Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Management
Stock Counts Overview
Release 13.2.x
April 2013
Contents
Stock Count Functional Overview .......................................................................................... 1
Additional References ...................................................................................................................... 2
Types of Stock Counts ............................................................................................................ 2
Stock Count Features Matrix ........................................................................................................... 3
Ad Hoc Stock Counts ....................................................................................................................... 3
Unit Stock Counts (Cycle Counts) .................................................................................................. 4
Problem Line Stock Counts ............................................................................................................. 4
Unit and Amount Stock Counts ...................................................................................................... 5
Stock Count Process Overview .............................................................................................. 6
Configuring a Stock Count .............................................................................................................. 6
Creating a Stock Count .................................................................................................................... 7
Scheduling a Stock Count ................................................................................................................ 7
Generating a Stock Count ................................................................................................................ 7
Starting a Stock Count ...................................................................................................................... 7
Counting ............................................................................................................................................ 7
Recounting ......................................................................................................................................... 7
Processing Third Party Results ....................................................................................................... 7
Viewing and Updating Rejected Items .......................................................................................... 7
Authorizing a Stock Count .............................................................................................................. 8
Updating Stock On Hand ................................................................................................................ 8
Stock Count Configuration ..................................................................................................... 8
System/Store Settings ...................................................................................................................... 8
Creating a Stock Count ......................................................................................................... 12
Overview .......................................................................................................................................... 12
Setting Variance for Ad Hoc Stock Count ................................................................................... 13
Selecting Attributes for the Stock Count Product Group .......................................................... 14
Variance Section ........................................................................................................................... 15
Counting Method Section ........................................................................................................... 17
Item Status Section ....................................................................................................................... 19
Stock on Hand Section ................................................................................................................. 20
Problem Line Section ................................................................................................................... 20
Selecting Components for the Stock Count Product Group ..................................................... 21
Product Group Element Section................................................................................................. 23
Scheduling a Stock Count .................................................................................................... 24
Overview .......................................................................................................................................... 24
Creating a Schedule ........................................................................................................................ 25
Deleting a Schedule ........................................................................................................................ 26
Generating a Stock Count ..................................................................................................... 26
Schedule Stock
Count
Take Snapshot
System Updates
Stock on Hand
Authorize Count
Count/Recount
Inventory
Stock counts are one of the main tools retailers have to ensure their perpetual inventory is
accurate. This is especially important when implementing any type of auto-replenishment
model. If inventory is not accurate for the retailer, it is difficult to manage replenishing the
stock accurately. In some cases, retailers need to reallocate stock between locations to
manage a truckload deal or closeouts. Transferring stock from one location to another can
happen quite frequently in order to keep up with customer demand. Even in a perfect
receiving, shipping, and selling world, inventory gets out of balance. This is often due to
breakage, theft, and inadequate quality control during shipment or detailed receiving that is
skipped.
All stock counts in Oracle Retail Store Inventory Management (SIM) follow a similar process
flow. The general process of taking a stock count starts with setting up a product group, with
the exception of Ad Hoc stock counts. When a product group is created, it can be named in
any way that is meaningful to the user. These groups can be a way to logically group the
items, such as by department or a specific section of a store. After the product group is set
up, the user must schedule the stock count. When the schedule date is reached, the stock
count appears on the Stock Count List screen. The user can then perform the stock count.
Following is a summary of the steps in a stock count:
1.
The stock count process generally starts with taking a snapshot. A snapshot is a one
point-in-time view of the stock on hand positions.
2.
3.
When completed, an optional recount can be taken for any discrepant items.
4.
The final step in the stock count process is the authorization of the stock count. This is
usually done by the manager who looks at the discrepant items. If the item count is
accurate and does not need additional validation, the manager adds an authorized
quantity and completes the stock count. The action of completing the stock count
updates the corporate merchandise system.
SIM offers the ability to view stock counts scheduled for the future, but no action can be
taken on these counts. The user has the option to generate a future count to view the count
item details. The details are only available to view on the screen.
To get a full understanding of the stock count process, the following topics are covered in
this document:
Third-party processing
SIM includes the following types of counting methods for stock counts:
Unguided
Guided
Third Party
Portions of the stock count functionality, such as the setup of product groups, schedules, and
authorizations, are performed on the PC only. The actual counting of inventory can be
performed on both the PC and handheld (HH) device. A master count is created for a single
product group and then broken down into one or more child counts based on the counting
method or hierarchy breakdown chosen during the product group setup. The user is able to
save a child stock count on the PC or HH and resume at a later time.
Additional References
Ad Hoc
Problem Line
The counting processes are similar for the Problem Line, Unit, and Unit and Amount stock
count types. However, there are some differences in setup and what items are scheduled for
counting:
The Unit and Amount stock count typically includes the entire store and is a
financial-based count.
The Problem Line and Unit stock counts deal more specifically with smaller areas of
the store and are not financial-based.
The Problem Line stock count is driven from items in a problem state, such as
negative stock on hand (SOH).
The Unit stock count is for specific groups, such as high-theft items.
Ad Hoc
Recount Process
Schedule Daily
The following matrix shows an overview of the features available for each stock count. Each
stock count is described in more detail in the following sections.
Problem
Line
Unit
Unit and
Amount
SIM creates an inventory snapshot as each item is identified and added to the stock
count.
Ad Hoc stock counts can only be initiated on the HH. Once the count is saved on the
HH, it appears on the Stock Count List screen and can be completed on the PC or
HH. Saving an Ad Hoc count on the HH enables the user to view, save, print, and
complete it on the PC just as with any other stock count.
Unlike the other stock count types, Ad Hoc stock counts are not set up ahead of time
using product groups. The user must set up discrepancy thresholds using the Ad
Hoc Stock Count screen. Discrepancies are based on percent or unit thresholds by
class.
If the authorized item count quantities entered by the user differ from the snapshot,
inventory adjustments are created that are sent to the merchandising system.
The user always determines the order in which the items are scanned.
Setup of the stock count can be done at the item, supplier, promotion, or
merchandise hierarchy level.
Inventory adjustments are created for items when an authorized quantity differs
from the stock on hand value. The inventory adjustments are also sent to the
merchandising system.
To set up a Unit stock count, the user must first create a product group, which consists of any
of the following:
Individual items
Item hierarchies
Variance percent
Indicator that a recount should be performed if the items are discrepant after the
initial count
Unit product groups can then be scheduled for a stock count on a specified day or scheduled
intervals (for example, daily, weekly, monthly, or annually). A stock count item list is
generated at the store level using the ExtractUnitStockCount daily batch program. The
system automatically creates a stock count from the items that fall within the parameters.
Items
Item hierarchies
Variance percent
Variance UOM
Indicator that a recount should be performed in case the items are discrepant after
the initial count
The Product Group Scheduler defaults to daily when scheduling for a Problem Line product
group and cannot be changed. The ProblemLineStockCount batch program looks at the
Problem Line product groups and finds any items that meet the predefined problem line
criteria shown in the following list:
Once stores have created and scheduled the Problem Line product groups, a batch process
runs daily to find any items that meet the criteria and add the items to the scheduled stock
count. They are counted in the same way as a scheduled Unit stock count.
Problem Line stock count processing includes the following features:
Setup of the stock count can be done at the item, supplier, promotion, or
merchandise hierarchy level.
Schedule can be set to run daily; it defaults to one day and cannot be changed.
Inventory adjustments are created for items when an authorized quantity differs
from the stock on hand value. The inventory adjustments are also sent to the
merchandising system.
Note: With the exception of the extraction criteria, the process
Setup of the stock count can only be done at the merchandise hierarchy level or for
all departments.
Unit and Amount product groups are scheduled for a specified day.
SIM sends the stock count schedule for Unit and Amount stock counts to the
merchandising system anytime it is created, updated, or deleted.
It is possible to add items for Unit and Amount counts during the scan and during
the Third Party results file upload, if the item was not ranged to the store but found
during the count. The Allow Non-Range Item system option needs to be set to Yes.
This allows the retailer to add items which exist, but were not previously assigned to
the store. For more information, see System/Store Settings.
To set up a Unit and Amount stock count, the user first creates a product group which
consists of any of the following:
Item hierarchies
Variance percent
Variance UOM
Variance value
Indicator that a recount should be performed if the items are discrepant after the
initial count
During product group setup, for Unit and Amount stock count type, the user is restricted
and cannot select the Item radio button on the Product Group Components tab, since RMS
holds its amount valuation at the merchandise hierarchy level. Once a product group is set
up, it can be reused for future stock counts.
The stock count is displayed on the Future Stock Count List screen. SIM deletes the record
from this screen the day of the actual schedule date and extracts a new list to display on the
main Stock Count List screen. The product group information is stored in the master stock
count record in order for changes to be made to the product group without impacting
extracted stock counts.
The product groups can then be scheduled for a specified day and cannot be scheduled for
the current day. A lockout lead-time of one plus days applies when scheduling a count.
