Recounting in an electronics shop: serial numbers

In an electronics shop one position can cost several million so'm. Twelve phones at 4.5 million so'm come to 54 million, while 100 cables at 30,000 so'm are only 3 million. One missing phone costs more than a whole shelf of cables. So writing "8 phones" is not enough here; it matters which 8. Counting by serial number or IMEI, unlike a check by quantity, ties every single unit to the books.

Which goods need a serial number

Counting everything by serial number is slow and pointless. Set a threshold in advance: for example, goods over 1 million so'm or with a warranty are counted by serial number and the rest by quantity. Usually that covers phones, tablets, laptops, televisions, expensive headphones and household appliances. Cheap accessories such as cables, screen protectors, chargers and mice are counted by the piece. Agree the threshold once to suit your range and write it at the top of the count sheet.

Think about free accessories too. If headphones or a screen protector given with a phone are not written off separately, their count will always show a surplus or a shortage. Settle the sales rule in advance: does the gift go on the receipt as a separate zero-price line, or is it part of the main product's bundle?

How to count

Export a list of balances by serial number from the accounting program: the model and all its serial numbers. The counter scans each device's serial number, that is, reads the barcode on the box or the IMEI. Do not type them by hand: 0 and O, 1 and I, 8 and B are easy to mix up, and an error in one character turns a whole row into "not found". The scan result is saved as a file. To compare it with the books in Excel a simple formula is enough: is each serial number present in both lists?

Start with zones holding expensive goods: the display, the locked cabinet and a separate rack in the stockroom. Counters go there in twos: one scans and the other ticks off the row on the list.

Three kinds of difference

After the comparison, differences fall into three kinds:

1. In the books, not on the shelf. This may be a shortage or a wrongly recorded serial number. Look in other places first: the stockroom, repairs, delivery.
2. On the shelf, not in the books. This is a surplus: usually a delivery was entered wrongly or a returned device was not booked in.
3. The same quantity, a different serial number. This is the most interesting case. At the sale the cashier picked the first serial on the list, but the customer was given another device. The books show one device sold while a different one left.

The third kind is not a shortage, but it is a serious risk for warranty and service: when the customer comes with a warranty claim, the device's serial number will not match the one recorded in the sale. So always put such differences on the list and correct them.

The box and the device itself

The serial number on the box should match the device inside. Do not open a new box with an intact seal: read the label and inspect the seal. For opened units and display samples take the serial number from the device itself; on a phone it can be viewed in the settings or by a special code. The weight of a box also quickly reveals a suspicious case: an empty box is noticeably lighter than a full box of the same model. If in doubt, open the box with two people present, draw up a certificate and reseal it.

Devices not in place but in the books

In electronics some devices are legitimately off the shelf according to the books:

• sent for warranty or paid repair;
• lent to a customer for testing;
• sold on instalments but not yet handed over;
• with a courier for delivery.

Make a list of them with serial numbers and documents (certificate, courier sheet, contract). A device that is not in place and has no documents counts as a shortage.

Conclusion

In electronics what matters is not the quantity but which device it is. A serial number ties every unit to the books and also exposes muddles at the sale. The Pereuchet team checks expensive goods by serial number and hands over the result as a file for Excel or 1C with a signed certificate.