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Stock Controller CV example and template (South Africa)

Updated · Written for South African employers

Stock controllers make sure that the stock on the system matches the stock on the shelf, and that the business never runs out of what it needs or pays for stock it cannot use. Retail distribution centres (DCs), manufacturers with raw materials and finished goods, hardware and building supply groups, wholesalers and mine stores all employ them, usually reporting to a warehouse, operations or finance manager. Because stock is often a company's biggest asset after its buildings, the person reading your CV checks the inventory system you have used, your stock count and variance results, how well you know Excel, and whether you can be trusted to find out where missing stock went.

The example below is for a stock controller with about ten years of stores and stock work, starting as a stores clerk at a mine and now running stock control at a manufacturer in Ekurhuleni. It shows how to write about cycle counts, GRVs, variances and month-end reports with real numbers. If you are moving up from a receiving, stores or data capturing job, put your counting, receiving and system experience first, and do a short stock control course, such as the SAPICS Basic Stores and Stock Control course, to show you understand the principles behind the work.

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Stock Controller CV example

Kagiso Seabi

Stock Controller with 10 years in manufacturing, hardware and mine stores (Syspro, Sage 200 Evolution, SAP)

071 555 0163 · kagiso.seabi@example.co.za · Kempton Park, Gauteng

Profile

Accurate and thorough stock controller with ten years of stores and stock control at a manufacturer, a hardware distributor and a platinum mine. Runs weekly cycle counts and the year-end stock-take with the external auditors, keeps stock accuracy above 98% and cut shrinkage from 1.8% to 0.6% of stock value in two years. Works daily in Syspro, has used Sage 200 Evolution and SAP, and builds variance and month-end stock reports in Excel with VLOOKUP and pivot tables. Holds a National N Diploma in Business Management and the SAPICS Basic Stores and Stock Control certificate. Looking for a senior stock controller or inventory controller post in Gauteng.

Work experience

Stock Controller

Isando Plastic Packaging (Pty) Ltd, Kempton Park | Aug 2022 – Present

  • Run weekly cycle counts of about 300 raw material and finished goods lines, with stock accuracy above 98%
  • Plan and lead the year-end stock-take of 4,200 lines with 18 counters and the external auditors
  • Investigate every variance over R2,000, which cut shrinkage from 1.8% to 0.6% of stock value in two years
  • Rotate resins, inks and adhesives by FEFO, cutting expired stock written off by R95,000 in a year
  • Prepare the month-end stock valuation, variance and slow-moving stock reports by the third working day
  • Reconcile the Syspro stock ledger to the general ledger with the financial accountant every month

Stock Controller

Rand Hardware and Building Supplies (distribution centre), Germiston | Mar 2019 – Jul 2022

  • Checked about 40 deliveries a day against POs and delivery notes and captured GRVs in Sage 200 Evolution the same day
  • Set minimum and maximum levels and reorder points for 1,500 fast-moving items with the buyers, cutting stock-outs by about a third
  • Ran monthly counts of cement, timber, paint and plumbing stock and inter-branch transfers to eight stores
  • Found R380,000 of obsolete stock and listed it for the financial manager to approve for sale or write-off

Stores Clerk

Contractor mine stores, platinum mine, Rustenburg | Feb 2016 – Feb 2019

  • Received and issued spares, PPE and consumables to mine sections against signed requisitions and cost centres in SAP
  • Counted 150 stock lines a week for cycle counts and reported differences to the stock controller
  • Kept bin locations and labels matched to the system after a stores move

Education

National N Diploma, Business Management (N4 to N6 plus 18 months' work experience)

Orbit TVET College, 2017, NQF level 6

Subjects: Financial Accounting, Computer Practice, Entrepreneurship and Business Management, Sales Management

National Senior Certificate (Matric)

Bafokeng High School, Phokeng, 2013, NQF level 4

Subjects: Setswana Home Language, English First Additional Language, Mathematics (71%), Accounting (74%), Business Studies, Geography, Life Orientation

Skills

  • Cycle counts and stock-takes
  • Variance and shrinkage investigations
  • GRVs against POs and delivery notes
  • FIFO and FEFO stock rotation
  • Min/max levels and reorder points
  • Syspro, Sage 200 Evolution and SAP
  • Excel VLOOKUP and pivot tables
  • Month-end stock reports and reconciliations

Certificates

  • Basic Stores and Stock Control (BSSC), SAPICS, 2019
  • Principles of Production and Inventory Management (PPIM), SAPICS, 2024
  • Syspro Inventory user training, Syspro training partner, 2022
  • Microsoft Excel Intermediate, Computer training college, 2021

Achievements

  • Stock accuracy above 98% on cycle counts for three years in a row
  • Year-end stock-takes signed off by the external auditors with no count adjustments asked for in 2024 and 2025

