CSX Playbook: My inventory numbers are off. What do I do?
Contents
Introduction
Adopting ConnectSx to gain complete inventory visibility in the field is a powerful addition to any organization, but even with the best controls in place it is inevitable that you will find inventory inaccuracies. There are countless reasons that inventory can deviate from the truth, but typically this is due to human error and we are left to untangle the ball of yarn, understand what happened, and then fix it. The key thing to remember is not to worry, because ConnectSx gives you the data and tools you’ll need to get to the truth.
So, you know that your inventory is incorrect, what do you do now?
What’s your starting point?
This part is critical to consider before diving into all of your data and starting to unpack what happened.
What do you already know?
If you’re reading this article, then you likely already have an idea that your inventory is inaccurate. Why do you know this?
Did a user contact you, because the device they just used isn’t in their ConnectSx custody?
Did you run out of stock before you planned to and now you’re short?
Maybe you found inventory in the warehouse that shouldn’t exist.
Maybe you just have a gut feeling that it’s off. Analyze that, why don’t you trust your inventory numbers?
Whatever the case, this is your first critical piece of data and you should think about it like an arrow pointing towards which path to choose. This is the thread you’ll want to start pulling on.
Investigate and Gather Data
It’s time to start digging in. Using the threads you’ve already identified, start tugging and following the data deeper to understand what caused the inaccuracy.
Remember in the face of any inventory inaccuracy our goals are to understand:
How is the inventory off? Is it high, is it low, by what magnitude?
Which items are affected?
Where is the opposite imbalance? If inventory is too high in one custody, then it may be low in another. Conversely, if it is short, then perhaps the inventory is too high in another location.
What happened? Understanding what caused the error will help us prevent it in the future.
In this section we’ll look at some of the tools that are available to help you learn the story of what happened.
Inventory Detail
If you’ve identified an item that isn’t where it should be, your first stop should be its inventory detail screen. There are a number of things that might give insight into your issue, but there may be even more than what we cover here. If you don’t know where to start, consider performing an inventory audit.
If you do already have a starting point to investigate, be sure to check out the following:
Is this item part of an Event?
Was this item already used in a case which may not be closed yet? If an item is part of an Event this will explain why it does not show as available for sale or transfer in the other screens in your account.
Who created or last modified the item?
On this page you can see who created and modified the item and when, this can be a clue for where to look next or who might know more. Was the inventory created in error? Was the inventory modified when it shouldn’t have been?
Check the Additional Statuses and Inspection History
Check the avialable statuses and inspection history to see if this provides more insight.
Maybe you can see that an tray hasn’t been inspected in 3 months, which could indicate that its contents could be inaccurate.
Maybe there is a due back date set that is overdue and this item should actually be transferred back to the organization.
Was a location set for the item that might shed light on where it is physically?
Whatever the case, check out this data here:
Check the Transfer History
Reviewing the transfer history will show you where this item has been. You’ll be able to easily see who had it last, where it was before that, and understand potentially if there is a transfer missing from the history. This can help you to understand what happened with this item and where it should be in reality. This section will also tell you if the item is part of a pending transfer, which would explain why it is does not appear visible to use or transfer.
Explore the Event/Request/Transfer Links
One of the most powerful aspects of ConnectSx often flies under the radar, and that’s the degree of interconnectedness it brings to your data. Whenever a device is used in a case it is forever linked to that case. If the item was transferred to be used in that case, the transfer can be linked to the case itself. If the transfer was the result of an inventory request, the transfer can be linked to the request and the Event. And all of this information is tied back to the device itself.
This creates a powerful network of breadcrumbs for you to follow, or, as we like to call it, an immutable chain of custody for understanding where your inventory has been and what has happened to it. So below we’ll show you how to follow the sequence of connections that I mention above.
What Event was a Device used in?
You can find this on the device detail screen (see image)
You can also see what inventory was used in this Event by clicking into the Event Detail and navigating to the Devices Used Tab.
What transfers are associated with the Event?
Click into the Event Detail Screen and at the top you’ll be able to see any transfers and requests associated with the Event.
Click on either of these to open up the detail for that request or transfer.
Which Request prompted the sender to create this transfer?
If you clicked on the transfer to access its detail, you can view any associated requests and also the associated Event, if one was associated at that time. If one was not associated it does not mean that one is not part of the chain of events we’re following, just follow the breadcrumbs.
Click on the active links to access the request details.
Check the Request Details and see if an Event is Associated
Here you can see all of the request details including any associated transfers and associated Events. You can also check the statuses of the request to see if it was generated as a replenishment request. You can see what other devices were requested, who it was requested by, etc.
Perform an Inventory Audit
This may seem obvious, but performing an audit of your inventory is going to be the best way to determine what is actually there and what isn’t. Often, this data is where you need to go as a starting point, so if you didn’t already have a breadcrumb to follow the audit will reveal which areas are worth looking into. After you perform the audit and identify your problem areas, the tools covered above can help you to dig deeper and discover what’s going on with your data.
ConnectSx has developed a tailored workflow directly within the system to create audit requests and collect audit data from your users. To learn more about this click here.