How to find an item that hasn't been checked in a while: using the last inventory date to control balances

In retail and inventory accounting, situations often arise when a product is physically absent from the shelves but continues to appear in the software’s stock balance. This “phantom” stock distorts analytics, prevents replenishment, and conceals possible theft. 

To address this problem, Torgsoft provides a tool for monitoring the date of the most recent inventory count for each product. This may raise several questions: 

Below, we explain in detail how the date of the most recent inventory count can help answer these questions, identify “lost” products, and restore order in the warehouse.

The nature of “phantom” stock: where does the product go?

Differences between actual stock and computer records most often arise because of human error. A product may have been broken or stolen, rolled under a shelf, or accidentally moved to another warehouse, while Torgsoft continues to show one item in stock.

Because the system shows the product as available, the purchasing manager does not create a new supplier order, while the customer cannot buy it because the shelf is empty. If the store performs partial inventory counts by shelf or individual product group, such problematic items may remain excluded from inventory count sheets for years, leaving the error unresolved.

Solution: the «Inventory Count Date» column

To help managers see the complete picture and identify unchecked products, Torgsoft displays the date of the most recent inventory count.

This tool works as follows:

1. Date recording. For tables that support dynamic characteristics unique to each accounting centre, the software provides the option to display the «Inventory Count Date» column.

2. Independence from the sheet status. This column records the date of the most recent inventory count for a specific product at the selected warehouse. An important advantage is that the date is updated regardless of whether the inventory count sheet has been closed or the counting process is still in progress.

How to find products that have not been checked for a long time (step-by-step instructions)

To find products that have not been checked for a long time, configure the display and filtering options in the «Warehouse Status» mode:

• Open the main menu item Warehouse — Warehouse Status.

• Open the table column display settings using the “Column Visibility Settings” button.

• Enable the «Inventory Count Date» column. You will now see the exact date when each product was last scanned or added to an inventory count sheet.

To find products that are no longer being monitored, use the Product Filter:

• Open the product filter settings.

• Find the «Inventory Count Date» parameter. It is available for filtering if the column has been added to the table and the “Only parameters connected to the table” setting is enabled.

• Specify a period. For example, you can filter products whose inventory count date is blank because they have not been checked since the feature was introduced, or products whose inventory count date is several months old.

After applying the filter, you will receive a ready-made list of products that appear in the stock balance but have not undergone a physical check for a long time.

Answers to key questions from business owners using this mode

Using the «Inventory Count Date» column transforms inventory counting from unsystematic shelf scanning into a structured audit. It helps ensure that no product is overlooked, purchasing is based on actual rather than “phantom” stock balances, and the opportunities for staff manipulation or negligence are reduced to a minimum.