Personal details

Driver’s licence:
Code B (Code 8)
Own transport:
Yes
Nationality:
South African
Languages:
Setswana (Home language), English (Fluent), Afrikaans (Good), isiZulu (Good)
Notice period:
One month
Availability:
Available for month-end and stock-take weekends

References

Mr Johan Engelbrecht

Financial Manager, Isando Plastic Packaging (Pty) Ltd

011 555 0137 · johan.engelbrecht@example.co.za

Ms Priya Reddy

Distribution Centre Manager, Rand Hardware and Building Supplies

011 555 0192

Stock Controller CV summary you can copy

Change the details so they are true for you.

Accurate and thorough stock controller with ten years of stores and stock control at a manufacturer, a hardware distributor and a platinum mine. Runs weekly cycle counts and the year-end stock-take with the external auditors, keeps stock accuracy above 98% and cut shrinkage from 1.8% to 0.6% of stock value in two years. Works daily in Syspro, has used Sage 200 Evolution and SAP, and builds variance and month-end stock reports in Excel with VLOOKUP and pivot tables. Holds a National N Diploma in Business Management and the SAPICS Basic Stores and Stock Control certificate. Looking for a senior stock controller or inventory controller post in Gauteng.

Skills to list on your Stock Controller CV

Duties written as strong bullet points

Tips for a stronger Stock Controller CV

Name the system and what you did in it

"Syspro" alone does not say much. Write what you did in it, such as "captured GRVs, stock adjustments and transfers in Syspro Inventory" or "ran stock valuation reports in Sage 200 Evolution". Employers look for their own system first, so list every inventory or ERP system (enterprise resource planning software that runs stock, buying and finance) you have used.

Give your stock accuracy and variance numbers

Stock control is measured, so show the numbers, such as stock accuracy from cycle counts, shrinkage as a percentage of stock value, the size of the stock-takes you led and how much expired or obsolete stock you cut. Use your company's own figures and be ready to explain how they were worked out.

Show that you understand stock controls

Finance managers and auditors want someone who will not take short cuts. Mention that you capture GRVs only against a PO and a signed delivery note, that adjustments need written approval, and that you worked with the auditors at year-end. This tells an employer you protect the stock, not just count it.

List your Excel skills exactly

Write the functions you use, such as VLOOKUP or XLOOKUP, pivot tables, SUMIF and filters, and what you used them for. Many employers give an Excel test at the interview, so only list what you can do without help.

Put your courses and subjects to work

List your N-level or diploma subjects that matter for stock, such as Financial Accounting or Computer Practice, and any SAPICS short course or learnership. If you have Mathematics in matric, give the mark, because stock work is full of figures.

Questions people ask

Which qualifications do stock controllers need in South Africa?

Matric with Mathematics is the usual minimum, and many adverts ask for a post-matric qualification as well, such as N4 to N6 business studies at a TVET college, or a diploma in Logistics, Supply Chain Management or Purchasing Management. N4, N5 and N6 certificates are each at NQF level 5, and after N6 plus 18 months of relevant work experience you can get the National N Diploma at NQF level 6. These N-level programmes are being phased out and replaced by QCTO occupational qualifications, so check what your college offers now.

What is SAPICS and which course should I do?

SAPICS is the South African professional body for supply chain management and has been running since 1966. Its short courses include Basic Stores and Stock Control (BSSC) and Principles of Production and Inventory Management (PPIM), both offered since 1982 through its education partners. Later in your career you can study for the international APICS CPIM (Certified in Planning and Inventory Management) through SAPICS.

What is the difference between a stock controller, a stores clerk and a data capturer?

A stores clerk receives, stores and issues stock. A data capturer types information into a system. A stock controller is responsible for the accuracy of the stock records as a whole, so they plan counts, investigate variances, set reorder levels, prepare stock reports for finance and work with the auditors. Many stock controllers start as stores or receiving clerks, so show how your work grew.

What is a GRV and why should I mention it?

A GRV (goods received voucher or note) is the record captured when stock arrives, after checking the delivery against the purchase order and the supplier's delivery note. It adds the stock to the system and lets finance pay the supplier's invoice. Mistakes in GRVs are one of the main causes of stock variances, so showing you capture them carefully tells an employer you understand where stock problems start.

Can a learnership help me become a stock controller?

Yes. Learnerships in warehousing, freight handling and logistics are funded through TETA (the Transport Education Training Authority), and retail and wholesale learnerships through the W&RSETA (Wholesale and Retail SETA). They combine classroom training with work in a DC or store and pay a monthly allowance. List the learnership, the SETA, the NQF level and the company where you did the practical part.

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