Cycle counts are key to keeping your inventory accurate and up-to-date. We recommend running them monthly or quarterly to make sure your stock levels reflect what’s actually on your shelves.
In this guide (and video!), we’ll walk you through how to set up and manage cycle counts using Ply, on both web and mobile. 📱💻
Understanding Cycle Counts:
A smarter alternative to counting everything at once
| 🔶 Full Inventory Count | 🔷 Cycle Count (Ply) |
Scope | Count every item across all locations at once | Count a subset of items on a rolling schedule |
Operational impact | Usually requires shutting down operations | No operational downtime required |
Frequency | Time-consuming — done once or twice a year | Done weekly, monthly, or quarterly per location |
Disruption | High disruption, hard to sustain regularly | Catches issues early — continuously accurate data |
💡 Recommended cadence: Count your highest-value or fastest-moving items monthly. Run a broader count on slower-moving stock quarterly. Over time, you'll always have accurate inventory without ever needing a full shutdown.
Step-by-step: Setting Up a Cycle Count
1. Start from the web app
Go to the Stock tab → Stock Level
Click into the Inventory Count section
Hit “Create New Count” to get started
2. Fill in the basics
Field | Description |
📍 Location | Which warehouse or truck to count — e.g., Warehouse A or Truck #7 |
👤 Assignee | The team member who will physically count and submit via mobile |
📅 Start & End Dates | The window the assignee has to complete the count |
🔁 Frequency | How often this count recurs: monthly, every 3 months, etc. |
3. Dive into Additional Settings (optional but powerful)
Click “Show Additional Settings” to unlock advanced options:
Selection Method:
Choose how Ply should pick materials to count:
Random → A random sample of materials
By Activity → Based on recent activity
Then, pick what percentage of materials should be included.
Cost Range Filter:
Enable this to only count materials within a specific cost range.
Category Filter:
Want to count just one category of items? You can do that here too.
Position Filter:
Toggle between:
Only materials with positions
Or include materials without positions too
➡️ Choosing Specific Materials to Count
There are 3 flexible ways to pick which materials should be included in a count:
1️⃣ Specific materials only
Fill out the basics (Location, Assignee, Dates)
Open Additional Settings
Skip the All Items tab
Use the Custom List to select individual materials manually
2️⃣ Entire category
Fill out the basics
Open Additional Settings
Use the All Items tab to pick a category
3️⃣ Category + extra materials
Start with the basics
Select a category in All Items
Then go to the Custom List to add a few extras
Save everything together 🚀
What about the mobile app?
Once a cycle count is created and assigned from the web, the assigned user can:
Open the count in the Ply mobile app
See exactly which materials to count
Enter the quantities
Submit the count when done
Quick, easy, and mobile-friendly.
🎥 Watch the video!
We’ve got a short video that shows the full process in action—from setup to completion.
Still need help? Contact Support!
Need help setting up your first cycle count or configuring recurring counts for your whole fleet?