We cannot find material we know we have

At the item stock card and physical bin, the stores manager can usually see the earliest warning. No fixed locations, so stock exists on paper but not where people look. Check it before staff spend time correcting work that has already moved on.

What it looks like

• The stores manager has to search the item stock card and physical bin before answering a routine question.
• No fixed locations, so stock exists on paper but not where people look.
• Staff cannot locate a signed receipt, issue slip or counted balance for the latest case.
• People spot the gap after staff release work on the strength of stock they cannot use.
• The open case has no documented owner, due date or proof of closure.

Why it happens

The specific failure is left unchecked. No fixed locations, so stock exists on paper but not where people look. If there is no recorded owner for that condition, the effect travels to the next team.

The work and its evidence move separately. Receipts, issues, returns and location changes are made physically before someone records them.

A later hand-off exposes the gap. Usable, rejected and outside-held stock may be combined in a single quantity although they require different decisions.

The less obvious cause: A control may exist on paper but still fail in practice. Test whether someone actually performs this check: compare bin labels with the location field in the stock register.

Find the first failed hand-off before changing staff targets. A completed register alone cannot prove that physical work happened.

What to check first

1. Take three items shown available and ask stores to locate them. Compare dates, quantities and references. Mark an unconfirmed difference as unverified. Finish the first pass in under 30 minutes and name the missing source if needed.
2. Compare bin labels with the location field in the stock register. Record the affected item or party and the person who can verify the detail. Finish the first pass in under 30 minutes and name the missing source if needed.
3. Inspect temporary piles, returns and goods awaiting inspection. Mark each exception open, waiting for evidence or resolved, with a named next owner. Finish the first pass in under 30 minutes and name the missing source if needed.

How to fix it

1. Start with one live case. Take three items shown available and ask stores to locate them. Keep the source reference before changing the record.
2. Make the control explicit. Assign a fixed bin and overflow location to each active item. Put the rule in the register or sheet that staff already use.
3. Set a second guardrail. Record all location transfers before closing a shift. Do not alter book quantities merely to make the balance look right. Find and authorise the underlying movement or adjustment.
4. Assign the next decision. The stores manager records the action and its due date. A separately authorised person signs off changes affecting money, safety or customer terms.
5. Review the open list. Start with items affecting today or tomorrow. Keep third-party commitments separate from completed actions.
6. Check whether the rule holds. For four weeks, count items or quantities whose book status differs from verified physical status. Reopen repeat cases and identify where the control failed.

Copy this stock movement and discrepancy register into a register or sheet:

Retain the source reference and limit access to authorised staff.

A worked example

Illustrative example only. A packaging warehouse has 40 rolls recorded, but staff spend two hours looking for 12. Start by locating the source that would verify these amounts or quantities. The stores manager records the exact exception, gives it an owner and checks the next relevant event. This example shows how to structure the decision. It does not claim that a business achieved a saving or avoided a loss.

How you know it is fixed

• Completeness: Count items or quantities whose book status differs from verified physical status at the same time every week. Record the count and the oldest item, rather than just saying things are better.
• Timeliness: Check whether the assigned person took the next action before the agreed cut-off. Keep missed dates visible instead of replacing them silently.
• Proof of closure: Sample three closed cases and locate a signed receipt, issue slip or counted balance. A tick without supporting evidence is still an open control gap.

When it is more serious

Misplaced chemicals or unsafe stacking creates a safety issue. Hold irreversible decisions until the material facts are verified. For contracts, tax, wages or legal rights, retain source documents and consult a qualified adviser. Repeated exceptions after four reviews may require changing the control.

This works if someone does it every day. In most businesses, that someone is you.

Questions people ask

What should we check before taking action?

Take three items shown available and ask stores to locate them. Keep its date and reference. Then compare it with a signed receipt, issue slip or counted balance; if they disagree, record the difference before changing either one.

Who should own the next action?

The stores manager should own the open item. The person authorised to change money, a technical standard or a customer commitment must still approve that decision.

Can we run this control without new software?

No. Start with a shared sheet or register containing the reference, owner, promised date, status and evidence. Once those fields are reliable, decide whether a system connection is worth setting up.

When is the issue serious enough to escalate?

Misplaced chemicals or unsafe stacking creates a safety issue. Keep supporting records and get specialist help where relevant.