25 Ahli Gudang &Pemimpin Bisnis Mengungkapkan Cara Terbaik untuk Melacak Inventaris Gudang
Melacak inventaris gudang – setidaknya secara akurat dan efisien – bukanlah tugas yang mudah. Dari pelabelan dan penandaan inventaris hingga audit inventaris, sistem perangkat lunak, dan banyak lagi, pelacakan inventaris gudang memiliki banyak aspek, dan jika Anda tidak membangun sistem manajemen inventaris yang konsisten di awal, itu hanya akan tumbuh lebih kompleks seiring pertumbuhan bisnis Anda.
Secara alami, Anda ingin melacak inventaris seakurat mungkin untuk menghindari kesalahan yang dapat berdampak luas di seluruh rantai pasokan. Tetapi Anda juga tidak ingin pelacakan inventaris menuntut begitu banyak waktu sehingga proses lain terganggu. Jadi, untuk membantu Anda mengidentifikasi cara terbaik untuk melacak inventaris gudang dan menghindari jebakan tersebut, kami menghubungi panel profesional gudang dan pemimpin bisnis dan meminta mereka untuk menjawab pertanyaan ini:
“Apa satu-satunya cara terbaik untuk melacak inventaris gudang?”
Temui Panel Ahli Gudang dan Pemimpin Bisnis Kami:
- Kim Smith
- Eugenia Lebedynska
- George Keliher
- Libba Durrett
- David Altemir
- Punit Gupta
- Doug Orlove
- Patty Harrison
| - Jan Bednar
- Mihai Corbuleac
- Tim Stevens
- Robin Schwartz, PHR
- Jim Herst
- Eric Allais
- Maxwell Ziegler
- Katie Christman
- Karen Gordon
| - Andrei Vasilescu
- Abhishek Jaiswal
- Amy Kilvington
- Scott Crumrine
- Kirim Kota Antonia
- Ryan Polakoff
- Andrew Rawson
- Darren Schreher
|
Baca terus untuk mengetahui apa yang dikatakan panel kami tentang cara terbaik untuk melacak inventaris gudang Anda.
Kim Smith
@contactkim11
Kim Smith adalah Manajer Pemasaran Konten di GoodFirms. Berbasis di Washington DC, GoodFirms adalah platform penelitian dan peninjauan B2B untuk membantu bisnis menemukan agensi, perangkat lunak, atau konsultan terbaik untuk mengatasi tantangan bisnis mereka. Upaya Kim telah ditampilkan di SEMRush, Business2Community, JeffBullas, dan beberapa platform terkemuka lainnya.
“Cara terbaik untuk melacak inventaris gudang adalah…”
Mengambil saran dari banyak ahli yang terdaftar sebagai perusahaan perangkat lunak teratas yang melayani UKM dan E-Commerce untuk otomatisasi bisnis yang dialihdayakan, dan Perangkat Lunak Manajemen Gudang dan Perangkat Lunak Manajemen Inventaris terkemuka di pasar, dapat dikatakan bahwa Perangkat Lunak Manajemen Inventaris dapat menjadi satu-satunya cara terbaik, tetapi ia datang dengan beberapa suplemen yang perlu dipertahankan.
Perangkat Lunak Manajemen Inventaris: Alat manajemen otomatis mudah digunakan, fleksibel, aman, hemat biaya, dan ramah seluler. Mereka tidak hanya melacak inventaris tetapi juga membantu Anda berinteraksi dengan data untuk mengoptimalkan dan memobilisasi inventaris gudang. Beberapa software canggih juga memiliki fitur untuk data mining guna mengenali tren penjualan, tren pembelian, dan masih banyak lagi. Ini secara keseluruhan menghasilkan manajemen yang dioptimalkan dan peningkatan tenaga kerja serta margin keuntungan.
RFID dan Kode Batang: Kedua metode tersebut merupakan bentuk penandaan elektronik produk, chip elektronik dalam RFID dan label dalam barcode, yang dapat dipindai oleh perangkat pembaca kecil seperti ponsel atau apa pun. Penandaan ini menyimpan berbagai macam data produk seperti apa adanya, di mana diproduksi, ke mana akan pergi, instruksi tambahan untuk penanganan, dan banyak lagi. Ini adalah beberapa bantuan tambahan untuk memperbarui inventaris dalam perangkat lunak.
