Skip to content

Inventory Day SOP

Glossary

  • Ghidra – LumenPnP production room
  • Thunderbird – Inventory room
  • Mendel – SMT assembly line
  • Tequila Sunrise – Feeder Assembly Line #1
  • Docker – Feeder Assembly Line #2
  • Aligni - Opulo's MRP (Material Resource Planner) used for purchasing of stock, production lot planning, and inventory management

Preflight checklist

Before inventory day begins, complete the following preparatory steps to ensure an accurate and efficient audit:

  • Receive all shipments
    Ensure all incoming shipments delivered to HQ have been received into Aligni. This includes both parts and consumables.

  • Enter retroactive purchases
    Manually enter any parts or materials acquired via Amazon, McMaster-Carr, or similar vendors that were not tracked through a formal purchase order.

  • Review zero-quantity parts
    Open the Aligni All Inventory report (Reports → Inventory → All Inventory) and filter for items showing a quantity of zero.
    Cross-reference against physical stock at HQ.

  • If a part is physically present but shows zero in Aligni, create a placeholder entry:
    • Quantity: 1
    • Cost: $0.00
    • Lot code: "placeholder"
  • This ensures the item is flagged for audit without affecting financial reporting or triggering restock alerts.

Inventory management tasks

During the inventory count, complete the following cleanup and organization work:

  • Consolidate small hardware
    Transfer all loose bolts, nuts, washers, etc., from small bins in Ghidra (LumenPnP room), Tequila Sunrise, and Docker (Feeder assembly stations) into the appropriate categorized bins in Thunderbird (Inventory room).

  • Standardize part locations
    Group like parts together and consolidate duplicate storage locations. Limit each part to as few open bins as possible to improve traceability.

  • Label bins and update lot codes
    Confirm that all bins and storage locations are clearly labeled with part numbers.
    Replace faded, handwritten, or missing labels to ensure accuracy during audit.

Dealing with in-progress builds

To maintain inventory accuracy, handle active builds before the audit begins:

  • Finalize completed builds
    If a build is physically complete, mark it as finalized in Aligni and move it to the pack-out shelf.
    Ensure all used components have been deducted from inventory.

  • Close open builds before inventory
    All work-in-progress builds must be finalized prior to starting inventory day.

Day-of inventory audit procedure

On inventory day, each team member will be assigned one or more part categories, each corresponding to a pre-created adjustment batch in Aligni. The goal is to confirm physical inventory against Aligni records and correct any discrepancies.

1. Open your assigned inventory batch

  • Go to Aligni → Inventory Adjustment Batches
  • Locate the batch for your assigned category (e.g., “Switches – June 2025 Inventory Sync”)
  • Click into the batch to begin

2. Import the part collection

  • Click “Add Parts”
  • Select the correct Part Collection (should match the batch title)
  • Leave the "Inventory Sublocation" blank
  • Click Add Parts

⚠️ You can only import up to 250 items per batch. If a batch doesn’t show all Asset IDs for a given part, this may be the cause.

3. Perform the physical count

For each part and lot:

  • Compare Aligni’s listed quantity to what is physically present
  • In the Final Qty column:
  • Enter the corrected quantity if there’s a mismatch
  • Leave the value unchanged if the inventory is correct
  • Enter 0 for lots that do not physically exist

💡 If you find unlabeled, duplicate, or mixed bins, consolidate them and notify the inventory lead.
ℹ️ Some bins may contain multiple lots combined for space efficiency. If this makes it impractical to split counts by Asset ID, estimate each lot's quantity as best you can—what matters most is that the total count across lots reflects our real stock.

4. Submit the adjustment

  • Once all quantities in your batch are reviewed:
  • Double-check for any obvious mistakes
  • Click Submit Adjustments (Do not finalize)
  • The batch will be sent to Lucy for final review and commit

✅ Do not delete lines or create new entries—adjust only what’s already listed.

Audit support & troubleshooting

Notify the inventory lead if:

  • A part exists physically but isn’t listed in Aligni
  • You encounter bins with no labels, wrong labels, or ambiguous part numbers
  • A bin contains mixed parts
  • You aren’t sure what a part is or can’t determine its Part Number

Post-audit procedure

After all counts are submitted, inventory is finalized before normal operations resume.

1. Review submitted batches

  • Lucy will review each submitted batch:
  • Look for inconsistencies or unusual quantities
  • Follow up on any questionable entries

  • Ensure no batches were prematurely finalized

  • If corrections are needed:

  • Reopen the batch
  • Coordinate with the original counter
  • Resubmit after resolving issues

2. Finalize adjustments

  • Once reviewed, batches will be finalized and committed in Aligni
  • Finalized records become the new official inventory baseline

3. Resume production

  • Once all batches are finalized, material consumption and production may resume
  • Lucy will notify the production team that inventory lockdown is lifted

⚠️ No material should be consumed between the start of inventory and the finalization of all adjustments.