Stock count variance reviewer
After the count, turn expected-vs-counted rows and value-only mismatches into clear actions: OK, review, recount, manager approval, or data fix.
Use this browser-only tool after a count result CSV is ready. It prioritizes quantity and value variances, value-only mismatches, posting holds, cutoff timing, duplicate-scan verification, mobile reason-policy gaps, no-barcode routes, discrepancy follow-up, and pending-review disposition proof before adjustments are posted.
Set practical thresholds
A useful variance rule combines quantity, percentage, and value so small rounding differences do not receive the same attention as costly or unusual movements.
- Quantity threshold for obvious count differences
- Percentage threshold for small expected quantities
- Value threshold for manager approval
Review the right rows
The reviewer classifies each CSV row so the team can focus on posting holds, recounts, value-only approval work, cutoff timing, duplicate mobile scan closeout, mobile exception evidence, mobile reason-code policy gaps, no-barcode manual route closeout, and missing quantity fields instead of scanning the whole worksheet manually.
- OK rows have no variance
- Review rows are within tolerance
- Recount rows exceed quantity or percentage tolerance
- Approval rows exceed value tolerance or a value-only threshold
- Posting hold rows show the exact reason and next action
- Open pick, receipt, putaway, shipment, transfer, stock-in-transit, or paperwork timing rows need review closeout
- Repeated item/location scans need owner, reason, and verification closeout
- Scanner-blocked rows need a mobile exception reason
- Mandatory mobile reason policies need prompt/default, edit, group, and approval evidence
- No-barcode manual routes need a list attachment and repair ticket
Keep an audit trail
Download the review CSV and attach it to the count pack before final inventory adjustments are posted. Download the batch CSV when the supervisor only needs one release row per session, copy the release note when the next handoff belongs in chat, email, or a shift log, or print the signed release note for the count pack. If your export includes the cycle planner evidence fields, the reviewer also flags posting status, adjustment proof, hold reason, cutoff timing, duplicate scan closeout, missing location confirmation, counter sign-off, supervisor review, scanner-block reason codes, mobile reason-code policy status, no-barcode manual-list evidence, barcode repair tickets, recount completion, pending-review clearance, review-capacity rows, root-cause owner actions, row/value rollups, and session batches that need attention.
- CSV row number
- Posting status and hold reason
- Adjustment proof status and checklist
- Suggested action
- Variance quantity and percentage
- Estimated variance value
- Root-cause cluster, owner action, row count, and value total
- Batch priority, action rows, review-capacity rows, evidence gaps, duplicate scan rows, cutoff timing rows, reason-policy rows, and owner summary
- One-row-per-batch release export
- Copyable and printable batch release note
- Cutoff timing status and action
- Duplicate scan closeout status, action, owner, reason, and verification
- Scanner-block and mobile exception reason coverage
- Mobile reason-code policy status and action
- No-barcode manual route status and repair ticket
- Recount completed and pending-review cleared fields
- Session batch rollups
- Count pack gaps
Printable variance review SOP checklist
Print this checklist before posting stock adjustments. It keeps posting holds, cutoff evidence, recount rules, scanner-block evidence, approval evidence, missing count-pack fields, and sign-off ownership together after the variance reviewer classifies the CSV.
Before review starts
- Confirm the export includes expected quantity, counted quantity, SKU or item number, location, and count batch when available.
- Set the quantity, percentage, and value thresholds agreed for this count before classifying rows.
- Check the detected-column mapping for reason, cutoff timing, mobile reason-code policy, prompt/default, edit behavior, reason group, approval status, location confirmation, counter sign-off, supervisor review, duplicate scan owner/reason/verification, scanner-block, mobile exception reason, no-barcode manual route, manual list attached, barcode repair ticket, recount-completed, and pending-review-cleared fields.
- Keep the original count export unchanged so the review CSV can be traced back to the source file.
Recount and approve
- Send rows over quantity or percentage tolerance for recount before adjustment posting.
- Escalate high-value differences to the manager or inventory controller named in the count pack.
- Require a reason code for found, missing, damaged, expired, moved, unit-of-measure, and scanner-blocked rows.
- Enter Recount completed at, Pending review cleared at, or Reason-code approval status before closing rows that needed a second count, mandatory reason-policy closeout, or inventory-control review.
- Separate recount ownership from the first counter when stock value or repeated location errors are material.
Close the count pack
- Filter the review CSV by Posting status, then resolve every hold reason before posting inventory adjustments.
- Download the batch CSV when a supervisor needs session-level release status, review-capacity rows, and owner follow-up without row-level detail.
- Resolve open cutoff timing for picks, receipts, putaway, shipments, transfers, stock-in-transit, and paperwork before posting.
