Cycle Counting & Ongoing Audit Service

Provide ongoing cycle counting and continuous inventory audits

Startup Cost
$30,000-$200,000
Difficulty
Advanced
Time to Profit
10-18 months
Profit Potential
$12,000-$167,000/month

Overview

Cycle counting services generate $150,000-$2,000,000 annually with 60-75% margins.

In 2025, continuous cycle counting maintains inventory accuracy.

Revenue from monthly cycle counting programs ($2,000-$25,000 monthly), ongoing inventory audits, ABC cycle counting strategies, perpetual inventory maintenance, inventory accuracy consulting, and count exception resolution.

Successful services implement systematic cycle counting programs, count high-value items more frequently, investigate and resolve count discrepancies, maintain target inventory accuracy (95-99%), use statistical sampling methods, and provide ongoing accuracy reporting.

Warehouses, distributors, and manufacturers as clients.

Marketing through supply chain professionals, inventory accuracy benefits, perpetual inventory, ongoing relationships vs.

annual counts, and operational efficiency.

Required Skills

  • Cycle Counting Methodologies
  • ABC Analysis
  • Statistical Sampling
  • Root Cause Analysis
  • Inventory Management
  • Process Improvement

Pros and Cons

Pros

  • Recurring monthly revenue
  • Ongoing client relationships
  • Higher margins than annual counts
  • Help maintain continuous inventory accuracy
  • Less labor-intensive than wall-to-wall counts

Cons

  • Need inventory management expertise
  • Client commitment to ongoing programs
  • Must demonstrate accuracy improvement
  • Competition from clients doing internally
  • Require systematic approach and discipline

How to Get Started

  1. Build cycle counting expertise
  2. Develop cycle counting programs and procedures
  3. Create ABC analysis and sampling methods
  4. Market to warehouses and manufacturers
  5. Implement cycle counting programs
  6. Conduct ongoing cycle counts
  7. Analyze accuracy and drive improvements

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