Inventory count sheet: paste your items, print it, count.
Paste a list of items and get a sheet to print, grouped by location, with columns for the count, a recount and initials. Turn on blind count to hide the books quantity, or download the same sheet as a CSV. It runs in your browser: nothing is uploaded.
Nothing is uploaded. The sheet and the file are made in this browser tab, and it keeps nothing when you close it.
Variance = counted - books. Variance % = variance / books x 100. With 0 in the books, any count other than 0 is flagged for a recount, because there is nothing to take a percentage of.
| # | Item | SKU | Unit | On hand (books) | Count | Recount | Initials |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bin 12 | |||||||
| Finishing room | |||||||
| Hardware cage | |||||||
| Rack A | |||||||
| Rack B | |||||||
| Tool crib | |||||||
| Not on the list - write in anything else you find | |||||||
How to run the count
- One area per counter. Print a sheet for each person and give each their own rack, shelf run or room, so two people are not counting the same shelf.
- Count blind if you can. A counter who can see the books number tends to confirm it. Tick Blind count and the printed sheet leaves it out.
- Count everything in the area, including open boxes and what is sitting on the floor or on a work table. Write 0 when there is none. A blank means not counted.
- Write in what is not on the list in the blank rows at the end, with where you found it.
- Compare, then recount the outliers. Work out each variance, and have a second person recount any line past your tolerance without looking at the first number.
- Change the books last. Only after the recount, and with a note of why.
The numbers on the sheet
- variance = counted - books
- variance % = variance / books x 100
- recount when |variance %| is greater than the tolerance
- books = 0: recount when counted is anything other than 0
Worked example. The books say 42 sheets of birch plywood and the counter writes 40. Variance = 40 - 42 = -2. Variance % = -2 / 42 x 100 = -4.8%. With a tolerance of 2%, that is past the limit, so it is recounted. Had the counter written 42, the variance is 0 and the line is done.
The variance box above the preview works one line at a time with the same formulas. Variance percent is shown to one decimal place; the recount test uses the exact figure, and a line exactly on the tolerance is not flagged.
Which items, and how often
You do not have to count everything at once. A full count counts every item on one day, usually with the shop closed. A cycle count counts a part of the stock on a schedule, so each sheet is short and the work spreads out. Paste only the items for the area you are counting this week.
To choose which items to count more often, split the list by value with the ABC analysis calculator. More on both methods: cycle counting vs physical inventory, how to do a physical inventory count, and the physical count sheet template.
If you would rather not count on paper
- Get the list in: import it from a spreadsheet with the CSV import on the web. CSV import is on every plan.
- Labels and scanning: print barcode labels for many items at once and scan an item with the iPhone or Android app to open it. Scanning is on every plan.
- Count mode: reports what was found and what was not. It is in version 1.4.25 and later of the iPhone and Android apps.
Flat monthly plans from $19/mo, with no per-user fees. Every plan starts with a 7-day free trial, and you won't be charged for 7 days. On the web you pick a plan and enter a card.
Frequently asked questions
Is the count sheet generator free?
Yes. There is no sign-up and no email is asked for. The sheet and the CSV are made in your browser, and the list you paste is not sent to InventoryQuick or stored.
What goes on a physical inventory count sheet?
A line for each item with its name, SKU and location, and the unit it is counted in. Then blank cells to write the count and, if needed, a recount, plus initials for whoever counted. A header with the date, the area and the counter, and blank rows at the end for items that are not on the list, finish it.
What is a blind count?
A count where the sheet does not show the quantity in your books, so the counter writes what they see instead of confirming what they expect. Tick Blind count and the printed sheet leaves that column out. The CSV keeps it, as your own supervisor copy.
How do I work out the variance?
Variance is the count minus the quantity in your books. A negative number means there is less on the shelf than the books say. Variance percent is the variance divided by the books quantity, times 100. If the books say 42 and you count 40, the variance is -2, which is -4.8 percent.
When should I recount?
When the variance percent is further from zero than the tolerance you set, or when you counted something other than 0 where the books say 0, because there is nothing to take a percentage of. A line exactly on the tolerance is not flagged. There is no single right tolerance: use a tighter one for dear or hard-to-replace items and a looser one for cheap bulk items.
Can I use this for a cycle count?
Yes. Paste only the items for the area or the class you are counting this week. A cycle count counts part of the stock on a schedule instead of everything on one day, so each sheet is short.
Can I count with my phone instead of paper?
Yes. In InventoryQuick you can scan items with the iPhone or Android app during a count, and scanning is on every plan. Count mode, which reports what was found and what was not, is in version 1.4.25 and later of the iPhone and Android apps.
More free tools: reorder point calculator, tool inventory template.