Should the warehouse stop during a revision

An online shop in Tashkent ships an average of 600 orders a day through Uzum and Telegram. A revision is due, but the owner did the sums: if the warehouse closes for two days, customers wait, the rating drops and the couriers sit idle. Yet counting a warehouse that is still working is like shooting at a moving target. So should the warehouse stop? A full stop gives the most accurate result, but often there is a route where work does not freeze and the result stays reliable.

Three options

1. A full stop. All receipts and issues freeze and the count is as precise as it can be. In a small warehouse, or where counting finishes in one night, this fits.
2. Zone by zone, in turn. The warehouse is split into parts. While one zone is being counted it is closed and the others keep working. For a large warehouse this is the handier way.
3. Outside working hours. Counting happens at night or at the weekend. If you can pick a time of low order flow, work barely stops.

The options can be combined: divide a large warehouse into zones and count each zone at night. Even with a full stop, warn customers beforehand: put the closing date on the site and the Telegram channel, and ship the orders collected the day before. The pause is then planned, not a surprise.

The cut-off moment

Whichever option you choose, fix the cut-off moment clearly: the hour counting starts and the number of the last receipt and issue document entered by then. Every document before it must be posted. When working by zones, each zone has its own cut-off: the hour it was closed. Movement that arises during the count follows three rules:

• arriving goods wait in a separate holding area and are not shelved until the count ends;
• nothing is taken from the zone being counted; orders are picked from the other zones;
• the document for each movement carries the time and a "count period" mark, so it can later be placed correctly in the statement.

When working by zones, the main risk is transfers between zones. If goods move from a counted zone to an uncounted one they are booked twice; if the other way round, they are not counted at all. So during the count, transfers between zones are either ruled out or made on a separate document showing the hour.

An example: four nights

A shop selling phone accessories: 600 orders a day, an average order of 120,000 so'm (illustrative figures). A two-day full stop means two days without sales: 600 × 120,000 × 2 = 144,000,000 so'm of turnover postponed, and part of it goes to competitors.

A different route was chosen: the warehouse was divided into four zones and one was counted each night. Six people worked four nights, each paid an extra 150,000 so'm: 6 × 4 × 150,000 = 3,600,000 so'm. By eight in the morning the zone reopened and dispatch ran as usual. Suppliers had been warned of the dates and deliveries were accepted only by day.

Such a count carries its own risk: at night, tiredness adds errors. So the counters were split into two teams, no night's count ran past six hours, and each zone was spot-checked the next day by the other team.

How to choose

• Full stop: a small warehouse, a limited range, the annual closing count, or a quiet pre-holiday period.
• By zones: a large warehouse, clearly separated zones, transfers under control.
• Night or weekend: the daytime flow is high and staff and the pay arrangements are agreed in advance. Check the rules on paying for extra hours with an accountant or lawyer.

When choosing, ask yourself three questions: how many sales will a stop postpone? Can we control transfers between zones? Are the counters ready to work at night? The answers will point to the option.

Conclusion

There is no single answer to "should the warehouse stop": a small warehouse does best with a full stop, a large one with zones or a night count. Whichever route you take, a clear cut-off moment and documented movement make the result reliable. The Reviziya team can help you build a count schedule that keeps work going.