Multi-location wholesalers often discover that the same SKU carries three different stories: one branch shows healthy stock, another shows zero, and the warehouse shows a middle number that matches neither.
Begin with unit-of-measure confusion. A case of twelve sold as singles at one branch and as cases at another will split the records even when physical units are correct. Align pack definitions before chasing theft theories.
Next, inspect returns. Customer returns that re-enter the floor without a receiving note inflate one location and leave the origin location’s record untouched. A simple returns bin with a daily post to stock prevents weeks of silent drift.
Then look at display and sample units. Branches that pull openers for counter display without adjusting on-hand create permanent one-unit gaps. Decide whether samples live in a separate non-sale location code.
Only after those three checks should you escalate to full recounts. Recounting first burns staff time and often reconfirms a process problem rather than solving it.