Answering some common questions before the first inventory
What type of inventory is being conducted, and what type of information is important to gather?
Before conducting an inventory, it is important to consider what information needs to be gathered and the purpose of the inventory. For instance, if you are conducting an inventory for an office relocation, it is crucial to collect measurements and information about the condition of the items. Palats is versatile and can be used for inventorying furniture or construction materials. It provides standardized answers and specifications that are tailored to the specific product category, ensuring consistent and easy data collection, regardless of who is conducting the inventory.
It's important to take clear pictures during the inventory process. Additional photos should be taken of any damages or markings that are relevant to note. This will help in keeping a record of the condition of items in the inventory, making it easier to identify any issues during future inspections or audits.
What is the difference between model specifications and item specifications?
When inventorying an item, a new model is created, which includes model specifications and item specifications. In the case of duplicating a model, the model specifications remain identical for all copies, while item specifications such as condition may vary among the copies.
Examples of model specifications: Display name, measurements, material, color, and weight.
Examples of item specifications: Year of purchase, purchase price, condition, and tags.
Create custom tags
During the inventory process, you may come across items that need to be stored temporarily, disposed of, or repainted. To keep track of these items, you can create custom tags and label them in the mobile or web app. Once you've completed your inventory, filter and sort based on these tags to easily create lists and ensure all necessary actions are taken. This feature is especially helpful for organizing large inventories with many different types of items.
How do we handle multiple people inventorying simultaneously?
Palats includes an unlimited number of users for any project size.
If multiple people are conducting an inventory in the same building simultaneously, we usually recommend dividing the inventory based on product categories. For example, one person can inventory all the desks, another person can inventory all the chairs, and a third person can inventory, for instance, all the storage units. By distributing the inventory this way, you avoid duplicating the inventory of items.
Do we have to inventory each small item separately?
If you have multiple items of the same model and don't need to know the condition of each individual item, you can inventory them in bulk. This means you record the quantity of items instead of their individual specifications. Bulk inventorying is great for items such as ceiling panels, glass partitions, tiles, or other items where you provide measurements in terms of area, volume, length, etc. Learn more about how to conduct bulk inventorying here.
Using QR codes when doing the inventory, is it necessary?
Using QR codes creates a connection between physical items and their digital counterparts, making it easy to identify specific items while on-site. For example, if you have a large number of identical chairs and one has a coffee stain, scanning the QR code on that chair allows you to quickly update its condition in the digital inventory.
QR codes are also useful for tasks like office relocation. By scanning the QR code on items to be moved, you can ensure that you include the correct items in the relocation process.
To use QR codes, make sure to order them in advance of your project. Contact us to order QR codes.