Inventory in Pulse — Part 4: stock counts, adjustments & write-offs
When a physical count differs from the system, you post an adjustment: enter what you counted, Pulse calculates the variance, you pick a reason and confirm with your password. Write-offs work the same way. Every correction is permission-gated and permanently audited.
Pulse · 14 Jun 2026
Real stock drifts from the system — breakage, miscounts, shrinkage. Pulse handles this with adjustments and write-offs: protected, reasoned corrections that are permanently recorded. This mirrors the supervisor-override model in traditional stock systems, so corrections are deliberate and auditable.
Before you start: the Adjust permission
Posting adjustments, write-offs, and stocktakes all need the separate Adjust permission. It is not granted automatically, even to admins — an owner chooses exactly who can correct counts. If you don't see the Adjust action, ask an owner to grant it.
Counting many items in one pass
For a full stocktake instead of correcting one item at a time, use the Stocktake button on the Inventory page. Enter what you physically counted for as many items as you like — leave anything you didn't count blank. Pulse then shows every variance in one review screen before anything is posted, so you can check your numbers first. A single password confirmation covers the whole batch; each changed item still lands in the ledger as its own reasoned, audited adjustment, exactly like a one-off correction, so the trail reads the same either way. Items that match the system are skipped automatically — nothing is posted for a count that already agrees. Piece-tracked items aren't counted here; reconcile those from their own Pieces tab instead (Part 6).
Post a single stock count adjustment
- Open the item and choose Adjust.
- Pulse shows the system count. Enter the physical count you actually counted.
- It previews the variance (for example, −5 units). If the count matches, there's nothing to post.
- Choose a reason — counting error, damage, theft, shrinkage, supplier short-delivery, or other.
- Confirm with your Pulse password. Pulse issues a short-lived, single-use confirmation, then posts the adjustment for the exact variance.
The adjustment lands in the ledger with its reason and who posted it, and your on-hand now matches reality.
Write off damaged or lost stock
A write-off follows the same protected flow but asks how many units to remove, with reasons like damaged, expired, stolen, or lost. You can't write off more than you have. Like every other entry, write-offs are immutable and fully attributed.
Why the password step matters
Counts and write-offs change your stock truth, so Pulse gates them behind a fresh password confirmation that can be used once and expires quickly — one confirmation per stocktake batch, or per single adjustment. It keeps corrections honest and traceable — exactly what you want when month-end numbers depend on them.
Frequently asked questions
Why do I need to enter my password to adjust?
Adjustments and write-offs change your stock truth, so Pulse requires a fresh, single-use password confirmation that expires after a few minutes.
Do I enter the variance or the counted total?
Enter the physical count you actually counted. Pulse calculates the variance against the system figure for you.
I can’t see the Adjust button — why?
Adjust is a separate permission that isn’t granted by default. Ask an organisation owner to grant you inventory Adjust access.
Related guides
- Inventory in Pulse — Part 1: items & stock on handPulse inventory is items-first and perpetual: you create an item, set an opening balance, and your on-hand quantity is always the sum of every stock movement — never a stored number that can drift. This part covers adding items, units, count vs measure mode, and reorder levels.
- Inventory in Pulse — Part 2: suppliers, the catalog & purchase ordersThe buy side of Pulse inventory lives under Inventory: add Suppliers, keep their products in the Catalog, and raise Purchase Orders. When you mark a PO received, Pulse posts the stock straight into the ledger for you.
- Inventory in Pulse — Part 3: the stock ledger (receiving, issuing & movements)Every stock change in Pulse is an immutable ledger entry: opening, received, issued, adjustment, or write-off. On-hand is always their sum, movements can be attributed to a project or job, and sending an invoice can issue stock automatically.
- Inventory in Pulse — Part 5: the catalog & cross-branch SKUsIf you run multiple branches, a head-office catalog of Shared SKUs lets each branch link its own items to a shared product. The Cross-Branch view groups stock by SKU, showing per-branch quantities and a total, and lets you transfer stock between branches — while every branch keeps its own names, costs, and ledger.
- Inventory in Pulse — Part 6: pieces, offcuts & the usage reportFor materials you cut, Pulse can track individual pieces and offcuts: each piece carries a remaining quantity and status, issuing can split a child offcut, and a usage report shows received, issued, written-off and waste. Pulse records what is left — it never calculates what to cut.