When the Unit and Amount schedule is created, it is sent to the merchandising system so
that it can also create a corresponding stock count. The nightly
ExtractUnitAmountStockCount stock count batch program creates a record for each of the
items in the product group scheduled to be counted.
Upon authorization of the Unit and Amount count, a flat file is sent to the merchandising
system with a header that contains the stock count ID, stock count date, and store number
that performed the count. The file contains details for each item and the quantity counted.
This information is then staged in the merchandising system and can be used to overlay the
inventory positions, create the correct booking adjustments, and create reports.
Counting
Recounting
Not all stock counts go through all of these processes. Each of these processes is described in
a following section.
Counting
The first action the user typically does after taking the snapshot is to perform the count.
Recounting
Depending on the setup in the product group, the user may have to do a recount of the stock
count. The system calculates the variances for the items based on variance criteria set up
when creating the product group.
Parameter
Valid Values
(default in bold)
Description
Allow Non-Range
Item
Yes, No
Allow Unexpected
UINs
Yes, No
Parameter
Valid Values
(default in bold)
Description
Days to Hold
Completed Stock
Counts
30
Days to Hold In
Progress Ad Hoc
Stock Counts
Yes, No
Yes, No
Problem Line UI
Limit
1500
Stock Count Default
Timeframe
Yes, No
Note: Store
Parameter
Parameter
Valid Values
(default in bold)
Description
Yes, No
Quantity = 0
Timestamp
Processing, Daily
Sales Processing
Unguided Stock
Counts - Allow
Multiple Users
Yes, No
Parameter
Valid Values
(default in bold)
Description
Unguided Stock
Counts Automatic
Save
Yes, No
5000
Unit Count UI Limit
1500
Parameter
Valid Values
(default in bold)
Description
Updating Stock On
Hand
Discrepant Items
Only, All Items
since the stock count is created when the first item is scanned.
Departments
Class
Variance percent
This screen is accessed from the Admin Menu by selecting Ad Hoc Stock Counts.
The criteria defined on this screen is used, when performing an Ad Hoc stock count, to
determine which items should be considered discrepant. The criteria are defined per store.
User access to this screen is controlled through security privileges. For a detailed explanation
on how items are selected as discrepant, see Variance Calculation.
The Dept and Class fields are display-only fields. The user can enter the threshold for the
item assigned to this class to be considered discrepant:
All classes in the item hierarchy associated with the current store are displayed. This
table is auto-populated.
Whenever a new class is added to SIM, the class is added to this screen as well.
The Variance % field allows the user to enter the threshold in terms of a percentage of items
counted for an item to be considered discrepant. The SOH inventory level is compared with
the quantity entered in the stock count by the user:
Validation checking is done upon tabbing out of the field or selecting another field to
ensure either the variance units or percent is populated for each class. The user is
prompted with a validation message.
The Variance Standard UOM field allows the user to enter the threshold in the standard
UOM for an item to be considered discrepant, when comparing the system total SOH
inventory level with the quantity entered in the stock count by the user:
Validation checking is done upon tabbing out of the field or selecting another field to
ensure either the variance units or percent is populated for each class. The user is
prompted with a validation message.
Tolerances
Recount discrepancies
Auto authorize
Item status
Stock on hand
The first step to create a stock count is to select criteria during the product group setup to
determine which items should be considered discrepant for the stock count. The following
figure shows all the editable fields used when creating a standard Unit stock count. All fields
that do not apply to stock count product groups are grayed out.
Variance Section
This section shows the criteria used to determine which items should be considered
discrepant on the stock count. At least one variance field must be set in order to create the
product group. The Variance SUOM, Variance %, and Variance Value fields are checked to
determine if an item is discrepant. If there is a value set for more than one variance, SIM
considers the item discrepant if the count breaks any of the set thresholds.
Putting in a variance of 0 means the item is discrepant in every case unless the
count quantity equals the SOH. If there is no value in any of the criteria fields, it means that
the criterion is not used in determining whether an item is discrepant.
Variance SUOM
The Variance SUOM field allows the user to enter the threshold in the standard UOM for an
item to be considered discrepant, when comparing the system total SOH inventory level with
the quantity entered in the stock count by the user:
An item is discrepant if the variance units are equal to or greater than the variance
SUOM set, plus or minus, unless the variance units are 0. If the variance is 0 and the
count equals the SOH, the item is not discrepant.
For example, if the variance is set to 10 units, an item count variance fewer than 10
(plus or minus) is allowable, but an item count that varies by 10 units or more is
discrepant.
Variance %
The Variance % field allows the user to enter the threshold in terms of a percentage of items
counted for an item to be considered discrepant. The SOH inventory level is compared with
the quantity entered in the stock count by the user:
The variance percent can be null if the variance units field is populated. If the
variance percent is null, it is not used to determine discrepancies.
For example, if the variance percent equals 10% and the SOH equals 20:
Variance Value
The Variance Value field allows the user to enter the threshold in terms of a money amount
for an item to be considered discrepant for Unit and Amount stock counts. This is a money
amount compared to the number of discrepant units multiplied by the current unit retail of
the goods. SIM uses the current retail price from the item lookup (the extracted promotion or
clearance price is not used). If the calculated value exceeds the variance value, the item is
considered discrepant during the stock counting process:
Variance Calculation
Upon completion of the count or recount, the variance is calculated and the count moves to
the next stage, either recount or authorize.
Depending on how SIM is configured, a blank value during the initial count can be
considered a counted or uncounted value:
If the Stock Count Null Count Quantity = 0 parameter is set to Yes, the item is
considered counted.
If the Stock Count Null Count Quantity = 0 parameter is set to No, a null value for an
item indicates the item is not counted.
The Stock Count Null Count Quantity = 0 parameter only applies to the count process.
If the Updating SOH parameter is set to All Items (instead of Discrepant Only) and the
recount is blank for non-discrepant items, SIM fills in the non-discrepant items with last
counted quantity.
Type
Unit/Problem
Line
/Ad Hoc
Unit/Problem
Line
/Ad Hoc
Unit and
Amount
Complete
Count
Parameter
Stock Count
Null Count
Quantity = 0
is set to No
Stock Count
Null Count
Quantity = 0
is set to Yes
NA
Complete
Recount
Confirm from
Authorization
Screen
Confirm from
Child List
Screen (Blind
Authorization)
Auto
Authorization
If null, fill in
with last count
or recount
value (which
could be null).
Otherwise, use
authorization
quantity.
If null, keep
null
(uncounted).
Otherwise,
use count
quantity.
If null, keep
null
(uncounted).
Otherwise,
use recount
quantity.
If null keep
null (not
counted).
Otherwise, use
authorization
quantity.
If null, fill in
with last count
or recount
value (which
could be null).
Otherwise, use
authorization
quantity.
If null, fill in
with zero.
Otherwise,
use count
quantity.
If null, fill in
with last
count value.
Otherwise,
use recount
quantity.
If null, keep
null (not
counted).
Otherwise, use
authorization
quantity.
If null, fill in
with last count
or recount
value.
Otherwise, use
authorization
quantity.
If null, fill in
with last count
or recount
value).
Otherwise, use
authorization
quantity.
If null, fill in
with zero.
Otherwise,
use count
quantity.
If null, fill in
with last
count value.
Otherwise,
use recount
quantity.
If null, fill in
with last count
or recount
value.
Otherwise, use
authorization
quantity.
If null, fill in
with last count
or recount
value.
Otherwise, use
authorization
quantity.
If null, fill in
with last count
or recount
value).
Otherwise, use
authorization
quantity.
The guided count method prompts the user to scan the next item in sequence. This
feature is available for scheduled Unit, Problem Line, and Unit and Amount counts.
Ad Hoc stock counts are never guided, but rather the scanning order is determined
by the user doing the count. This feature is selected through the product group setup
by choosing the Guided count method. SIM generates a master count broken down
by location. A child count is created for every macro location and the user is
prompted to scan the next item based on its location within the store. If an item
exists in multiple macro locations, the user is warned if the item has not been
counted in all macro locations.
Note: If sequencing is not set up for the items, the user is
The unguided count method allows the user to scan any item in any order. This
feature is available for Unit, Problem Line, or Unit and Amount counts. It is
controlled through the product group setup by choosing Unguided for the counting
method.
Multiple employees are able to scan items for the same stock count. The system
option is called Unguided Stock Counts - Allow Multiple Users. It is the default
option for Unit and Amount counts. For more information, see System/Store
Settings.
Unguided stock counts cut down the time it takes to completely scan a count and
provide more flexibility. This applies to both count and recount processes.
Some retailers find it cumbersome to manually save their stock counts on a regular
basis. If the user forgets to save the stock count periodically and the HH battery fails
or the wireless connection goes down, all the data recorded up to that point is lost.
For unguided counts, the retailer can configure SIM to save the item count
automatically when the user moves on to count a different item. This reduces the
need for the user to manually save the count on a regular basis. It also allows the
user to scan items continuously without being interrupted.