Audit dan Penghitungan Siklus: Penghitungan siklus reguler dan konsistensi audit membantu merampingkan dan menyempurnakan inventaris yang dilokalkan di antar serta intra-gudang. Ini berfungsi paling baik bila siklus dilakukan secara teratur, karena terus-menerus memperbaiki kesalahan apa pun dalam sistem dan membuatnya lancar untuk dijalankan.
Eugenia Lebedynska
Eugenia Lebedynska adalah Digital Marketing &SEM Manager untuk McDonald Paper &Restaurant Supplies.
“Mengoptimalkan gudang adalah satu-satunya cara untuk menghindari kesalahan pengiriman, stok tiba-tiba habis, pengembalian, dan kesalahan manusia…”
Dalam siklus penerimaan, pengambilan, pengepakan, dan pengiriman yang terus-menerus ada algoritma alur kerja. Jadi, cara terbaik untuk melacak inventaris gudang adalah sistem manajemen gudang yang sangat optimal.
Tidak ada satu cara terbaik untuk melakukan sesuatu. Setiap bisnis memiliki sistemnya sendiri tergantung pada industrinya, jumlah orang yang bekerja di gudang, perputaran barang dan banyak lagi. Kami, di McDonald Paper, bekerja dengan persediaan restoran. Mesin kami yang diminyaki dengan baik didasarkan pada hal-hal berikut:
Denah lantai yang dioptimalkan. Penggunaan ruang gudang yang tepat, pencahayaan yang tepat, lorong yang lebar, dan jalan setapak memungkinkan pekerjaan selesai lebih cepat. Pelabelan untuk gang dan lokasi produk sangat penting untuk navigasi.
Lokasi item yang bergerak cepat itu penting. Paket tersebut harus mudah diakses dan ditempatkan lebih dekat ke area pengiriman. Tata letak yang dipikirkan dengan baik harus mencakup zona untuk barang terlaris seperti produk musim ramai atau barang obral, serta area yang ditentukan untuk barang rusak.
Proses penerimaan. Kami memiliki proses pemeriksaan manual dan ruang khusus di mana seorang karyawan secara visual memeriksa bahwa semua yang tercantum dalam faktur telah tiba dalam keadaan tidak rusak dan dalam jumlah yang tepat. Tidak seperti, misalnya, Amazon,
di mana semuanya otomatis.
Pelabelan. Semuanya harus dikategorikan dan diberi label yang sesuai. Yang terbaik adalah melacak tidak hanya item terpisah tetapi juga unit dan palet. Anda dapat membuat sistem pelabelan Anda sendiri dan membeli label pencetakan termal untuk mencetaknya. Pelabelan dapat dilakukan tanpa menggunakan aplikasi tambahan, tetapi sistem manajemen gudang dan inventaris kami disempurnakan dengan perangkat lunak. Kami menggunakan program khusus, kode batang, pemindai, dan iPad.
Perangkat lunak manajemen gudang memungkinkan Anda menemukan item apa pun kapan saja. Ini adalah salah satu bagian terpenting dari alur kerja dan kunci untuk inventaris gudang yang sukses.
Jenis perangkat lunak apa yang harus dipilih tergantung pada kebutuhan gudang tertentu. Ada pilihan seperti:
- Sistem Manajemen Gudang SAP
- SkuVault
- WMS Lintang
- Unggul
- Inventarisasi Fishbowl
- Memimpin Perdagangan
Kontrol kualitas. Lebih baik melakukan audit kontrol inventaris secara teratur untuk melacak inventaris gudang. Memeriksa ulang pesanan untuk memastikan SKU, jumlah, dan data pengiriman sudah benar dan memeriksa barang dari kerusakan juga penting.
