A monthly physical stock count, from preparation and blind count to sign-off.
A stock count checklist is the step-by-step control sheet for a store's physical stock count, making sure the count is prepared, blind, complete, checked and signed before the system is adjusted. It covers count preparation, the floor count, the stockroom count, high-value items by serial number or tag, damaged and defective stock, the variance report and sign-off. The Store Manager fills it on the phone during the monthly count, and the Area Manager reviews and co-signs it. It is scored out of 100 with a pass mark of 85. Any unexplained variance on a high-value item, shrinkage beyond tolerance or an unsigned count is fatal, which caps the score at zero and raises a ticket at once.
Free. No form. The workbook has the same columns as the table below, with the score formula and a fatal-item check in place.
Score = weight of items answered Yes ÷ weight of items not marked N/A, out of 100. Pass mark 85. A failed fatal item caps the score at zero and raises a ticket to the area manager.
| # | Item | Audit question | Answer | Photo | Weight | What good looks like |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Count date shared | Was the count date and time shared with the team and Area Manager at least three days ahead? | Yes / No / N/A | No | 2 | Date and time sent in writing, leave frozen for count day, Area Manager confirmed. |
| 2 | Receipts and transfers posted | Are all pending GRNs and transfers posted, with no receiving or dispatch allowed during the count? | Yes / No / N/A | No | 4 | Zero pending GRNs at cut-off, inward and outward doors closed until the count ends. |
| 3 | Billing cut-off noted | Is billing paused at cut-off, with the last bill number before the count written down? | Yes / No / N/A | Required | 3 | Last bill number and time noted, photo of the POS screen at cut-off. |
| 4 | System stock frozen | Is the system stock frozen at cut-off and kept away from the counting team for a blind count? | Yes / No / N/A | No | 4 | Frozen stock report held by the manager only, counters work from blank sheets or scanners. |
| 5 | Count teams assigned | Are count teams of two assigned by zone, with nobody counting the zone they handle daily? | Yes / No / N/A | No | 3 | Every zone has a pair, each pair rotated away from their usual section. |
| 6 | Scanners and sheets ready | Are handheld scanners charged and tested, and count sheets numbered in sequence? | Yes / No / N/A | No | 2 | Every scanner scans a test barcode, sheets numbered so a missing sheet is noticed. |
| # | Item | Audit question | Answer | Photo | Weight | What good looks like |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7 | Zones tagged | Is every fixture and display tagged with a zone number, so nothing is counted twice or missed? | Yes / No / N/A | Required | 3 | Zone tags on every fixture, table and display case, matching the zone map. |
| 8 | Floor displays counted | Is every piece on fixtures, tables and display cases counted and scanned by zone? | Yes / No / N/A | No | 4 | Each zone closed on the sheet with a count and both counters' initials. |
| 9 | Window and mannequins | Are pieces on mannequins and in the window counted and marked as display stock? | Yes / No / N/A | Optional | 3 | Window and mannequin pieces on a separate list, each tagged as display stock. |
| 10 | Demo units and testers | Are live demo units, display pieces and testers counted separately from saleable stock? | Yes / No / N/A | No | 3 | Demo and tester list kept apart, serial numbers noted for demo electronics. |
| 11 | Stray piece sweep | Were trial rooms, the billing counter and the alteration area swept for stray pieces before the floor count closed? | Yes / No / N/A | No | 2 | Stray pieces found are counted in their home zone, none left uncounted. |
| # | Item | Audit question | Answer | Photo | Weight | What good looks like |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12 | Stockroom locked during floor count | Was the stockroom locked while the floor was counted, with no stock moved between them? | Yes / No / N/A | No | 3 | Stockroom key held by the manager, no movement logged between floor and stockroom. |
| 13 | Cartons opened | Are sealed cartons opened and counted piece by piece, not taken at the carton label quantity? | Yes / No / N/A | Optional | 4 | Every carton opened, counted, resealed with count tape and initialled. |
| 14 | Racks counted in sequence | Is every rack and bin in the stockroom numbered and counted in sequence? | Yes / No / N/A | No | 3 | Rack numbers match the zone map, each bin closed on the sheet before moving on. |
| 15 | Sample recount | Has a second team recounted a random sample of zones, with any difference resolved? | Yes / No / N/A | No | 4 | At least one zone in ten recounted, differences resolved by a third count. |
| # | Item | Audit question | Answer | Photo | Weight | What good looks like |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 16 | Counted by serial or tag | Are high-value items counted by serial number, IMEI or tag number, not just by quantity? | Yes / No / N/A | No | 4 | Every high-value piece scanned or written by its unique number, not a quantity total. |