For example: if the user scans item A three times and then scans item B, the count
value for item A is saved when scanning item B. This automatic save reduces the
need for store personnel to remember to save count values manually and allows
longer scan times without interrupting the scanning of items for the count. Users
might forget to save, and if the system experiences a problem, the data recorded up
to that point is saved, if SIM is configured to do so.
The system option is called Unguided Stock Counts - Automatic Save. It allows the
retailer to determine whether the timestamp and count value is saved to the
database each time a different item is scanned on the stock count. For more
information, see System/Store Settings.
The Third Party count method allows a third-party service to perform the actual
counting using a third-party system. This feature is controlled through the product
group setup by choosing Third Party for the counting method. It is possible to create
Third Party stock counts for any merchandise hierarchy level supported in SIM.
Hierarchy Breakdown
Hierarchy Breakdown is used to break down the stock count into separate child stock counts
for each hierarchy added to the group. The child stock counts may be broken down further
based on size. For more information, see Total # Items in Group. This field is disabled for
all guided stock counts. Guided stock counts are always broken down by location based on
macro sequencing. For a definition of macro location, see the Glossary.
If None is selected, SIM generates one master stock count based on all added
components.
If Location is selected, SIM generates a master count with the child counts grouped
by macro location.
Note: For guided counts, the hierarchy field always defaults to
If Department is selected, SIM generates a single master stock count with items
grouped by department for their child stock count. For example, if the user adds
Dept 1000, Dept 1001, and Dept 1002 for Product Group A, SIM generates a single
master stock count for Product Group A with 3 child stock count records (one for
each department that was added to the group).
If Class is selected, SIM generates a master stock count. The child stock counts are
grouped by class.
If Sub-class is selected, SIM generates a master stock count. The child stock counts
are grouped by sub-class.
The Re-count Discrepancies checkbox tells SIM whether a stock recount must be done for a
stock count that contains discrepant items. If checked, a stock recount record is created if any
discrepant items exist. This recount needs to be completed before the stock count is able to
move on to the authorization process. Recounts are not available for Third Party counts
since this count is performed outside of SIM.
Note: Third Party stock counts bypass the recount process since
If the Auto Authorize checkbox is not selected, users with the proper security can
view and modify the authorization quantity for items in the stock count that are
discrepant and non-discrepant when compared to the SOH figure. Predefined
variance limits (units, percent, and value difference) are used to determine which
items fall outside the acceptable level.
If the Auto Authorize checkbox is selected, users with the proper security can view
the authorization quantity for items in the stock count but cannot modify them.
Note: Third Party stock counts can also be auto-authorized. In
When the stock count is extracted, SIM includes only items with one of the flagged
statuses. Multiple statuses can be flagged for a single product group. For example,
the retailer may want to include both Active and Discontinued items in the product
group. Checking the boxes for Active and Discontinued includes all items with a
status of Active or Discontinued, but does not include deleted or inactive items.
If the status is unchecked, SIM does not extract items with that status. For example, if
the Deleted checkbox is not checked, the extracted stock count does not include any
deleted items.
SIM performs a validation, and at least one of the status boxes must be checked,
before the product group can be created.
For Unit and Amount counts, these boxes are disabled and SIM extracts based on the
Unit and Amount grid. For more information, see Stock on Hand Section.
Ad Hoc stock counts do not use product groups. They allow any item status to be
scanned and counted.
For a Unit count, at least one checkbox must be checked before the product group
can be created.
For a Unit and Amount count, SIM extracts items for the stock count based on the
Unit and Amount grid shown in the following table.
The following table indicates when an item can be extracted for a Unit and Amount stock
count.
Unit and Amount Count
Item Status
SOH Equals 0
Active (A)
Allowed
Allowed
Allowed
Inactive (I)
Allowed
Not Allowed
Allowed
Temporary (Q)
Allowed
Allowed
Allowed
Discontinued (C)
Allowed
Allowed
Allowed
Deleted (D)
Allowed
Not Allowed
Allowed
Note: Because Unit and Amount counts are usually for the
entire store, it is best to avoid counting items that likely are not
in the store. If any are found during the Unit and Amount count,
they can be added.
Actual Pick Amount less than Suggested Pick Amount When a store is using the
SIM feature for replenishing stock from a backroom, there may be some corrections
to stock required based on the pick list quantity. If checked, SIM adds the item to the
problem line count if the actual pick amount entered for the item on the pick list was
less than the suggested system pick amount.
Negative Available Inventory If checked, SIM adds the item to the Problem Line
stock count if the item has negative available inventory. This can be the result of the
cashier scanning one variety of an item, even though, several varieties were
purchased, such as different flavors of a product were all scanned using one
package. This could result in a negative inventory for the flavor scanned.
UIN Discrepancies If checked, SIM adds the item to the Problem Line stock count if
the item has UIN discrepancies. Discrepant UINs are items flagged by the store with
a UIN status updated from one store to another as a result of on one of the following
processes:
Stock counts, when the item was not originally assigned to the store.
On the Product Group Components tab, SIM displays the type (Unit, Unit and Amount, or
Problem Line) and counting method (Guided, Unguided, or Third Party) selected for the
product group.
Total # of Recommended Items This indicates the total number of recommended items for
an individual product group element (that is, Item, Hierarchy, Supplier, Promotion ID, and
so on). This value is not saved to the database and is refreshed with the latest results each
time the user reenters the screen:
The Recommended # of Items field displays the maximum number of items allowed
for the type of product group selected. This field is always displayed and prepopulated based on either the system parameter associated with the product group
or the maximum configuration limit, whichever is lower.
Total # of Items in Group This is the approximate number of items that may be extracted in
the stock count based on a summation of all product group element criteria added to the
group. This value is not saved to the database and is refreshed with the latest results each
time the user reenters the screen. Each time the user selects a new product group element to
add to the group on the Product Group Components tab, SIM increments this field to display
the total number of items in the group up to that point. If the user removes an element from
the list, the Total # of Items in Group field is decremented based on the element removed.
Product groups can contain thousands of line items. SIM can handle product groups that
contain very large numbers of line items; however, these large groupings can be difficult for
a retailer to manage when counting products in the stores. To resolve this, the retailer can
configure SIM to automatically break down large product groups into multiple smaller
records. The system administrator can set system parameters to control the maximum
number of line items included in the product group, thus making the count more
manageable.
If the number of line items in a product group exceeds the maximum line item limit, SIM
breaks down the product groups into smaller sections. For Unit, Unit and Amount, and
Problem Line product groups, SIM breaks down the stock count first by department, then by
class, then by subclass. If the number of line item records for a department exceeds the
maximum line limit value defined, then SIM breaks down the department into smaller
sections starting with class. If a single class has more line items than the defined limit, SIM
breaks the class down to the subclass level. This process results in the creation of a master
stock count, based on a single product group, along with multiple child counts associated
with the master count:
The system parameter value is limited to the value of the user interface (UI)
performance limitation configuration setting. For example, if the maximum UI
performance configuration setting is 10,000 line items, 10,000 is the maximum value
for the parameters. The parameters allow the retailer to further limit the number of
line items on each transaction for Problem Line, Unit and Unit, and Amount stock
counts.
The parameters are used when breaking down transactions into smaller, more
manageable portions. This limitation is in addition to the values entered by the user
on the Product Group Detail screen, which also helps to limit the size of the
transaction.
Note: For Problem Line stock counts, this is in addition to the
Hierarchy
If the user selects Hierarchy, the Department, Class, and Subclass drop-down lists appear.
The Class drop-down does not enable until a department is selected and the Sub-class dropdown does not enable until a class is selected. Once the user selects the desired hierarchy and
clicks Add to Group, the lowest level hierarchy is added to the count group. A line item is
added to show the user all the hierarchies associated with the count group, as described in
the following examples:
The user selects Dept=Home Shop, Class=Kitchen, Sub-Class=Bowls, and then Add
to Group. A line is added to the Counting Group.
The user selects Dept=Clothing, and then Add Group. All classes and sub-classes
under the item hierarchy are added to the Counting Group.
All Departments
If any other element is selected and added to the group, selecting All Departments clears out
the other selections. Selecting All Departments ensures that the product group is set to
include all departments in the stock count. An All Department stock count is assumed to be a
stock count for the entire store. Selecting any other element option automatically turns off
the All Departments selection.
Supplier
The user can select a supplier and all items associated with the supplier for the stock count.
This is helpful when performing a count for a specific supplier.
Note: This is not available for the Unit and Amount product
group type.
New items added in the merchandising system after this product group is created
are not added to the product group automatically.
Promotion ID
A promotion ID can be used to add items to the product group. This is helpful when
monitoring items with high turnover or high theft during a promotional event.
Note: This is not available for the Unit and Amount product
group type.
Using the Promotion ID does not automatically add new items to the product group
if additional items are added to a promotion from an external pricing system or the
integrated Oracle Retail Price Management (RPM).
