WHAT DOES AN INVENTORY CONTROL SPECIALIST DO?

Updated: Dec 05, 2025 - The Inventory Control Specialist ensures inventory accuracy by conducting regular counts, reconciling variances, and resolving billing issues related to inventory discrepancies. This role coordinates with procurement, accounting, and warehouse teams to manage returns, short-coded products, shipping errors, and recall processes. The specialist also oversees outside storage inventories, handles damaged goods, and ensures proper documentation and follow-up on all inventory movements and reports.

A Review of Professional Skills and Functions for Inventory Control Specialist

1. Inventory Control Specialist Duties

  • Warehouse Operations: Utilize Warehouse System (SAP) to successfully execute all daily aspects of the inventory operations
  • Employee Relations: Interact and maintain positive relationships with all levels of management and union employees
  • Cycle Counting: Timely and accurate posting of cycle count results and inventory transactions
  • Discrepancy Analysis: Analysis, reconciliation, and reporting of discrepancies
  • Inventory Monitoring: Monitoring of aging inventory, performing root cause analysis, and working with management to develop permanent solutions
  • Performance Tracking: Achieve established average per hour (APH) counting goals while ensuring accuracy and integrity of the data collected in all inventories worked
  • Data Reporting: Record key data and provide regular reporting/metrics internally, and to external finance teams
  • Team Coordination: Assist the Team Leader with providing direction to Inventory Control associates
  • Leadership Support: Serve as a backup to the Team Leader during their absence
  • SAP Transactions: Responsible for ensuring inventory records and transaction activities associated with the movement of material are accurately recorded in SAP
  • Inventory Accuracy: Responsible for the integrity, accuracy, and control of all in-house materials/inventories by performing daily audits and physical inventory counts
  • Error Resolution: Assist with the physical inventory count process and investigate/resolve any errors or discrepancies
  • Stock Balancing: Maintain and compute inventory balance by running and preparing reports of inventory balances, shortages, and discrepancies every week
  • Expiration Control: Run expiring reports and remove expired inventory
  • Policy Compliance: Adhere to all company policies and procedures

2. Inventory Control Specialist Details

  • Cycle Leadership: Lead cycle counts of assigned inventory lots and locations
  • Product Receiving: Appropriately receive, label, and place the product within the appropriate warehouse/retail location
  • Inventory Accuracy: Ensure that the information in IT systems reflects the actual physical product inventory
  • Product Packaging: Package products in boxes to ensure they are ready for movement within the premises or for distribution
  • Order Staging: Stage/Pick inventory for all outgoing orders and assist in the put-away process for finished goods
  • Inventory Organization: Confirm organization of inventory by ensuring the material/product is in the correct location
  • Item Search: Conducts searches to locate misclassified inventory
  • Inventory Counting: Performs cycle counts of assigned inventory lots and locations
  • Issue Resolution: Participate in the review and solution of any inventory issues and maintain the proper documentation for resolution
  • Log Maintenance: Maintain Inventory Logs to process cycle counts, review on-hand inventory, current activity, and past activity
  • Discrepancy Reporting: Flag or report inventory discrepancies of under/over amounts and/or QC discrepancies to the direct supervisor
  • Stock Organization: Maintain organization of inventory by ensuring materials/products are in the correct location
  • Item Search: Conducts searches to locate misclassified inventory
  • Document Filing: Maintain and file any transfer documentation
  • Procedure Implementation: Assist in the implementation of procedures to prevent errors
  • Policy Compliance: Complies with company policies and procedures and maintains regular work attendance

3. Inventory Control Specialist Responsibilities

  • Discrepancy Analysis: Analyze all discrepancies, checking WIP, all locations, and all D365 transactions before adjusting inventory
  • Report Reconciliation: Review and reconcile all D365 and In-Transit reports to ensure resolution
  • Cycle Verification: Cycle count Anaheim to confirm their inventory balances and adjust
  • Receipt Processing: Perform daily PO Receipts and Transfer Receipts
  • Quantity Validation: Validate that all PO and transfer quantities are correct compared to the receiving document
  • Stock Placement: Stock all incoming product in the correct stocking location by product platform and ensure all boxes, packages, bags, etc. have an Item label
  • Material Consumption: Perform daily consumption of all materials to the production orders in real time, filling any back orders
  • Order Completion: Complete work orders in D365 when the order is complete, validating that all consumption is complete and accurate
  • Schedule Assistance: Assist with Assembly schedules
  • Cart Replenishment: Daily monitoring and replenishment of the production repair warranty cart
  • Material Disposition: Disposition of materials through the MRB (Material Review Board) process
  • Order Communication: Communicate with the Sales Order Mailbox on all matters about the progress/delay status of customer orders
  • Customer Service: Serve as a proactive customer service and quality ambassador of The Econolite Group, Inc. by representing the organization in a positive, professional manner to support The Brand Promise
  • Kit Delivery: Prepare and deliver kits to production, ensuring a continuous flow of material to production to support on-time delivery and production's daily capacity
  • Shipping Coordination: Coordinate shipping activities (between Anaheim/Murrieta/Tecate/3rd party Contract Manufacturers)
  • Production Auditing: Audit production activities to ensure adherence to inventory control policies
  • Schedule Auditing: Perform regular audits of the production schedule
  • Schedule Updating: Update production schedule for responsible fields

