Inventory Disputes and Proof
Settle disputes fast with independent, time-stamped inventory evidence.
Why inventory disputes occur
Inventory disputes rarely come down to one clear mistake. More often, the risk of disputes builds gradually as small discrepancies accumulate over time and go unnoticed until they surface as a larger issue.
Without independent, time-stamped evidence of what was physically present at a given point in time, resolving disputes becomes difficult. When discrepancies do come to light, system records alone are often not enough to explain what happened or settle the issue with confidence.
Why system records are challenged
WMS platforms are designed to record activity – receipts, movements, picks and adjustments – but they don’t independently confirm that inventory is physically present.
In a dispute, that limitation creates uncertainty. It can be unclear whether the stock was actually there, when it was last verified and whether it was in the correct location at the time in question.
Resolving the issue often comes down to interpretation of past records rather than evidence of the physical reality.
The operational cost of unresolved disputes
Prolonged inventory disputes don’t just take time, they drain operational capacity and erode trust with your customers.
They typically involve:
Manual investigations
Repeated data reconciliation
Escalations across teams
Delayed resolution
Without independent, time-stamped evidence of what was physically present and where, friction increases on all sides and disputes become harder to settle quickly. And without clear evidence of what caused the discrepancy, it's difficult to prevent the same issue from happening again.
How disputes relate to inventory assurance
Inventory disputes are often a symptom of a wider Inventory Assurance Gap – the mismatch between what your WMS believes to be true and what’s physically present in the warehouse.
Reducing the frequency of disputes starts with reducing this gap. The more regularly inventory is verified, the less room there is for discrepancies to build unnoticed and later escalate into customer-facing issues.
We explain how the Inventory Assurance Gap develops and the practical steps to close it here.
The role of independent verification as evidence
In a dispute, independent inventory verification provides the evidence that everyone can rely on. Instead of debating what might have happened, you can present objective, time-stamped, location-specific evidence that can quickly be referenced to understand what was present, where and when.
Better still, regular independent verification reduces the likelihood of disputes arising in the first place. By identifying discrepancies earlier, you correct issues before they escalate.
With inventAIRy XL supporting your warehouse with independent, autonomous verification, disputes become a thing of the past.