Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Inventory Control Associate

🎯 Role Definition

The Inventory Control Associate is responsible for maintaining accurate inventory records, executing physical and cycle counts, investigating and resolving stock discrepancies, and supporting inventory-related processes across warehouse and procurement systems. This role requires strong attention to detail, working knowledge of ERP/WMS platforms, and an ability to communicate findings and corrective actions to operations, purchasing, and finance teams. The Inventory Control Associate helps minimize shrinkage, improves stock accuracy, and ensures products are available to meet demand with optimized carrying costs.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

Warehouse Associate / Material Handler with demonstrated accuracy and attention to detail.
Receiving Clerk or Shipping Clerk experienced in documentation and quality checks.
Inventory Clerk or Data Entry Specialist with experience in basic reconciliation tasks.

Advancement To:

Inventory Control Supervisor or Lead responsible for team oversight and process improvement.
Inventory Analyst or Supply Chain Analyst focusing on forecasting and optimization.
Inventory Manager / Warehouse Operations Manager overseeing multiple sites or functions.

Lateral Moves:

Logistics Coordinator or Transportation Planner working cross-functionally with carriers.
Quality Control Specialist focusing on product inspection, returns, and compliance.

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

Execute regular cycle counts to maintain and improve inventory accuracy; document count results, identify variances, and reconcile records in the ERP/WMS to achieve company accuracy targets.
Plan, coordinate and lead full physical inventories, including scheduling, staffing, floor layout, pre-count cleanup, cut-off procedures, and post-count reconciliation with stakeholders.
Investigate inventory discrepancies by tracing transactions, reviewing receiving and shipping records, analyzing pick/put-away errors, and recommending corrective actions to prevent recurrence.
Perform daily inventory reconciliation between warehouse records, ERP/WMS balances, and financial reports, escalating unresolved variances to Inventory Manager or Finance.
Maintain and update master data elements (SKU attributes, dimensions, unit of measure, minimum/maximum levels, bin locations, lot/serial numbers) in the ERP or WMS to eliminate data-related errors.
Operate barcode scanners, RFID readers and handheld devices to validate SKU locations, bin accuracy, and transaction integrity during receiving, put-away and picking operations.
Receive inbound shipments: verify packing lists and bills of lading, inspect quantities and condition, record receipts in the ERP system, and coordinate with receiving teams to ensure timely put-away.
Process and coordinate stock transfers between warehouses and locations, ensure proper documentation, update inventory records, and verify transfer receipts at destination locations.
Manage returns and vendor claims by documenting discrepancies, coordinating RMA processes, working with procurement and vendors to obtain credit or replacement, and updating stock statuses promptly.
Monitor inventory KPIs such as inventory accuracy, shrinkage rates, days of inventory on hand (DOH), fill rate and stockout incidents; prepare and present weekly and monthly performance reports to operations and leadership.
Support root cause analysis for repeat inventory issues by collecting data, performing trend analysis, and driving cross-functional corrective action plans with receiving, picking and stocking teams.
Enforce FIFO/LIFO, expiration date rotation, and lot/serial tracking policies for regulated or perishable products to minimize obsolescence and ensure traceability.
Identify slow-moving, excess and obsolete inventory; work with purchasing and sales teams to develop disposition plans including promotions, transfers or write-offs to reduce carrying costs.
Create and maintain standard operating procedures (SOPs) and work instructions for inventory activities including receiving, put-away, picking audits, and cycle counting to ensure consistent execution across shifts.
Train and mentor warehouse and inventory staff on inventory processes, scanning procedures, count methodology and data accuracy expectations to elevate team performance.
Coordinate with Purchasing, Planning and Sales to validate demand forecasts and safety stock levels, providing inventory insights to support replenishment decisions.
Execute daily quality checks on picked orders and packing to ensure order accuracy and to reduce customer returns and chargebacks stemming from inventory errors.
Support external and internal audits by preparing documentation, providing count records, and facilitating auditor access to WMS/ERP reports and physical inventory evidence.
Maintain compliance with company policies and regulatory requirements, including hazardous materials handling, controlled-substance inventory, and record-keeping protocols where applicable.
Recommend and support system/process improvements — including WMS parameter changes, cycle count frequency adjustments and barcode labeling improvements — to increase throughput and accuracy.
Manage tagging, label generation and bin location accuracy projects to improve warehouse findability and reduce mis-picks and misplaced inventory incidents.
Communicate inventory issues and status updates to cross-functional partners in procurement, finance, operations and customer service to enable timely resolution and mitigate customer impact.