- Resolve missing location confirmation, counter sign-off, supervisor review, mobile reason-code policy, duplicate scan closeout, no-barcode manual route evidence, recount completion, and pending-review clearance fields before posting.
- Review root-cause clusters by session batch and assign the listed owner action before the next count cycle.
- Attach the variance review CSV and any barcode readiness audit to the stock count evidence folder.
- Post only approved adjustments, then record the posting reference beside the reviewed batch.
- Schedule the next cycle count for items or locations with repeated reason codes or unresolved gaps.
Variance review sign-off
Use this checklist with the downloaded variance review CSV so posting holds, cutoff timing, duplicate scans, scanner blocks, no-barcode manual routes, recounts, approvals, pending-review rows, and evidence cleanup are finished before inventory adjustments are posted.
Continue mobile counts with Mobile Inventory.
Workflow
| Step | Action | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Step1 | ActionExport count results | DetailsUse expected and counted quantity columns; common WMS names such as book quantity, physical count, counting reason code, counting reason policy, display/edit reason behavior, reason-code group, unconfirmed pick qty, receipt not put away qty, putaway not posted qty, shipment hold qty, transfer in transit qty, paperwork not posted qty, timing review cleared at, duplicate scan owner/reason/verification, scan status, scanner blocked at, work blocked at, no-barcode/manual route, manual list attached at, barcode repair ticket, recount status, approval status, and pending review cleared at are accepted. Cycle session setup fields such as location verification, reason-code rule, recount attempt rule, pending review owner, and review after session are mapped for handoff context. |
| Step2 | ActionSet thresholds | DetailsChoose quantity, percentage, and value tolerances for this count. |
| Step3 | ActionReview actions | DetailsRecount or approve only the rows that cross the thresholds, and close cutoff timing, duplicate-scan, scanner-block, reason-policy, or pending-review evidence gaps before posting. |
| Step4 | ActionFilter posting holds | DetailsUse the Posting status, Posting hold reason, and Posting hold action columns to clear blocked rows. |
| Step5 | ActionDownload the reports | DetailsShare the review CSV with the manager or inventory controller, use the batch CSV for session-level release and review-capacity follow-up, copy the release note into the shift handoff, or print the signed note for the count pack. |
| Step6 | ActionPost adjustments | DetailsUpdate the inventory system after recounts, hold reasons, and approvals are complete. |
Stock count glossary
A stock keeping unit: the internal item code used to identify one product or variant.
A scannable code such as UPC, EAN, or GTIN that should point to one item or package.
The difference between expected quantity and counted quantity after a stock count.
A recurring count of selected items, locations, or categories instead of the whole inventory.
A count where counters do not see the expected quantity while entering the physical quantity.
The point when stock movements are paused or controlled so the count matches system data.
Download tools
FAQ
What columns does the variance reviewer need?
It needs expected quantity and counted quantity columns. Common aliases such as book quantity, physical count, item number, assigned worker, worker ID, variance reason, counting reason code, counting reason policy, default reason, display counting reason code, edit counting reason code, counting reason code group, unconfirmed pick qty, receipt not put away qty, putaway not posted qty, shipment hold qty, transfer in transit qty, paperwork not posted qty, timing review cleared at, location checked by, count completed at, approved by, duplicate scan review owner, duplicate scan reason code, duplicate scan verification, approval status, scan status, scanner blocked at, work blocked at, mobile exception reason code, no-barcode/manual route, manual list attached at, barcode repair ticket, recount completed at, recount status, and pending review cleared at are recognized. Cycle planner fields such as location verification, count mode, reason-code rule, recount attempt rule, pending review owner, and review after session are mapped as handoff context. SKU, batch, scope, location, unit cost, reason, and sign-off columns make the report more useful.
How should scanner-block and pending-review fields be used?
Use Scanner blocked at, Scan status, or Work blocked at when a mobile count could not continue because the barcode, item, or location data blocked the counter. Add Mobile exception reason code or Counting reason code to explain the block, Counting reason policy plus display/edit/default/group fields to prove how the mobile reason was captured, Manual list attached at and Barcode repair ticket when no-barcode rows used the manual route, Recount completed at when the second count is done, and Pending review cleared at, Reason-code approval status, or a completed review field when the supervisor or inventory-control owner releases the row for posting.
How do cutoff timing holds work?
Add Unconfirmed pick qty, Receipt not put away qty, Putaway not posted qty, Shipment hold qty, Transfer in transit qty, Paperwork not posted qty, and Timing review cleared at when counts happen near active movement. Rows with open quantities or open paperwork stay on posting hold until the timing review field is filled.
Is the CSV uploaded?
No. The variance review runs in the browser and the downloadable report is generated locally.
What threshold should I start with?
A simple starting point is a recount when quantity differs by 2 units or 5%, and manager approval when the variance value reaches the amount your team considers material.