Stocktake 2026: prepare your data and the rules for resolving discrepancies before counting begins.
    Stocktake 2026 · readiness review

    Before counting begins, check where things could unravel.

    Who will confirm where equipment is located? How will you record transfers? Who will resolve discrepancies? Work through 17 questions with the stocktake organiser and decide what needs preparing.

    Print / save PDFLet’s talk about your stocktake
    For CFOs, chief accountants, administration, operations and those responsible for company assets.
    Preparing the stocktake

    Four areas worth checking in advance

    Review your data, accountability, work organisation and asset labels. Decide which issues you can resolve before counting begins and which need separate decisions.

    01

    Your register lags behind reality

    Transfers, issues and returns happen faster than records are updated.

    02

    Equipment has an assigned user only on paper

    The stocktake becomes a search for the person responsible, the location and the history.

    03

    Excel brings data together, but not the process

    Multiple file versions, manual reconciliation and corrections made during the count.

    04

    Discrepancies close the count, but not the issue

    The report is completed, yet the underlying cause returns in the next cycle.

    Before your stocktake date

    Allow time for a trial run and for handling exceptions.

    Fit preparations around your company’s schedule. Before the team starts counting, test the entire process on a few assets, including equipment being serviced, held off-site or reassigned to a different user.

    Now

    Map the process and list the main risks

    Trial run

    Test the process at one location or on one group of assets

    Before counting

    Decide what to fix now and what to address after year-end close

    After counting

    Analyse discrepancies and plan how to eliminate their causes

    From the asset register to a reconciled stocktake

    Six stages to agree with your team

    At each stage, agree who is responsible and where the result will be recorded. If you use scanning, also check how readings will feed into the comparison with your asset register.

    STEP 01

    Prepare the asset register

    Agree the scope, source data and asset identifiers.

    STEP 02

    Complete the asset labels

    Print only missing labels and attach them to unlabelled assets.

    STEP 03

    Start the stocktake

    Set locations, dates, teams and rules for asset movements.

    STEP 04

    Confirm what is there

    Check the asset and its location. Record the result and any exceptions, such as damage or a missing label.

    STEP 05

    Compare and investigate

    Establish the reason for each discrepancy. An unconfirmed asset requires a review of its history and supporting documents.

    STEP 06

    Reconcile and update

    Document decisions and agree register updates with the people responsible.

    Three exceptions to rehearse before counting

    The team should know what to record and who should receive the issue.

    Missing labelHow will you confirm the asset’s identity and avoid a duplicate entry?
    Equipment off-siteWho will confirm the location and condition of equipment held by an employee or a service provider?
    Changed locationHow will you record asset movements between stocktake dates?

    Check during the trial:how many manual steps separate confirming an asset from resolving a discrepancy and updating the register?

    Go to the checklist
    15 minutes about your stocktake

    Where should preparations begin?

    Tell us how your last stocktake worked and what took the most effort. We’ll choose one issue worth looking at before the next count.

    01

    Your last stocktake

    Where did you search for equipment, transcribe data or wait for documents?

    02

    Your next date

    What can you prepare before counting with your current team and available time?

    03

    One agreed action

    Which step will you test, and who will take ownership in your company?

    Ready to use

    Checklist: 17 questions before your asset stocktake

    A short resource for the stocktake organiser who wants to find risks before the counting team does.

    PRACTICAL WORKSHEET · 17 QUESTIONS

    Is the process ready?

    • scope and source data
    • roles and accountability
    • locations and labels
    • transfers and returns
    • reconciling discrepancies
    Asset register and RFID stocktaking
    Straight answers

    Frequently asked questions

    How should we use the checklist?

    Work through the questions with the stocktake organiser. For unanswered questions, record who will find the answer and by when. You can print the checklist or save it as a PDF from the print dialog without providing any personal details.

    Do we need to prepare data?

    Not for the first conversation. You only need someone who knows how the last stocktake worked and can describe where manual work or discrepancies arose.

    What if counting has already begun?

    Focus on questions about asset movements, recording exceptions and resolving discrepancies. Agree any changes with the person responsible for the stocktake so that results remain comparable.

    A conversation about your process

    What would you like to handle more smoothly in this stocktake?

    Transcribing sheets, finding equipment, transfers between sites or resolving discrepancies? Choose one topic and let’s discuss it for 15 minutes.

    15 minutes about your stocktake

    Tell us when you plan to count, how many locations are involved and what made the previous stocktake difficult. We’ll arrange a short conversation.

    Arrange a conversationEmail us about a conversation Checklist first

    This link opens your email application. You can also write to start@remanently.com. The conversation is about your stocktake process.

    RemanentlyAn educational resource for preparing a fixed asset and equipment stocktake.