Inventory should never be accepted, handled, moved, issued or distributed without authority. The basic rules being:
Record all inventory transactions – whether this be in terms of receiving or issuing.
Control access to inventory – ensure that only authorised individuals will and can access the areas in which inventory is held. Obviously this will be difficult in terms of WiP, however normally there should only be minimum WiP held within areas with a lot of supervision and relative controls.
Assign accountability to the appropriate people for zones.
Assign authority to the appropriate people to take whatever action is necessary to maintain control and security.
Measure performance in maintaining stock accuracy and turnover of stock.
Correct errors immediately.
Correct the causes of errors. It is not good putting in a short-term fix without full identification of the causes and preventative action taken against these for future deliveries, processes.
Inventory Identification. Every single item of inventory, whether raw material or finished goods must be identifiable.