The Secret to a Good stocktake
Prepare well. Follow a few basic guidelines and you should complete a fast and accurate stocktake.
How to Prepare for your Bismos Stocktake
- Appoint one person to control the whole operation
- Ensure the storeroom is tidied and all the stock to be counted and its locations are clearly identified. During this process like products should be stored together. If it is not possible to get all the stock in to the store room for counting make a list of all the locations that have to be counted
- Damaged, expired, or obsolete stocks should be identified stored and recorded separately and not include in the stock take. This stock should be regarded as having no value and should be disposed of.
- Whole boxes should be stacked together and partly filled boxes, which take longer to count, should be identified.
- Familiarise yourself with what is a quantity of one vs. a part box. Your scanner assumes all boxes are full. For example, needles are sold in boxes of one hundred so a scan of a box of 100 needles creates a count of 1. A part box with say 75 needles needs to be recorded separately as count of 75%. Unit of Sale. To make it easier to determine part vs. whole units. Your Bismos book lists the Unit of Sale (UOS) for each item in the UOS column. Each UOS is equal to a count of 1. Use this and the Bismos product descriptions to determine how many individual items make up a single UOS and therefore a count of 1.
- Use a team(s) of two to do the stocktaking. One counts the other records/scans
- Until the stocktake is finished and any recounts required are completed, do not draw from or resupply the area(s) being counted. It is best to talk to other staff that use the stock to be counted and arrange an optimal time for the stocktake.
- After the counts are completed and the Bismos scanner has been connected to the PC, review the figures and verify on the spot any anomalies through a recount of that item(s).
- Run a couple of practice counts on Bismos, you can’t hurt it and these can easily be deleted later once you are comfortable with the procedure.
How to Complete a Bismos Stocktake
- Follow the preparation guidelines above
- Ensure you have on hand a. Your Bismos Scanner b. Your Bismos Book c. Access to a PC with Bismos software installed
- Set your scanner to stocktake mode by going to the Bismos App Page on the Medent Medical web site http://www.medent.co.nz. You will need to be logged in to access this page. Select Set Scanner to Stocktake Mode. Note your scanner will remain in this mode until you log out or return to the Bismos apps page and set the scanner back to Shopping Mode. We recommend you test you scanner at this point by scanning any single Bismos bar code and connecting your scanner to the PC. This should bring up a Bismos stock take page for this one item. Once you are satisfied you are in stocktake mode select Clear. Your screen should now look like Figure 1
- Entering counts
- Proceed to the first stock location to be counted.
- Count the first item
- Scan the first item bar code.
- Scan the first item quantity using the quantity bar codes towards the rear of your Bismos book.
- Count the second item
- Scan the second bar code.
- Scan the second item quantity using the quantity bar codes towards the rear of your Bismos book Repeat steps above until the location you are counting is complete.
- Part boxes. If you have say one and a half boxes of an item, it is recommended that you scan the one full box as a count of 1 and record any part quantity separately for entering later as a percentage amount. Where you only have a part box and no full box/UOS. Scan this item and record the part quantity separately. Since your scanner defaults to account of 1 whole box/UOS the actual part quantity will need to be edited later on the PC
- Keep counting until the location is finished or the scanner is full. Scanners can hold up to 150 product or quantity scans. Until you are confident with the scanner we recommend that you limit your count to just one or two locations as per your Bismos Book.
- If for some reason you cannot scan the product bar code on the shelf you scan the product bar code in the Bismos book and then the quantity.
- Connect the scanner to your PC. The product counts, locations, and valuations are transferred to the PC automatically. Your screen should look like figure 2 Counts are displayed in order of the location scanned. In figure 2’s case three locations have been scanned and stock from an unrecognised location has also been scanned. The locations are as per your Bismos book. Stock not allocated a location appears in the Unrecognised Location section, this will not affect its valuation.
- Entering part counts 1. Assuming you have not scanned part boxes/UOS and have recorded these on separate list. Enter these as a percentage amount next to the whole unit counts. Enter percentages as whole numbers between 1 – 99 with 1 = 1% of a box/UOS and 99 = 99% of a box/UOS
- If you have scanned part boxes/UOS you need to deduct one off the Whole Unit column and add the part box/UOS to the Part Unit % column, then press Recalculate.
- Entering part counts 2. Where it was only a part box and this was scanned the count will be showing 1 change this to 0 and enter the part count as a percentage in the Part Unit % column, then press Recalculate.
- Re Counts. If counts displayed do not look correct or items have been missed go back and recount that item(s). This can be done using your Bismos scanner or recoded on a separate list.
- Entering recounts for missed items
- Scan the item(s) and quantities as described above
- Connect your scanner this will open a new page containing all your current counts plus the new items scanned.
- Entering recounts for incorrect quantities
- Go back to the item(s) and recount and record manually on a separate list the correct counts
- Over type the existing count with the new quantity and press recalculate. Or
- Delete the current incorrect count value by entering 0 as the count for that item(s)
- Press recalculate. The value should now equal zero
- Go back to the item(s) and recount by scanning the item and quantity as detailed above
- Reconnect your scanner this will open a new screen with all the original counts and amended counts for the items set to 0
How to Save, Edit, Delete and Download a Bismos Stocktake
- Saving a stocktake
- From the Stocktake screen select Save As New Stocktake
- Enter a name and press Save
- Edit a stocktake
- Saved stocktakes can be edit by selecting them from list of saved stocktakes once the save button is pressed. Or By selecting View My Stock takes from the Bismos apps web page
- Select the stocktake you want to edit and press Edit
- The stocktake screen appears as in figure 2. This can then be amended as required
- Once editing is complete select Save Over Existing Stocktake or Save As New Stocktake
- Deleting a Stocktake
- Caution. This is not recommended for any completed stocktakes covering the current financial year
- There is no undo or way to retrieve a stocktake once deleted
- To delete, select the stocktake from the list and press Delete
- Downloading a Stocktake
- It is recommended that downloaded stocktakes be either printed or emailed to your financial advisor.
- Files are down loaded in CSV format and are fully editable in an Excel spreadsheet. CSV files are also readily up-loadable into other software applications should you choose to do so
- To download select the stocktake press Download
- Your windows operating system may prompt you to Open Save or Cancel the download. Select Save and select the directory you want to download the file to.
- The downloaded CSV file name is the same name you gave this stocktake when last saved using Bismos Stocktake
BISMOS STOCKTAKE ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Notes for your Accountant
Valuations produced are current replacement values. Values produced take into account your specific pricing and any applicable volume discounts. You will need to discuss with your financial adviser any allowances for deprecation / obsolescence to determine a cost or net realisable value for tax purposes
What is a Stocktake
Stocktaking is the physical process of counting, all items in stock recording the results and determining their values.
Purpose of Stocktakes
The reasons for doing this are as follows: To support the value of stock shown in the balance sheet by physical verification. To verify the accuracy of the stock records. To reveal any weakness in the system for the custody and control of stock. To disclose the possibility of fraud, theft or loss. The size and number of surpluses and deficiencies revealed by stocktaking is a good criterion of the efficiency of storekeeping, control, and procedures for inventory management generally.
