TUTORIAL: Introduction to Stocktaking

Take control of your inventory accuracy with Stocktakes, a simple but powerful feature that helps ensure what you have on your shelves matches what’s recorded in Craftybase.


We’ll cover

This tutorial should take approximately 15 minutes to complete.

What is Stocktaking?

Stocktaking is the process of physically counting your inventory for materials or products, and reconciling those counts with what's in your Craftybase account.


Think of it as a reset button for your inventory: it gives you a chance to verify, correct, and move forward with clean and accurate data.


Craftybase automatically tracks your stock levels based on purchases, manufactures, and sales. However, real-world factors like spillage, loss, or unrecorded usage can cause your records to drift over time. Stocktakes allow you to correct these discrepancies so you’re always working from accurate numbers.

When Should You Do a Stocktake?

Stocktakes are especially helpful at key points in your business cycle, including:

  • At the end of a month, quarter, or year
  • Before high-volume sales periods
  • When moving inventory between locations
  • Any time you suspect inaccuracies in your inventory records

Some businesses schedule stocktakes regularly (e.g. monthly or quarterly), while others perform them only when needed - such as when investigating accuracy issues.

How to Perform a Stocktake in Craftybase

Navigate to the Stocktakes Page:

  1. Hover over the three dots from your main Craftybase menu.
  2. Select Stocktakes.

This page lists all previous stocktakes and gives you the option to start a new one.

Create your first Stocktake:

  1. Select either the + Add Stocktake button in the top right, or if its your first Stocktake, you can also select the + Create your first Stocktake in the bottom left

This opens the setup form where you’ll configure the details of your stocktake.

Sections in the Stocktake Form:

Basic Information: The top of the form collects general details about your stocktake:

  • Date: Automatically set to today’s date and cannot be changed.
  • Code: Use this for any identifier you find useful for tracking your Stocktakes (e.g. “Q2-Audit” or “2025-May-WH1”). If left blank, Craftybase will assign a code automatically.
  • Notes (Optional): Use this to record context or special instructions, such as “Partial stocktake for upstairs shelving” or “End-of-month verification count”.

Set filters and number of items: You’ll now configure how you want to select the items for this stocktake. Think of this step as setting the rules for what you'll count and how it's displayed.

  • Stocktake Type:
    • Toggle between Products or Materials.
    • A stocktake can only include one or the other, not both.
  • Sampling Method:
    • All Items: Includes every material or product.
    • Random: Generates a random subset for spot-checks or sample audits.
  • Categories: Use the checkboxes to filter by specific categories. Leaving all boxes blank includes all items.
  • Total Count Size: Enter the maximum number of items you want to include in this stocktake. The default is 100, but you can adjust it to any number that suits your needs.
  • Sort: Choose how the list is sorted (Alphabetical or by SKU).
  • Last Stocktake Before: Optionally limit results to items not counted since a certain date. This is useful for rotating stocktakes or ensuring every item gets checked periodically.

Once you're happy with your setup, scroll down and click Generate Items to Stocktake. This will generate your list for physical counting.

Counting and Entering Quantities

You’ll now see your generated list of items related to this stocktake, including a Complete? status field that will remain unchecked until the stocktake is finalized.

  1. Review Stocktake Details:
    • The top section shows the general information for this stocktake.
    • The Complete? status field will remain unchecked until all items are counted and confirmed.
    • The Current Quantity shows what Craftybase currently has on record.
  2. Enter Actual Quantities:
    • Locate the Actual Quantity field next to each item.
    • Begin your physical count and type in the number you counted.
    • After entering the count, click the blue check mark icon to save it.
    • Repeat this for each item in the list.
  3. Review System Calculations:
    • The Change column shows the difference between the Current Quantity and the Actual Quantity. This indicates the adjustment that will be made.
    • The Complete column displays a green indicator once you've entered and saved a value.

Review and Complete the Stocktake

Once you’ve saved all actual quantities using the blue check mark icons, you're ready to complete the stocktake.

  1. Check for Accuracy: Large discrepancies may indicate missing manufactures, unrecorded orders, or data entry errors.
  2. Review your Accuracy Score: Craftybase displays a Stocktake Accuracy Rating, which helps you measure the consistency of your stock records.

You can take a moment to learn more about the stocktake accuracy ratings by reviewing this article - Stocktake Accuracy Ratings

  1. Review and Confirm:
    • Scan through the Change and Complete columns to make sure every item is accurately recorded.
  2. Complete the Stocktake:
    • Craftybase will apply the inventory changes and generate adjustment records for any discrepancies.
    • You can review these adjustment records later to check if any corrections are necessary.

Wrap-Up

Regular stocktakes help you maintain confidence in your inventory data and identify areas for improvement in your tracking process.

A few quick tips:

  • Pause production and sales during a stocktake to avoid skewing numbers.
  • Print count sheets if you prefer to count manually and enter results later.
  • Always investigate large discrepancies — they could point to workflow issues.
  • Schedule recurring stocktakes for consistent accuracy.

Want to Learn More?

Explore our other tutorials and help articles to go deeper:

Still have questions? Reach out via the in-app chat or contact us via email— we’re here to help!

Did this answer your question? Thanks for the feedback There was a problem submitting your feedback. Please try again later.