CCS Plus Consulting Team
Short answer: to catch missing products, a salon can't let staff tick off a StockCard. In CCS Plus, the system prints a random product count sheet, staff write in the actual quantities, and the owner works out a count password to check it on the spot. If the numbers don't match, head office is notified immediately.
With other systems, stock goes missing and you don't know. With CCS Plus, stock goes missing and you know right away.
A stock take is for catching missing stock early
Many owners think a stock take is for finding out how much is left. The system already knows how much is left. The real point of counting is to catch stock that has gone missing, early.
Products sit on shelves, in the store room and on beauticians' trolleys. Every day someone takes, uses or sells them. If you only notice something is short at month-end, or year-end, there's no way to find out who, when or why.
Why a StockCard doesn't catch it
Many salons send staff out with a StockCard. The system quantity is already printed on it, so staff glance, tick, and they're done. Staff are human. Who can guarantee they really counted?
Give them a blank sheet to write the real numbers and they will count properly, but now the problem is yours: are their numbers right? You spend precious time checking line by line.
| Method | Will staff count properly? | Owner's time | Catches missing stock? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tick a StockCard | Not necessarily; a tick means done | Very little | Hardly |
| Write quantities on a blank sheet | Yes | A lot, line by line | Yes, but slowly |
| CCS Plus random count sheet + count password | Yes, the sheet shows no system quantity | Very little, one password | On the spot |
How CCS Plus does it: random count sheet + count password
- The system randomly picks which products to count and prints a count sheet. There are no system quantities on it, so staff have to actually count.
- Staff count and write in the actual quantities.
- The owner uses those quantities to work out the count password and enters it. You know immediately whether it's right.
- If it really doesn't match, head office is notified straight away. No waiting until month-end.
Because the items are random each time, staff never know what will be checked today. There's no room to fake it.
Check salon-used products too
Besides retail products, salons use a lot of stock in treatments: serums, masks, massage oils. When CCS Plus records salon-used stock, it checks it against how many related services were done recently. Does usage match the number of services? If not, it's reasonable to suspect stock is being taken, and the owner is notified.
Lose 3 fewer products a month and the profit comes back
An example: an outlet loses 3 products a month at a cost of RM80 each. That's RM2,880 a year, and it comes straight out of profit, not sales. Get the stock take right, stop those 3 going missing, and the profit comes back.
Do this today
Pick the 5 most expensive, most often taken products. Without showing the system quantity, ask a staff member to write down how many are actually on the shelf, then compare with the system.
FAQ
Why doesn't a StockCard stock take catch missing products?
The StockCard shows the system quantity, so staff easily just tick without counting. The numbers always 'match', so missing stock is never found.
What is the CCS Plus count password?
After staff write actual quantities on the random count sheet, the owner uses them to work out a password and enters it. The system tells you on the spot whether the count is right, and notifies head office if it isn't.
Can you catch salon-used products being taken?
Yes. When CCS Plus records salon-used stock, it compares usage with the number of related services recently done. If they don't match, the owner is notified.
Further reading: How do you know if salon staff are deleting bills? · The busier the owner, the smaller the salon · 30 things a billing system won't tell you
Want to see how CCS Plus makes these numbers clear? Book a 30-minute Demo and we'll show you using your real data.
