Dynamics RMS provides a variety of options for creating count sheets. You can create count sheets automatically for:
•
All of your items
•
Items in selected groups or bin locations
•
Items that meet certain filter conditions
•
Items that haven’t been counted since a certain date
Alternatively, you can create a count sheet manually for only those items that you specifically select
To create a count sheet
1.
On the Inventory menu in Store Operations Manager, click Physical Inventory, and then click New.
The Create Physical Inventory Count dialog box appears.
Create Physical Inventory Count dialog box
2.
Make selections about the count sheet that you want to create.
To create a count sheet for
Do this
All items in your store
1.
Under Generation Selection, select Generate for all items in the selected Group.
2.
Under Group Selection, select All items, and then click OK.
Items in specific departments or categories
1.
Under Generation Selection, select Generate for all items in the selected Group.
2.
Under Group Selection, select Only items in selected departments or Only items in selected categories, as appropriate.
3.
Select the check boxes for the departments or categories that you want to include in the count sheet, and then click OK.
Items from specific suppliers
1.
Under Generation Selection, select Generate for all items in the selected Group.
2.
Under Group Selection, select Only items from selected suppliers or Only items from selected primary suppliers, as appropriate.
3.
Select the check boxes for the suppliers that you want to include in the count sheet, and then click OK.
Certain individual items in your store
1.
Under Generation Selection, select Create a new blank physical inventory count for manual entry.
2.
Click OK.
Items in certain bin locations
1.
Under Generation Selection, select Generate for all items in the specified Filter.
2.
Click Set Filter
3.
In the Field box, select Bin Location.
4.
In the Operator box, select Equal (=) or Contains.
5.
In the Filter value box, type the location you want to include in this count sheet.
6.
Click Add.
7.
Repeat for any additional bin locations, and then click OK.
8.
Click OK.
Items matching other filter criteria (such as inactive items or items with certain words in their descriptions)
1.
Under Generation Selection, select Generate for all items in the specified Filter.
2.
Add filter criteria as desired.
For more information about setting filter criteria, see “Filtering report data” in Store Operations Online Help.
3.
Click OK, and then click OK again.
Items that have not been counted since a certain date
1.
Under Generation Selection, select Generate for all items with a Last Counted date older than the specified date.
2.
Select the date and time you want, and then click OK.
3.
Type a reference number and description for this count sheet. The reference number can correspond to a count area in your store. For more information, see “Tips for counting your physical inventory” later in this article.
Note
To have Microsoft Dynamics RMS create a reference number for you, leave the Ref. Number box blank, and then click Yes when asked if you want to automatically generate a reference number.
4.
If desired, modify the item list in the count sheet in one of these ways:
•
To add an item to the count sheet, click Add to open the QuickScan dialog box.
QuickScan dialog box
You can either scan the item you want to add, or type the lookup code of the item (or click Lookup to select it from a list), click Accept, and then click Done.
•
To remove an item from the count sheet, select the item, and then click Delete.
5.
When the item list contains all of the items you want to include in this count sheet, click OK.
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Printing or exporting count sheets
Once you have created a count sheet, you have a couple of choices for using it:
•
You can print the count sheet, and then write the counted quantities on the printed copy.
•
You can export a count sheet to an e-mail message, a file, or another program. For example, you can send the count sheet to a handheld counting device, or open it in Microsoft Office Excel.
Tip
Even if you use a handheld counting device, write the counted quantities on a printed copy of the count sheet as a backup.
To open a count sheet for printing or exporting
1.
On the Inventory menu in Store Operations Manager, click Physical Inventory.
2.
Select the count sheet that you want to open, and then click Properties.
To print a count sheet
1.
With a count sheet open, click Print, and then click Yes to save changes (if prompted).
2.
In the filter dialog box, click OK.
3.
Click the Show/Hide Columns button to choose the columns you want to include in the count sheet. Show/Hide Columns button
4.
On the toolbar, click the Print current report button. Print Current Report button
5.
Use the toolbar buttons in the Print Preview dialog box to change the print settings as desired, and then click the Print document button. Print Current Report button
6.
Select the pages and number of copies that you want to print, and then click OK.
To export a count sheet to an e-mail message, a file, or another program
1.
With a count sheet open, click Print, and then click Yes to save changes (if prompted).
2.
In the filter dialog box, click OK.
3.
Click the Show/Hide Columns button to choose the columns you want to include in the count sheet. Show/Hide Columns button
4.
On the toolbar, click the Export button. Export button
The Export dialog box opens.
Export dialog box
5.