Item
The user can enter an item to add to the product group. An Item Lookup feature allows the
user to search on an item, if necessary. The description is displayed for the item entered:
Non-sellable items - The user is allowed to add regular non-sellable and sellable
items. A non-sellable item is broken down to sellable components. If a non-sellable
item is added to the product group, the extract adds the sellable components to the
stock count since the inventory is held at this level. For more information on nonsellable items, see the Glossary.
Non-ranged items - Users are allowed to add active, Q status and non-ranged items,
depending on configuration, to the product group through the Items product group
element. For more information, see the Oracle Retail Store Inventory Management
Implementation Guide - Volume 1, Configuration.
Note: The UI cannot restrict the user from adding non-ranged
Creating a Schedule
Using a calendar wizard, the user selects the count group and whether it is to be counted
daily, weekly, monthly, or yearly. One or more stores can be assigned to the schedule,
depending on the stores to which the user has access. Once the scheduled is created, the
stock count can be viewed using the Stock Counts button which is accessible from the
Inventory Management menu. If the stock count is scheduled for a date in the future, the
count can be viewed from the Future Stock Count List screen. If the count is scheduled for
the current date, it appears on the main Stock Count List screen.
For Unit and Amount stock counts, the user must schedule the count for at least 1 plus days
out from the creation date of the schedule. The default setting for the Stock Count Lockout
Days system option is 1 and identifies when the items to include in the stock count are
populated into SIM from the merchandising system. The reason for the lockout days is that a
store needs a certain amount of time to prepare for a count and therefore changes should not
be allowed x number of days prior to the count.
The Stock Count Lockout Days can be changed on the System Admin screen, but SIM does
not allow the user to schedule the count to run for the current day.
Note: If SIM is integrated with RMS, this value needs to be
Deleting a Schedule
Occasionally, stock counts may need cancellation due to weather or other circumstances. If a
stock count has not been completed, it can be cancelled by the user and a new one created.
When the stock count is deleted, a message is sent through Oracle Retail Integration Bus
(RIB) messaging in order for the merchandising system to be notified.
On a daily basis, a batch process is triggered that creates stock counts for the current
day based on scheduled product groups.
Each master record is identified with the name of the scheduled product group and
at least one child record associated with it.
The system creates the stock count item records for every item contained in the
product group assigned to the scheduled stock count and ranged to the store.
The process creates the stock counts for each individual store. For example, if a
scheduled count includes a list of 5 stores, then 5 separate stock counts are created,
each with different stock count IDs.
y is the total number of child records into which the product group is divided
For example, for a Batteries stock count broken down into six separate child stock count
records, the description of the first stock count record of the group would be shown as
follows:
On the PC, multiple records associated with the same master product group are sorted based
on ascending Department/Class/Subclass order, with (x/y) appended after the count
description. For example, a large stock count might be broken down as follows, with the
following child count records as listed:
Stock Count Record Breakdown
Batteries (1/6)
Batteries (2/6)
Batteries (3/6)
Batteries (4/6)
Batteries (5/6)
Batteries (6/6)
Contains Dept C
On the HH, multiple records associated with the same master product group are sorted
based on ascending Department/Class/Subclass order, with (x/y) appearing before the
count description (because of display space limits on the handheld). For example, the same
records would be displayed on the HH as follows:
1-(1/6) Batteries
2-(2/6) Batteries
3-(3/6) Batteries
4-(4/6) Batteries
5-(5/6) Batteries
6-(6/6) Batteries
Note: Child stock counts on the HH may not always be grouped
The following figure shows an example of how SIM automatically breaks down a large stock
count. This figure is based on the following:
In this example, the product group exceeds the maximum limit of 10,000 line items and must
be broken down into smaller sections:
SIM first breaks down the count by department. If a department has 10,000 or fewer
line items (like Department B in the example), the department does not need to be
broken down. It is extracted into its own child count record.
If a single department exceeds the 10,000 line items limit, SIM breaks down the count
further to the class level. If none of the classes exceed the maximum line items limit
(like Class C1 and Class C2 in the example), SIM extracts each class as a single child
count record.
If a class exceeds the maximum line limit, such as Class A1 in the example, SIM
breaks down that class to the subclass level.
Item Retention
SIM needs to validate items and data based on criteria selected during the product group
setup:
Extract items based on what is selected under the Item Status section. For example, if
the Active and Inactive checkboxes are checked and the rest are null, SIM extracts all
items with a status equal to Active or Inactive, but excludes Discontinued and
Deleted items:
Inactive
Discontinued
Deleted
Extract items based on selected SOH criteria. If all are checked, SIM extracts
regardless of SOH value:
SOH = 0
SOH > 0
SOH < 0
Extraction Timeline
The batch allows the live extraction of stock counts up to one day in the future of the current
time. This allows the retailer to start a large stock count up to 24 hours before the actual
schedule date. This means entering tomorrow as a date is valid; it extracts tomorrows stock
count as a live stock count and LAST_EXTRACTED_DATE.
Detail: item number (SIM SKU number), item description, total snapshot quantity
for the item, and UINs for the item
Status Changes
From start to completion, each stock count proceeds through the following stages of a stock
count:
Stock Count
Recount
Authorize
Each stock count state for the master count, displayed as the type, has statuses and rules.
The status of the master stock count depends on the status of each child count. If the stock
count type (stage) is Stock Count for the child count, then the master record also is Stock
Count. The master does not change until all children have shifted to Recount or Authorize.
The status, however, changes from New to In Progress when a single child stock count
moves to In Progress or when the snapshot is taken.
Note: For guided counts, a status of Pending for the child
Selecting Search on the Future Stock Count Filter dialog brings the user to the Future Stock
Count List screen with the results displayed based on the search criteria. Records are sorted
by date, with the nearest date at the top of the list.
Double-clicking a single record prompts the user to generate the stock count. If the user
chooses to generate the count at that point, SIM brings the user to a view only Child Stock
Count List screen. It is identical to the regular Child Stock Count List screen except the only
button available is Done. Closing out of the Child Stock Count List screen saves the record
for the current day only and deletes the record at the end of each calendar day. A new record
is generated each day if the user double-clicks the master record and chooses Yes to generate
now.
The Child List screen displays the most current data based on the time the future count was
generated. Any updates or changes to the product group detail or schedule information are
updated the next time the future count is generated.
Once the schedule date is reached, SIM deletes the count from the Future Stock Count List
screen and re-extracts the count on the schedule date for the most up-to-date data. The stock
count then moves to the Stock Count List screen and status is changed to Stock Count New.
Description
Snapshot
Counted
Variance
100001
Item A
10
10
100002
Item B
20
25
100003
Item C
30
15
-15
100004
Item D
40
40
On the Child Stock Count List screen, the Take Snapshot button triggers the
snapshot for all selected child stock counts.
On the Child Stock Count Detail screen, the Take Snapshot button triggers the
snapshot for the individual child count.
When the Take Snapshot button is selected, the user is warned that they are taking a
snapshot for the entire store.
SIM takes the snapshot, as well as, processes the stock count records in case any
records need to move to a new type (stage) and status.
Note: If SIM is not configured to use UINs, this does not apply.
If UINs are not used, fields and functions related to UINs are not
available in the SIM UI.
If UINs are required for an item, the UINs must be scanned, entered, or automatically
generated when stock is received. When the user is generating UINs for tracking items,
labels can be printed with the generated UINs.
Status on Snapshots
If the store uses UINs, the snapshot captures the status of those items in the store as part of
the stores stock on hand, as well as those UINs in missing status:
In Stock
Unavailable
Missing
The UINs in these statuses are displayed on the Stock Count Authorization screen, to
identify which UINs are not counted.
Guided Counts
For guided counts, when the Take Snapshot button is pressed, SIM looks for any Pending
location counts to determine which of the location counts have all of their items counted in
all locations and can move to the next type (stage) of Recount New or Authorize New.
Sales Processing
If Daily Sales Processing is set for the Stock Count Sales Processing system option, the user
may have the option to select whether the count is being performed before or after store
hours on either the HH or PC, depending on configuration. In some cases a retailer does not
want to have the associate make that determination and SIM can be configured to hide this
prompt from the user. For more information, see System/Store Settings.
Note: This selection cannot be changed after the count has
Considerations
If the retailer is dealing with fast selling items in a 24/7 environment, it is recommended to
count items on the shop floor first and then move to counting the back room. This can help to
reduce the chance an item is picked up by a customer after the snapshot is taken, but before
the timestamp is taken. If the customer picks up an item on the shop floor, after the initial
scan has occurred, SIM only updates the SOH when the sale occurs. The snapshot does not
get updated in this particular case. If the sale occurs after the snapshot, but before the initial
scan, both the SOH and snapshot are updated.
For a Unit and Amount count, the recommendation is to count the backroom first, then take
the snapshot before sales for the next day occur. After the snapshot is taken, count the shop
floor. This results in a more accurate reflection of inventory while allowing the retailer to
spread out the stock count process over multiple days or longer period of time. This way,
sales can occur on the shop floor without updating the snapshot. When a sale occurs, the
SOH is updated, but the snapshot remains the same until the snapshot is taken.
