Count Sheets and Count Cards Overview

After generating count control files, print the selected products to count on either count sheets or count cards by using the Print Count Sheet program.

The Print Count Sheet program allows you to select which products in a count control file to include on a count sheet or card, as well as define whether to include space in which to record unexpected inventory. You can also use the program to generate a report listing where your inventory is located as recorded in the system.

Before using the Print Count Sheet program, review the following information:

When to use count sheets versus count cards.
How to include space on sheets or cards for recording unexpected inventory.
Tips for printing sheets and cards.

Count Sheets and Count Cards

Count sheets and count cards have different uses. Review the below comparison to determine which is best for your company's counting needs.

	Count Sheets	Count Cards
Best Usage Scenario	Full physical inventory counts. Regular cycle counts. Warehouses organized by price line.	Annual physical inventory counts. Large cycle counts.
How To Use	If your warehouse is organized by price line, divide the count sheets by price lines, making inventory counting easy for persons familiar with the products in that area. Distribute count sheets to inventory teams before counting the inventory. When counting a location, each counter should note the quantity at the location on the sheet. When completed, each counter should return the sheets to a central location so you can enter the counts into the system.	Pre-place count cards at product locations so individuals unfamiliar with the products can still count the inventory. When counting the location, each counter should note the quantity at the location on the card and collect the card. When completed, each counter should return the cards to a central location so you can enter the counts into the system.
Information Included on Document	Count control file ID, title, and branch. Selected product sorting option. Space for signature and count date. Product description. Stocking location. Price line to which the item is assigned. Units of measure used for stocking the product at the location. Assigned count control number. Note: Count sheets might include other information you requested when printing count sheets.	Space for initials and count date. Product description. Stocking location. Assigned count control number. Note: Count cards might include other information you requested when printing count cards. If you need to customize your count cards to include additional information, contact Eclipse Support.
Advantages	Easy to handle. Able to separate sheets by price line. Print faster than count cards. Do not require any complicated distribution prior to the count. Standard form does not require prior set up from Eclipse Support personnel.	Count teams do not need to be familiar with the inventory they are counting. Since you place cards at each stock location before the inventory count, locations without cards immediate product location maintenance. Pre-made cards are included in the base system. Customized count cards are available to meet the physical counting needs of a company.
Disadvantages	Count teams might need to be familiar with the inventory they are counting to ensure the correct items are being counted. Possible confusion over items stocked in multiple locations	Cannot separate by price line. Takes longer to print than count sheets, especially when printing for full physical inventories. Requires extra time to dispense within warehouse.

Blank Control Numbers

Blank count control numbers enable you to account for inventory found in unexpected locations by providing space on count sheets or blank count cards on which to record the unexpected inventory.

When printing the count control file multiple times, you can instruct the system to add blank count control numbers.

On the Print Count Sheets screen manually increment the value of the End Control #. On subsequent count control generations, the starting control number equals the previous ending control number plus one, plus any added blank count control numbers. See the examples below.

Example 1: Printing Without Blank Control Numbers

In this example, you generate the count control file once for stock items, again for nonstock items, and finally for all other product location quantity types. After each generation, you print the count sheets without blank count control numbers:

The first generation adds 10,000 items to the count control file. The Print Count Sheets screen indicates that the Last Control # is 10,000.

Print count sheets for these stock items by setting the Start Control # to 1 and the End Control # to 10,000.

The second generation adds 500 items to the count control file. The Print Count Sheets screen indicates that the Last Control # is 10,500.

Print count sheets for these nonstock items by setting the Start Control # to 10,001 and the End Control # to 10,500.

The third generation adds 500 items to the count control file. The Print Count Sheets screen indicates that the Last Control # is 11,000.

Print count sheets for these remaining items by setting the Start Control # to 10,501 and the End Control # to 11,000.

Example 2: Printing With Blank Control Numbers

The first generation adds 10,000 items to the count control file. The Print Count Sheets screen indicates that the Last Control # is 10,000.

Print count sheets for these stock items and include 100 blank count control numbers by setting the Start Control # to 1 and the End Control # to 10,100.

The second generation adds 500 items to the count control file. The Print Count Sheets screen indicates that the Last Control # is 10,600.

Print count sheets for these nonstock items and include 20 blank count control numbers by setting the Start Control # to 10,101 and the End Control # to 10,620.

The third generation adds 500 items to the count control file. The Print Count Sheets screen indicates that the Last Control # is 11,120.

Print count sheets for the remaining items and include 20 blank count control numbers by setting the Start Control # to 10,621 and the End Control # to 11,140.

Count Sheet and Count Card Printing Tips

Before printing count cards and sheets, review the following printing tips:

Print count sheets and count cards as close to the count date as possible. You might have a situation where you must print a week or more in advance of the count date; for example, one branch in your organization is responsible for printing all count cards and shipping them to branches.
Use control numbers to break a large print job into several smaller print jobs and distribute them over several printers.
Lock the count date prior to printing your count sheets. Locking the count date is useful for large cycle counts or full physical inventory counts, as it saves you from having to enter the count date manually as you enter the counts.
When working with multiple generations of the count control file, print count sheets or count cards after you complete each generation.
If you misplace count sheets during an inventory count, re-print the missing sheets by entering the starting and ending control numbers of the missing sheets.

In addition, ensure that print phantoms and overnight updates do not conflict with the date of the inventory count. You do not want to be picking and shipping inventory during the physical count. Do any of the following to ensure that this conflict does not occur:

Print picking and shipping tickets before the count, and pick products before the count. Do not receive inventory on the count date.
If you lock the count date, set shipping, transfer, and receive dates on transactions to a date other than the count date.
Have customers pick up will-call items before the count, or hold will-call items until after the count.
Suspend phantom jobs during the count.