Tidying up
A tidy store counts fast and recounts right.
Why it matters
A counter moves zone by zone. When the same item is spread across three places, it may be counted twice, or not at all. When the stockroom is messy, counting takes longer and errors multiply. And when a zone must be recounted, the second pass can only compare what stayed in place.
What often happens
The same item everywhere. On the shelf, on an end cap, in the stockroom and on a trolley.
The forgotten stockroom. Opened boxes with no marking, unpacked parcels, goods on the floor.
What’s lying around. Customer returns not yet put away, a restocking trolley left between two aisles.
What to do
Group together. One item in one place on the shop floor, and one in the stockroom.
Prepare the stockroom. Mark opened boxes, write the quantity on full ones.
Mark out the zones. Each zone has a clear boundary and its tag, printed from the Toolbox (see the toolbox).
Clear the walkways. The evening before, nothing left between two zones.