If the number in your system never matches the shelf, you either overbuy or stop a job to hunt for stock. Counting a little every week fixes that without shutting anything down.
A once-a-year physical count tells you how wrong the numbers were, not why. A cycle count spreads the work across the year: a few locations or items each day or week, so errors are caught while people still remember what happened.
Start with the items that cost the most or run out most often. Count those more frequently. Count slow, cheap items less often. You do not need a formula to begin; you need a list and a rhythm.
The point is not the count. It is the variance. When the shelf and the system disagree, find out why: a missed receipt, a job that used more than planned, a part pulled without a ticket. Fix that, and the next count is closer.
Our sample shows due counts, variances, and receiving against open purchase orders, built around how small shops work.
