This article will cover how to use the Part Counting tool for a Full Inventory Count 


READ THE FOLLOWING IMPORTANT POINTS: 


  • ONLY count the AVAILABLE quantities
    DO NOT count any part that is committed on a Customer Order


  • Dealership can still continue to sell parts.  There is no need to do any adjustment to the count session or the part record to account for these sales 


  • Dealership can still continue to receive parts into stock while they are doing the Full Inventory Count BUT do not count these received parts into your stock count

  • When you finalise the count, it will use the date of when you created the Count Session as the date for the adjustment entries to your parts and the date for the journal to your accounting package 



How to Prepare for your Full Inventory Count

If the whole Dealership is prepared and ready to do the stock count, it will make it a lot easier so we have provided a few tips on how to prepare 


  •  Don't leave it to the last minute to do your preparations 


  • It might sound obviously but clean up your parts areas / put everything away / go through your Service area - are there any parts that shouldn't be there, have you received all stock in and put it away etc



  • As you are only going to be counting the available stock, use the Parts to Pull Report to put aside your committed stock (remember you are not going to be count these items)

    This article will assist - 
    Reporting - Parts to Pull


  • It is easier if all your parts have a location - this can be a huge task to do but well worth the effort in the long run

    These articles may assist:

Inventory Locations - Physical and on Blackpurl

- Product Locations (Parts) / Reporting on Locations or Parts without Locations / Locations on Unit Records


  • Read this article all the way through so you understand what you are looking to do.  If you have questions, reach out to Blackpurl Support

  • Once you have created your Count Session - you can still sell and received goods while you are counting BUT do not count those received goods and you do not need to allow for parts that have been sold (sold means that you have finalised the Customer Order)

Prerequisite:


The Dealership has already created a new Part Count Session for a Full Inventory Count


For a full overview of Part Counting Tool and how to create a new Part Count Sessionreview our article - Part Counting Tool - Overview



How to Process a Full Inventory Count


Let us review the screen:



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A.  Name of the Count (as per the name given to the Count Session when it was created)

B.  
Details on the Count Session ie Number / Status / Date

C.  
You can print or export the count session list

D.  
Counted Parts tab - will list the parts that have been counted

E.  
Uncounted Parts tab - When Blackpurl generated the Full Inventory Count session

The count session is populated with all part records which have a quantity available that is not zero and as you being entering the counts or importing a count file, this tab will end up only listing those parts that the Dealership has not imported / entered 


It is very important to review this tab 


F.   
Issues to Resolve tab - will list any issues ie duplicate parts etc


It is very important to review this tab


G.  
Adjustments tab - it will list any adjustments that will be needed

H.  
Start Typing - where the user will scan in the part being counted or manually type it in to search

I.    Import File - user will be able to import a count file.  The file format of the import file will need to be 
 csv, xls or xlsx

The Dealership can create their own csv file for counted items or use a barcode scanning apps that will produce a csv for them to import


Please review our article - Using a Barcode Scanning App to Help with Counting Your Part Inventory

J.  
A list of the counted parts (any that have been imported and/or entered manually

K. Total Adjustment - an estimate of the current adjustment

When finalising the count session this amount could change as the system will then provide an actual cost adjustment figure based off the FIFO (First In / First Out) principle for cost

L.  
User will be able to Save and close or Finalize count



Getting started


There are three options on how to get the count quantities into Part Count Session:


Option 1


  • The user would manually search for and add the parts that they are counting (very time consuming)


  • User would ensure that they are on the Counted Parts tab and then start scanning or manually type/search for each part 


 

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  • Once the part is selected - the Record Part Count window will pop up for user to key in change to the location (if any) and then the user will add the Counted quantity then click onUser-added image


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  • Blackpurl will add the part and the adjustment (if any) to the list of counted items


  • The user would then complete the same action for each and every part they are counting for this Full Inventory Count session


Option 2  


  • All items have been counted and are listing on an import file/s ready for import into Blackpurl

    The import file/s can be prepared using a count tool app or a scan gun etc but just as long as the end result is that your import files have the format csv with the minimum columns of Part Number and Counted Quantity

For information on barcode scanning apps, review our article
 - Using a Barcode Scanning App to Help with Counting Your Part Inventory
  • User would ensure that they are on the Counted Parts tab and then click on User-added image


  • The user will be given a quick screen shot on How to map the fields and then click onUser-added image
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  • First action is to upload your count file into Blackpurl into section A. 


