Check the variance symptom against a valid comparison
Before calling a difference a shortage, compare the same product, variant, unit, location and time. A carton count cannot be compared directly with a unit count. A shelf count cannot be compared with the total across every warehouse. Goods already picked into totes may follow a different quantity definition from goods still on shelves.
Recount the disputed item independently if practical. Check unopened packs, adjacent bins, receiving and the returns area. Ask whether the count sheet omitted a location or recorded the same shelf twice. Avoid starting with an accusation: a numerical difference does not identify a person, cause or physical loss.
Diagnose the difference with a short evidence trail
Work through the events around the count cutoff: recent receipts, picks, transfers, returns and manual adjustments. Look for the missing or duplicated event that explains both the amount and timing. Keep a note of what was checked so another reviewer does not repeat the same search.
In a fictional example, the record shows 60 washers and the first count finds 52. A sealed pack of eight sits in a recently used receiving tote. Finding it resolves the difference without changing the stock total. In another case, those eight were already sent to another location and the transfer was never recorded. The same numerical gap calls for a different correction.
Distinguish a repair from an unexplained adjustment
If the evidence shows a specific missing transaction, correct it through the workflow appropriate to that event and your permissions. If the cause remains unknown after a bounded investigation, record an approved adjustment with a clear reason and supporting count. Do not invent a delivery or transfer to give an unexplained difference a tidy story.
InFlow's stock-count workflow separates review from completing the count and adjusting stock. Its snapshot behavior means timing matters. Before applying an adjustment, ensure that a different person has not already corrected the missing movement. Otherwise a correct transaction repair and an adjustment can both change the quantity for the same underlying error.
Close the case and repair the process
Retain the original count, recount if any, expected quantity, difference, cause if established, action and reviewer. When the cause is unknown, say so. “Adjusted after recount; cause not established” is more useful than a confident label unsupported by evidence.
Look for repeated patterns across cases: pack-size confusion, unrecorded returns, a transfer handoff or similar labels. Choose one control that addresses the observed problem and check its effect on subsequent counts. Not every minor variance needs a lengthy inquiry, but the investigation boundary and approval rule should be agreed in advance. Start with a single unresolved variance and confirm that its current physical count has not been mixed with transactions from a different time.
Sources used for this page
These records support the facts and comparisons above. Merchant-controlled records are labelled so you can separate product claims from independent evidence.
- inFlow: stock counts in the web app — Merchant documentation · inflowinventory.com · Merchant-controlled · checked 2026-09-24