Note: If the retailer wants to take the snapshot right away, the
shop floor should be counted first and then the back room, since
the retailer has more control over stock movement in the back
room.
Counting
When a user performs a stock count, all stock in the store is counted. Unavailable inventory
must be counted as well. For example, if some items are ready to be returned to a supplier
but the return has not yet been dispatched, the items are counted, even though they will not
be placed on the shop floor for sale. They are still owned by the store until they are no longer
in the store.
The user performs an initial count of the items listed in the stock count which can be
completed immediately or saved and completed at a later time.
Status Changes
The status of a stock count moves to In Progress after the user starts the counting process or
takes the snapshot, with the exception of Unit and Amount counts.
The Unit and Amount count can move to In Progress when the user takes the snapshot
manually, or when an item is scanned, even if the snapshot is not taken.
Guided Counts
Some retailers divide the store into logical zones for counting stock. An item can exist in
multiple zones within the store. Some items may not be assigned to a specific zone.
During the counting process, the user is guided through the micro-sequence order of the
items within a child. If a particular child does not have a micro-sequence, the user is guided
by item number.
If an item belongs to multiple children, the child waits for the other children the item belongs
to before completing the child count and moving to the next phase (recount or
authorization).
Scanning items out of order goes into an amend mode where the user can enter the new total
quantity.
Note: The sequencing functionality in SIM allows the retailer to
assign items to specific areas in the store. Some retailers may not
want to spend the time and effort of defining where the
merchandise is located in the store and instead want to be able
to scan the entire store in segments, or zones, without
predefining what items exist in each zone. SIM does not
currently support this type of counting method.
Unguided Counts
Unguided stock counts allow a user to scan any items in any order. It also allows for multiple
users to scan against the same child count. Completing the child stock count brings the child
to the next phase depending on the breakdown type selected. If a location is specified, the
system checks to ensure all items are only in a single location before moving on to the next
phase.
On the other hand, if the item belongs to a single child only, the count is moved to the next
phase.
Header
Description Master stock count description.
Date Scheduled date for the master stock count.
Total Items Total number of items in the master stock count.
Stock Count User User who last saved/completed the stock count.
Recount User User who last saved/completed the recount.
Detail
Child Count Description Description of the child count appears as a header to the detail
section (separate header for each child count). For guided counts, this is the macro location
name along with shopfloor/backroom if sequencing is being used.
Item Item number for each line item in the stock count.
Description Description of the item.
UOM Unit of measure for the item.
Count Physical count results entered for the stock count.
Recounting
After a count is completed, SIM performs variance calculations for all items. If the count for
an item exceeds variance limits, the item count is discrepant. If the product group setup
requires a recount of discrepant items, the user follows the same steps to take a snapshot.
The recount snapshot records the current stock on hand levels for all the items on the
recount. The user can take a recount snapshot from either the Stock Count Child List or Stock
Re-Count Detail window.
The Stock Re-Count Detail window is similar to the Stock Count Detail window, but it also
allows entry of recounted item quantities.
If the Re-count Discrepancies box was checked during the product group setup and at least
one item is discrepant after the count, a recount is required. If the Re-count Discrepancies
box was not checked, all items are moved to the Authorization screen and the items
exceeding the variance limits appear as discrepant items.
Note: On the Authorization screen, the user is able to filter
Status Changes
The stock count moves to Re-Count New after the initial count has been completed and
discrepant items exist.
The user performs a recount after the initial count, that can be completed immediately or
saved and completed at a later time. Stock Re-Count moves to Stock Re-Count In Progress
after the user starts the recounting process or retakes the snapshot.
Recount Snapshot
The first action of the recount is to take a snapshot for Unit and Problem Line counts.
After the user completes the stock count, the quantities entered by the user is compared to
the snapshot quantities. If any of the entered quantities exceed the variance limits on the
associated product group record, the item is considered discrepant.
If the product group is set up to recount discrepancies, the items exceeding the variance
limits are moved to a stock count recount, and this record is created. Non-discrepant items
are also included as a filter and the user is able to enter a recount quantity if desired.
Once the user takes the snapshot during the recount process, SIM takes a snapshot of the
current SOH inventory levels for all the items in the stock recount. When the user completes
the recount, those discrepant items with blank quantities are set to the counted quantity:
If the item was not discrepant and not recounted, the recount quantity remains
blank. This item is considered not counted.
To help determine what a blank value means based for the Stock Count Null Count
Quantity = 0 parameter, see Processing Blank Count Quantity Grid.
After the user completes the stock recount, the quantities entered by the user are compared
to the snapshot quantities. If any of the entered quantities exceed the variance limits in the
associated product group record, the item is considered discrepant.
Both discrepant and non-discrepant items appear on the Stock Count Authorization screen,
where the user can manually approve each of the discrepant items or choose the Update
Auth Qty button that auto-fills each item with the last counted quantity.
Header
Description Master stock count description.
Date Scheduled date for the master stock count.
Total Items Total number of items in the master stock count.
Stock count user User who last saved/completed the stock count.
Recount user User who last saved/completed the recount.
Detail
Child Count Description description of the child count appears as a header to the detail
section (separate header for each child count). For guided counts, this is the macro location
name along with shopfloor/backroom if sequencing is being used.
Item Item number for each line item in the stock count.
Description Description of the item.
UOM Unit of measure for the item.
Count Physical count results entered for the initial stock count.
Recount Count results for the recount of the stock count.
ExtractUnitAndAmount
nightly batch creates
Stock Count
Take Snapshot
Third Party
Performs Count
Inventory
Adjustments
created in SIM
Authorize Stock
Count
Rejected Items
loaded for
Review
Thirdpartystockcountparser
Third Party Results
imported into SIM
Any items not recognized by SIM during the import of the third-party stock count file are
stored in a Rejected Items table. The rejected items are added to the database and purged
when the stock count is removed from the system. If the Auto Authorize checkbox was not
selected during product group setup, the user is allowed to assign a valid SIM item ID on the
Rejected Items screen to the count information for any item not on file or items not
previously part of the stock count. Once a valid item ID is assigned to the not on file items,
SIM updates the appropriate stock count record with the count quantity. If the Auto
Authorize checkbox is selected, the information on the Rejected Items screen is view-only.
For additional information, see Rejected Item Process.
The ThirdPartyStockCountParser upload batch program takes in a file created by a thirdparty system and updates the counted quantity in SIM. For more information on where to
place the file and processing information, see the Oracle Retail Store Inventory Management
Operations Guide.
The program validates that all the counted items exist in SIM and the stock count. If an item
is not on file or not in the count, the item is placed in the Rejected Items table for resolution.
The items coming from the Third Party Results file are identified based on an item number
such as unique system identifier, UPC, or other number set up in the merchandising system.
All quantities in the Third Party Results file must be in the items SUOM (units, KG, and so
on).
For items that exist in the SIM child stock count, but no counted quantity was sent back from
the third-party system, SIM applies the standard rules previously explained around null
value counts.
For items with SOH quantity in SIM, but a Third Party count of 0, the discrepancy check uses
the variance units (not variance percent) value to determine if the item is discrepant.
If an item is valid for the Unit and Amount count, but was not extracted, SIM adds the item
to the count.
The file is required to be delimited (user should not use | since this is used as a delimiter). A
delimited-field file often uses less space than a fixed-length record file to store the same data.
The main limitation with delimited fields is the need to add special handling to ensure that
neither the field delimiter nor the record delimiter characters get added into a field value.
Field Name
Field Type
Default
Description
FHEAD
Record
Descriptor
Char(5)
FHEAD
Store Number
Char (10)
NA
Stock Count ID
Number (12)
NA
FDETL
Record
Descriptor
Char(5)
FDETL
Date (14)
NA
Area Number
Char (10)
NA
UPC or Item
Number
Char (25)
NA
Count Quantity
Number
(12,4)
(Required)
NA
UIN
128
NA
Third Party stock counts that do not match the child for which they are uploaded
The user can view rejected items, if any, and assign valid SIM item IDs to items not on file
and non-ranged items. UINs can also be updated if they are required for some items in the
count.
Note: If there are no rejected items for the count, a message is
displayed. In that case, the Rejected Items screen does not open.
Note: For Unit and Amount counts, SIM exports the stock count
not on file items before completing the count. Any items without
a valid SIM ID are not part of the finalized stock count. Once the
count is in Authorize Complete status, the Rejected Items screen
is view-only.
UIN Required
A valid SIM item was counted, but the UIN was not provided in the Third Party data file.
The user can assign a valid SIM item ID and UIN.
AGSN Required
If Auto Generated Serial Number (AGSN) types are required for the item but the counted
items do not have AGSNs assigned in the third-party data file, the items are rejected. The
user must generate the AGSNs.
If an item with a required UIN is not counted during the stock count but is currently
In Stock, Reserved for Shipping, or Unavailable, the UIN status is updated to
Missing.
