Inventory how-to
How to fix inaccurate inventory counts
Do a full physical count, correct the numbers in your store admin, and then find and fix the cause so the gap does not come back.
Short answer: Do a full physical count, correct the numbers in your store admin, and then find and fix the cause so the gap does not come back. Inaccurate counts usually come from unlogged damage, miscounted receiving, or manual edits that never got recorded.
Why counts drift
Stock counts drift for a few common reasons: stock received but not logged, stock damaged or lost but not deducted, orders fulfilled outside the normal flow, or manual stock edits made by staff that nobody tracked. Over weeks these small gaps add up until the number on screen stops matching the shelf.
Count first, then fix the system
A one-off recount fixes the number for today but not the problem. Once you have corrected the counts, look at the last few weeks of receiving and adjustments to see where the mismatch crept in. If it was a receiving error, check how partial or split deliveries are being logged. If it was shrinkage or damage, make sure someone is responsible for recording it the same day it happens.
What this is not
Fixing count accuracy is a stocktake and process problem, not a forecasting problem. It does not involve lot or batch tracking, barcode scanning, or cycle count scheduling on its own. Those are separate disciplines from deciding what and when to reorder.
Step by step
- Pick a day with low order volume and do a full physical count of affected SKUs.
- Compare the physical count to the number in your store admin and note every variant with a gap.
- Correct the on-hand quantity in your store admin for each variant.
- Check recent receiving records for that SKU to see if a delivery was logged incorrectly or not at all.
- Check for damaged, returned, or sample stock that was removed from the shelf but never deducted in the system.
- Assign one person to own stock adjustments going forward, so edits are recorded at the time they happen.
- Set a recurring spot-check for your highest-velocity SKUs, since these drift the fastest and cost the most when wrong.
Worked example
A store shows 120 units of a candle on hand but a physical count finds 97. The gap of 23 is traced to a delivery of 20 units that was marked received but never actually added to stock, plus 3 units broken in storage and never logged. The owner corrects the count to 97, adds a note to log breakages immediately, and double checks the next delivery against the packing slip before marking it received.
How SteadyShelf helps
SteadyShelf is not a stocktake or cycle count tool and does not fix count accuracy for you. What it does is use your current on-hand number to forecast demand and suggest reorder quantities and dates, so once your counts are accurate, SteadyShelf keeps working from the correct baseline. It also logs stock received through its PO receiving step, including partial receipts, which can reduce one common source of drift.
$29/month flat, unlimited products and suppliers, 30-day free trial. Run the numbers now with the free reorder point calculator.
SteadyShelf is launching on the Shopify App Store. Join early access to get the install link first.
Related guides
- How to follow up on a late purchase order
- How to forecast demand for a new color or size
- How to forecast demand for a new variant of an existing product
- How to find your best selling products
All inventory how-to guides ยท Inventory glossary
FAQ
How often should I recount inventory to avoid drift
There is no fixed interval that works for every store. A practical approach is to count your fastest-moving and highest-value SKUs more often, for example monthly, and do a full count of everything on a longer cycle, for example quarterly, adjusting based on how often you find discrepancies.
Does SteadyShelf help if I have multiple warehouse locations with different counts
No. SteadyShelf forecasts and reorders at the store level and does not do per-location forecasting or stock transfers between locations. If you run multiple locations you will need to reconcile counts per location manually and treat SteadyShelf's reorder suggestions as store-wide totals.
Let SteadyShelf do this math for every SKU
Order-by dates per supplier, seasonal forecasts and draft POs for your Shopify store. $29/month after a 30-day free trial.
Get early access