Troubleshooting Inventory Overages

Use this troubleshooting table as a guide to help you research and reconcile inventory overages.  

There are a number of scenarios in which you may come across inventory discrepancies on the warehouse floor.

Here are some common examples:

• Overages or shortages are identified during a cycle count. 
• Items are physically found at a pack station or outbound staging location at end-of-day, after all outbounds have been completed. 
• Items are physically found in an inbound staging location after putaway is complete in the Flexe system. 
• Items are physically found outside of their dedicated storage location(s) during 5S inspections. 
• During end-of-day checks, items are found in the system at a pack station, inbound or outbound staging, or a QA location, even after those locations have been physically inspected and cleared of all items. 

Physical Overages

If you come across a physical overage at a location (extra quantities, additional material, etc.), use the table below for troubleshooting guidance. 

Note: For guidance on troubleshooting shortages, go to Troubleshooting Inventory Shortages. 

Start with the Question section at the top left, then follow the corresponding guidance in the Troubleshooting Steps section until you find the root cause or solution. 

QUESTION	TROUBLESHOOTING + RESOLUTION STEPS
Is the item stored in any nearby/surrounding locations?	If YES: Quickly check to see if the item was misplaced in a nearby location. If so, physically move the item from the nearby location back to the correct location. Then, validate that the physical count matches the count in the Flexe system.
	If NO:  Perform a SKU-based cycle count to further troubleshoot the shortage. For more information, go to Creating SKU-based Cycle Counts.  Once you complete the count, go to the next question.
Did the cycle count find a shortage of the item in a different location?	If YES:  Submit the cycle count and corresponding inventory adjustments, which will resolve the discrepancy in the system.
	If NO:  Go to the next question.
Is there a shortage of the item at an inbound or outbound staging location?	Check all of the following locations for a shortage of the item: Inbound Staging Pack Stations Outbound Staging QA Locations If YES:  If a shortage is found at any of these locations, physically move the item back to the correct location. Then, validate that the physical count matches the count in the Flexe system.
	If NO: Go to the next question, to review the history of the impacted location.
Did the item not get moved in the Flexe system during putaway or a previous location move?	If YES, use:  Use the Move Items feature on a Flexe mobile device to move the item to the correct location in the system, to match physical quantities. Note: For more information on using this feature, check out our Move Items Job Aid.  Resuming Incomplete Moves  If an item is stuck in a transitional location (i.e. movement on a mobile device), you'll need the trip token to resume and complete the move via Move Items. To learn more, go to Resuming Incomplete Moves.  For LPNs, if the trip token is expired (or you're otherwise having trouble accessing the token) reach out to your Flexe Logistics Analyst or contact us at [e-mail] for additional help with resuming the move.
	If NO: Go to the next question.
Was there a previous under-pick that resulted in a short or under-shipment?	If YES:  Perform a cycle count inventory adjustment, making sure to enter the relevant reason code and adjustment notes.  To learn more, go to Cycle Count Reason Codes.
	If NO:  Go to the next question.
Was there a previous error during a cycle count that has artificially decreased inventory for the item?	If YES:  Perform a cycle count inventory adjustment, making sure to enter the relevant reason code and adjustment notes.  To learn more, go to Cycle Count Reason Codes.
	If NO: If you're unable to determine the reason for the overage after trying all the above steps, please proceed with up-counting the overage quantity by performing a cycle count inventory adjustment.  Make sure to enter the relevant reason code and adjustment notes. To learn more, go to Cycle Count Reason Codes.