When inventory variance is really a timing problem
Late warehouse transfers can make a boutique look overstocked or understocked overnight.
Finance teams often treat a negative inventory variance as shrink. Sometimes it is. Often, during our inventory variance reviews, the units are sitting in the stockroom while the transfer document is still waiting for a head-office stamp.
A familiar sequence
- Warehouse dispatches goods late afternoon.
- Boutique receives cartons after the stock report cut-off.
- Sales continue the next morning against an outdated on-hand figure.
- Month-end variance looks alarming even though nothing left the building improperly.
What sampling reveals
By counting a high-risk category and comparing timestamps on transfer notes, we can separate true missing units from paperwork lag. That distinction matters: one problem needs process coaching for warehouse clerks; the other needs loss-prevention attention.
How to brief us
When you request an inventory variance review, tell us your transfer cut-off time and whether weekend receipts post on Monday. Those two facts change which SKUs we sample first.