Executing the Cycle Counting Process

You use the Create Physical Inventory Documents for Cycle Counting program (report RM07ICN1) to create a batch input session for creating physical inventory documents. You can use the report to prepare cycle counting inventory for unrestricted-use stock, stock in quality inspection, and blocked stock.

To select the materials due for an inventory, enter an interval for the planned count date. When you run the program, the system identifies which materials need inventory within the specified interval. In doing so, the system calculates the planned count date for all stock types as follows:

Date of the last physical inventory of the unrestricted-use stock + predefined interval (depending on the CC indicator in the material master record).

A material is to be inventoried every 10 working days by cycle counting. The last inventory was taken a week ago Wednesday, that is, the material will be due for inventory again next week on Wednesday. If you schedule cycle counting for next week (count date interval = Monday to Friday), the material will be scheduled for Wednesday.

You can decide whether a control list is displayed first or whether a batch input session is created immediately. From the control list, you can trigger the creation of the batch input session manually via Edit→Create session.

You'll find the following information in the control list:

• First, it lists the inventory units for which no inventory document can be created.
• Next, it lists stock units for which the inventory is already active. These haven't been completed within the predefined buffer time and need urgent completion. They are excluded from the batch input session because there are still active physical inventory documents
• Lastly, it shows the materials for which a cycle counting inventory is required in the planning period (specified interval for the planned count date). If the inventory should have taken place before the planning period, the planned inventory date is highlighted.

The inventory documents are created when the batch input session is processed. When you carry out the inventory, the count date is recorded as the date of the last inventory in the material’s inventory data during the difference posting.

There are various options for posting inventory differences, depending on the processing status of the physical inventory transaction:

• Posting differences after the count has been posted

  A physical inventory document has already been created, and the count has already been posted. You only have to post the inventory differences.

• Posting the count and inventory differences simultaneously after the physical inventory document has been created

  A physical inventory document has been created, but the count has not yet been posted. The count results are available. You enter the count and post the differences in one step.

• Entering the count without a document reference

  You have a count result without reference; that is, no physical inventory document has yet been created for this physical inventory transaction. You create a physical inventory document, enter the count, and post the differences in one step.

• Use the Create Physical Inventory Documents program to identify and schedule materials for cycle counting across stock types.
• Select materials by entering a count date interval; the system calculates which items require inventory within the period.
• Review a control list displaying units not processed, units with active counts, and materials needing inventory in the planning window.
• Create and process batch input sessions to generate inventory documents and record the count date after each inventory.
• Post inventory differences based on whether the count and document exist, with flexible options for entering and posting results.