In the Destination box, choose the destination for the count sheet: an e-mail message, another program, or a file on your computer.
6.
In the File Format box, select the type of file that you want to attach to the e-mail message, open in the other program, or create on your computer.
7.
Click OK.
Notes
•
If you are exporting to an e-mail message, all file formats except HTML will be created as attachments. Depending on your e-mail program, an HTML count sheet might become the body of the e-mail message instead.
•
If you are exporting to another program, the count sheet will open in the program that is associated with that type of file. For example, a comma-separated (.csv) file might open in Microsoft Office Excel. If the file type is not associated with a program, you will have the opportunity to save the count sheet to your computer instead.
•
If you are exporting to a file, you can save the file to any location that is accessible by your computer, such as a handheld counting device that is attached to your computer, a shared folder on your network, or a removable data storage device.
With your count sheets ready, you can begin the physical inventory count.
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Tips for counting your physical inventory
The process you follow for counting your inventory will depend on a variety of factors, such as the layout of your store, the organization of your stock, and whether your store has quiet or closed hours. But there are some best practices that can help any retailer obtain more accurate and efficient counts.
•
Get ready. Avoid last-minute delays and obstacles by taking care of any prerequisites to the count: Receive any inventory that you want to include in the count. Fill any outstanding layaways, work orders, back orders, returns, Internet orders, and so on. Prepare your count sheets. Charge the batteries on your handheld counting devices and make sure they are working properly. Make sure you’ll have adequate staff available and that the store is neat and organized.
•
Draw a map. Make a map of the store, with all count areas numbered. You can coordinate these numbered count areas with the reference numbers on your count sheets.
•
Supervise the count. Supervise or spot-check the employees doing the count. Dishonest employees can overcount merchandise to cover up theft. You can have employees double-check each other’s counts, with discrepancies reported to and all changes initialed by you.
•
Count when the store is closed. Many retailers count their stock at night or during the store's quietest hours. This eliminates or reduces the confusion that can arise when already counted items are sold.
•
Use a counting system. Have all of your employees count the same way, such as counting each shelf top to bottom, left to right. That way, if the count is interrupted, a different employee can resume the count based on only a brief note about the stop point.
•
Start thinking about your next count now. What will make your next count easier? Think about changes to your business practices that will facilitate faster counting. And above all, consider using bar code labels and handheld counting devices. A number of Microsoft Dynamics RMS Certified Partners offer add-ins that allow handheld counting devices to communicate directly with your store database. To obtain more information about these add-ins, use the Microsoft Dynamics Solution Finder.
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Importing or entering counted quantities
When your count of your physical inventory is complete, the next step is to load the counted quantities into Microsoft Dynamics RMS. If your counted quantities are saved in a computer file—such as the file produced by a handheld counting device—you can import the counted quantities by using the File Import Wizard. If your counted quantities are handwritten instead, you can type them directly into the count sheet in Store Operations Manager.
Importing counted quantities by using the File Import Wizard
The File Import Wizard in Microsoft Dynamics RMS helps you import count information from your handheld counting device or another program. You can import count information into an existing physical inventory item list in your store database, or you can import counts into a blank item list.
The File Import Wizard accepts two types of import files:
•
Delimited. A file in which the columns of information are delimited by a separator character. For example, the columns in a comma-separated file are delimited by commas, while the columns in other text files are often delimited by tabs. In addition to tabs and commas, the wizard accepts files delimited by any of these characters:
period (.) semicolon (;) slash (/) backslash (\) asterisk (*) percent sign (%) ampersand (&)
•
Fixed width. A file in which the columns of information have set widths, so the width of each column can be used to identify the type of data it contains. For example, your import file might allow 12 fixed-width characters for the item lookup code, 6 characters for the counted quantity, and 10 characters for the count date.
If the format of your import file does not match one of these types, you will need to save or export the file into a format that the wizard can recognize. For example, a Microsoft Office Excel spreadsheet can be exported to a tab-delimited or comma-separated text file by using the Save As command in Excel.
To import counted quantities from a file
1.
On the Inventory menu in Store Operations Manager, click Physical Inventory.
2.
To import count information into an existing count sheet, select the count sheet, and then click Properties.
- or -
To import count information into a blank count sheet, click New, select Create a new blank physical inventory count for manual entry, and then click OK.
3.
Click Import File, and then click Next.
4.
Type the path and name for your import file, or click the magnifying glass to browse for it.
5.
Specify whether the columns of information in the file are delimited or fixed width, and then click Next.
6.
