Why Matching Apparel Totals Can Still Hide a Packing Error

An order for 30 shirts and a shipment containing 30 shirts can still be wrong. Total counts hide substitutions between sizes. A useful packing worksheet compares the same garment variant on both sides.

Start with the approved variant list

Use columns for order ID, line ID, style, color, size and quantity. Keep Adult L and Youth L as different values. Do not merge similarly named colors without checking the supplier identifiers. Preserve the approved order as a reference; changing it to match what you packed removes the evidence of a shortage.

Count by box, then compare

Suppose the order contains 12 Adult M, 10 Adult L and 8 Youth L. You pack 12, 9 and 9 respectively. The overall total is correct, but Adult L is short by one and Youth L has one extra. For each variant, subtract the sum of its packed quantities from its ordered quantity. A positive result means more is needed; a negative result means too much is packed.

Count damaged or rejected pieces separately from packed stock. A worksheet cannot know what is physically in the carton unless somebody checks it.

Keep exceptions visible

A print-shop discussion describes confusing handwritten slips and slow packing. That account supports improving the process, not a claim that every shop needs new software. Printavo already includes packing slips.

PackTally is a planned $29 one-time CSV reconciliation tool. Its proposed value is a visible per-variant remainder across boxes. The product is not yet available; the same method works in a spreadsheet today.