If an item with a UIN in the stock count does not exist in the store, the UIN needs to
be added during the Authorize stage. At that point, the UIN is created for the store
where the stock count is occurring and the status is updated to In Stock after
authorization.
If a UIN on the stock count was received in a different store and Allow Unexpected
UINs is set to Enabled, the store attribute for the UIN is updated to the store of the
stock count and the status updated to In Stock.
If the UIN on the stock count has the correct store attribute and is in Shipped to
Warehouse, Shipped to Vendor, Removed from Inventory, Customer Order
Fulfilled, Sold, or Missing status, the UIN status is updated to In Stock after
authorization.
For UINs with a status of In Stock after the initial count but moved to another status
before the count is authorized, SIM does not update the UIN and remains with a
status of In Stock upon confirmation.
Automatic Authorization
The Auto Authorize option is selected during the product group setup to enable automatic
authorization.
If the product group was set up for automatic authorization of the count, the child stock
counts are automatically authorized when completed and authorized quantities are updated
automatically.
SIM automatically authorizes the Unit and Amount stock counts, and exports the stock count
data to the merchandising system. If the Auto Authorize option is selected during the
product group setup and the Third Party option is selected for the counting method, this
process occurs as part of the import of the Third Party Results file. Some companies require
the auto-authorization for SOX compliance reasons.
In this case, any items considered Rejected are not assigned an existing item ID. This
business process assumes the retailer has resolved all discrepancies and data conflicts prior
to the third-party service provider exporting the count data from the third-party system. The
rejected items are view-only. This import process updates SIM with the stock count data
from the Third Party Results file, and SIM exports the same results to the merchandising
system. No user intervention occurs in SIM for this process to occur. The Auto authorize
option is located on the Product Group Detail screen when creating the product group used
for the stock count.
Manual Authorization
To enable manual authorization, the Auto Authorize option is not selected during the
product group setup.
When a stock count is ready for approval, the last state of the count requires entering the
authorized (approved) quantities for items in the count.
At this point, some stock count quantities might match SIM inventory levels or be within the
variance count or percentage set for the product group. There might also be discrepant item
counts, if the recount also resulted in discrepancies. The user can accept counted quantities
or enter different quantities. The quantities used are based on system settings and defaults.
The user can update authorized quantities by updating the quantities manually or by
selecting various buttons to fill in any blank authorized quantities. The user can enter
authorized quantities for any items in a stock count. For a count with many different items,
the user may want to enter authorized quantities only for certain items.
On the Authorization screen, the SOH field always displays the last snapshot value, either
the snapshot of the count or the recount. The user can enter authorization quantities for both
discrepant and non-discrepant items. The screen defaults to discrepant items and the user
has the option to filter to all items. Discrepant items are determined by the variance process
as previously described. For more information, see the Oracle Retail Store Inventory
Management User Guide.
Status Changes
Authorize New
The stock count moves to Authorize New after the count or recount have taken place.
The stock count is typically performed by a manager who authorizes the count and recount
quantities. The user is able to select the Update Auth button to auto-fill all authorization
quantities with the last count quantity.
Authorize In Progress
The stock count moves to Authorize In Progress after a single child count authorize quantity
has been saved or confirmed.
Note: Moving to this state can be triggered by selecting the
Authorize Completed
The stock count moves to Authorize Completed after all child counts have been confirmed.
Once in Authorize Completed, the stock count becomes view-only and no quantities can be
changed. The only available button on any of the screens is the Done button, which returns
the user to the previous screen without making any changes.
When the user reenters a stock count in authorize that has or has not been
completed, the SOH and the last snapshot remains constant.
The Filter drop-down list on the Authorization screen allows the user to view the All
Items part of the stock count. The user is allowed to enter data into the Authorized
Quantity field for both discrepant and non-discrepant items.
The Authorized Qty field can be auto-filled by selecting the Update Auth Qty
button.
A warning is displayed to the user if some items do not have an authorized quantity
entered when the Confirm Authorization button is clicked.
If the user selects OK and the Stock Count Null Count Quantity = 0 parameter is set
to No, all items without an Authorization Quantity have their SOH left as is, with no
adjustments made. The item is considered not counted in this case.
If the user selects OK and the Stock Count Null Count Quantity = 0 parameter is set
to Yes, all items without an authorization quantity have their SOH set to the last
counted quantity. This is 0 if the user never physically entered a count quantity.
Once the user selects Confirm, the system adjusts the SOH to the authorization
quantity entered for the item.
If the Updating Stock on Hand parameter is set to Discrepant Items Only, SIM only
updates the SOH for discrepant items that were counted.
If the Updating Stock on Hand parameter is set to All Items, SIM adjusts the SOH for
both discrepant and non-discrepant items that were counted.
When the Confirm button is selected for the last child count needing authorization,
the status for the stock count changes to Completed and, at this point, the stock
count is read-only.
The Stock Count Authorization screen still updates the inventory adjustments within SIM for
discrepant and non-discrepant items. It does not update the inventory adjustments for the
stock counts to the merchandising system. Instead, a flat file is created with the new
inventory position that is sent to the merchandising system. For more information, see
Updating Stock On Hand.
The quantity displayed in the SOH field comes from the snapshot taken on the Stock Count
Detail screen or the Child Stock Count List screen.
Items in deleted or inactive status that still have SOH are included in the Unit and Amount
stock counts.
There is not a filter for Discrepancy or All Items for Third Party stock counts.
multiple macro locations and the user skips the count for one of
the items locations by entering a null count or selecting Enter
instead of entering a quantity on the HH.
Sales
Batch/flat file
ReSA
-Sales Data
-Sales Data
SIM
RIB
RMS
The following sections provide an overview of late sales processing. The sections describe
what it is and how some of the choices during system setup or starting a stock count impact
the processing of late posted sales records.
Late Sales functionality allows for sales that happen before the stock count, but are uploaded
after (or during) the count was finalized, to not impact the current inventory levels in SIM
since the stock count already took these sales into account. This is done by reversing the
stock count inventory adjustment and recording the sale.
Late sales are only performed after the stock count is closed and for those sales that
happened before or during the closed stock count by comparing against the
authorization timestamp.
If the sales timestamp is later than the authorization timestamp, late sales processing
does not take place.
If there are multiple stock counts for the same item, SIM checks the authorization
timestamp to ensure at least one stock count was completed since the late sale
happened.
When posting late sales for an item, SIM checks the sales date and time (if available)
against the authorization timestamp for the item.
Due to the real-time nature of the store retail business, it is not possible to be 100% accurate
when performing a stock count during store hours. For example, a customer could have an
item in the cart while the count is being performed on the sales floor. The system cannot
anticipate if that item was already in the cart when the physical count was made or if the
item was still on the display shelf. In this particular case, SIM is not able to determine
whether this item was accounted for in the SOH.
RIB
-Inventory Adjustments (InvAdjDesc)
SIM
RMS
Once a stock count is completed and confirmed in SIM, any discrepant items have their SOH
decremented or incremented in SIM and the appropriate inventory adjustment is sent to
RMS to keep RMS and SIM in sync. These types of counts only send the difference between
the counted value and the snapshot to RMS. This means that if RMS started out with a
different inventory position than SIM, that discrepancy stays the same.
Depending on how the system option Updating Stock On Hand is configured, an inventory
adjustment is created for discrepant items only or both discrepant and non-discrepant items.
This option determines whether the stock on hand is updated for all items, both discrepant
and non-discrepant items, or for discrepant items only when authorizing a Unit, Problem
Line, or Ad Hoc stock count:
If set to Discrepant Items Only, SIM updates the SOH for discrepant items only
when the count is authorized.
If set to All Items, SIM updates the SOH for all items where a quantity was entered
and when the count is authorized. This includes both discrepant and non-discrepant
items. The Update Auth Qty button automatically updates or fills in the authorized
count quantity field for both discrepant and non-discrepant items based on the last
count. SIM automatically authorizes all counted items when a product group was
created to auto authorize.
RIB
-Stock Count Schedule (StkCountSchDesc)
RMS
Batch/flat file
-Stock Count Batch
SIM
Batch/flat file
-Third Party File Layout
Third Party
Results File
Once a stock count is authorized and completed, the stock count results upload file is
generated when the user authorizes a stock count from PC or an auto-authorized
ThirdPartyStockCountParser batch process. Unlike the other count types, SIM sends the full
count value to the merchandising system.
Flat files are used due to the large amount of data being communicated.
The RMS stock upload module can upload this file to update their inventory with the actual
physical stock count data.
If RMS is implemented, here are some additional considerations:
When a Unit and Amount stock count is scheduled in SIM, the schedule information
is sent to RMS (Store, Dept, Class, Subclass, and Start Date) using RIB messaging. A
message is sent to RMS each time a schedule is created, updated, or deleted.
Whenever an update is made, RMS performs a complete deletion of the stock count
and reinserts with the modified information.
