You know, I hear what your saying Rock. I don't know how it works at other stores. But we are a C Volume (Low volume) and our instocks team is expected to push there own pulls after lunch when they have finished scanning. They are also expected to go to huddle and start at 7am. so all in all they have about 3 hours to get the store completely scanned everyday we usually have 2 people scanning, most of the time they get at least 90% of the list done, but it does vary from day to day.
They have always seen instocks as an issue in my store because whenever our DTL walks they will randomly scan stuff and if it does not show a last research date of that week, there like omg the rest of the store must be like this.
Do you run the backroom as well 54gy6dm? I have Instocks and the backroom and i will say its such a pain trying to juggle both. As for the drastic count report just make sure your being accurate with your counts and it wont get big, if when your scanning research something doesnt look right, take a note of the DPCI, skip the task and come back to it later.
Worth noting on the PTM process and as outlines in the new PTM Best practice. (And I will say I have battled with SF TLs for a year now about this) After instocks as gone through on Monday and done the initial PTM tasks. It is the the salesfloor TL from that area's responsibility to maintain, shoot and pull and push their PTMS.