Count day in the gift shop goes faster when the sheet in each counter’s hand matches how the shop is actually laid out and how your buyer thinks about stock. The standard physical count worksheet in Altru gives you the basics: the item, its identifier, and a place to write the number. What many store managers want on that sheet is more context: the vendor, the sale price, and the category.
The short version: treat the built-in worksheet as a fixed-format report. As far as we know, Altru does not offer a simple way to add or rearrange its columns, so if you need extra fields, the dependable route is to build your own count sheet from a query and keep using Altru for the count entry itself. Confirm the first part in your own database before you commit to a workaround, because report options can change between releases.
First, confirm what your worksheet can do
Before building anything, spend ten minutes checking the options you already have:
- Run the worksheet with each available filter and sort option. Some teams discover they can already group by store location or sort in a more useful order, which solves half the problem.
- Export it. If the report exports to Excel, you can add columns yourself by matching it against a query export (more on that below).
- Ask Blackbaud support directly whether the physical count worksheet can include vendor, price, or category, and whether a custom report is an option for your subscription. Get the answer in writing in the support case so the next store manager doesn’t repeat the research.
Build a count sheet from a merchandise query
Altru’s query tool can see your merchandise products and their related details. A product query is the most flexible way to get a worksheet with exactly the columns you want.
Fields worth including
- Item name and SKU or barcode, so counters can match the shelf tag to the line.
- Vendor, useful when the same item looks different across suppliers, and for reorder notes made during the count.
- Category (and subcategory if you use them), so you can break the sheet into sections.
- Sale price, which helps counters catch mislabeled or mis-stickered stock while they’re handling it.
- Store or location, if you run more than one sales point.
- A blank “Counted” column and a blank “Notes” column, added after export.
Field names in the query designer vary, and not every product attribute may be exposed the way you expect. Build the query in a test pass first, run it, and spot-check a handful of items against their product records before you print anything.
Decide whether to show expected quantity
It’s tempting to include on-hand quantity. Many shops deliberately leave it off. A “blind” count, where counters don’t see what the system expects, tends to produce honest numbers; when people can see the expected figure, they’re more likely to write it down. A common compromise is to give counters a blind sheet and keep a separate version with expected quantities for the person reconciling variances afterward.
Sort for the walk, not the database
Sort the export by location, then category, then item name, so a counter can move through one fixture or one section without flipping pages. Print each category on its own page, or as its own tab if counters are working from tablets. Assign sections by page so two people never count the same shelf.
Getting the counts back into Altru
Your custom sheet is only a data-collection tool. The count itself should still be recorded in Altru’s physical inventory process so on-hand quantities and adjustments are tracked properly. A few habits keep that step clean:
- Keep the identifier on every line so the person keying counts can match your sheet to Altru’s list without guessing.
- Freeze sales activity for the area being counted, or note the time each section was counted, so sales during the count don’t distort the numbers.
- Enter counts the same day while counters are still around to answer questions about smudged numbers or notes.
- Review large variances before posting. A count that’s off by a full case usually means a mis-scanned item or stock in the back room, not shrinkage.
If you’re unsure how your version of Altru handles counts entered for items that didn’t appear on the original count list, test it on one low-value item first, or try the full process in a sandbox if you have one.
Save the setup for next time
Once the query works, save it with a clear name (something like “Merch count sheet – blind”) and note who owns it. Keep a copy of the formatted spreadsheet as a template, with your column widths, page breaks, and headers already set. Next count, you run the query, paste the results into the template, and print. The work you do once now saves the scramble before every annual or quarterly count.
Quick answers
Can I add vendor and price columns to the standard worksheet?
Not that we’re aware of. Check the report’s options and confirm with Blackbaud support; if it can’t be changed, a product query export gives you those columns.
Do I lose anything by counting from my own sheet?
No, as long as the counts are entered into Altru’s physical count process afterward. The sheet is just paper; the inventory adjustment still happens in Altru.
