Your system says there are 25 items in stock, but your warehouse operator can only find 22… and so begins the hunt for the missing products. Stock discrepancies are a familiar challenge in warehouses. So, how can you make your inventory more accurate? A WMS (Warehouse Management System) provides several practical solutions.
In summary
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Why are there discrepancies between actual and theoretical stock?
Before looking at WMS solutions, let’s go back to the root of the problem.
On paper, stock management is simple: goods enter the warehouse, are stored, moved and then leave when they are dispatched. In reality, however, operations take place throughout the day and every movement can potentially create a discrepancy.
- An error during goods receipt;
- An item stored in the wrong location;
- An incorrect pick;
- Unreported damaged goods;
- A quantity error…
…can gradually create a gap between the stock recorded in the system and the stock actually available.
Poor stock accuracy can have consequences for order preparation, replenishment and even a company’s ability to know exactly what stock is available. In other words, the further your data moves away from what is actually happening on the warehouse floor, the more complicated warehouse management becomes.
🔗 Read also: Stock discrepancies: why do they happen and what can you do about them?
How does a WMS improve inventory accuracy?
A WMS (Warehouse Management System) helps manage and track operations carried out within the warehouse.
Goods receipt, putaway, transfers, order picking, dispatch, stocktaking… Physical movements are recorded in the system to maintain a consistent view of stock. When it comes to inventory, this digitalisation makes a significant difference.
Scan items instead of multiplying manual entries 📲
Paper forms, Excel spreadsheets, manual data entry… Every additional step involving data increases the risk of error. With a WMS connected to mobile terminals and barcode scanners, operators can identify items directly from the warehouse floor and enter the quantity actually counted.
With Satelix WMS, for example, the operator scans the item using their terminal and then confirms the quantity in stock. The system automatically sends the data back to the ERP it is natively connected to. The result: fewer manual steps and information collected directly where the goods are located.
Compare theoretical stock with the quantity actually counted 🧮
Counting stock is one thing. Quickly identifying what doesn’t match is even better.
One of the key benefits of a WMS is its ability to compare the quantities recorded in the system with those physically counted in the warehouse. Let’s take a very simple example:
- Theoretical stock: 120 units
- Counted stock: 117 units
- Discrepancy: -3 units
The warehouse manager can then focus on this discrepancy rather than manually reviewing all the data. The aim is no longer simply to count stock, but to identify anomalies more easily so they can be analysed and corrected.
🔗 Read also: How to prepare for a stocktake: the key steps
Maintain better traceability of warehouse operations 🔍
When a discrepancy appears, one question quickly comes to mind: where did it come from? This is where traceability becomes particularly important.
WMS solutions can retain information relating to warehouse operations and stock adjustments. This traceability makes it easier to monitor operations and analyse discrepancies.
👉 For an SME looking to professionalise its warehouse management, this represents an important change: stocktaking is no longer simply about identifying a difference, but also about gaining a better understanding of your stock.
Annual stocktake or cycle counting: which should you choose?
Stocktaking does not necessarily have to mean one major annual count where the entire warehouse spends hours checking every item. Another approach is to introduce cycle counting.
What is cycle counting?
Cycle counting involves regularly checking specific items or storage locations according to a defined schedule. Instead of waiting for a single annual stocktake to discover accumulated discrepancies, the company performs more frequent checks on selected parts of its inventory. This approach also makes it possible to monitor discrepancies over time and identify recurring errors.
🔗 Read also: How can you carry out a stocktake without bringing your warehouse to a standstill?
A WMS makes cycle counting easier to organise
This is precisely where a WMS becomes particularly useful.
Stock counts can be structured by location, zone or item reference, allowing stock to be checked progressively. A company may, for example, decide to monitor the following more frequently:
- fast-moving items;
- sensitive or high-value items;
- locations where discrepancies are regularly identified;
- products that have undergone a high number of movements.
💡 For an SME, starting with a few strategic product categories and introducing regular checks already provides a solid foundation.
Why connect your WMS to your ERP to improve stock accuracy?
Having accurate data in your WMS but different information in your ERP simply shifts the problem elsewhere. The aim is therefore to enable your systems to communicate so that operations carried out in the warehouse can feed into the company’s management system.
This is exactly the principle behind Satelix WMS, which synchronises logistics data with the ERP. Stock movements, stocktakes and transfers can therefore be exchanged between the two environments, helping to avoid duplicate data entry and keep information up to date.
Operators work directly from the warehouse floor while the information is fed back into the company’s management systems. Ultimately, that means less manual data entry – and fewer opportunities to accidentally turn a 56 into a 65, for example.
Discover everything Satelix WMS can do
What are the best practices for improving inventory accuracy with a WMS?
A WMS is a tool and, like any tool, its effectiveness also depends on how it is used. To improve stock accuracy over the long term, a few best practices can make a real difference:
- clearly identify items and storage locations;
- record movements as soon as they take place;
- use barcode scanning whenever possible;
- analyse discrepancies rather than simply correcting them;
- organise cycle counts for strategic items;
- train operators in goods receipt, putaway, transfer and picking procedures;
- maintain effective synchronisation between the WMS and ERP.
The idea is ultimately quite simple: accurate inventory is built throughout the year. The more accurately movements are recorded on a daily basis, the less stocktaking becomes a catch-up exercise.
🔗 Read also: Stocktaking: 5 common mistakes to avoid
With Satelix WMS, inventory becomes a genuine control tool
For SMEs, improving stock accuracy does not necessarily mean making processes more complicated. Quite the opposite!
Satelix WMS enables logistics teams to carry out stocktakes using mobile terminals, scan items, record the quantities actually counted and compare this information with theoretical stock. The solution also makes it possible to track stock levels, storage locations, batches, serial numbers and the various movements carried out within the warehouse.
Natively connected to the company’s ERP, Satelix WMS therefore makes it possible to connect what physically happens in the warehouse with what is recorded in the company’s systems. And ultimately, that is what really matters: having system stock that genuinely reflects what is sitting on the shelves.
More accurate inventory means better-controlled logistics
Improving inventory accuracy with a WMS is not simply about counting faster. Above all, the aim is to have information that is more accurate, more traceable and regularly checked.
By digitalising stock counts, identifying discrepancies and connecting warehouse operations to the ERP, a WMS gradually transforms inventory into a tool for managing stock accuracy. Teams can trust the data they see, making the entire supply chain easier to manage!
I want to improve my inventory accuracy
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