The count sheet: what it should look like

The count sheet is the counter's main tool, and its design bears almost directly on the quality of the result. The most common mistake is to print the sheet straight from the accounting program and leave a "booked balance" column beside it. Such a sheet seems to speed the work, but in fact it destroys the whole point of a recount. The counter is no longer counting what is there but confirming a figure from the books.

Why the quantity must not be visible

When a person sees the expected number, they adjust to it without noticing. For example, the books say 24 and on the shelf you can see 22. If "24" is printed on the sheet, the counter thinks "two must be at the back" and writes 24. The shortage goes unseen and the recount itself becomes an expensive rubber stamp. Some shops think the booked quantity helps the counter. In fact it is not help but misdirection: any differences found are by chance, and those not found stay a mystery.

A psychological reason is added: nobody wants to say "I found a shortage", especially in a colleague's zone. So the main rule is simple: the counter must not see the booked quantity. They know only the goods and the number in their own hands, and the comparison is made later by someone else.

What goes on the sheet

A good sheet contains:

• at the top: the sheet number and the total number of sheets (for example 3/12), the zone or shelf number, the date, and start and finish times;
• the product code or barcode, the name and the unit of measure;
• an empty cell for the quantity counted;
• a separate column or a separate sheet for the recount, filled in by someone else;
• a column for remarks: defects, expiry, an opened box;
• the counter's name and signature.

One special point: at the end of the sheet leave blank lines for "goods not on the list". If the counter finds goods that are not in the books at all, they write them here. Such goods are often the trace of a wrong delivery entry.

How to prepare the sheet

The list can be prepared in 1C or Excel. A few simple steps:

1. Copy the report of balances into a new file.
2. Delete the balance and price columns and keep the code, name and unit.
3. Sort the list not alphabetically but in the order the goods stand on the shelves, so the counter does not jump from one shelf to another.
4. Make a separate sheet for each zone and number the sheets.
5. Print in landscape A4, with a row height comfortable for handwriting.

Row height gets little attention, though in a narrow cell the digits get squeezed. It is best when each cell can hold large block digits.

A sample of a completed sheet

Picture how a sheet looks from a few lines. Zone K, shelf 12:

• shampoo 250 ml, pcs: 18;
• shampoo 400 ml, pcs: 0, remark: tier empty;
• hair dye no. 5, pcs: 7, remark: one pack opened;
• goods not on the list: conditioner 200 ml, pcs: 4.

As you see, the counter nowhere seeks the answer to "how many should there be in the books". Their job is clear: see it, count it, write it. Everything else is settled at the next stage: which lines differ from the records and which go for a recount.

Filling in and control

A few rules help when filling in:

• use a pen rather than a pencil, strike out a mistake with one line and write the correct number beside it;
• allow no entries like "about 20" or "20 to 25"; write only an exact number;
• if an item is not found, write "0", because an empty cell means "not counted";
• record open and full boxes separately: "4 boxes + 5 pcs".

The sheets themselves must also be controlled. The coordinator logs each sheet when issuing it and checks it on return. A lost sheet means a lost zone. At the end, check the total number of sheets, the signatures and any empty cells, then keep the originals and enter the result into Excel.

Conclusion

A good count sheet should be simple: item, unit and an empty cell. Hiding the booked quantity moves the counter from confirming to recording facts. At the preparation stage the Pereuchet service takes the list from your accounting system, marks out the zones and returns the result as a file ready for Excel or 1C.