Kontrol pengiriman adalah langkah terakhir dan penting dalam siklus hidup gudang barang. Kami bekerja sama dengan penyedia paling populer dan andal seperti FedEx, UPS, USPS, dan layanan Freight on board (FOB). Untuk membantu kami melacak proses pengiriman, kami menggunakan perangkat lunak pengiriman khusus. Ini membuat label produk dan menghitung berat paket. Di antara perangkat lunak semacam ini, ada opsi seperti:
- Pengiriman Mudah
- Stasiun Kapal
- Kemudahan
Semua yang disebutkan di atas adalah poin penting dari cara kami untuk melacak inventaris gudang. Bagi kami, ini adalah yang terbaik untuk hari ini.
George Keliher
@LOCATEInv
George Keliher telah terlibat dalam pembuatan dan penyimpanan suku cadang selama lebih dari 30 tahun, baik sebagai pengusaha maupun sebagai konsultan bisnis kecil, yang mengkhususkan diri dalam manajemen persediaan. George bersenang-senang dengan LOCATE Inventory sehingga rencana pensiunnya ditunda. Selain mengembangkan dan memperluas LOCATE, George membuat dirinya sibuk dengan rutinitas yang mencakup inline skating dan standup-paddleboarding.
“Cara terbaik untuk melacak gudang Anda adalah…”
Dengan perangkat lunak manajemen inventaris yang menanamkan praktik terbaik ke dalam setiap langkah alur kerja. Program yang mendukung pintasan dan solusi pasti akan menyebabkan hilangnya inventaris, penetapan biaya yang tidak akurat, dan pada akhirnya, hilangnya keuntungan.
Libba Durrett
Libba Durrett adalah Pendiri Sparklers Online. Sejak tahun 2003, Sparklers Online telah menyediakan pesta pernikahan dan perencana dengan kembang api perayaan untuk membuat hari (dan foto) pernikahan mereka menjadi lebih berkesan.
“Melacak inventaris adalah tanggung jawab yang melelahkan dan membosankan…”
Meskipun ada program perangkat lunak yang luar biasa untuk membantu proses ini, sama sekali tidak ada yang mengalahkan rekonsiliasi langsung. Hitungan inventaris fisik setiap 60 hari, referensi silang terhadap pengiriman dan tingkat inventaris komputer. Orang akan berpikir bahwa melacak produk yang saya jual, tiga ukuran kembang api pernikahan yang dijual musiman juga, akan menjadi pekerjaan termudah. Yang tidak diperhitungkan adalah pencurian, pergantian personel, dan kemalasan murni. Saya pernah berada di ujung malas rekonsiliasi persediaan ketika saya pikir saya memiliki lebih dari $20.000 dalam persediaan dan benar-benar salah. Itu adalah rasa malu yang besar dan tekanan keuangan pada bisnis. Dengan memegang staf gudang saya, serta saya sendiri bertanggung jawab setiap bulan, tidak ada kesalahan dan proses dapat ditanggung. Gudang saya tidak menggunakan sistem manajemen inventaris yang mewah. Kami menggunakan Microsoft Excel dan beberapa persamaan licik yang memungkinkan kami menekan biaya.
David Altemir
@AltemirConsult
David Altemir adalah Presiden Altemir Consulting, sebuah perusahaan konsultan manufaktur dan rantai pasokan yang berlokasi di Dallas, TX. Altemir mengkhususkan diri dalam meningkatkan praktik manajemen inventaris.
“Disiplin transaksional yang kuat adalah satu-satunya elemen terpenting untuk menjaga inventaris yang akurat…”
Penerimaan pembelian biasanya merupakan titik pertama di mana suatu barang diidentifikasi dan ditempatkan, sehingga dok penerima benar-benar dapat membuat atau menghancurkan kontrol inventaris organisasi. Pada saat itu, label barcode dapat diterapkan pada produk untuk memfasilitasi transaksi masuk/keluar selanjutnya dalam siklus penggunaan, misalnya, selama pengambilan dan pengiriman. Pemindaian label barcode akan memastikan bahwa nomor bagian ditangkap dan ditransaksikan dengan benar. Lokasi gudang juga dapat diberi kode batang untuk memastikan entri lokasi yang akurat dalam kasus-kasus di mana gudang diatur dengan rapi ke dalam lokasi rak dan tempat sampah yang berbeda. Pemberian tag RFID adalah opsi lain, tetapi pelabelan kode batang biasanya jauh lebih hemat biaya untuk sebagian besar aplikasi dan sama efektifnya dalam mendukung akuntansi biaya dan kuantitas yang akurat.
