The Pallet Sorter and Two I/C Positions

Hey all, Marty T Hawkins here, and welcome back to another episode of Warehouse and Operations as a Career! We’ve spent the mid-week in Bolingbrook Illinois, and I am dreading heading back to the Texas July heat this evening!

Today we’re taking a closer look at three important but often underrated roles within the warehouse. These are the kinds of jobs that don’t always get the spotlight, but if they weren’t done, and done well, the whole operation could grind to a halt.

We’ll be talking about the Pallet Sorter, the Warehouse side of Inventory Control or the inventory control specialist, and the Financial Inventory Control Analyst.

Three different jobs. Three different skill sets. But each plays a major role in moving product, controlling costs, and ultimately serving the customer. So, let’s talk about them.

 We’ll kick things off with a position that’s quite literally on the ground floor of warehouse operations, the Pallet Sorter.

If you’ve ever walked a receiving dock or a shipping line, you’ve seen stacks of pallets everywhere. They’re as essential as forklifts or racking systems. But not every pallet is usable, and that’s where the pallet sorter comes in.

So, what does a pallet sorter do?

They inspect incoming pallets for quality and safety. Cracked boards, popped nails, and missing stringers make a pallet unsafe and literally unusable.

They sort pallets by size and type. A 48x40 GMA pallet isn’t the same as a Euro pallet or a block pallet. You can have beverage pallets and small standard wood like a 36x42 pallets.

Some facilities work with exchange programs like CHEP or PECO, and those pallets have to be tracked, scanned, and sorted separately.

They also play a part in cleanliness and compliance. A broken or contaminated pallet can lead to damaged goods or even failed audits.

This position is important because every piece of product we receive, store, or ship moves on a pallet. Damaged pallets can cause injuries, tip-overs, or lead to write-offs from damaged and loss product.

It’s also a numbers game. Imagine a warehouse shipping 500 loads a week. If 20% of those go out on unsorted or poor-quality pallets, that’s a major liability and a cost hit, both to us and our carriers.

This role requires someone who doesn’t mind repetitive work and stays alert throughout the day.

Physical stamina is a must, you’re moving pallets all day, lifting, bending, stacking.

And most importantly, someone who takes pride in doing things safely and correctly.

I know a gentleman that's held the pallet sorter role for more than 15 years. He loves what he does. He’s made it a career.

And many successful team leads, yard jockeys, and forklift operators got their start on the pallet dock. A good sorter becomes familiar with all the ins and outs of product flow, quality control, and dock operations. Working closely with the unloaders, receivers, and even merchandisers. This role teaches discipline, attention to detail, and how to work within a team, and developing foundational skills that can serve you throughout your career.

Now let’s move from the dock to the inventory aisles.

Inventory Control, often called IC, is the department that ensures what’s in the system matches what’s on the shelves.

Theres two departments of inventory control. The warehouse and the financial departments.

Have you ever had a customer order get delayed because something was shown in stock but wasn’t actually there? That’s where the warehouse side of IC comes in. These folks keep the system accurate and the customers happy.

Cycle counting is a big part of this team's job. Instead of doing a full inventory once a year, they count small sections of inventory on a rotating schedule, daily, weekly, or monthly. Maybe an aisle at a time.

It's their job to reconcile all the programs. If the system says there are 12 units in a location, but only 8 are physically there, they investigate the discrepancy.

They must determine what happened. Did receiving short the delivery? Did replenishment put the item in the wrong slot? Did a picker grab from the wrong location?

And there's an audit component too, IC teams often look at past movements, transfers, and adjustments to find and fix problems.

They also work very closely with departments like:

Receiving, to make sure counts and putaway are accurate.

Shipping, to confirm orders are picked properly.

And the replenishment folks, to verify stock is moving from reserve to primary slots or pick locations correctly.

Why is this job so important you may ask?

Well, let’s talk about inventory accuracy. In a world where next-day shipping and real-time visibility are expected, having an error rate of just 1% could translate into thousands of dollars in missed sales, extra labor, or customer dissatisfaction.

