WHAT DOES AN INVENTORY ASSOCIATE DO?

Published: Oct 14, 2025 - The Inventory Associate organizes and maintains inventory according to internal standards while ensuring accurate counts and timely reporting of discrepancies. This role supports cycle counts, records departmental metrics, and manages inventory movement efficiently to facilitate order fulfillment. The associate also involves operating lift equipment, restocking products, and assisting with special projects such as setting up new storage areas and labeling inventory locations.

A Review of Professional Skills and Functions for Inventory Associate

1. Senior Inventory Associate Duties

  • Report Management: Runs the daily overages and shortages report and ensures proper completion of related documentation.
  • Regulatory Compliance: Complies with all applicable FDA, DEA, and company procedures.
  • Audit Filing: Properly files all assigned STARS audit reports and maintains accurate records.
  • Data Reporting: Completes monthly Ecs and Exp Date reports on the RU Tool.
  • Product Removal: Handles the removal of recalled products from shelves safely and efficiently.
  • Team Collaboration: Fosters teamwork while meeting production levels and supporting colleagues.
  • Customer Support: Responds promptly to internal and external customer requests.
  • Instruction Interpretation: Interprets and follows written, oral, diagram, or schedule instructions accurately.
  • Inventory Counting: Conducts physical inventory counts and various related tasks.
  • RF Scanning: Utilizes RF scanning equipment to maintain accurate inventory records.

2. Accounting Inventory Associate Details

  • Month-End Closing: Own key the month-end close processes for the Pharmacy/Fulfillment Center general ledger, including necessary close procedures, account reconciliations and posting of manual journal entries, in a timely and accurate manner.
  • Inventory Accounting: Assist with inventory cost accounting for own Pharmacy/Fulfillment Center, closely working on developing new processes and procedures in partnership with the Accounting and Operations teams.
  • Account Management: Manage the accuracy of inventory and inventory-related accounts.
  • Receipt Reconciliation: Reconcile inventory receipts and adjustments, validating activity to supporting documents and investigating discrepancies on an as-needed basis.
  • Count Verification: Review and reconcile inventory counts, cycle counts and year-end wall-to-wall count results.
  • Shipment Reconciliation: Reconcile outbound shipments between the warehouse management system and the order management system.
  • System Management: Assist with managing accounting systems and integrations with operations systems impacting Pharmacy/ Fulfillment Center.
  • Process Improvement: Assist with process improvements, system automations and cross-functional coordination to enable accurate and timely record-keeping for impacting Pharmacy/ Fulfillment Center operations.
  • Reporting Analysis: Assist with ad-hoc reporting related to Inventory Operations, Fulfillment Center operations, as well as other analyses necessary for Internal and External Reporting.

3. Inventory Associate Responsibilities

  • Inventory Organization: Arrange inventory in accordance with internal product standards.
  • Inventory Movement: Move inventory from a finished goods location to a fixed bin location that is conducive to order fulfillment.
  • Quantity Verification: Count and verify quantities of inventory.
  • Discrepancy Reporting: Report discrepancies to the Inventory Accuracy Team and help fix discrepancies.
  • Project Completion: Complete weekly inventory projects.
  • Process Coordination: Ensure that projects are kept organized, efficient, and timely to avoid confusion with the activities of other departments.
  • Cycle Counting: Assist in cycle counting inventory locations.
  • Data Recording: Record daily departmental metrics accurately, as well as fill out any required paperwork.
  • Equipment Operation: Operate lift equipment such as cherry pickers, swing reaches, forklifts, etc.
  • Product Restocking: Restock product as received from the Returns Department.
  • Special Projects: Work on special projects and assignments.
  • Rack Setup: Build new pick faces, set up racking, label, and stock product in new locations, etc.

4. Inventory Associate Job Summary

  • Cycle Counting: Perform daily cycle counting of inventory.
  • FIFO Maintenance: Maintain FIFO within the inventory processes.
  • Product Labeling: Label products and stock the warehouse.
  • Order Picking: Use product pick-lists to pull orders.
  • Order Verification: Double-count and verify order accuracy.
  • Order Packing: Pack orders for shipment.
  • Shipment Verification: Verify the accuracy of incoming shipments.
  • Stock Rotation: Ensure stock rotation follows the FIFO concept.
  • Customer Service: Give good customer service.

5. Inventory Associate Accountabilities

  • Inventory Accuracy: Maintain accurate inventory using several different processes.
  • Data Tracking: Determine causes of inaccuracies and perform data entry and product tracking through the product lifecycle.
  • Inventory Integrity: Maintain the accuracy and integrity of inventory to prevent shortages and ensure smooth operations.
  • Inventory Management: Conduct inventory management and support the warehousing team in daily tasks and issue resolution.
  • Team Communication: Maintain constant and clear communication with the warehousing and operations departments.
  • Process Improvement: Participate in identifying and prioritizing improvement projects.
  • Task Execution: Perform various duties as assigned by inventory management.
  • Shortage Reporting: Keep the purchasing apprised of any inventory shortages.
  • Product Allocation: Perform serial number and product allocations to open work orders for multiple sites.
  • Warehouse Assistance: Assist in warehouse and distribution needs.
  • Maintenance Tracking: Assist in the ventilator preventative maintenance tracking program.
  • Order Input: Input replenishment product orders for external sites.
  • Transfer Coordination: Assist in all transfers in and out of the Toms River location.
  • Issue Follow-up: Perform all follow-ups on capital equipment transfer issues.
Relevant Information
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What Does An Inventory Clerk Do?