Punit Gupta
@EasyEcom
Punit Gupta adalah Pendiri &CEO EasyEcom, platform perdagangan Omni Channel. EasyEcom adalah platform pilihan untuk merek besar seperti Casio, Provogue, Killer Jeans, Swiss Military dll untuk menjalankan bisnis eCommerce mereka.
“Mengelola inventaris di gudang telah menjadi pertempuran yang sama sekali berbeda dibandingkan sebelumnya…”
Sebelum internet menjadi milik semua orang dan sebelum Amazon mendominasi ritel, hidup itu sederhana. Merek sebagian besar menjalankan bisnis grosir dari gudang mereka, sedangkan ritel terjadi di toko ritel.
Namun, dengan munculnya Amazon, internet dan, baru-baru ini, perdagangan omni-channel, perbedaan antara grosir dan eceran menjadi kabur. Akibatnya, kini merek harus mengelola sejumlah saluran dari gudang mereka yang sebelumnya hanya ditangani grosir.
Menjalankan bisnis semacam itu adalah hal baru, dan sebagian besar sistem tidak mendukungnya. Itu memberi jalan ke era baru platform manajemen gudang yang telah terintegrasi sebelumnya dengan eCommerce, operator pengiriman, gateway pembayaran, dll.
Itu norma baru. Setiap lokasi inventaris harus mampu mengelola semua jenis saluran penjualan. Selamat datang di dunia ritel baru yang terjadi melalui WhatsApp, Facebook, Amazon, dll.
Doug Orlove
Doug Orlove, Wakil Presiden Operasi di Amify, memiliki latar belakang yang luas dalam rantai pasokan dan keuangan, memimpin tim operasi di Dole Food Company, Frito-Lay, dan Medge. Dia memiliki lebih dari 20 tahun pengalaman mengelola inventaris dan perencanaan produksi baik di segmen barang yang mudah rusak maupun barang konsumsi. Doug belajar Biologi di Georgia Tech dan memiliki gelar master di bidang Logistik dari Florida Tech. Dia saat ini tinggal di Maryland bersama istrinya Birna dan empat anaknya.
“Memastikan jumlah inventaris yang optimal melalui perencanaan permintaan adalah kunci untuk mempertahankan aliran produk yang efisien melalui gudang…”
Jumlah persediaan berlebih akan berkontribusi pada biaya penanganan dan penyimpanan, sementara kekurangan persediaan memperlambat proses pemenuhan pesanan dan mempengaruhi layanan pelanggan. Prakiraan dapat ditingkatkan dengan mengadopsi konsep manajemen rantai pasokan seperti berbagi informasi. Data titik penjualan dimanfaatkan untuk memberikan tingkat permintaan dasar yang akurat. Melapisi musim dan tren di atas permintaan dasar akan memberikan proyeksi kebutuhan produk masa depan yang akurat.
Patty Harrison
@TIMSHME
Patty is the Medical Content Writer at Computers Unlimited. She blogs about how TIMS Software, as an all-in-one solution, can help HME teams work smarter. Patty recently returned to Montana, so when she’s not writing she’s eagerly exploring Billings and other nearby areas, looking for her next weekend adventure.
“Too much inventory creates unneeded expenses and too little inventory means lost revenue…”
For many in our industry, inventory management is a necessary evil that isn’t done well. From my experience, many businesses find it challenging because too many inventory management software systems have been weakly bolted on to billing software systems. This weakness causes insecurity for the CSRs who feel the need to verify inventory numbers themselves when answering inquiries. Also, warehouse personnel can’t accurately forecast when to reorder, so we end up with a downward spiral of inventory and an upward spiral of frustration.
What would it look like if inventory management was “just right?” Warehouse personnel would maintain optimal levels of inventory allowing CSRs to trust the quantities being shown and quickly respond to inquiries. Picking would be optimized by several tickets displaying on one handheld device so the employee only goes through the warehouse one time in order to fill several orders. Up-to-date sales history trends would assist with forecasting inventory and keeping carrier costs low. A “Goldilocks” scenario to be sure, but an excellent goal to strive for.
