An accurate total is not enough
A warehouse needs answers to two questions: how much stock exists and where it can be picked. The correct total across a building does not support efficient picking when the address is out of date.
Waiting until stocktaking to correct the location leaves time for several more orders to be affected. It can also create a misleading impression that the product is missing.
Record the movement when it happens
A transfer needs the product or handling unit, quantity, source and destination. When only part of the stock moves, the remaining quantity should retain its original address.
The most workable process lets the operator finish the record during the move instead of reconstructing it at a desk later. Device choice and identification methods should fit the working conditions.
An exception still needs closure
Temporary relocation may be necessary, but “we will update it later” is not a complete process. Identify the temporary location, the responsible person and how the information will be completed.
For a supervisor, time spent searching despite an accurate overall quantity can be revealing. It often shows the effect of unrecorded moves better than a correction count. WMS maintains a useful address when physical movements have corresponding records.