In stock counting processes, finding differences between physical quantities and system-recorded quantities is a common occurrence. SAP Business One offers a simple yet highly effective feature to identify these differences: it automatically highlights rows with specific levels of variance (variance rate). This feature does not affect subsequent processes or final outcomes, but helps teams focus on data that requires closer attention.
Highlight Variance Functionality
This feature is designed to mark or highlight rows in stock counting documents such as Inventory Counting or Inventory Posting, that exhibit variances exceeding a defined threshold. The highlighting is triggered automatically based on pre-set configurations, providing clear visualization and helping users quickly identify potential issues.
Steps to Configure Highlight Variance
Here’s how to set variance limits in stock counting documents:
- Navigate to Administrations > System Initialization > Document Settings.
- In the Per Document Tab, select the Inventory Counting document or Inventory Posting document.
- There are two configuration options depending on the counting type:
- Counting Type Is Single Counter
Specify a percentage in the Highlight Rows with Variance Greater Than field to define the variance limit. If the counted stock shows a difference from the stock recorded in the system and this difference exceeds the defined percentage variance limit, the system will automatically highlight the corresponding row in red. - Counting Type Is Multiple Counters
For multiple counters, there are two options for defining the variance percentage limit:- Highlight Rows with Max Variance Greater Than: Rows will be highlighted if the counted quantities from individual counters or the team show a discrepancy from the system-recorded quantity, and the largest variance exceeds the defined percentage limit.
- Highlight Rows with Counters’ Difference Greater Than: Rows will be highlighted if there is a discrepancy between the counted quantities of individual counters, and the largest difference exceeds the defined percentage limit.
System automatically highlights rows that meet the above conditions in red.
- Counting Type Is Single Counter
Example Application for Single Counter
For example, if the variance limit for a Single Counter is set to 5%, any items with a variance percentage exceeding this threshold will have their rows highlighted in red by the system. The following image illustrates an Inventory Counting document for a Single Counter, showing two items where the stock counting results indicate a Variance % exceeding 5%.
The variance highlighting feature in stock count documents is a simple yet powerful tool for streamlining stock counting processes. By highlighting rows with significant differences between physical counts and system records, this feature improves workflow efficiency and provides clearer visualization of potential issues. Although it is purely a visual marker with no direct impact on subsequent processes, it remains a crucial component of organized inventory management.
Also read:
- Optimizing Inventory Management with the End of Fiscal Year Field in SAP Business One
- Multiple Counters for Inventory Counting
- SAP Business One Inventory Counting X Stock Count Apps (Importing Counting Results from Stock Count to SAP B1)
- Improve up to 90% Speed & Accuracy SAP BUSINESS ONE Stock Counting With Stock Count Apps
- Inventory Cycle on SAP Business One
- Main Menu Inventory Changed to Stock Management
