> ## Documentation Index > Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.maska.co.in/llms.txt > Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further. # Stock take > Count physical stock and reconcile any variances against system records. A **[stock take](/procurement/glossary)** is a physical count of what's actually on the shelf, checked against what the app thinks you have. Where the two disagree, the difference surfaces as a **[variance](/procurement/glossary)** and posts a correcting **[adjustment](/procurement/glossary)** so your on-hand balance matches reality again. New to the terms here (on-hand, variance, adjustment, WMA)? See the [Glossary](/procurement/glossary). ## Who counts what A stock take always runs against **one location**: Staff signed in at an outlet count **their own outlet's** stock. They can only ever see and count their outlet — never another's. HQ users (no home outlet) count the **warehouse** master inventory. They also set the policy that staff counts follow. Two permissions split the work: * **Performing a count** — entering quantities and submitting — needs `adjustments:manage`. This is what lets someone open a take, save counts, and post the resulting adjustment. * **Configuring the policy** — the count frequency and whether counts are blind — needs `stocktake:configure`. Only managers/owners hold this. Staff see the policy but can't change it. Anyone without `stocktake:configure` is automatically scoped to their own outlet, so staff never reach across locations. ## Starting a count You don't create a take from a blank form — opening the stock-take screen **starts or resumes** one for your location automatically. The app looks for an already-open take at your location. If one exists, you pick up exactly where it was left; if not, a new take is opened. Opening a take captures a **snapshot** of every active item that currently holds a balance at the location — its on-hand quantity becomes the **system quantity** you'll count against, and its average cost is stored for valuing any variance. Items added or moved after this point don't change the lines you're counting. Work down the list, entering the physical count for each item. There's only **one open take per location** at a time. Re-opening the screen resumes the same take rather than starting a fresh one, so a count can span a break or a dropped connection without losing progress — saved counts are remembered. ## Entering counted quantities Each item starts as **to count**. Tap to begin counting it, then adjust the quantity with the stepper or by typing a number. The step size adapts to the unit — whole units for things counted in pieces, half-units for weights and volumes. Your counts save quietly in the background as you go, so you don't have to remember to save. The list is built for real shelves: search by item name or SKU, filter by category, or flip on **to count** to hide everything you've already done. A progress bar tracks how many of the total items you've counted. ### Blind vs. visible counting How much you see while counting depends on the **blind count** policy: On-app stock figures are **hidden** during the count — across the whole app, this location's stock numbers are masked while a blind take is open. You enter what you physically count with nothing to anchor to, so the count stays honest. The variance is revealed only afterwards, in the report. The screen shows what the app expects for each item, and a live **Match / +/− variance** chip appears the moment your count differs. ## How variances are computed For every item you counted, the **variance** is simply: > counted quantity − system quantity (the on-hand snapshot taken when the take opened) A positive variance means more on the shelf than expected; a negative one means less. Tiny differences within tolerance are treated as an exact **match**, not a variance. Each variance is also valued at the item's snapshot average cost, and those add up to a **net stock variance** in rupees — the overall money impact of the count. ## Submitting and posting adjustments Submitting is the irreversible step that reconciles your books. The submit sheet shows how many items you counted, how many you skipped, and lets you leave an optional **note for your manager**. Any pending counts are saved first, then the take is **locked**. From here it can't be reopened or changed. All counted deltas are bundled into a single **`variance` adjustment** and posted — this reuses the same [WMA](/procurement/glossary) costing and [stock ledger](/procurement/glossary) machinery as every other stock movement, so your on-hand balances move to match the counts. The adjustment carries a minted `ADJ` doc number and references the originating stock take. You land on a locked **receipt** showing the net variance, the count totals, your note, and each flagged deviation (app quantity → counted quantity, with its money impact). Reconciliation is now the manager's call. Submitting a stock take is **final**. It locks the count and posts a real stock adjustment that updates live on-hand and cost — it can't be silently undone. Count carefully before you submit. **Skipped items keep their current quantity.** Any item you don't count is left untouched — it stays at its on-app figure rather than being zeroed. Only items you actually counted can produce a variance. ## The policy: who configures it The count policy is **tenant-wide** and set by a manager or owner (anyone with `stocktake:configure`). It has two settings: * **Count frequency** — weekly, fortnightly, or monthly — the cadence at which counts are expected. * **Blind count** — whether on-app stock is hidden during counting. Enforced (on) by default. Staff can open the policy sheet to see the current settings, but the controls are locked for them — only a manager can change the frequency or turn blind counting off. While a **blind** count is open at a location, that location's stock figures are masked everywhere in the app until the take is submitted. This keeps a count in progress from being influenced by — or accidentally changing — the numbers it's meant to verify.