1. One item looks wrong: confirm its identity first
Start with the shelf item rather than its name alone. Similar descriptions can conceal different sizes, colours, pack quantities or older product records. Compare the identifier on the product or packaging with the record used at the till. If you use barcodes, check which item the scanned code actually selects.
NeroPOS provides product and order management, options, stock-related controls and receipt workflows. How those controls apply to a particular item or option needs checking in your installation. Do not assume that two options share a stock balance, or that each has a separate balance, without confirming the setup.
- Write down the item identifier, description, option and unit being counted.
- Check for similar or duplicate product records.
- Confirm whether quantities refer to individual items, packs or another unit.
2. The count keeps changing: establish a clean cut-off
A count taken while customers are buying and staff are unpacking deliveries can be accurate but still disagree with a later till record. Note the count time and identify any movements between that time and the recorded figure. Temporarily separating counted stock can help, provided it does not disrupt safe access or normal customer service.
Recount the item independently, including relevant shelves, storage areas and stock set aside for orders. Keep saleable stock distinct from damaged goods and customer returns awaiting inspection. A physical location explains where an item is; its status explains whether it belongs in the quantity you are comparing.
- Record the count time and the time of the till figure.
- Recount all relevant locations without relying on the first result.
- List sales, deliveries and other movements between the two times.
3. The difference remains: rebuild the quantity trail
Use the last reliable count as your starting point. Add confirmed stock received, subtract stock sold or otherwise removed, and review returns and adjustments according to what physically happened. Work from available records rather than memory. A delivery arriving at the shop does not prove its quantity was entered correctly, and a refund does not prove the item returned to saleable stock.
Check relevant transactions individually: item identifier, quantity, time and status. Where records are available, look for cancelled orders, exchanges, duplicate entries and corrections. NeroWeb orders can use the existing fulfilment workflow, but this does not establish that stock updates automatically across every channel. Confirm which order event affects stock in your setup and avoid counting the same order twice.
- Compare delivery paperwork with the quantity actually received and recorded.
- Trace sales and returns for the affected item within the investigation period.
- Review manual adjustments and their reasons, using the records available.
4. A six-unit shortage: a hypothetical example
Hypothetical example: a retailer counts 18 notebooks, while the till record shows 24. The identifier and counting unit match. The previous verified count was 30, and the retailer finds six subsequent sales. That explains the recorded balance of 24, but not the physical count of 18.
The retailer then finds a note showing six water-damaged notebooks were removed from the shelf. They are still in a separate box awaiting disposal, and no corresponding stock adjustment was recorded. The difference now has an explanation: the till record and the count were treating those six items differently.
Before changing anything, the retailer checks how damaged stock should be recorded in their setup. Once the authorised correction is made, the observable success check is that the saleable count and corresponding record both show 18 at the same cut-off, with the reason documented. An unexplained adjustment of minus six would have balanced the figures without resolving the workflow problem.
5. Correct a known cause or escalate an unexplained one
If the evidence identifies a missed receipt, incorrect quantity or unrecorded removal, have the person responsible review the correction. Keep the original count, supporting references and reason together. Avoid deleting or overwriting evidence simply to make the totals agree. Then review the affected item again after the next normal stock movement.
If the cause remains unclear, stop making speculative adjustments and ask your system administrator or support contact to investigate. Provide the affected identifier, expected and observed quantities, count time, relevant order or receipt references and checks already completed. For NeroPOS, ask the team to confirm the actual stock controls, order behaviour and any supported connections in your installation.
- Assign one person to approve and document the correction.
- For escalation, describe one reproducible example rather than a general complaint.
- Check that the next stock movement produces the expected quantity change.
GOOD TO KNOW
Common questions
Should I adjust the stock figure immediately?
Preserve the original figures and investigate first. If an urgent correction is necessary for trading, record the count time, reason and authorisation so the underlying difference can still be reviewed.
Does a customer refund always increase stock?
Do not assume so. Check whether the item physically returned, whether it is saleable and how your installation handles that transaction. A payment refund and a stock return are different events.
Will online orders automatically update every stock record?
That depends on the actual setup. NeroWeb orders can use the existing fulfilment workflow, but you should confirm where stock is held and which events change it before relying on cross-channel quantities.
What should I send to support?
Send the item identifier, options, quantities, timestamps and relevant transaction references through the agreed support route. Include your checks and avoid sharing unnecessary customer information.