Not to mention the costs of emergency replenishment or loss of trust from repeat customers.

So when sourcing for a warehouse inventory control candidate the hiring agent is seeking

a strong attention to detail, you’re often comparing numbers, paperwork, and screens.

And good communication skills are a must, as you’ll be talking to every team in the building to track things down.

You’re going to need to be comfortable with technology, most ICs use a warehouse management system (WMS) and RF scanning equipment all day.

And Critical thinking is important, when something doesn’t add up, you’ve got to figure out why.

It's important, for our goals and planning, to understand our next step or where can this position take us. This role is often a launching pad into, Inventory lead or supervisor positions. WMS administration or system analyst roles. Even Quality assurance or continuous improvement departments.

And if you’ve got that knack for solving problems and spotting patterns, this might just be the job for you.

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Lastly, let’s talk about the office side of inventory, the Financial Inventory Control Analyst.

While warehouse IC is counting products and reconciling physical movement, financial IC is focused on the dollar value of that inventory and ensuring that the company’s financial reports are accurate and compliant.

This group reconciles booked inventory value, what the accounting system says is in stock with actual inventory numbers.

They track and explain shrinkage, spoilage, damage, and obsolescence.

They analyze and report on inventory turns, or how often a company sells and replaces stock.

They ensure inventory is valued correctly, especially for tax purposes, this involves cost methods like FIFO (First In, First Out), LIFO (Last In, First Out), or Average Cost.

They support audits, internal, external, or regulatory by providing documentation and explanations.

We’ll usually find these departments in the corporate office or the back office of large distribution centers. It’s less hands-on, but every decision made affects those of us on the floor.

So, what makes a good Financial Inventory Control Analyst?

We’ll need Strong Excel and data analysis skills.

And Knowledge of financial systems and enterprise software like SAP, Oracle, or NetSuite.

We’ll have to have a strong understanding of basic accounting and inventory valuation.

And gonna have to have a Problem-solving mindset, sometimes the issues are buried in transaction histories or system logic.

And here’s communication again, we must be able to explain complex numbers to both the finance and operations teams.

These analysts can become senior finance managers, cost accountants, or supply chain analysts.

It’s a white-collar role that plays a huge part in company strategy and reporting.

Some even transition into operations leadership with a financial lens — a rare and valuable combination!

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What else have I noted today, let me see, oh here is a simple statement of each position I jotted down.

The Pallet Sorter keeps our material handling system flowing and safe. It’s an entry-level but essential role with growth potential. A great sorter doesn’t just see broken boards or stacks of wood. They understand that their job is the first quality checkpoint in the flow of product. If they catch a broken pallet, they’ve prevented damage, delays, and potentially even injury. They’re not just sorting wood, they’re protecting the product and the people.

The Inventory Control Specialist is the accuracy backbone of warehouse operations, constantly chasing discrepancies and improving process flow.  This is someone who might start their day with a list of 20 bin locations to count, but ends up having caught an issue that would’ve cost the company thousands. Maybe they found a mislabeled pallet that would’ve gone to the wrong customer.   Seeing something wrong and digging until it’s right.

And think of the Financial Inventory Control Analyst as the bridge between the physical product and the company’s financial health, making sure that what’s on paper matches reality.  But they don’t just stare at spreadsheets. They’re often the first to spot troubling trends in product shrink, loss due to expiration, or slow-moving items that are tying up capital. They might raise the flag that leads to a product rotation policy, or a change in vendor ordering patterns.  One foot in the numbers, one foot in operations.

Each of these positions represents a different step in the inventory chain, from what we stage on, to what we count, to what we report. Together, they create the structure that allows our warehouses and distribution centers to function.

So, if you’re just starting out, or thinking about what your next role could be, keep these three paths in mind. Whether you like hands-on labor, investigative work, or financial analysis, there’s a place for you in the light industrial industry.

And like I always say, show up every day, do the work, and ask for those opportunities and promotions.

Thanks for joining me today here at Warehouse and Operations as a Career. If I can answer any questions, please send us an email to [e-mail] and we’ll get them answered for you. Be safe out there and I hope to see you next week!