To do a stock count in Linnworks, open Stock Count in Linnworks Mobile, scan each SKU, barcode or binrack, enter what you find, then press Submit all count. Nothing changes until you submit, and without WMS the count is only accurate if no picking or order processing happens while you count.
That second sentence is the part that catches people out. Linnworks gives you a straightforward counting screen, but without its warehouse management features it doesn't lock stock while you count. If an order is picked from the shelf you've just counted, your figure is out of date before you submit it. This guide walks through the count itself, then the habits that keep the numbers still.
One note before we start: Linnworks' help articles on Stock Count were last updated in May 2020. The steps below follow those articles, so check the screen and button names against the app on your own device.
How do I do a stock count in Linnworks?
Linnworks' article on Stock Count without WMS sets out the steps in Linnworks Mobile.
1. Open Stock Count
You'll see two tabs. Count lists every item that matches your current search or scan. Counted lists the items you've counted in this session; Linnworks describes it as a localised audit trail, a memory of what you've done so far.
2. Find the item
Scan a SKU, a barcode or another product identifier. You can also enter a binrack name to bring up every SKU assigned to that binrack, which is handy if you count shelf by shelf.
3. Enter the quantity
Once the item is found, you have three ways to record it, described in Linnworks' article on quantity entry, scanning and counting:
- Type it on the numpad.
- Tally it: swipe left once from the numpad for a tally screen, useful when stock is in boxes.
- Scan it: swipe left twice to reach the scanning screen, then scan each unit to add it up.
The item then moves to the Counted tab.
4. Submit all count
When you've finished, press Submit all count. Only then does Linnworks adjust the stock levels and add the audit to the Stock Count ledger. Until that moment, your counts are held on the device.
Why the count needs stock to stay still
Linnworks' help is frank about this. A cyclic count, where you count a little at a time without stopping the business, only works well if stock can be locked against being moved or reserved while you count. That lock is a WMS feature. Without WMS, the system doesn't lock anything, so avoiding conflicts is your job.
In a small warehouse, Linnworks suggests that means making sure no picking or order processing happens anywhere in the warehouse while the count is running. In practice:
- Agree a time to count, and tell everyone who picks or processes orders.
- Pause picking and processing for the duration, or at least for the items you're counting.
- We'd also hold off booking in supplier deliveries for those items, because booking in turns stock that's due into stock on the shelf, which moves the number just as a pick does. Our guide to Linnworks purchase orders explains how due stock becomes available.
- Submit the count before you restart.
It's not glamorous, and Linnworks' own article jokes that the alternative to WMS is coordinating with shouting and bits of paper. But a count that nobody disturbs is a count you can trust.
One binrack per item without WMS
Without WMS, an item can only have one binrack, with the exception of batched items. You also can't change an item's binrack during a count. If you've been meaning to tidy up where things live, do it before or after the count, not halfway through.
This is also where location matters. Linnworks keeps stock levels per location, and Stock Count works with the location selected on the device, which is why the wrong location is the first thing to check when a count looks off (more on that below). If you run more than one location, our explainer on stock levels by location sets out how the figures fit together.
Two settings worth knowing about
Submit Count Immediately
By default, counts stay on the device until you press Submit all count. Linnworks points out the benefit: you can review the count and recount any item with a large discrepancy before anything changes. The Submit Count Immediately setting, in the Stock Count section of the Linnworks Mobile settings, overrides this so that every quantity you enter is submitted straight away. With it on, the Counted tab is largely beside the point.
For a count without WMS, think carefully before switching it on. Holding the counts until the end gives you a last chance to catch a mistyped number.
Show Expected Quantity
Stock Count normally shows the quantity Linnworks expects in the binrack, so the person counting can see both figures and spot a discrepancy. The Show Expected Quantity setting, under Settings, Linnworks Mobile, Stock Count in the main Linnworks application, hides that figure. Linnworks' reason for turning it off is that staff then count what's actually there, without being swayed by the number on the screen. That's often called a blind count, and it's worth considering if you suspect people have been confirming the expected figure rather than counting.
When the count shows the wrong quantity or can't find a SKU
Linnworks' troubleshooting article on Stock Count not showing the right quantity or not finding a SKU names one likely cause: the wrong location is selected on the device. Check the current location in Linnworks Mobile before you start, and again if a familiar SKU suddenly won't come up.
When WMS is the better fit
Linnworks' article on Stock Count basics with WMS describes a different way of working. With WMS, a cyclic count can run while order processing, stock allocation and replenishment carry on. Scanning a binrack shows every SKU and batch in it, and scanning a SKU lists every binrack where that item can be found, so one item can be counted across several places.
The article lists what that relies on: digital picking, WMS in place, and stock moves logged consistently. Linnworks recommends WMS for larger warehouses. If pausing picking for a count is no longer realistic, or your items live in several binracks, that's the sign to look at it.
A simple counting routine
Here's a routine that follows the Linnworks guidance without adding much to it:
- Pick a section to count, such as a binrack, an aisle or a product range.
- Check the device is set to the right location.
- Pause picking, processing and deliveries for those items.
- Count, using Show Expected Quantity off if you want a blind count.
- Review the Counted tab and recount anything that looks wrong.
- Press Submit all count, then restart picking.
- Note any big differences and why they happened, so the same mistake doesn't repeat.
Counting a section at a time keeps each pause short. A tidy count is also a good moment to clear out dead lines; our guide to archiving stock items safely covers the checks to make first.
Count while nothing moves, check before you submit, and write down what you found. That's a stock count you can rely on.