| 17 | High-value varianceFatal | Is every high-value item accounted for, with zero unexplained variance by serial number or tag? | Yes / No / N/A | No | 5 | Every serial or tag on the system list found, sold on a bill or on a posted transfer. |
| 18 | Vault and strong room | For jewellery and watches, were vault and strong room trays counted and weighed under CCTV? | Yes / No / N/A | Optional | 4 | Trays counted piece by piece under camera, gross weight noted against the tray list. |
| 19 | Weighing scale calibration | Is the weighing scale calibration certificate in date for any stock counted by weight? | Yes / No / N/A | Optional | 3 | Certificate in date and displayed, test weight checked on the scale before counting. |
| # | Item | Audit question | Answer | Photo | Weight | What good looks like |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20 | Damaged stock separated | Is damaged, defective and customer-returned stock kept apart and counted on its own list? | Yes / No / N/A | No | 3 | Separate bin and list for damaged stock, none mixed back into saleable stock. |
| 21 | Damage photos | Is there a photo of each damaged piece with its tag visible? | Photo | Required | 3 | One clear photo per damaged piece, tag and damage both visible in frame. |
| 22 | Return to warehouse list | Is the return-to-warehouse list prepared for damaged pieces, with approval requested? | Yes / No / N/A | No | 2 | List raised in the system with photos attached and the approval request sent. |
| # | Item | Audit question | Answer | Photo | Weight | What good looks like |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 23 | Variance report run | Is the variance report run against the frozen system stock, by category and value? | Yes / No / N/A | No | 4 | Report shows quantity and rupee variance by category, generated after all sheets are in. |
| 24 | Variance explained | Does every variance line above the brand's threshold carry a written reason? | Yes / No / N/A | No | 4 | Each large variance has a reason, such as a pending transfer, billing error or recount. |
| 25 | Shrinkage within toleranceFatal | Is the total shrinkage value within the brand's tolerance for the store? | Yes / No / N/A | No | 5 | Net shrinkage at cost below the brand's tolerance, worked out after all recounts. |
| 26 | Count signed offFatal | Is the final count signed by the Store Manager, the count team leads and the Area Manager or auditor? | Yes / No / N/A | Required | 5 | Photo of the signed summary sheet, every signature dated, no blank signature line. |
| 27 | System adjusted after sign-off | Is the system stock adjusted only after sign-off, with the adjustment reference noted? | Yes / No / N/A | No | 3 | Adjustment posted after sign-off, reference number written on the summary sheet. |
Loaded into BorentisOps, each required photo is live, GPS and time-stamped, so a photo from yesterday or another store does not pass. Where the brand has a docket or display standard, Drishti scores the photo against it and marks the misses. Every fail raises a ticket with an owner and a deadline, and the area manager sees the store on a heat map before the next visit.
The checklist runs offline and syncs when signal returns, in Hindi, English and Hinglish, and the operations score sits next to the store's selling score from Borentis Floor on one store card. Pricing is per store, so every store manager and staff member in the store is on the app.
In a blind count the people counting do not see the system quantity for the zone they are counting. They write down what is physically there. If counters can see the expected number, they tend to find it, and real losses stay hidden. Keeping the frozen system report with the manager until every sheet is in is the single most effective step in this checklist.
A missing high-value piece, such as a phone, watch or piece of jewellery, is a loss the brand must investigate at once, whatever the rest of the count looks like. An unsigned count has no owner, so its numbers cannot be relied on for adjustment. Marking both fatal caps the audit at zero and raises a ticket, so the Area Manager deals with them before the system is touched.
Filling the checklist takes about an hour spread across the count. The count itself depends on the store. A mid-sized apparel EBO with two count teams usually finishes in three to five hours after closing. Electronics and jewellery stores count fewer pieces but check every serial number or tag, which takes longer per piece. Counts before EOSS or Diwali take longer because stock is at its peak.
Yes. The Excel download keeps the same columns BorentisOps uses: section, item, question, answer type, photo rule, weight and fatal flag, so it imports as a checklist without retyping. A Borentis onboarding person maps the roles and stores, sets who fills it and who reviews it, and schedules it so it reaches the right phone at the right time. You can edit, add or remove items before or after the import.