Physical part inventory counts should be taken when you are ready to implement the tracking of part inventory using the RTA system and on a regular, scheduled basis thereafter. A complete physical inventory should be taken at least once per year or every six months if at all possible. RTA strongly recommends performing cycle counts too. A cycle count is taking physical inventory for a small portion of your parts room on a regular basis, such as counting one rack every Friday afternoon. This method greatly reduces your shrinkage as fewer parts are counted and since it's done more frequently, shortages can be researched much easier. There are two methods for taking physical inventory: 1) manually counting and updating the inventory levels or 2) manually counting and then uploading the data using a TriCoder (refer to "TriCoder Programs" for instructions). Investing in one (or several) TriCoders saves a ton of time and greatly simplifies the process of updating inventory levels. Contact RTA for more information about TriCoders.
Taking inventory can be as simple as:

1. Counting the parts.
2. Adjusting the inventory levels (refer to "Manual Inventory Adjustments").

Or, some companies take inventory and clean up the parts database at the same time by:

1. Zeroing out all part quantities using the Clear Inventory program in the Utilities 1 add-on package (SCAI). Refer to the Utilities 1 User's Manual for instructions.
2. Counting the parts.
3. Adjusting the inventory levels.
4. Deleting the parts with zero quantities from the system using the Delete Zero Quantity program in the Utilities 1 add-on package (SCAD). Refer to the Utilities 1 User's Manual for instructions.

Printing the Inventory Count Sheet

The Inventory Count Sheet lists parts in your inventory to facilitate manual inventory counts. The report is sorted by bin number, which will typically match a standard parts room layout. A space is provided at the beginning of each line so the actual count can be written down for each part listed. To print the Inventory Count Sheet, do the following:

1. Select Master > Part > List > Inventory Sheet from the RTA main menu (MPLI).
2. Enter the starting and ending facility number(s) or press F1 to select the facility number(s) from the lookup list.
3. Enter the starting and ending bin number(s) or press F1 to select the bin number(s) from the lookup list.
4. Select a radio button to specify whether to include all parts, only parts that are flagged as stocked parts, or only parts that are flagged as non-stocked parts.
5. By default, the report includes the current quantities on hand on the report-nice for cycle counts; deselect the With totals checkbox to exclude the quantities from appearing on the report-nice for annual physical inventories.
6. Select a radio button to specify which stock area(s) to include on the list.
7. Select a radio button to specify whether to print bar codes on the report.