Perform cycle counting in a warehouse location

Applies To: Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012 R3, Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012 R2

Cycle counting is a warehouse process that you can use to audit on-hand inventory items. The following tasks are described in this topic:

• Create cycle counting work ─ Cycle counting work is created automatically based on threshold parameters for items or by using a cycle counting plan. You can also create cycle counting work manually by using the item or warehouse parameters in the Cycle count work by item form or the Cycle count work by location form.

• Process cycle count ─ After you create cycle counting work, you perform the cycle counting work by counting items in a warehouse location and entering the result in Microsoft Dynamics AX by using a mobile device. Alternatively, you can count items in a warehouse location without creating cycle counting work. This process is referred to as spot cycle counting.

• Resolve a difference in the cycle counted value ─ After a cycle count, any items that have differences in the counted value will have a work status of Pending review in the All work form. You can resolve these differences in the Cycle counting transactions form.

The following illustration shows how to perform cycle counting.

Prerequisites

The following table shows the prerequisites that must be in place before you start.

Create cycle counting work based on threshold parameters for items

Cycle counting work can be created when the number of items falls below a certain threshold value. For example, there are 60 items in a location for which the cycle counting threshold quantity is 40. During a sales order transaction, 25 items are picked from the location and put in a staging location. Because the new item count of 35 is less than the threshold quantity, cycle counting work is created automatically for the location. Cycle counting threshold parameters are set up in the Cycle counting threshold form. For more information about how to set threshold parameters, see Set up cycle counting thresholds and plans to perform cycle counting.

Schedule cycle counting work

To schedule cycle counting plans to create cycle counting work immediately or periodically, follow these steps.

1. Click Warehouse management > Setup > Cycle counting > Cycle count plans.

2. Click Process cycle counting plan.

3. Click Recurrence to enter the scheduling information for the batch job.

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1. Click Warehouse management > Common > Cycle count scheduling.

2. On the Action Pane, in the Maintain group, click Schedule plan.

3. In the Cycle counting plan ID field, select the plan that you want to schedule, and then click OK.

Create cycle counting work manually

To create cycle counting work manually, follow these steps:

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2. On the General tab, in the Invoicing has been completed for load %1. field, enter the maximum number of cycle counting work IDs that you want to create. For example, if the warehouse manager specifies a value of five, then cycle counting work is created for five locations even if the item is present in 10 different locations.

3. Optional: Select a work pool ID to which the created cycle counting work IDs are assigned. When a work pool ID is processed for cycle counting, the cycle counting work IDs assigned to this work pool are processed as a group.

4. Optional: Click Select to specify item parameters in the Cycle count work by item form, or specify warehouse location parameters in the Cycle count work by location form.

5. On the Batch tab, select the Batch processing check box to create cycle counting work at set intervals.

   Note

   If the Batch processing check box is cleared, the cycle counting work is created only one time, even if the recurrence details are specified.

Perform a cycle count using a mobile device

There are several methods to process cycle counting work using Microsoft Dynamics AX on a mobile device:

• User directed ─ The worker can specify a cycle counting work ID that is in the Open status.

• System directed ─ The worker is assigned a cycle counting work ID by Microsoft Dynamics AX.

• Cycle count grouping ─ The worker can group cycle counting work IDs that are specific to a particular location, zone, or work pool.

• Spot cycle counting ─ Optional: The worker can count items in a warehouse location at any time, without creating cycle counting work, by entering a location ID.

The following procedure is an example of how you can perform spot cycle counting by using a mobile device:

1. On the mobile device, select the menu item to process spot cycle counting work.

2. Register the location which is to be spot cycle counted.

3. Register and confirm the item number and counted item quantity.

   Note

   The status of the cycle counting work is updated to Pending review or Closed in the All work form, depending on the parameters set in the Work users form. For more information, see Set up mobile device user accounts for workers.

4. Optional: Repeat step 3 for the remaining items in the location and confirm that there are no additional items available for counting.

Resolve a cycle counting difference

A cycle counting difference occurs if the Is a cycle count supervisor check box is cleared for a work user ID in the following scenarios:

• The cycle counted value is not in the deviation limits that are specified in the Maximum percentage limit or Maximum quantity limit fields in the Work users form. For example, the on-hand inventory quantity in a location is 50 and the deviation limit for the work user is 10. If the work user enters a value that is not between 40 and 60, a difference occurs.

• The cycle counted value differs from the on-hand inventory quantity and there are no set deviation limits.

You can adjust differences in the cycle counted value and accept it in the Cycle counting transactions form. The modified count of the item quantity can be verified in the On hand by location form. The cycle counted value is rejected if the difference cannot be approved.

To accept or reject a cycle counting difference, follow these steps:

1. Click Warehouse management > Common > Work > All work.

2. Select a cycle counting work ID with the Work status as Pending review.

3. On the Action Pane, in the Work group, click Cycle counting to open the Cycle counting transactions form.

4. In the Counted quantity field, adjust the cycle counted value. Click Accept count.

   –or–

   Click Reject count to reject the cycle counted value.

   Note

   Click Derived Work to view details of the cycle counting work that is created after accepting the difference. Click Source order to view details of the original cycle counting work before accepting the difference.

Technical information for system administrators

If you don't have access to the pages that are used to complete this task, contact your system administrator and provide the information that is shown in the following table.