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  • Once the file is uploaded you are then required to map the fields ie which column from your count file upload is Part Number / Count quantity / Location (optional) into section B. 


  • This is a quick snap shot of our example count file - note the two columns: Part Number / Counted Quantity


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  • When the count file is uploaded into Blackpurl, the system can see that there are field labels (column headers)


  • However if there are no field labels (column headers), please ensure that enable the toggle to indicate that First row contains data 



  • It is these field labels that must be mapped to the Blackpurl field labels



  • Your import file may also contain duplicate parts, you also have the option of automatically merging duplicate parts on this import by enabling the toggle 



  • Once you have mapped the field labels, click onUser-added image



  • Blackpurl will ask you to confirm the upload by clicking onUser-added image


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  • During importing / uploading Blackpurl will then match what you have provided in your csv file to the parts in Blackpurl


The logic is that the tool will match the Part Number given in the import file to Part or SKU numbers in Blackpurl 


  • Once the file has been uploaded you will get the opportunity of loading another import file or just say you are done
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Option 3


  • Use a combination of Option 1 and 2 - Upload files and also do manual entries




Reviewing the Count


All the parts that you have entered / imported should now be listed in the Counted Parts section 


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We would now recommend that you review and action as required each of the tabs:


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  • Counted Parts - will list parts you have imported or manually added as the count


  • Uncounted Parts - will list parts that the system indicates have available stock in Blackpurl BUT are not on the list of counted parts that you have added and/or imported


We would suggest that the Dealership take a good look at any uncounted parts - have you not counted a location? Is there a missing import file?  


  • Issues to resolve - if there are any issues with the part count / part number (maybe it is an unknown part?) / duplication  etc that you need to review


This is also where you will be given the option of Merge all duplicates or Delete all issues


Our recommendation is not to just delete all issues unless you have full investigated them




  • Adjustments - this is a list of the current adjustments that the system is looking to make from the information that has been imported

    For example - BP indicates that Part#ABC has 4 available but when you counted, you have entered that there is only 3 available.  The adjustment will then be -1 


Save and/or Finalizing the Count


Once the user is finished this session, the Dealership has the option of Save and Close or Finalize Count


  • Save and Close - will allow you to come back to this Count Session at a later time


The Part Count Session will now list in under the Open Counts tab and you can access it again by clicking on the relevant line item




  • Finalize Count - will start the finalizing the count and calculating the adjustments amount etc


PLEASE READ OUR RECOMMENDATIONS BEFORE THE FINALIZE COUNT ICON IS CLICKED:


  • Review the Adjustment tab as it will list the adjustments


  • Review and resolve any issue listing under the Issues to resolve tab


  • Review the uncounted parts list - have you counted everything?  Is there an import file missing?


  • There will always be a running total of the estimate of the Adjustment total - are you happy with this estimate? Is it more than you expected?


Keep in mind that when you Finalize Count this adjustment amount could change as the system will then provide an actual cost adjustment figure based off the FIFO (First In / First Out) principle for cost


Once you are ready and click on Finalize Count, Blackpurl will ask you to review the information on the Finalize count session window


Please review all figures

Change the Adjustment category as required

If you have Accounting Integration this Adjustment category will indicate what General Ledger the adjustment amount will show up in your accounting package


If you want to zero out all the uncounted parts - move the toggle 






If all ok > click on User-added image



Result


  • The stock count will close out using the date of when the count session was created (not the date you finalised the count)


  • The relevant Part Records will be adjusted accordingly with any changes in Available Quantity


  • If you have Accounting Integration once you have Finalize now, it would be at this point that the relevant parts are adjusted and the adjustment journal entry will integrates to the accounting package

  • Once the Part Count session is finalized, it will closed out but it can still be accessed in the Count History tab






For further information on Part Count Tool - Random Count, review our article - Part Counting Tool - Random Count

For further information on Part Count Tool - Cycle Count, review our article - Part Counting Tool - Cycle Count