Definition
Physical inventory
A point-in-time count or estimate of sellable product physically on hand, sealed units plus partial-container estimates in a consistent unit.
Worked example
Route: walk-in → back bar → speed rail. Record 6 sealed 750 mL tequilas and one open bottle at 0.4 fill (≈ 300 mL). On-hand for that SKU = 6.4 bottles or 4.8 L, depending on your reporting unit, pick one system and stick to it every count. The same route next week keeps the comparison fair even if a different bartender counts.
When operators use this
Physical inventory is the stocktake. Pubs and clubs still search for stocktaking apps because this walk is the job. Count sealed backups as whole units and the opener as a fill from 0 to 1. bar inventory counting basics is the method. bar stocktaking is the sign-off story. Packaged beer follows the same sealed-unit rule; draft kegs are a different honesty problem on beer inventory software.
Common mistakes
Skipping an empty hole in the rail, mixing cases and tenths without converting, and counting while a delivery is broken down are the three ways a careful walk becomes fiction. Empty is a fill of 0. Write the unit system on the route card.
How ExactPour handles it
Staff scan UPCs on phone camera or handheld, tap fill level 0–1, and ExactPour aggregates by product in real time. Sessions save and resume so a physical inventory can pause for service without restarting the sheet, and the audit trail shows who counted which area.
Qualification
Partial-container observations are estimates unless measured by weight, volume, or another calibrated method. Consistency beats false precision; change the method only with a documented cutover.