The stock count items are populated for a Unit and Amount count through a batch
process rather than online due to the lockout days having to be greater than or equal
to 1.
For a third-party Unit and Amount stock counts, a third-party service, comes into
the store to count the items and then sends a results flat file which is in turn
imported into SIM with the stock count results.
Once a Unit and Amount stock count is completed and confirmed in SIM, items have
their SOH decremented or incremented in SIM through an inventory adjustment and
a flat file is sent to RMS (schedule ID, store, item, quantity) to keep the systems in
sync.
For Unit and Amount counts, selecting the Update Auth Qty button always
automatically updates the Auth Qty field for both discrepant and non-discrepant
items, regardless of the Updating Stock On Hand system setting, since every item
must be counted for a Unit and Amount stock count.
External Code
Disposition
87
Stock In
Out to Available
10
88
Stock Out
Available to Out
24
77
Available to Out
25
79
Available to Out
26
78
Out to Available
27
76
Out to Available
31
75
Unavailable to Available
Third Party
Service
Receive
Item File extracted
from
Merchandising
System
RMS System
Receive
Stock Count ID to
include in Results
file
SIM System
5
Update
STAKE_HEAD
(RMS Cycle_Count = SIM Prod
Gr Sched ID)
STAKE_LOCATION
STAKE_PRODUCT
11
Import
RK_THIR_PARTY_IMPORT_TEMP
RK_THIRD_PARTY_IMPORT
RK_THIRD_PARTY_ITEM_GROUP
RK_THIRD_PARTY_NON_RANGE_IT
EMS
RK_THIRD_PARTY_STORE_STOCK
SIM User
7
Extract Item by
Location Batch
STKXPLD.PC
STAKE_SKU_LOC
Send
Results File to
STOCK_COUNT_UPLOAD_DIR
OR
Move to STOCK_COUNT_DIR
Perform
Stock Count
4
Update
RK_PRODUCT_GROUP
RK_PRODUCT_GROUP_MH
10
4
Create Product
Group
(Unit and Amount)
Update
STOCK_SKU_LOC
(update snapshot qty)
Contd
8
Communicate
Stock Count ID to
3rd Party Service
from
STOCK_COUNT
table
Third Party Unit and Amount Stock Count Data Flow with RMS (continued)
SIM User
12
12
12
Correct
Authorized
Quantity
Correct
Rejected Items
Approve
Stock Count
Manually
SIM System
N
12
Auto-Approve?
14
13
Approve
Stock Count
Systematically
RMS System
Contd
Create
Inventory
Adjustments
(for SIM only)
15
Import - Batch
Stock Count Results
Batch
STKUPLD
STAKE_SKU_LOC
17
Calculate Stock
Value Batch
STKVAR
STAKE_PROD_LOC
ITEM_LOC_SOH
RMS User
16
19
Post to Stock
Ledger Batch
STKDLY
Count Lag Days
18
Review Value
Variance Report
and Make
Adjustments
SIM Create Unit and Amount product group for the stock count:
Include all items in the count in the product group or they are not processed
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
RK_PRODUCT_GROUP
RK_PRODUCT_GROUP_SCHEDULE
RK_PRODUCT_GROUP_SCHED_STORE
STAKE_LOCATION
STAKE_PRODUCT
ExtractStockCount.sh or ExtractUnitAmountStockCount.sh
STOCK_COUNT
STOCK_COUNT_LOCATION
STOCK_COUNT_LINE_ITEM
STKSCHDXPLD.PC
STKXPLD.PC
STAKE_SKU_LOC
STKUPD.PC
10. Third party uploads the results file in Third Party file format:
11. SIM - Results file is imported into SIM using ThirdPartyStockCountFileParser batch:
RK_THIRD_PARTY_IMPORT_TEMP
RK_THIRD_PARTY_IMPORT
RK_THIRD_PARTY_ITEM_GROUP
RK_THIRD_PARTY_NON_RANGE_ITEMS
RK_THIRD_PARTY_STORE_STOCK
13. SIM completes inventory adjustments inside SIM for items in the Third Party stock
count.
14. SIM creates results flat file to be exported:
15. RMS Batch program: import SIM stock count results to RMS:
STKUPLD
STAKE_SKU_LOC
16. RMS Review Stock quantity and make no adjustments or this can be auto-processed.
17. RMS Batch program: calculate stock value:
STKVAR
STAKE_PROD_LOC
ITEM_LOC_SOH
STKDLY
Description
Fields/Rules
SIM
RK_STOCK_COUNT
ID
STORE_ID
PRODUCT_GROUP_SCHEDULE_ID
PRODUCT_GROUP_ID
TYPE
PHASE
METHOD
DESCRIPTION
GROUP_DESCRIPTION
STATUS
SCHEDULE_DATE
COUNTER
RECOUNTER
APPROVER
BEFORE_STORE_OPEN
ITEMS_TO_COUNT
VARIANCE_COUNT
VARIANCE_PERCENT
VARIANCE_VALUE
NO_LOCATION_ID
RECOUNT
PROCESS_TYPE
COUNT_START_TIME
LAST_UPDATED
RIB
rmssub_stakeschedules
Package to subscribe to
stock count schedule
message, parse the
details, and pass them
into a new stock
schedule package.
VALIDATE_VALUES
Cannot delete a cycle count if it has been
processed.
Cannot update a cycle count that has
started or has been set to be deleted.
Cannot process anything if stock count is
currently locked
VALIDATE_HIERARCHY
Unit and Amount stock counts at a
warehouse must be at the department level
only.
Validate department, class, and subclass.
Sys
Description
Fields/Rules
VALIDATE_LOCATION
Only stockholding (virtual) warehouses can
be on a stock count.
PROCESS_PROD
Validate and create a STAKE_PRODUCT
record. No validation is done if the record is
passed in for initial processing.
PROCESS_LOC
Validate and create a STAKE_LOCATION
record. No validation is done if the record is
passed in for initial processing.
PROCESS_DEL
CREATE_SH_REC
Create a record for STAKE_HEAD.
CREATE_SP_REC
Create a STAKE_PRODUCT record.
DELETE_RECS
Delete from STAKE_PRODUCT and
STAKE_LOCATION tables.
SIM
ExtractStockCount
Sys
Description
Fields/Rules
SIM
RK_PRODUCT_GROU
P
ID
RK_PRODUCT_GROU
P_MH
PRODUCT_GROUP_ID
RK_PRODUCT_GROU
P_ITEM
PRODUCT_GROUP_ID
RK_PRODUCT_GROU
P_SCHEDULE
ID
SIM
SIM
SIM
DESCRIPTION
DO_RECOUNT
STORE_ID
TYPE
UOM_TYPE
STATUS
EXPIRATION_DAYS
REQUEST_DELIVERY_DAYS
VARIANCE_COUNT
VARIANCE_PERCENT
VARIANCE_VALUE
HIERARCHY_ID
ITEM_ID
PRODUCT_GROUP_ID
DESCRIPTION
TYPE
STATUS
START_DATE
END_DATE
Sys
Description
Fields/Rules
SCHED_PARAM_1
SCHED_PARAM_2
SCHED_PARAM_3
SIM
ID
STOCK_COUNT_ID
STORE_ID
ITEM_ID
LOCATION_ID
PRIMARY_LOCATION
COUNTED_QUANTITY
RECOUNTED_QUANTITY
APPROVED_QUANTITY
DISCREPANT
MULTI_LOCATED
COUNT_SNAPSHOT
RECOUNT_SNAPSHOT
PHYS_COUNT_TIMESTAMP
AUTHORIZED_TIMESTAMP
SNAPSHOT_TIMESTAMP
COUNTED_TOTAL
RECOUNTED_TOTAL
SIM
ID
STOCK_COUNT_ID
LOCATION_ID
STORE_ID
COUNTER_ID
RECOUNTER_ID
APPROVER_ID
STATUS
SIM
RK_PRODUCT_GROU
P_SCHED_STORE
Sys
Description
Fields/Rules
SIM
RK_STORE_ITEM_SO
H
ID_ITM
ID_STR_RT
TOTAL_QUANTITY
RESERVED_QUANTITY
CUSTOMER_RESV_QUANTITY
IN_TRANSIT_QUANTITY
DAMAGED_QUANTITY
RTV_QUANTITY
TFR_EXPECTED_QUANTITY
ADJUST_UNAVAIL_QTY
LAST_RECIEVED_DAY
LAST_RECIEVED_QUANTITY
SHOP_FLOOR_QUANTITY
DELIVERY_BAY_QUANTITY
LAST_APPROVED_STK_CNT_DATE
LAST_STK_CNT_TYPE
OPEN_STOCK_COUNTS
LAST_STK_CNT_BEFORE_IND
SIM
Create List of
Items to Count
based on specific
criteria
Schedule a time to
perform the stock
count
Perform stock
count via HH or
PC
Re-count Items
with discrepancies
Review count
information and
authorizes count
quantities
Communicate
stock count results
to external system
and update SOH
Create
Product
Group
Schedule
Batch
Process
Generates
Stock Count
Snapshot
Taken
User
Authorizes
Count in SIM
User counts
items using
HH or PC
Inventory Adj
Created in
SIM
SIM identifies
discrepant
items
SIM sends
Inventory Adj
or flat file to
RMS
User recounts
discrepant
items, if
required
Inventory Adj
created in
SIM and sent
to RMS
Create
Product
Group
No
Create
Product
Group
Schedule
Batch
Process
Generates
Stock Count
User
Authorizes
Count in SIM
No
User counts
items using
third party
system
User imports
Third Party
flat file into
SIM
Auto
Authorize?