A fully integrated software solution will make sure the right people are doing the right work at the right time. The improvements in customer service and inventory forecasting will boost employee productivity, and reduce labor and carrying costs. You’ll have accurate reporting from inventory to sale and from dispensing to delivery. You’ll also have the data you need to make adjustments that will enable continued growth in your business. Carrying too much inventory is a cost against the bottom line – without inventory, there is no revenue to cycle. Having the correct balance of inventory is key to a healthy revenue cycle program.
Jan Bednar
@theshipmonk
Jan Bednar is the CEO of ShipMonk.
“Having a robust inventory management system…”
That can track your orders and inventory across multiple channels and locations is the best way to track warehouse inventory. This tech solution’s efficacy can be accentuated by performing cycle counts on a regular basis to ensure that inventory levels are accurate.
Mihai Corbuleac
@BigStepInc
Mihai Corbuleac is a Senior IT Consultant at Bigstep.com – a Chicago based IT company providing reliable and scalable cloud-based platform purpose-built for big data.
“If you want to upgrade your warehouse operations, you should consider implementing a warehouse management software that is…”
Also able to gather big data, so your data scientist can structure it, extract what is relevant, and interpret it to increase business profitability. A dedicated warehouse management software will allow you to use scanners with barcode labels to ensure that you can locate products in your warehouse, check stock levels, pricing, trends, etc. This can improve your discount strategy, and it will provide a competitive advantage.
Tim Stevens
@findmeagift
Tim Stevens is the Operations &Logistics Manager at Find Me A Gift. Find Me A Gift is a leading online retailer with over 9,000 gifts to choose from and new lines added every week. Established in June 2000, the company specializes in a wide range of gadgets, experiences, toys, novelty and personalized gifts with worldwide delivery, special offers and year-round sales.
“The best single approach to keeping track of warehouse inventory is cycle counting, also known as Perpetual Inventory (PI)…”
Perpetual Inventory is a process where a section of the warehouse is closed from any stock movements, the stock is counted and then this count is checked against the warehouse system. Any discrepancies can then be investigated and adjustments made. The results can be tracked to form a stock control KPI, which should be updated weekly to show any stock trends and improvements. PI can deliver a wall-to-wall stock take multiple times a year, aiding stock availability and giving more confidence in stock levels.
Robin Schwartz, PHR
@mfgjobscom
Robin Schwartz is the managing partner of MFG Jobs. She leverages her years of experience in HR to bring functional change to organizational leadership and direction to management structures and employees. She holds a Masters Degree in National Security Studies from American Military University. Robin currently holds a PHR certification from HRCI.
“Invest in an inventory tracking system that is appropriate for your business size…”
Smaller warehouses may be able to create proprietary inventory tracking systems with database software. Larger organizations should consider using a system which allows for both movable and fixed tracking options. Moveable tracking allows organizations to see where items are located at all times while fixed tracking allows for easy management and assignment of destinations. Using moveable and fixed tracking together ensures greater inventory efficiency and accuracy.
Jim Herst
Jim Herst is the CEO of Perceptive Selling Initiative, Inc. He helps businesses build sales and accelerate cash flow.
“The single best way to keep track of warehouse inventory is to…”
Assume each item has a stock number and a description if desired. This info is posted on top of a hard card lined with four columns, or if electronically maintained, the same process will apply.
Head columns as:Date, In-stock, Deduct, Balance. Or, as such in the computer program used.
Enter (from carefully counted inventory) the quantity available on (opening) date. Add new purchases of ‘that’ item on date received.
From orders (sales) when first received post date, deduct quantity ordered, mark remaining in Balance column.
NOTE, on/at Order coded ‘to fill’ or ‘Not Avail.’ Order picking, either electronically or manually MUST signal, if even the Item is in stock, it is NOT to be filled for an order marked ‘Not Avail.’
This method, depending on many factors, could or could not require a full-time clerk to maintain. It can be maintained manually or certainly in a computer.
The key is to deduct from available in-stock quantity. Variation of this system, whether manually maintained or in a computer program, will serve well to control inventory. Possibly this same program will show the Source(s) for purchase, costs based on quantity, necessary lead time, and other information.
