This guide covers how to set up your first cycle count, configure recurring counts across multiple locations, and complete counts from the mobile app — plus the different ways to choose which materials get counted.
🎥Video Tutorial:
🎥 Watch our live Cycle Count demo here:
Overview
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, we'll walk you through how to set up and manage cycle counts using Ply, on both web and mobile. 📱💻
What is a Cycle Count?
A cycle count is a smarter alternative to counting your entire inventory all at once. Instead of a full shutdown to count everything, you count a subset of items on a rolling schedule keeping your data accurate without ever needing to pause operations.
| 🔶 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.
A smarter alternative to counting everything at once
Step-by-step: Setting Up a Cycle Count
Step 1: Start from the web app
Go to the Stock tab → Stock Level
Click into the Inventory Count section
Click Create New Count to get started
Step 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. |
Step 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?
Video tutorial:
Step by steps:
Open the menu and tap Inventory Counts under the Stock section.
You'll see all counts organized by status (Upcoming, In Progress, etc.). Find the count for your location, each card shows the location, item count, Start By / Due To dates, and frequency. Tap into the one you need to complete.
You'll land on the Uncounted tab, showing all materials still needing a count for that location. Tap the pencil icon next to a material to enter its counted quantity.
Once a material's quantity is entered, it moves from Uncounted to the Counted tab, where you can track your progress.
Continue through the list, then tap Next Step to move forward and complete the process.
A barcode scanner icon is also available if you'd rather scan materials than search for them manually.
Quick, easy, and mobile-friendly.
Why this matters
Cycle counts catch stock discrepancies early before they turn into stockouts, incorrect reorder points, or costly surprises when a job needs a material that isn't actually there. Because counts run on a rolling schedule instead of requiring a full shutdown, you get continuously accurate inventory data without disrupting daily operations.
Best practices
✅ Double-check the location before starting a count, especially on mobile.
If a count is accidentally started and finished on the wrong truck, undoing it isn't self-serve — it requires support and engineering to manually revert the quantities. See Common issues & fixes below.
✅ If you're assigning the same set of materials to be counted across several locations, verify each location's list independently once the count is created.
This setup has had issues in real cases where locations ended up incorrectly linked to each other's data. Confirm each location shows its own materials before your team starts counting.
✅ If you need to log a reason for an adjustment (e.g., damaged, lost, internal use), do it while scanning the item — not during the count review.
There's currently no field to add a reason directly to a material while running an inventory count adjustment; see Common issues & fixes below for the workaround.
➡️ Common issues & fixes
"I can't find a place to add a reason for an adjustment while running the inventory count."
Correct — this isn't currently supported as part of the Inventory Count flow itself. We've shared this as feedback with our Product team. In the meantime, if you need a reason logged for an adjustment, do it while scanning the item instead, see How to update stock items consumed for internal use for the reason options available there (Internal Use, Damaged, Lost, Expired, Correction).
"A team member finished a count on the wrong truck/location by mistake."
This isn't a self-serve undo, reach out to support with the location name and the count in question. In a real case, our engineering team reverted the finished count, restored the previous quantities, and set the count back to "In Progress" so the team could redo it on the correct location. We'd also recommend a quick spot-check of a few item quantities on the affected location afterward to confirm everything looks right before moving on.
"My cycle count shows an item count for a location, but clicking into it shows no materials — this is happening on several locations."
This can happen when the same set of materials is being counted across multiple locations, and those locations end up incorrectly linked to one "primary" location's data behind the scenes, so every location except the primary one appears empty. This has required an engineering fix in the past. If you're seeing this, contact support with the affected location names and confirm whether each location should have the same materials or a different set; that answer helps us fix it correctly.
"Cycle count quantities don't match what I know is in the warehouse."
If this doesn't resolve after checking for an obvious cause (wrong location, count still in progress, etc.), reach out to support with the specific location and materials affected; this is the kind of discrepancy our engineering team has resolved directly in past cases.
"The Category/Subcategory filter isn't working correctly when assigning a cycle count on mobile."
This was a confirmed bug that has since been fixed. If you're still seeing incorrect filtering behavior during cycle count assignment, let us know; it may be a different issue.
➡️ FAQs
Can more than one person be assigned to the same count?
Assign it to the team member responsible for that count, if you need multiple people involved, check with support on the best way to split it across locations or time periods.
Does a recurring count automatically use the same settings each time?
Yes, a recurring count repeats with the same filters (category, position, custom list, etc.) and location each cycle, at the frequency you set.
Can I edit a count after it's been created but before it's completed?
If you need to adjust a count already in progress, reach out to support to confirm what can be changed without needing a full revert.
Still need help? Contact Support!