Unit and
Amount?
Yes
Yes
Inventory Adj
created in
SIM only
based on
variances
Flat File
exported to
RMS
Stock Count PC Flow (Unit, Problem Line, Unit and Amount, and Third Party)
Exit Child List
No
Child Stock Count
Yes
List
Generate
Now?
Select Future
Stock Count
Future Stock
Count List
Select Date or
Date Range
Future Stock
Counts button
Select Master
Stock Count
Rejected Items
Stock Re-Count
Detail
(not for third party)
No
No
Counted?
Re-count
counted?
Yes
Yes
Stock Count
Authorization
Yes
Re-count
exists?
No
Select Master
Stock Count
No
Counted?
Yes
Stock Count
Authorization
Glossary
ad hoc stock count
Verifying and correcting stock on hand quantities when something seems wrong. Counts are
initiated from a handheld device where the product is located. They are not scheduled.
AGSN
Unique numbers generated by SIM to identify each instance of the item. Item labels with this
number can be printed in order to place the number on the item. This may be used in
addition to, or in place of, a manufacturer serial number on a product when it is difficult to
get access for scanning or viewing.
authorization
Process in which a user can approve the quantities counted in a stock count. This allows the
system to update the available stock quantities and generate necessary transactions to
account for any differences.
authorize completed
Stock count records type is set to Authorize and status is set to Completed when an outside
(external) stock count results file is imported and the stock count is configured to auto
authorized. No further changes can be made to the stock count.
authorize processing
Successfully authorized stock counts move to the Authorized Completed state.
authorize processing state
Stock count is put into this unique state when an error occurs during the final processing of a
stock count. The StockCountAuthorizeRecovery batch process looks for stock counts stuck in
an Authorize Processing state. The batch attempts to fully authorize the stock count. Errors
that occur during the batch process are logged to the server error logs and indicate the
reason for any further processing failures.
authorize stage
Phase in which quantities are approved for the stock count. This is the last stage of the
process and results in updated inventory positions.
authorized quantity
Quantity approved for each item in the stock count. If this field is left blank for any items, a
message appears stating that all items with blank authorized quantities are filled in with the
last counted quantity.
auto authorize
Process in which a user does not need to manually approve a stock count. This is a setting
configured when a third-party service is used to perform the Unit and Amount stock count
and no further verification is needed. When turned on, once the Third Party results file is
imported, the stock count is automatically authorized without further intervention.
See also import file; third-party service; unit and amount stock count.
Auto-Generated Serial Numbers (AGSN)
See AGSN.
batch
Service used for bulk integrations which process large amounts of data and in which near
real-time processing is not required. This is typically scheduled to run at a set time or kicked
off by an administrator on an ad hoc basis. Batch processes are used for extracting stock
counts, processing POS data, and importing the Third Party stock count results file.
child count
Stock count size limits automatically break down very large stock counts into multiple
smaller stock counts. This breaks down the stock count first by department, then by class,
and subclass.
See also master stock count; product group.
child level
Lowest record that holds the quantity of the item being counted.
child record
See child level.
count stage
Phase of a stock count. A stock count goes through the following stages: future stock count,
stock count, recount, and authorize. The recount stage is optional. Each stock count stage,
displayed as Type, for the master stock count has statuses and rules.
See master stock count.
count type
See count stage.
counting method
Process used for performing the stock count. There are three types: Guided, Unguided, and
Third Party.
See guided stock count; unguided stock count; third party stock count.
discrepant
Item defined as falling outside of an acceptable range of tolerance. The system utilizes
discrepancy thresholds (established in administration, set up by the retailer) based on a
percentage or standard unit of measure by the item's class in the merchandise hierarchy.
Discrepant items are outside the tolerance and, therefore, are included in the recount phase
of a stock count.
See non-discrepant.
export process
Process of extracting data from a system for use in another system. For stock counts, an item
file is exported from the merchandising system to provide to a third-party service. SIM also
exports the stock on hand positions and sends them to system merchandising to reflect the
data held in SIM and makes the applicable financial adjustments relevant to the Unit and
Amount stock count.
non-inventory item
Item has no inventory but can be sold in the store, such as, warranty plans or gift cards. SIM
flags these items as non-inventory and the stock on hand does not change when these items
are sold. These items never show in a stock count.
non-ranged item
Item not assigned to a store location, but exists as a valid item in the system. Various
system/store configurations are based on whether to allow or disallow non-ranged items
from certain transactions. The process of ranging an item is owned by the merchandising
system.
See non-ranged item.
non-sellable item
Item in which inventory is tracked at the component level. The pack number does not track
inventory and, therefore, the user is not allowed to scan the pack during a stock count.
For more information on this type of item, see the Oracle Retail Store Inventory Management
Item Configuration White Paper.
not on count item
Item counted in a Third Party stock count not included in the stock count product group.
These items are flagged as rejected not on count items and cannot be assigned SIM item IDs.
No action can be taken with these items.
not on file item
Item scanned, but not in SIM. Some items counted in a Third Party stock count might not
currently exist in SIM. These items can be assigned item IDs from the Rejected Items dialog
box after the stock count results file has been imported.
open stock count item
Item in which a stock count is currently in progress while the ResaFileParser is running. The
batch refreshes the item inventory buckets as well as the snapshot.
Oracle Retail Integration Bus
Integration service used between systems where near real-time integration is needed to
ensure timely execution of transactions. This method is used for the majority of integration
with SIM.
See also RIB messaging.
Oracle Retail Merchandising System
Application that provides the foundation data, supplier, and location updates to SIM.
Oracle Retail Sales Audit
Application that provides inventory sales updates to SIM, to assure accurate and timely
inventory positions.
perpetual inventory
System which automatically updates stock inventory from various system transactions such
as receiving items, transferring items, and selling items.
RIB messaging
Messaging service used for the RIB integration in which other applications subscribe to the
messaging and publish messages for other applications to consume. This provides a method
for which multiple applications can subscribe to the same message published from an
application. When a message fails incoming or outgoing, it is sent to the RIB Hospital for
resolution after a set number of retries.
See Oracle Retail Integration Bus.
sellable only item
Item that does not hold any inventory in the system. Sellable only items are not linked to any
supplier and therefore no cost information is associated with this item type.
serial number
Unique identifier for individual instances of an item. This is typically attached to items by
the manufacturer. This is one of two types of UIN attributes.
See UIN.
SIM item ID
System-created unique number assigned to an item in the item master application, often the
merchandising system. This number can be assigned to items in the Rejected Items dialog
box after a Third Party stock count results file has been processed.
snapshot
Function that captures the current stock on hand quantity for all items in a stock count at a
given point in time. A date timestamp is associated with the snapshot that is used to
determine if other transactions performed should increase or decrease the stock on hand
quantity after the stock count has been authorized.
See late sales processing.
SOH
Total number of units on hand at a location, including inventory in RTV, unavailable
inventory, stock in transit inventory, and reserved inventory.
Standard Unit of Measure (SUOM)
See SUOM.
stock count ID
System-created number assigned to a stock count. It must be included when a Third Party
stock count results file is imported into SIM.
stock count lockout days
Lead time required by the retailer to plan a Unit and Amount stock count schedule. If RMS is
not integrated, the value 1 is used. If RMS is integrated, this value must agree with the RMS
option.
stock on hand (SOH)
See SOH.
UPC type 2
Type of UPC in which the barcode contains a prefix, UPC, price, and check digit. This is
typically used for items sold by the pound and where the weight can vary. These items are
set up in RMS as catchweight items. The system calculates the quantity by dividing the total
retail price by the current per pound retail price in the system.
variance calculation
See variance percent; variance units; variance value.
variance percent
Maximum allowed percentage of units counted. The count can vary from the system stock on
hand level before it is considered a discrepancy. If the variance percent is equal to or greater
than the variance percent set, the item counted is discrepant.
variance units
Maximum allowed number of units, expressed in the standard unit of measure (SUOM). The
count can vary from the system stock-on-hand level before it is considered a discrepancy. If
the variance unit is equal to or greater than the variance SUOM set, the item counted is
discrepant.
variance value
Monetary amount compared to the number of discrepant units multiplied by the current unit
retail of the goods. SIM uses the current retail from item lookup, not an extracted promotion
or clearance price. If the variance monetary amount is equal to or greater than the variance
value set, the item is discrepant.
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