Keep your inventory accurate by regularly performing a stocktake in Katana. A stocktake ensures your recorded inventory aligns with what’s physically available in your warehouse.
What is a stocktake?
A stocktake (also known as an inventory count or cycle count) is the process of physically counting your stock to verify its accuracy in Katana. This is typically done:
Monthly, quarterly, or yearly
During audits
After production or shipping discrepancies
If you're auditing only a subset of products regularly, that's called a cycle count — a focused stocktake for selected categories or items.
While you count, stock can still move: an order ships from a connected sales channel, a receipt is recorded late, or a colleague moves stock to another location. Katana doesn't block these movements. It shows you which counted items they touched, so you can check them before completing instead of finding the stock wrong later.
Creating a stocktake
Option 1
Go to the Stock screen → Inventory tab.
Press the Stocktake option at the top left of the table
Katana will generate a stocktake with all item variants and their current stock quantities (for what you previously selected).
To do a cycle count, apply filters or use checkboxes to include only specific items.
Option 2
Go to the Stock screen → click the Stocktakes tab.
Press + Stocktake.
You will see a pop-up that lets you choose a location (if you have multiple) and whether the list will be empty or pre-filled with in-stock items.
Note: Stocktakes are location-specific. If you have multiple locations, repeat this process for each.
Prepare before counting
Before you begin:
Add a reason for the stocktake
Delete rows for items you don’t plan to count
Add new rows for unlisted items
Leave notes if needed
If you're using batch tracking, each tracked batch appears as its own row. If you use storage bins, each bin appears as its own row.
Tip: Hide the columns you don’t need while counting, such as barcodes or supplier item codes, from the gear icon at the right end of the table header.
Begin counting
To ensure consistency, pause stock-moving operations for the items you’re counting. When something still moves, Katana shows you at the end (see Finishing the count).
If you don't have the stocktake already open, open it from Stock screen > Stocktakes tab.
Change the status to Work in progress to lock in current stock levels. Katana keeps them as In stock at start.
The column Quantity in stock will be replaced by Counted quantity.
Start updating each row with the actual counted quantity.
If you find items in stock that aren't on the list, press + Add row to add them
Tip: You can print the stocktake for paper-based counting by clicking the print icon.
Barcode scanning (Optional)
If you use barcode scanners:
Scanning will auto-update the counted quantity.
If a scanned item isn't on the stocktake, a new row will be added.
Finishing the count
Review and update all Counted quantity fields.
Decide what to do with blank rows:
Check Mark all remaining items as counted to treat blanks as zero quantity.
Leave it unchecked to keep original quantities.
Change the stocktake status to Counted to generate a discrepancy report.
Review any mismatch between counted vs. expected quantities.
At Counted, Katana checks the stock of every counted row again and shows it next to the stock when counting started:
In stock at start: the stock when you set Work in progress.
In stock now: the stock at the last check. Its time is in Stock rechecked in the header.
Discrepancy: counted quantity minus in stock at start. It is calculated for you and can't be edited.
Items that moved during the count
When the stock of a counted row changed while you were counting, its In stock now is underlined in amber. Hover over it to see the change, for example In stock went from 1011 to 991 while counting.
In this example, 20 brake cables and 6 chain lubricants were transferred to the assembly workshop during the count. The brake cable discrepancy of −20 is not a loss: those 20 cables left on a stock transfer.
Turn on Show only items that moved during count above the table to list only those rows. On a long stocktake, it's the quickest way to review them.
Note: Only counted rows are highlighted. A row without a count doesn't change your stock, so a movement on it needs no review.
Completing the stocktake
Once you're satisfied:
Set the stocktake status to Completed.
Katana will create a Stock Adjustment, automatically updating the quantities to reflect your count. Just before, it checks the stock of the counted rows once more.
In the example, the only change left is the real one: 2 rim tapes missing from bin A-02-01.
When items moved during the count
If some counted rows moved, Katana asks about them before completing:
For each highlighted row, think about when it was counted:
Counted after it moved: the count already includes the movement, so it is right. Click Confirm counts and complete. In the example, the brake cables were counted after 20 left for the workshop.
