This article provides you with step-by-step instructions on how to perform inventory using the Mobile Inventory App.
Important
Before actually performing the inventory, you should do some preparatory work. Most importantly, all operations in Xentral should be stopped before the inventory starts, the global process starters disabled, and all remaining sales orders in the dispatch center and logistics processes must be processed.
Check out the Mobile Inventory App: Process recommendations and inventory preparation article and follow the instructions carefully before starting inventory to avoid complications during and after the inventory process.
First, log into the Mobile Inventory App on your MDE device.
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Use your device to scan the QR code under Settings > General settings > User management > Manage users > Open users > Tab: Mobile Apps.
Tip
Print the QR code and carry it with you on your employee card, for example, so that you don't have to scan it tediously in Xentral every time, but always have it with you.
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Enter the four-digit PIN for the app login.
Tip
If you don’t have access to the app yet or you don’t see the QR code in Xentral, refer to chapter Enabling app login and creating a PIN for more information.
You are now logged into the app. The app will proceed with downloading all product master data, storage locations, best-before dates and batches that are stored in Xentral to your device so that the app can be used offline. This process can take a few minutes, depending on the amount of data.
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In the app, you now see the following view:
In the second step, you create a so-called inventory run, which allows you to determine exactly which storage locations in which warehouse should be counted by which employees.
Note
Depending on whether you act as an inventory manager or are a warehouse employee, the process differs:
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As an inventory manager: In the Start new run tab, you can create as many inventory runs as you like, and the warehouse staff who perform the inventory runs will see the prepared inventory runs later in the My runs tab as soon as they log in with their devices.
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As a warehouse employee: In the My runs tab, you can see the inventory runs that the inventory manager has created and assigned to you in advance. You can start the runs directly from here.
Follow these steps to create a new inventory run:
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Make sure you are in the New run tab of the app.
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Tap on the warehouse in which you want to take inventory.
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First, enter the names of the counter and controller by manually entering their names in the appropriate field or by tapping on the action menu on the right to display a list of all users available in your Xentral instance and select the entry you want.
Note
The run name is automatically generated after the employee selection and consists of the name of the selected warehouse and the initials of the selected employees. If you wish, you can assign a custom run name by tapping on the run name field and entering the desired name.
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Now, select the storage locations whose stocks are to be counted by tapping on the action menu on the right.
Tip
If necessary, tap on Select all to select all storage locations in the warehouse for the inventory run. You can exclude individual storage locations from the inventory run by tapping on them and thus removing them from the selection.
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Tap on Ok after selecting all the desired storage locations.
After you have created an inventory run as described above, you and your warehouse staff can start the inventory.
Now, you start inventory by opening the inventory run in the app.
Note
From now on, the app can also be used offline. As soon as an internet connection is reestablished, the counting results are automatically transmitted to the server and backed up. There are no adjustments to the stock levels yet. Therefore, please make sure to visit an area in the warehouse at regular intervals where there is good network coverage. In case of defective MDE devices during the counting process, interim results are then stored in Xentral.
In the list of storage locations, you can see at the top which storage location you count first.
Go to this storage location and scan the barcode of the storage location. After this step, you can begin counting the products. To do this, scan one piece at a time, with the controller standing next to you and making sure that all existing products are fully recorded.
Note
Do you want to process products with serial numbers? The serial numbers option in the app settings is enabled by default. Before scanning a product with serial numbers for inventory, additionally enable serial capture using the button that appears to the right of the product in the counting view.
Warning: If you do not activate this setting and still scan products with serial numbers in the app, the serial number information present in the system will be irrevocably deleted!
Once all products have been collected, scan the storage location barcode again to complete the count for that storage space. The app will now update the list of storage locations and you can proceed to the next storage location in the list in the same way.
Important
With the final scan of the storage location, you confirm this storage space as finished, which means that you can no longer correct or adjust the counted stocks from this point on!
Important
To complete the inventory run, you must have a working internet connection!
As soon as counting of all storage locations is complete, the app will automatically show you a completion screen, or you can tap on the three dots in the list of storage locations at the top right, then tap Finish & sign.
Note
You can also complete the run if not all storage locations have been fully counted, but note that this step is not reversible. You cannot reopen a completed run later to resume counting, but must start a new inventory run.
If you want to complete a run despite an incomplete count, the app will show you the following warning, which you must confirm with Finish:
Now the app asks the counter and controller to confirm the completion of the count by signature.
Warning
As soon as the signatures are made in the app, the counted stocks are finally set in Xentral and the counted stocks are thus adopted for the counted storage locations. This step is no lot reversible! For example, if fewer or more products were counted during the inventory than were previously in stock, you will therefore also see different stocks in Xentral. An overview of the stock deviations resulting from the inventory can be found in the so-called delta report. For more information about this report, see article Mobile Inventory App: Mobile Inventory Report and Delta Report.
If storage locations are shown as not completed when the inventory is completed in the app because no or no full count has been performed, their stocks are not adjusted in Xentral, but remain unchanged.
Once the inventory run is complete, you can resume your daily work in Xentral by first re-activating all process starters to restart any operations automated by the system. You can then return to processing sales orders as before, using the dispatch center and resuming your usual logistics and dispatch processes.
Important
An inventory run is not complete until all storage locations to be counted during the run have been marked as completed. This can be seen in the app by the green icon to the left of the storage location in the storage location overview of the run. You can also track the status of the count in the Stock > Mobile Inventory Reports menu in Xentral. For more information about the inventory report, see the Mobile Inventory App: Mobile Inventory Report and Delta Report article.
Follow these steps to activate the process starters in Xentral.