Specify the following settings, as applicable, and then click Next.
For this setting
Do this
Field delimiter
Select the character that separates the columns in your import file.
Comment delimiter
Select the character that indicates that the delimiter character is being used “naturally” as text. This setting is only significant if your separator character appears in the data in the import file, such as when you have used the slash as your separator character even though there are slashes in the count dates in the import file.
Start import at line
Type the number of the first line or row in the import file that actually contains data. For example, if you have a row of column headers in your import file, type “2” in this box, so the header line will be ignored.
Field text is enclosed in quotes
Select this check box if data in the import file might be enclosed in quotes. For example, Microsoft Office Excel sometimes encloses data in quotes when a spreadsheet is saved as a text file.
Field matching
In the Field position box for each type of data, type the number of the import-file column that corresponds to that type of data. For example, if the columns in your import file are “Current Qty Counted” and “Item,” in that order, you would type “2” in the Item lookup code row and “1” in the Quantity row. Using the Count Date row is optional.
Fixed-width data only: In the Length box for each type of data, type the width of that column.
7.
Under Items:
•
Select Update matching items only if you want to ignore rows in the import file that don’t correspond to items already in the item list.
- or -
•
Select Update matching items and add new items if you want to import the whole file, even if it contains items that are not already in the item list.
8.
Under Quantities, select Add to existing counts if you want the counts in the import file to be combined with the counts currently in the item list, or select Replace existing counts if you want to overwrite the counts currently in the item list.
9.
Click Next to preview the results of the import. If there are any errors, you can click Back to change your import settings. Alternatively, you can cancel the import, repair the import file, and then try again. Rows with errors will not be imported.
Note
If you selected Update matching items only on the previous page of the wizard, the wizard will import only those items in the preview that match the items in the item list.
10.
When you are satisfied with the preview, click Import.
11.
To save your changes to the count sheet, click OK.
Entering counted quantities by hand
You can enter or change the counted quantities in any count sheet.
To enter counted quantities by hand
1.
On the Inventory menu in Store Operations Manager, click Physical Inventory.
2.
Select the count sheet that you want to modify, and then click Properties.
3.
In the Counted column, type the counted quantity for each item. You can do this fairly quickly using the number pad and arrow keys on your keyboard.
4.
To save your changes to the count sheet, click OK.
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Comparing counted quantities to database quantities
Once counted quantities are entered into your count sheet, you are ready to compare those quantities to the quantities in your store database.
To compare counted quantities to database quantities
1.
On the Inventory menu in Store Operations Manager, click Physical Inventory.
2.
Select the count sheet that you want to use, and then click Properties.
3.
Click Calculate, and then click OK in the message.
In the Summary area, you can see an overview of the quantity and value discrepancies. In the item list, you can compare the counted and expected quantities for each item, as well as information about the delta, or difference, between these numbers.
Note
Only items that have discrepancies between their counted and database quantities will be listed. To see all items, clear the Hide items with no discrepancies check box.
4.
If you are not satisfied with the results, click Recount to enter different counted quantities, or click OK to save the discrepancies report without making changes to your database quantities.
If you are satisfied with the results, click Commit to post the counted quantities to the database. The existing database quantities will be overwritten.
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Managing the count sheets in your database
The count sheets in your store database can be created, modified, copied, or deleted, just like any other database record. For instructions on creating a count sheet, see “Creating count sheets” earlier in this article. Instructions for the other tasks are provided below.
Tip
You can save time by copying an existing count sheet that contains an item list similar to the list you want now. You can then add or remove items as needed.
To modify a count sheet
1.
On the Inventory menu in Store Operations Manager, click Physical Inventory.
2.
Select the count sheet that you want to modify, and then click Properties.
3.
Make changes as desired, and then click OK to save your changes.
Note
You cannot modify a closed (committed) count sheet. However, you can copy the closed count sheet to create one just like it.
To copy a count sheet
1.
On the Inventory menu in Store Operations Manager, click Physical Inventory.
2.
Select the count sheet that you want to copy, and then click Copy.
3.
Enter a unique reference number and description for the new count sheet.
4.
Make other changes as desired, and then click OK to save your changes.
To delete a count sheet
1.
On the Inventory menu in Store Operations Manager, click Physical Inventory.
2.
Select the count sheet that you want to delete, and then click Delete.
3.
Click Yes to confirm the deletion.
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What’s Next
The next article in this series, Purchasing and receiving, provides step-by-step instructions for generating purchase orders—either manually or automatically in batches—and receiving inventory. It also discusses purchase order stylesheets and reports.