Secondary Functions

Support ad-hoc inventory reporting and exploratory analysis using ERP and spreadsheet tools to answer operational questions and support decision-making.
Participate in continuous improvement projects (Lean, 5S, Kaizen) aimed at reducing cycle count time, improving bin layout and increasing stock accuracy.
Assist with vendor audits and inbound quality inspections to prevent stock discrepancies stemming from supplier packaging or labeling errors.
Collaborate with IT and system administrators to test WMS/ERP updates that affect inventory transactions and validate post-deployment data integrity.
Provide backup for warehouse scheduling and basic pick/pack tasks during peak periods to ensure service levels are maintained.
Help coordinate special inventory events such as company relocations, new SKU introductions, and seasonal stock rollouts.
Keep accurate records of inventory adjustments, damage reports, and disposal authorizations to support financial auditability.
Support onboarding and training of seasonal or temporary staff on basic inventory control tasks and company policies.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

Advanced inventory management and cycle counting techniques, including blind counts and reconciliation workflows.
Proficient with ERP and WMS solutions (examples: SAP Inventory Management, Oracle NetSuite, Manhattan, Blue Yonder, Fishbowl) with hands-on transaction processing experience.
Strong Excel skills (VLOOKUP/XLOOKUP, pivot tables, INDEX/MATCH, conditional formatting) for reconciliation and reporting.
Experience with barcode/RFID systems, handheld scanners, mobile apps and integrating physical scan data with ERP/WMS systems.
Knowledge of lot and serial number tracking, expiration date management and regulatory traceability requirements.
Familiarity with basic SQL queries or data extraction tools to pull inventory reports and perform ad-hoc investigation.
Competence in inventory KPIs and metrics: days on hand (DOH), inventory accuracy, shrinkage %, fill rate, cycle count coverage.
Understanding of receiving, put-away, picking, packing and shipping workflows and how inventory transactions impact ledgers.
Experience performing root-cause analysis and implementing corrective and preventive actions for recurring inventory issues.
Ability to maintain clean, auditable records for inventory adjustments, write-offs, RMAs and vendor credits.
Experience with inventory forecasting principles, safety stock calculation and vendor-managed inventory practices is a plus.
Familiarity with warehouse safety and regulatory compliance standards (OSHA, DOT, FDA where applicable).

Soft Skills

Exceptional attention to detail and a high level of data accuracy in fast-paced environments.
Strong analytical mindset with the ability to interpret inventory reports and draw actionable conclusions.
Clear, professional communication skills for cross-functional collaboration with procurement, finance, operations and suppliers.
Problem-solving orientation with persistence to drive issues to root cause and implement sustainable fixes.
Time management and organizational skills to prioritize counts, reconciliations and audit support tasks.
Team player mentality with experience training or mentoring peers and seasonal staff.
Integrity and accountability when handling inventory adjustments and financially sensitive stock records.
Adaptability to changing priorities during peak seasons, product launches or system upgrades.
Customer-focused approach to minimize stockouts and improve on-time fulfillment performance.
Proactive mindset: identifies process gaps and recommends improvements without waiting for direction.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

High school diploma or GED required.

Preferred Education:

Associate or Bachelor's degree in Supply Chain Management, Logistics, Business Administration, Operations Management or related field preferred.

Relevant Fields of Study:

Supply Chain Management
Logistics and Transportation
Business Administration
Operations Management
Industrial Engineering (applied to operations/process improvement)

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range: 1–4 years of inventory control, warehouse operations or related supply chain experience.

Preferred: 2–5 years of hands-on inventory control experience using ERP/WMS systems, demonstrated cycle counting ownership, and a track record of reducing inventory variance or shrinkage. Experience in multi-site operations, regulated product handling, or large SKU catalogs is a strong plus.