In this guide 6 sections
Yard stock stays a guess while curing, cured, saleable and rejected units share one number. Count by pallet and rack position, split every pallet by state, and reconcile against the production log each week. Then the figure matches what ships.
Why the yard number is never right
A block or paver plant makes thousands of units a shift, and they travel from the machine to curing racks and then out to the yard on pallets. The count goes missing on the way. Nobody notices until a buyer calls.
The causes are ordinary: fresh units are counted before curing ends, broken pavers stay inside the pallet total, and a pallet ships half full under its original label.
The office reads one figure off the screen and promises it to a buyer, while the yard supervisor knows the number is wrong and has nothing better. Trust in the figure drains away.
Split the stock into four states
Each unit is in one state. Curing means the unit is still on the rack and has not reached the strength to ship, while cured means it has passed its curing days.
Saleable means cured and inspected with no visible defect, and rejected means chipped, cracked or off size against the thickness and length on the order sheet. Only saleable units can be promised. Show the other three separately.
A cured pallet nobody has inspected is the common trap, because the faces, corners and thickness of its pavers remain unchecked even though it looks ready to load.
- Curing: on racks, release date not reached
- Cured: curing days done, awaiting inspection
- Saleable: inspected and open for orders
- Rejected: chipped, cracked or off size, waiting for disposal
The pallet and rack count routine
Give every rack bay and yard row a code, then label each pallet with product, colour, block size or thickness, production date and layer count. Walk the rows one at a time.
For a full pallet, count layers and units per layer instead of every piece, while a partial pallet gets every unit counted and the figure written on the tag. Broken units get their own bin.
Run the full count on a fixed day, ideally before dispatch begins, because a yard with forklifts moving pallets between rows cannot be counted accurately.
Reconcile against production and dispatch
After the count, compare against the book: opening stock plus production, less dispatches and less rejects, should land close to the figure you counted on the pallets. The gap is your shrinkage.
Small gaps are normal in a yard of loose units, but a gap that grows every week points to a real cause. Typical causes are a loader pulling pavers from the wrong rack, a dispatch note that was never entered, or a pallet moved to another row without a new tag.
Chase the biggest gap first. Check the last three dispatches from that product row before you blame the count itself, because an unrecorded delivery note is far easier to find than a vanished pallet.
Make the count part of the week
Give the count a fixed owner. One person walks the rows, one writes the figures, and the supervisor signs the sheet, which together takes an hour or two for a typical yard.
A weekly count catches problems while memory is fresh and the pallets are still in the row, whereas a yearly count only tells you how much has gone.
This week, pick one paver colour and one block size, count them by state, and compare the saleable figure with what the order desk believes it can promise.
Yard count sheet
The sheet carries one line for each rack bay or yard row, with columns for product, colour or size, production date, pallets and loose units. Four boxes split the stock states. A bottom block holds opening stock, production, dispatch, rejects, counted total and variance, with a signature line each for the counter and the supervisor.
Open a blank worksheet to printQuestions owners ask
How many curing days should we assume before a unit is cured?
It depends on the product, the mix and the weather, so use the curing period that your mix design and quality plan specify. Write the release date on every tag. Then nobody has to guess.
Should broken units be counted at all?
Yes, because broken units counted in their own bin, with a reason written beside each lot, show where product is lost between the machine and the truck. Record forklift damage apart from handling cracks.
How often should the full yard be counted?
Weekly counting of the full yard works for most plants, with a quick daily check on the fastest moving products to catch drift early. Raise the frequency if gaps keep appearing.
Can sales see only saleable stock?
They should, because showing the order desk only the saleable figure stops promises being made against curing stock that cannot ship yet. Keep curing stock on another view.