Troubleshooting: Variances in a Physical Inventory

Troubleshooting: Variances in a Physical Inventory

A Physical Inventory shows variances, and you need to identify the cause

Most variances occur because of:

  • Missing or committed receiving/invoicing

  • Missing or unprocessed sales

The Item History Report is the most reliable tool for determining where an item’s on-hand value comes from and identifying the source of discrepancies.



Locate the Item History Report

You can access the Item History Report from multiple areas in Yellow Dog:

  • Inventory Items screen (Yellow Dog home page)

  • Stores tab of the Item Editor

  • Physical Inventory Editor

  • Any purchasing document

  • Standard Reports

Important filter behavior

If any filters are applied when you generate the report, the results are limited to the filtered scope. For example:

  • Generating a report from a purchase order shows only data for the store associated with that PO.

  • Generating a report from the Inventory Items screen with a single store selected returns data only for that store.

​
Generate an Item History Report

Anywhere you see the Item History Report for… button, you can generate the report.

Select what to show

Depending on the item and context, you may see the following options:

  • Include related items
    Appears when the item has multiple sizes. Select this to include history for related items.

  • Only show on-hand adjustments
    Returns only actions that changed on-hand quantity.

    • If an item had a zero variance in a Physical Inventory (meaning counted = expected), that Physical will not appear when this filter is selected.

    • Leave this unchecked to include all activity, including background processes such as store availability updates and POS re-sync actions. This option is typically only selected by the Yellow Dog support team 

​
Item History Report Structure

The report layout follows the standard Yellow Dog report format:

  • Filters appear at the top.

  • Options to print, save, and export appear at the bottom.

  • Columns such as Store, SKU, Level, Date/Time, and Vendor appear by default.

Column Description
Adjusted Quantity added or removed based on the action. Example: A Physical variance of –5 shows –5 in this column.
Item Calculated Cost The item’s calculated cost at the time of the action.
Extended Calculated Cost Calculated cost × adjusted quantity. Example: –5 variance × $15 cost = –$75.
Store on Hand The on-hand quantity for the item at that location after the action.
Employee The Yellow Dog user logged in when the action occurred.
Document Document number associated with the action (optional column; add it via Change Columns, Sorting, Grouping).
Action The type of action (Manual Adjustment, POS Sale/Return, Physical Inventory, etc.).
Reference Notes or reference data associated with the action (for example, notes from a purchasing document).


If you discover that purchasing, manual adjustments, or sales are missing, you can typically apply them retroactively to reduce variances before committing the Physical Inventory. 

  1. Contact Yellow Dog Support if:

    • Sales are missing: Support may be able to pull in missing sales or advise whether manual sales need to be created.

    • Variances remain unclear: If the Item History Report does not clarify the discrepancy, the Helpdesk can assist in determining the next steps.

  1. Phone: 757-663-7514
  2. Email: support@yellowdogsoftware.com
  3. Chat: Click here to Chat with a YD Support Guide 
Support hours: Monday–Friday, 9:00 a.m.–8:00 p.m. EST
Emergency support (available 24/7): 757-663-7514, Option 1