4. Inventory Control Specialist Job Summary

  • Strategy Development: Assists in the creation and updating of the inventory strategies for the site
  • Cycle Execution: Executes the cycle count program in coordination with Finance, Manufacturing, Supply Chain and Production Planning functions
  • Variance Investigation: Investigate inventory variances, determine the root cause and implement corrective actions
  • Adjustment Reporting: Perform, maintain, track and report inventory adjustments and relevant findings
  • Procedure Development: Develops standard operating procedures and business processes related to inventory control activities
  • Employee Training: Engage and train employees on inventory-related processes with a focus on the resolution of issues/discrepancies via corrective actions
  • Process Implementation: Develops and implements robust processes to include Excess and Obsolete Inventory and actionable strategies
  • Process Improvement: Recommends operational process improvements and develops strategies to enhance performance, systems, accuracy levels and inventory touch points
  • Data Integrity: Manages the integrity of inventory data in ERP and defines and implements inventory control KPI’s and reporting dashboards
  • Product Support: Helps support new product launches/implementation from an inventory perspective
  • Guideline Setting: Set inventory operational guidelines and procedures for employees to follow
  • Planner Alignment: Align the demand planner, supply planner, inventory planner, and buyer in the planning and execution of the supply chain components of product strategy in support of the program goals and KPIs

5. Inventory Control Specialist Accountabilities

  • Control Support: Assists in the internal control process for inventory and weekly reconciliation of raw components and production supplies
  • Record Maintenance: Maintain bulk inventories and the integrity of paper and electronic records without direct supervision
  • Cycle Counting: Conduct cycle counts of all bulk inventories under the control of Operations on a weekly schedule
  • Material Handling: Receive and send bulk material and samples to and from Production and QC without direct supervision
  • Inventory Tracking: Track and maintain inventory accuracy across warehousing, production, and distribution operations
  • Department Coordination: Coordinate and integrate efforts across operational departments to enhance inventory accuracy
  • Inventory Verification: Ensure the integrity of the inventory by verifying item number, description, unit of measure and bin location
  • Lab Support: Works with the lab to ensure the company is pulling inventory consumables timely and with correct quantities to maintain an uninterrupted workflow
  • ERP Processing: Process and record corresponding transactions in the ERP system
  • Discrepancy Resolution: Works collaboratively with the team to resolve any discrepancies
  • Audit Preparation: Performs weekly, monthly, quarterly, and cycle counts for internal and external audit purposes
  • Reagent Support: Works with the lab to ensure pulling inventory reagents in a timely and correct quantity to maintain workflow
  • Process Improvement: Identifies areas of improvement and works collaboratively with other departments to drive resolution
  • Safety Compliance: Follows Environmental, Health, and Safety (EH&S) policies and procedures
  • Workplace Safety: Takes responsibility for safety in the immediate work area
  • Continuous Improvement: Participates in Continuous Improvement Projects

6. Inventory Control Specialist Functions

  • Operations Support: Support the warehouse operations team, ensuring safe, compliant execution of the on-the-floor warehouse operations in the cGMP commercial facility including receiving, put away, picking and component preparation for manufacturing and product shipping
  • Inventory Accuracy: Maintains inventory accuracy through management of physical inventory/cycle count processes
  • ABC Management: Manages ABC coding of inventory managed items
  • Performance Monitoring: Maintain warehouse performance targets by participating in daily huddles (safety, quality, cost, performance, etc.)
  • Problem Solving: Investigate and resolve operational problems and/or compliance issues utilizing problem-solving techniques (CFA/RCA, 5Why, Fishbone, KT, etc.) to determine root cause
  • Corrective Actions: Implements corrective and preventative actions based on cross-functional problem-solving and investigation findings
  • Visual Management: Adept at developing visual management tools to provide status updates on organizational performance
  • Goal Achievement: Achieves functional area goals and participates in functional and cross-functional job rotations
  • Capacity Planning: Supports input assumptions associated with capacity and workforce planning
  • Risk Identification: Preemptively identifies constraints and risks
  • Cycle Accuracy: Support the cycle count process to ensure accuracy and control of inventory volumes
  • Warehouse Control: Maintains inventory control throughout the Newark warehouse for all materials, per applicable procedures; partners with cross-functional teams to ensure that ABC coding is periodically reviewed and accurate
  • Policy Compliance: Ensures that policies and procedures comply with OSHA Standards
  • Improvement Leadership: Ability to effectively lead continuous improvement projects with cross-functional team support
  • Process Accountability: Accountable for process discrepancies in the warehouse and providing technical expertise to improve procedures
  • Deviation Initiation: Initiation of deviations for non-conforming materials and operational anomalies
  • Documentation Review: Accountable for reviewing and, in some cases, owning documentation associated with transfer protocols, validation protocols, standard operating procedures, and batch records
  • Audit Support: Supports internal and external audits, as well as SOX compliance audit reviews associated with internal controls

