A short inbound shipment: trace the discrepancy before adjusting stock

Start with the unit everyone is counting

A purchase order might describe cases, an advance shipment notice might describe units, and the receiving screen might show pallets. Put all three on the same basis before calculating a shortage. Check case-pack changes, mixed cartons, and SKU aliases. A mismatch can begin upstream even when every physical carton is accounted for. Preserve the original records rather than overwriting them during the investigation.

Build a timeline of the receipt

Record what was expected, what arrived, what was counted, and what was released. Include shipment references and receiving timestamps. Ask whether part of the delivery remains unprocessed or held for a label problem. Stock visible in a receiving area is not necessarily available to promise to customers. The task is to locate the units and their state, not simply force two totals to agree.

Use a controlled recount

Select the affected SKU and location, agree who performs the count, and prevent normal movement from confusing the result. If operations cannot pause, log movements during the recount. Illustrative example: 30 units leave a location while a second person is counting it. Comparing that result with a snapshot taken earlier can create a new apparent shortage. Choose a shared cutoff time before interpreting the numbers.

Close the discrepancy with a reason

The outcome may be a supplier short shipment, a receiving error, a case conversion issue, or stock still awaiting processing. Record the evidence and the approved adjustment separately. Notify the team responsible for purchasing or supplier recovery, then check whether the same cause affects other receipts. A count correction restores the number; a process correction reduces the chance of recurrence.