Maintain accurate stock records through disciplined goods receipt, put-away and issue procedures.
Warehousing & Procurement
Inventory Control Fundamentals for Storekeepers and Stock Controllers
Builds the stock accuracy disciplines storekeepers and stock controllers need: goods receipt checks, ABC cycle counting, discrepancy investigation and reorder point calculation.
🗓️Duration5 training days
📚Content4 modules · 8 sessions
🎓On completionAccredited attendance certificate
About the programme
Course Overview
Stock records lose their value the moment they stop matching what is physically on the shelf, and in most warehouses that gap opens quietly: a unit-of-measure mismatch at goods receipt, a put-away shortcut that breaks stock rotation, a cycle count skipped because the shift was busy. This course gives storekeepers and stock controllers the disciplines that keep records trustworthy: correct receipt and put-away checks, ABC-based cycle count scheduling, root-cause investigation of discrepancies rather than automatic adjustment, and reorder point and safety stock calculations grounded in actual usage and lead time. Delegates also work through slow-moving and obsolete stock decisions, barcode and RF scanning discipline, and the manual fallback needed when systems go down. Practical exercises use sample stock records, cycle count sheets and discrepancy logs so delegates practise the exact judgement calls they face on shift, not abstract theory. The course closes on reporting: turning accuracy, count completion and adjustment data into an update that procurement and operations can act on. Delegates leave able to run a cycle count programme, defend a stock adjustment at audit and explain a persistent accuracy problem in terms the wider business will listen to.
Expected Learning Outcomes
Design and run a cycle count schedule based on ABC classification of inventory value and movement.
Investigate stock discrepancies to their root cause and process compliant stock adjustments.
Calculate reorder points and safety stock levels from demand and lead-time data.
Identify and act on slow-moving, obsolete and excess stock before it ties up space and capital.
Operate barcode and RF scanning systems correctly and apply manual fallbacks when needed.
Report inventory KPIs and stocktake results in a form procurement and operations teams can act on.
Who Should Attend
Storekeepers and warehouse operatives responsible for receiving, storing and issuing stock.
Stock controllers who maintain inventory records and investigate discrepancies.
Inventory clerks who support cycle counts, stocktakes and stock adjustments.
Warehouse administrators who process goods receipts and maintain item master data.
Newly appointed stock controllers moving from a general warehouse operative role.
Small business owners who manage their own stockroom without a dedicated inventory system.
Course Modules
Select any module to see its sessions and points.
01Core Principles of Accurate Stock Records
2 sessions · 8 points
Session 1Stock Identification, Units of Measure and Bin Locations
- Assign a unique stock-keeping unit code and unit of measure to each item so receipts, issues and counts always refer to the same thing.
- Design a bin location structure that lets a picker find an item without checking the system for every transaction.
- Distinguish a primary picking location from a bulk reserve location, and set the trigger for replenishing one from the other.
- Correct a unit-of-measure mismatch between the purchase order, the goods receipt and the stock record before it causes a phantom shortage.
Session 2Goods Receipt, Put-Away and First Issue Checks
- Check a delivery against the purchase order and packing list for quantity, condition and item code before booking it into stock.
- Apply a FIFO or FEFO put-away rule so older stock or shorter shelf-life stock is issued before newer arrivals.
- Quarantine damaged, mismatched or undocumented deliveries instead of receipting them into available stock.
- Record a goods receipt promptly enough that the stock system reflects what is physically on the shelf within the same shift.
02Cycle Counting and Stock Accuracy
2 sessions · 8 points
Session 1ABC Classification and Cycle Count Scheduling
- Classify stock items into A, B and C categories by value and movement to decide how often each is counted.
- Build a rolling cycle count schedule that counts high-value A items far more often than low-value C items.
- Count a location blind, without viewing the system quantity first, to avoid confirmation bias in the result.
- Reconcile a cycle count variance against recent transactions before adjusting the stock record.
Session 2Investigating and Preventing Discrepancies
- Trace a stock discrepancy back through recent receipts, issues, transfers and returns to find its likely cause.
- Separate discrepancies caused by data entry errors from those caused by mis-picks, damage or shrinkage.
- Raise a stock adjustment with the evidence and authorisation the finance team needs to accept it.
- Identify recurring discrepancy patterns at specific locations that point to a process fault rather than a one-off error.
03Replenishment, Safety Stock and Slow-Moving Inventory
2 sessions · 8 points
Session 1Reorder Points, Min-Max Levels and Safety Stock
- Calculate a reorder point from average daily usage and supplier lead time so replenishment triggers before stock runs out.
- Set a safety stock level that reflects demand variability and lead time uncertainty rather than a round-number guess.
- Adjust min-max levels for an item whose demand has genuinely changed instead of leaving outdated parameters in the system.
- Flag an item approaching stockout so a purchase requisition can be raised before the shortage affects operations.
Session 2Managing Slow-Moving, Obsolete and Excess Stock
- Identify slow-moving and non-moving stock using last-issue-date and turnover reports rather than memory or habit.
- Investigate whether obsolete stock can be returned to the supplier, reworked, transferred or sold before writing it off.
- Prepare the documentation a write-off of obsolete stock needs for approval and for the stock and financial records.
- Recommend a reduction in order quantity or reorder frequency for an item that is consistently over-stocked.
04Technology, Reporting and Working with Operations
2 sessions · 8 points
Session 1Barcode Scanning, RF Devices and System Discipline
- Use a barcode or RF scanner correctly at receipt, put-away, picking and dispatch so every movement updates stock in real time.
- Diagnose why a scanned transaction has failed to update stock, checking for an unlinked barcode, a closed location or a system timeout.
- Follow a manual fallback procedure that keeps paper and system records reconcilable when scanning equipment is unavailable.
- Keep item master data such as barcodes, weights and dimensions current so scanning and slotting decisions stay reliable.
Session 2Inventory KPIs and Working with Wider Teams
- Report stock accuracy, count completion and adjustment volumes to a supervisor using the organisation's standard inventory KPIs.
- Explain a persistent stock accuracy problem to procurement so reorder decisions are not based on unreliable figures.
- Support an annual or period-end stocktake by preparing locations, freezing transactions and reconciling counts to the ledger.
- Feed inventory accuracy and availability data into conversations with production or sales teams who depend on stock being where the system says it is.
What the participant receives
4 course modules
A structured syllabus
8 training sessions
across 5 days
32 detailed points
Applied, detailed content
Accredited attendance certificate
On completing the programme
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