7. Inventory Control Specialist Job Description

  • Truck Handling: Load and unload trucks using material handling equipment
  • Inbound Verification: Verify the accuracy of inbound inventory and non-inventory items against packing lists
  • Variance Resolution: Research and correct inventory variances
  • Order Accuracy: Verify the accuracy of all LTL customer orders
  • LTL Delivery: Ensure the timely pick-up and delivery of all LTL customer orders
  • Order Construction: Perform and oversee the proper construction of customer LTL orders to ensure damage in transit is unlikely
  • Record Maintenance: Maintain all shipping records in chronological order
  • Transaction Review: Review all daily inventory transactions to ensure performed transactions are accurate
  • Transaction Correction: Research and correct inaccurate inventory transactions
  • Cycle Management: Perform and/or manage daily cycle counting
  • Report Archiving: Maintain all cycle counting reports in chronological order
  • Return Processing: Perform and/or manage all customer returns
  • Return Documentation: Maintain all customer return documentation in chronological order
  • Aged Reporting: Report aged inventory to Procurement every month
  • Inventory Removal: Manage the removal of aged inventory with direction from Procurement
  • Stock Rotation: Stock product in assigned positions, ensuring FIFO is followed
  • Inventory Replenishment: Perform and/or manage inventory replenishment from overflow pallet positions to their primary locations, ensuring FIFO procedures are followed
  • Locator Updating: Maintain and update an accurate inventory locator daily
  • Staff Training: Assist with picker/packer training

8. Inventory Control Specialist Overview

  • Material Movement: Moves materials with proper material handling equipment
  • Forklift Operation: Forklift and related equipment operation
  • Stock Adjustment: Performs stock adjustments in the ERP systems and communicates
  • Inventory Blocking: Performs blocking and unblocking of inventory in the ERP systems
  • Carton Management: Responsible for managing the folding and master carton inventory for Production/Boxing areas to ensure uninterrupted production flow
  • Kitting Support: Responsible for retrieving and stocking materials in the warehouse in support of Kitting operations to ensure uninterrupted production flow in support of the Production Schedule
  • Inventory Counting: Performs physical inventories and cycle counts accurately
  • Material Movement: Manages material transactions involving QC Hold and/or MRB-related materials movement
  • Discrepancy Troubleshooting: Troubleshoots inventory discrepancies physically and in ERP and/or manufacturing systems

9. Inventory Control Specialist Details and Accountabilities

  • Workplace Safety: Ensures that the work stations and warehouse areas are clean and free from safety hazards
  • Inventory Transfer: Coordinates with the receiving/Shipping department regarding the transfer of inventory from one location to another
  • Transfer Documentation: Providing a transfer document sheet for every transfer done to maintain the accurate location, lot traceability, and quantities of materials
  • Material Requests: Coordinates with Purchasing regarding the supply of indirect materials by issuing requests to maintain safety stock for continuous production flow
  • Cycle Counting: Performs cycle counts daily and helps maintain correct inventory levels for various materials
  • Bin Printing: Generates Bin Tags using Zebra printers, ensuring information is accurate and complete
  • Tag Verification: Verifies Bin Tag content printed by others before application to kitted materials
  • Bin Labeling: Label all bins used for department Work In Process and for kitted materials before production use
  • Label Fulfillment: Completes fulfillment of additional material/label requests from in-process work orders in Production in an expedient manner, ensuring ERP and/or manufacturing systems are properly updated and the work order documentation is correct and complete
  • Logistics Coordination: Coordinates site-to-site material logistics to ensure materials are available in advance to support the Production Schedule

10. Inventory Control Specialist Tasks

  • Issue Resolution: Research warehouse outs and take necessary corrective action
  • Inventory Counting: Perform daily and weekly inventory counts
  • Billing Support: Assist the Accounting Department with billing errors caused by inventory variances
  • Return Reconciliation: Reconcile store returns and make necessary adjustments
  • Return Preparation: Prepare returns for pick up, verifying items and case counts
  • Damage Handling: Responsible for the proper handling of damaged and/or spoiled merchandise daily
  • Merchandise Relocation: Physically relocate merchandise to correct inventory problems
  • Product Coordination: Work with Procurement and warehouse personnel on short-coded products, warehouse shipping orders, recalls, etc., to ensure correct shipping, billing, etc.
  • Distress Management: Work with distress reports promptly and route to appropriate management associates for follow-up action
  • Storage Oversight: Responsible for outside storage inventories
  • Shipment Coordination: Coordinate with the receiving office on the direct shipment of the product to outside storage

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