Counted before it moved: the count is out of date. Click Review items, enter a new count on the row, and complete again. In the example, the chain lubricant was counted before 6 bottles left.
A new count is checked against the stock at that moment: In stock at start becomes the stock now, and the highlight clears. Then complete again and confirm the rest in the pop-up.
When a completion is refused
If a counted row moved after you last looked at it, for example a customer return was restocked while you had the stocktake open, Katana doesn't complete. The stocktake stays Counted, nothing in stock changes, and a banner says what happened:
Click Show rows to list the rows that moved, then recount them, or complete again and confirm them.
Note: Rows you already confirmed stay confirmed. A confirmation covers the stock you saw: if a row moves again afterward, Katana asks about it again instead of accepting the old count.
After completing
By default, Average cost remains unchanged during stocktakes. To change it, edit the resulting stock adjustment or use a stock level import.
If needed, you can revert the stocktake by changing its status from Completed to a previous state. This deletes the stock adjustment and undoes inventory changes.
Activity log
Click the 3-dot menu at the top right to view a changelog for that stocktake.
Inside the log, you'll find who created the order and if and when changes were made to it.
Note: Stocktakes created prior to October 2026 will not offer as many details.
Common situations
Situation during the count | What you see | What to do |
Items were shipped or transferred before you counted them | The row is highlighted; In stock now is lower than at start and matches your count | Nothing to fix: Confirm counts and complete |
Items were shipped or transferred after you counted them | The row is highlighted; your count is higher than In stock now | Recount the row, or lower the count by what left |
Goods were on the shelf and counted, but their receipt was recorded in Katana later | The row is highlighted; In stock now is higher than at start | The count already includes them: Confirm counts and complete |
Goods were put away in a bin after you counted it | The row is highlighted; your count is lower than In stock now | Recount the row |
Someone records a movement while you have the stocktake open | Completing is refused with a banner; the stocktake stays Counted | Show rows, then recount or complete again and confirm |
You can't tell when a row was counted | The row is highlighted | Recount it: a new count is always checked against the stock now |
You find a mistake after completing | The stocktake is Completed | Edit its stock adjustment, or change the status back to Counted and recount |
Tips & best practices
Assign users to different product categories during group counts.
Use the notes column to flag any special cases.
Use barcode scanning for faster and more accurate input.
For longer lists, print the stocktake and update digitally afterward.
Count in small, frequent cycle counts (an aisle, a category, your fast movers) rather than one big count: fewer movements land in the middle of a count.
Count at a quiet time, such as before shipping starts or after the last pick, and set the status to Counted as soon as counting ends.
Count a bin or shelf in one go, and enter the count right away rather than at the end of the shift.
Let the team know which items and bins are being counted, so receipts, picks and transfers for them can wait or be recorded straight away.
Use Show only items that moved during count to review the highlighted rows before completing, rather than scanning the whole list.
When unsure whether a count includes a movement, recount the row: it takes a moment and is always checked against the stock at that time.
Keep cycle counts small enough to complete the same day. The longer a stocktake stays open, the more rows move.
A diagram example of cycle counts:
Frequently asked questions
Does Katana stop stock from moving during a stocktake? No. Sales, receipts, production and transfers carry on, including those from connected apps. Katana checks the counted rows at Counted and again at Completed, and shows you the ones that moved.
Why is a row highlighted when its count is right? The highlight means the stock moved while you were counting, not that the count is wrong. If you counted after the movement, confirm it when completing.
What does Confirm counts and complete do? It accepts your counts for the highlighted rows as they are and completes the stocktake. Use it only when those counts already include the movement.
Why wasn't my stocktake completed? A counted row moved after you last looked at it. The banner says how many; Show rows lists them. Recount them, or complete again and confirm.
Can I edit the Discrepancy? No. It is the counted quantity minus the stock at start. Change the Counted quantity instead.
Why did In stock at start change on a row? You recounted or confirmed it, so the row starts from the stock at that moment and the discrepancy only shows what you actually found.
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