Signing stock takes

Once a stock take is complete, Breww can record a signature against it, so you have a signed record of the count alongside the changes it made. The person signing confirms a declaration you write yourself, and their signature, name and the date are kept with the stock take and printed on its PDF summary.

Signing is optional. It never blocks anything: an unsigned stock take still updates your stock as normal, and you can sign any completed stock take at any time, including ones completed before you turned signing on.

Turning signing on

1. Select Settings in the main menu, choose Stock, sites & purchasing from the list of areas, then select Stock take settings in the Stock & sites card. You can also search for "stock take" in Search all settings.
2. Enable Require stock takes to be signed.
3. Check the Signing declaration that appears below it, and change the wording if you need to. This is the statement the person signing agrees to.
4. Select Save.

You need the Settings permission to change these settings. View recent changes to these settings shows who changed them and when.

Already on for US and Canadian breweries

Signing is turned on automatically for breweries based in the United States and Canada. You can turn it off on the same page if you don't need it.

US breweries start with this declaration:

I declare under the penalties of perjury that this inventory count, including the documents submitted in support thereof, has been examined by me and, to the best of my knowledge and belief, is true, correct and complete.

Everywhere else, the declaration starts as a general confirmation that the stock take is a true, correct and complete record of the stock on hand. In every case you can edit it to suit your business.

Changing the declaration

Each stock take keeps the declaration exactly as it read when it was signed. Editing the wording only affects stock takes signed from then on, so your earlier signed stock takes still show what their signatory actually agreed to.

Signing a stock take

A stock take can be signed once it is Completed, which means its count has been submitted and confirmed.

1. Open the stock take from your stock takes list.
2. Select Sign stock take at the top of the page.
3. Read the declaration shown at the top of the signature page.
4. Draw your signature in the box with your mouse, finger or stylus. Reset signature entry clears the box if you want to start again.
5. Check Name of signatory. It is filled in with your name, so change it if someone else is signing.
6. Select Sign stock take.

You need the Conduct stock takes permission to sign. If you don't have it, the button isn't shown.

Re-signing a stock take

A signed stock take shows Re-sign stock take instead. Signing again replaces the existing signature. The new signature is recorded with the declaration as it currently reads in your settings.

Seeing what has been signed

On the stock take

While signing is turned on, each completed stock take has a Signature card. Once signed, it shows:

• Status - Signed or Not signed
• Signatory - the name entered when signing
• Date signed
• Recorded by - the Breww user who was logged in when the signature was recorded
• the signature itself, with the declaration that was signed

If you turn signing off later, stock takes that have already been signed keep showing their signature.

On your stock takes list

While signing is turned on, your stock takes list has a Signed column showing Signed or Not signed for each stock take. You can use it to find any stock takes that still need signing off.

The PDF summary

Every completed stock take has a PDF summary, whether or not you use signing. Select PDF summary at the top of the stock take, or the PDF icon in the Actions column of your stock takes list. You need the Reporting or Conduct stock takes permission to open it.

The summary includes:

• Details - the stock take type, sites, when it was started and completed, who started it, who completed it, and its status
• Counted - what the stock take covered
• Signature - the declaration, signature, signatory's name, date signed and who recorded it. If signing is on and the stock take hasn't been signed yet, the summary says so
• Changes - how many lines were increased and decreased, and each change with its item, quantity change and location. Stock that was only moved between locations isn't listed, as moving doesn't change how much you have

For some older stock takes, Breww no longer has the details of the individual changes, and the summary will say so.

Using signing for US inventory records

US federal regulations (27 CFR § 25.294) ask breweries to take a physical inventory of beer at least once each calendar month, and for the record to be signed under penalties of perjury by the brewer or the person who took the inventory. The default US declaration uses this wording, so signing your stock takes in Breww can replace printing a page and signing it by hand.

Breww can't give legal or compliance advice. Please check the regulation itself, and with TTB or your own adviser, to confirm what your brewery needs to record and keep.