Count day: what the client's own staff do and should avoid

When an outside team arrives at a warehouse, two mistakes are possible. The first: warehouse staff interfere with the count under the banner "we know it all ourselves", hint at how many should be on which shelf and move goods around. The second: nobody shows the way, and the team waits for hours over a question about keys, access or third-party goods. The right path lies between: the limits of each role are agreed before count day. The client's staff open the site and show the way; the count itself is done by the team.

Why a line is needed

The main value of an outside count is objectivity. If the team learns the book figure, it starts, unconsciously, to "find" it, and the result looks right but is inexact in substance. If an employee "tidies" a shelf during the count, counted and uncounted goods get mixed. The reverse is harmful too: if the team waits for answers to simple questions about access, keys or third-party goods, time is lost and the agreed deadline is missed.

What the client's staff do

• Appoint one contact person who is always reachable and on site on count day.
• Provide access: passes, keys, locked rooms, a schedule by the hour.
• Supply the zone map and warehouse plan and show what is stored where, but do not give quantities.
• Point out the places for third-party goods, consignment stock, rejects and returns.
• Provide the necessary equipment: a forklift, a ladder and, if needed, an operator.
• Stop document movement at the agreed time, or keep a separate list of transactions after the cut-off.
• Answer the team's practical questions quickly, for example "what product is this" or "whose box is this".

What they do not interfere with

• They do not move goods during the count or "tidy up" the shelves.
• They do not tell a counter the book balance: the remark "there should be 40 here" spoils the count. If the counter does not know the figure, the counter counts exactly what is there.
• They do not change count sheets or "ask" for a recount.
• They do not pull team members into other jobs.
• If a difference appears, they do not try to "settle" it with the team on the spot: differences are analysed once the count ends.

Where the line is blurred

Some situations may not be covered by the agreement. The general rule for them: staff give information but do not take decisions, while the team counts and tags.

• An urgent shipment is needed during the count. The goods are counted first and then released, or the contact person records them on a separate list in the agreed manner.
• The team needs to open a package. The employee gives permission and stands by as a witness, and the opened package is marked.
• Goods without documents are found. The team counts them and tags them separately; the employee explains what they are, and the decision on what to do is taken after the count.

Agreeing it in advance, and contact during the day

A day or two before the count, draw up a one-page written agreement: the contact person and a deputy, phone numbers, entry and lunch times, closed zones, the hour document movement stops, places for third-party goods, and who is told about differences. On count day two short meetings are enough: ten minutes in the morning (plans for the day, zones) and fifteen at the end of the day (what is finished, which questions remain, tomorrow's plan). They remove many questions and settle misunderstandings the same day.

An illustrative example: who takes part

Suppose 20 people work in the warehouse. On count days 5 of them are involved: 1 contact person, 2 forklift operators (on call), 1 security officer (for access) and 1 accountant as an observer (1 + 2 + 1 + 1 = 5). The accountant does not count but observes the process and answers questions about documents. The other 15 do not enter the count zones, and their tasks are limited to agreed work. Most of the work then goes on in the usual way, while the count moves at the team's speed.

Conclusion

Good cooperation on count day looks like this: the client opens the door, shows the way and answers questions, and the team counts independently. The Inventory team does the count entirely by itself, your staff stay focused on their work, and all that is asked of you is access, the warehouse plan and one contact person.