A stocktake is a powerful tool, but like any tool, it's only effective if it's used correctly.

In our two decades of experience, we've seen it all. We've seen owners and managers with the best intentions accidentally sabotage their own stocktake, leading to inaccurate data, wasted time, and a mountain of frustration.

These errors create a "fictional" report. You end up making business-critical decisions based on bad data, which is often more dangerous than having no data at all.

Are you making one of these five common mistakes in your Limerick business?

1. The "Inconsistent Counting" Error

This is the most common and damaging mistake. It happens when the counting process is rushed, standards are loose, and different people do it differently.

·        The Mistake: One manager (John) counts open bottles by "eye-balling" them to the nearest 10%. The next month, another manager (Sarah) meticulously weighs every single one. John counts a bottle of Jameson as "0.5 full" (500ml), while Sarah weighs it and finds it's "0.42 full" (420ml).

·        The Result: Your variance report will show a fictional 80ml loss. You'll spend an hour trying to find out "who's responsible" for a loss that never even happened. It creates a complete lack of trust in the numbers.

·        The Fix: You must have a single, unified, and non-negotiable process. Use a "point-counting" or "tenthing" system for spirits if you must DIY, but be consistent. Better yet, use a digital scale. For kegs, they must be weighed (or use a keg-check system). This consistency is why professionals are so much more accurate.

2. The "Forgetting Deliveries" Error (Mid-Stocktake)

A stocktake is a snapshot in time. The goal is to get a 100% accurate count of everything on the premises at that specific moment.

·        The Mistake: You start your stocktake on Monday morning. Halfway through, the delivery from your main supplier arrives. The driver is in a hurry, so a staff member signs for it, and the kegs are rolled into the cellar. You then count the new kegs as part of your old stock.

·        The Result: You have just massively inflated your stock levels. The report will show an enormous surplus (or a tiny loss), making you think you've had a fantastic month. In reality, you've just masked all of your real-world losses (waste, over-pouring) with this new, un-accounted-for delivery.

·        The Fix: Implement a strict "Stocktake Lockdown" rule. All deliveries must be fully processed, invoiced, and put away before the count begins. Or, they must be left in a completely separate, clearly marked "quarantine" area and not be counted until the next stocktake period.

3. The "Ignoring Transfers & Waste" Error

Your stock doesn't just "vanish." It is either sold, wasted, transferred, or stolen. Your system must track this.

·        The Mistake: The kitchen needs a bottle of whiskey for a marinade. A bartender gives it to them, and nobody writes it down. Or, a bartender drops a full bottle of wine. They clean it up, throw it out... and nobody writes it down.

·        The Result: At the end of the month, the report shows you are "missing" one bottle of whiskey and one bottle of wine. You will assume theft or over-pouring, when in fact it was a simple, unrecorded operational action.

·        The Fix: You must have a simple, iron-clad system for tracking this. A "Waste & Transfers" sheet on a clipboard in the bar and kitchen is all it takes. Dropped a bottle? Write it down. Moved stock to another bar? Write it down. This simple habit "explains" your losses and keeps your data clean.

4. The "Trusting the Till" Error

Your stocktake is a check on all your systems, including your EPOS/Till.

·        The Mistake: A bartender has a customer who wants a "Jameson." They accidentally ring it in as a "Jack Daniels" on the till. The customer gets the right drink, and the money is correct. No problem, right?

·        The Result: At the end of the month, your stocktake will show you are "down" one measure of Jameson and "up" one measure of Jack Daniels. This "variance" is purely a clerical error. Now, multiply this by 100 mis-punches a month, and your spirit report is a meaningless mess.

·        The Fix: Regular audits find these problems. A professional stocktaker will see this pattern and say, "Your sales data is being compromised by 'mispunch' errors. You need to retrain your team on the till layout."

5. The "Doing Nothing" Error

This is the most tragic mistake of all. You do the hard work, get the report... and then file it in a drawer.

·        The Mistake: The report shows you have a 3% low yield on your Guinness. You see it. You worry about it. And then you get busy with a rota, and you forget.

·        The Result: The problem never gets fixed. That 3% loss continues, week after week, month after month.

·        The Fix: Treat your stocktake report as an action list. Pick the one biggest problem from the report and fix it. That's it. Just one. This month, it's "retrain all staff on the Guinness pour." Next month, it's "fix the over-portioning on the fish and chips." This is how you turn data into profit.

A professional stocktaking company in Limerick does more than just count. Our job is to help you build the systems to avoid these mistakes, ensuring your data is clean, accurate, and, most importantly, actionable.