Counting Inventory

This guide covers everything you need to know about counting publication inventory in PubCounter.

The Inventory Dashboard

When you sign in, you’ll see the inventory dashboard showing all publications available in your congregation’s languages. Each publication card displays:

• Publication name and ID (e.g., “Bible Teach - bh-E”)
• Current count status (Not Counted, Pending, Approved)
• Quantity (if counted)
• Last updated timestamp

Filtering and Sorting

Use the filters at the top to:

• Filter by status - Show only uncounted items, pending, or approved
• Filter by category - Bibles, Books, Brochures, Tracts, Magazines, etc.
• Search - Find specific publications by name or ID

Count Entry Methods

Weight-Based Counting

Weight-based counting uses the known weight of a single publication to calculate quantities from a total stack weight. This is ideal for:

• Large quantities of the same publication
• Regular counting where you have calibration data
• Publications with consistent weights (books, magazines)

How it works:

1. A single publication is weighed to establish the “unit weight”
2. You weigh your entire stack of publications
3. PubCounter divides total weight by unit weight to calculate quantity

Note

Weight calculations include tolerance margins to account for variations in paper and humidity. Standard publications allow 5% tolerance; lightweight items (tracts) allow 15%.

Manual Counting

Manual entry is best for:

• Small quantities
• Mixed publications
• Items with inconsistent weights
• When a scale isn’t available

Simply enter the exact count and submit.

Submitting Counts

After entering your count:

1. Review the quantity shown
2. Click Submit Count
3. Your count status changes to “Pending”

Tip

Submitting a count doesn’t make it final—admins can still review and request changes. You can also update your count before the period ends if needed.

Understanding Reporting Periods

PubCounter follows the JW inventory reporting cycle:

Days of Month	Counts Apply To
11-31	Next month’s report
1-10	Current month’s report

Example: Counts submitted on January 15 apply to the February report. Counts submitted on February 8 apply to the February report.

The current reporting period is always shown on the dashboard.

Bulk Actions

For counting multiple publications:

1. Navigate through publications in order
2. After submitting each count, you’ll automatically advance to the next uncounted item
3. Continue until all publications are counted

Viewing Count History

Each publication card shows:

• Current period count - What you’ve submitted for this period
• Previous period count - Reference from last month
• Count difference - Change from previous period (helpful for spotting errors)

Common Scenarios

New Publication

New publications may not have calibration data. Use manual counting first, then calibrate for future use.

Zero Count

If you have zero of a publication, enter 0 and submit. This is important for accurate reporting.

Damaged Items

Don’t count damaged publications. Only count items suitable for distribution.

Mixed Stock

For publications mixed with other items, separate them first before weighing or counting.

Best Practices

1. Count systematically - Start with one location/category and work through methodically
2. Count when stock is organized - Avoid counting right after a meeting when stock may be disorganized
3. Double-check zeros - Zero counts should be verified—it’s a significant data point
4. Update same-day if needed - If you find more stock, update your count before period end

Troubleshooting

Weight count seems wrong

• Check the scale is on a flat, stable surface
• Ensure publications are stacked neatly without debris
• Verify calibration is current (check expiration date)
• Try removing and re-weighing

Can’t find a publication

• Use the search function
• Check your language permissions—you may not have access to all languages
• Contact your admin if a publication is missing

Count won’t submit

• Check your internet connection
• Ensure you’ve entered a valid number
• Refresh the page and try again

Next Steps

• Calibrate publications for faster weight-based counting
• Submit reorder requests for low-stock items