You are here:
Learn about Cycle Counts in Point of Sale
Understand the distinctions among each Cycle Count type to best suit your retail environment.
Point of Sale's Cycle Count feature empowers retailers to perform thorough product item counts within their stores, to manage the accuracy of their inventory. This functionality seamlessly integrates the recently counted inventory with the current quantity on hand (QTYOH).
Counts made during the inventory check can automatically update the available inventory. For instance, consider a scenario where the QTYOH was 10, the available quantity was 8, and the latest count was 7. In this case, both the QTYOH and Available buckets are adjusted to 7.
Prerequisites
- Modern POS App Build: 6.3.4 or later
- Supported POS Device
- Offline Support: no
Product Identifier Requirements
When performing cycle counts, it's important to understand how products are identified during manual search and barcode scanning:
- Manual Search: When you use manual search to add products to a cycle count batch, the system uses the product's GTIN (Global Trade Item Number) as the identifier sent to the backend. Products without a populated GTIN field cannot be added via manual search and will display a "Product not found" error.
- Barcode Scanning: Barcode scanning is unaffected by GTIN requirements. When you scan a product barcode, the scanned code string is sent directly to the backend, regardless of what identifier is encoded on the physical label.
If your product catalog does not natively include GTIN values, you can use field mapping to populate the GTIN field with an alternative identifier (such as productId or SKU). For more information on configuring field mappings, see Map Data Feed Fields.
Types of Cycle Counts
Cycle counts in Point of Sale CMS are categorized into manual, partial, and full types, each suited for different retail needs.
Manual Cycle Count
Manual cycle count involves counting items either by selecting them in the CMS or scanning them at the store level. There's no limit to the number of items that can be added, and items from all departments or product classes can be selected.
Partial Cycle Count
Partial cycle count is a method where only a portion or subset of the total inventory is counted, rather than counting the entire inventory all at once. Instead of waiting for an annual or semiannual full count, a partial cycle count can be implemented on a more frequent basis. For instance, a specific clothing section can be counted every week, which can help provide consistent and accurate checks.
Partial cycle counts group items based on specific attributes of the product file. The selection criteria for partial cycle counts can be set using the Partial Cycle Count Product Attribute configuration flag. This flag is where a product attribute like brand or product class is entered.
- In CMS, go to .
- Go to and enter a product attribute or product class. Only one value can be configured in this field.
- Go back to CMS and go to .
- Edit an existing configuration. If one hasn't been created, refer to Product Search Configuration in Point of Sale to create one.
- Under , enter the same attribute or product class that you previously configured in step #2. The Search Config needs to have the same filter field matching the in order for a list of attributes to be displayed.
Full Cycle Count
Full cycle counts include all items in the product table that have an inventory record. Depending on your Product Catalog, larger counts take time to load the full amount.
Understand Cycle Count Phases
Interact with several distinct phases of the cycle count process in Point of Sale CMS, each falling under either the manager or sales associate's experience.
Managing Cycle Count (manager experience)
Managers are expected to oversee associate counts and batches. They will have a view into completed batches and ongoing counts. The manager will be able to flag items for recounts and also complete the cycle count. Learn More
Performing Cycle Count (sales associate experience)
Sales associates who are performing counts on the floor are expected to be given store location assignments if they do their counts. To maintain the integrity of the count, Retail Cloud doesn't show expected counts or product information to the associate's experience. Learn More
Frequently Asked Cycle Count Questions
Find answers to common questions about cycle counts.
Blind Counts—Can counts be set to be blind?
Yes, the expected quantity is only visible to managers in the Product View. Counters don't see the expected quantity—they just scan the items.
Why do products with a quantity of 0 appear in the list?
If the inventory count for an item is incorrect and shows as 0 or negative, the item needs to be included in the cycle count if it's physically present in the store and needs to be scanned. If these items aren't in the cycle count batch, they appear as Product not found when scanned.
What drives the categories under the 'partial count' list? Do L2 > L3 categories appear?
Yes, you can select subcategories. The main category is listed with an arrow next to it. By selecting the arrow, you can then select the subcategories.
Is it possible to turn on a 'search feature' under the manual count option so that a user can create a list without needing to scan each item?
A: Yes, store associates can type, for example, in the search bar, and all skirts are displayed. They can then select the ones they want to include.
Why does manual search return "Product not found" for valid products?
If manual search returns a "Product not found" error for products that exist in your catalog, check that the product record has a GTIN (Global Trade Item Number) field populated. Manual search uses the GTIN as the product identifier sent to the backend. Products without a GTIN value cannot be added to cycle count batches via manual search.
If your source catalog does not natively include GTIN values, you can configure a field mapping that populates the GTIN field with an alternative identifier (such as productId or SKU). To set up field mappings, see Map Data Feed Fields.
Note that barcode scanning is not affected by this requirement. Scanned barcodes are sent directly to the backend as-is, regardless of the GTIN field value.
