ANS-0915 · INVENTORY & ITEM MANAGEMENT

What Are the NetSuite Options for Physical Inventory Counts?

NetSuite offers several transaction types —Inventory Adjustment, Inventory Worksheet, and Inventory Count —each with distinct advantages and disadvantages for reconciling physical inventory.

AreaInventory & Item ManagementAudienceInventory manager, NetSuite administratorDifficultyIntermediate

Short answer

NetSuite provides three primary methods for conducting physical inventory counts: Inventory Adjustment, Inventory Worksheet, and Inventory Count. Each method offers different approaches to quantity reconciliation, CSV import capabilities, and configuration requirements, allowing businesses to choose the most suitable option based on their specific operational needs and item setup.

Scenario

Organizations frequently need to perform physical inventory counts to reconcile their actual stock levels with recorded system quantities. Selecting the appropriate NetSuite transaction type for this process is crucial, as each option presents unique benefits and challenges regarding data entry, system configuration, and efficiency.

Solution

To perform a physical inventory count in NetSuite, consider the following transaction options, each with its own set of pros and cons:

  1. Inventory Adjustment

    • Pros:
    • Can be done via CSV.
    • No need to reenter the item cost, only quantities.
    • Cons:
    • Can be time-consuming when performed via the user interface.
    • Requires entering the difference between the quantity before and the quantity after to adjust the quantity, which is an extra step.

  2. Inventory Worksheet

    • Pros:
    • Can be done via CSV.
    • No need to enter the difference in quantity; only the new quantity is required.
    • Cons:
    • Requires careful consideration of how the system automatically manages cost implications based on predefined costing methods.
    • Limited to processing 1000 lines at a time.

  3. Inventory Count

    • Pros:
    • No need to reenter the item cost, only quantities.
    • No need to enter the difference in quantities before and after.
    • Considered a good practice for items configured for periodical inventory counts.
    • Cons:
    • Requires configuring all items with the following fields (can be done via CSV import):
    • Next Count Date
    • Count Interval
Originally answered August 21, 2017Verified July 5, 2026

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