As described this is a simple process. Certainly, large sellers will already have their tested/adjusted process in place.
Eric Allais
@PathGuide
Eric Allais, president and CEO of Washington-based PathGuide Technologies, Inc., has over 30 years of experience in marketing, product management and sector analysis in the automated data collection industry, including warehouse management practices in wholesale distribution.
“The critical success factor to reliably tracking warehouse inventory is…”
Hiring an experienced and highly-qualified warehouse leader. Strong warehouse leaders embrace necessary process changes to optimize the positive impact on customer service and profitability of the warehouse operation. They have a duty and allegiance to inspire the best work from warehouse employees and ensure that processes are followed. Lastly, a strong warehouse leader understands the value and effectiveness of software tool investments such as a warehouse management system. They ensure these tools are used to maximize efficiencies and control of inventory movements.
Maxwell Ziegler
@conveyco
Maxwell Ziegler is the Marketing Manager for Conveyco Technologies, a premier automation systems integrator who helps warehouse and fulfillment/distribution center operations grow and thrive.
“In a typical warehouse environment, the best way to keep track of inventory is through the use of…”
Scanning technology to communicate location events via a Warehouse Execution System (WES), which then talks to the Warehouse Management System (WMS). The WMS oversees all big picture warehouse data and is the official inventory of record. In this method, the inventory would be scanned either manually by a worker with a handheld unit or automatically (as is typical with an AS/RS system) as it is moved into inventory, or is stored, and then scanned again when it leaves storage. In an advanced warehouse, scan points will be work in conjunction with sortation systems to deliver orders or batches of work to their destination, as determined by the WMS.
Katie Christman
@eastwestmfg
Katie Christman is Inventory Analyst at East West Manufacturing, an Atlanta-based global contract manufacturer of components, sub-assemblies, and finished goods for OEMs and distributors – managing projects from design to delivery.
“Check your work…”
For a company of any size, there is nothing equal to physically seeing product for yourself, counting it, and comparing to your system numbers to make sure systems are working correctly. Trusting the number in a computer only works free of input error, delays, and shipping errors. Setting the system aside, standing in front of a shelf or pallet, and then reconciling the two is the best way to make sure that processes and inventory management are on track. For a company the like East West, where inventory is processed by hand, this is something we do every month. But even for a larger company with things like barcoding or RFID, nothing beats checking your work on a regular basis.
Karen Gordon
@Goodshuffle
Karen Gordon is the VP of Growth for Goodshuffle Pro, a software for event rental companies.
“The first key to successfully tracking warehouse inventory is…”
Finding an inventory software that does the dirty work for you. Simply using spreadsheets are a risk and not mistake-proof for various reasons. Spreadsheets are not multi-user friendly, meaning if many employees are accessing the same spreadsheet, the risk of deleting data is very high. An inventory tracking software could allow many employees to enter and alter inventory at the same time without any risk.
Organize your inventory in batches or crates for easy counting and barcode scanning. Buy clear bins and a label maker so you can clearly see what’s in each bin. This will allow for your staff to only remove a section of items at one time, rather than reshuffling things every time you need to scan something in or out. Consider sectioning off by a very specific sub-category of inventory, so that you don’t waste time sifting through items you aren’t looking for.
You should always train your employees to be technologically proficient. Hiring employees who are not able to adapt to your desired software will cause a loss of efficiency in the workplace. If your employees fully understand the technological process, it will save your supervisors tons of time. Implement training sessions and interactive practice sessions to make your employees more comfortable with a software. Allow your employees to practice using the software with fake inventory before throwing them into the job.
Andrei Vasilescu
@DontPayFull
Andrei Vasilescu is a renowned Digital Marketing expert and CEO of a Money Saving platform in the name of DontPayFull. He has been providing cutting edge digital marketing service to various international companies and different online coupons of various brands for years.
“Categorically labeling everything is essential…”
Proper labeling supports managing warehouse inventory in the most efficient manner. Label everything that enters your warehouse categorically. Items not labeled properly might get out of your notice and accounts at the same time. Other than inanimate things, there must be some people working in your warehouse. You should label every human employee to monitor every activity and prevent any unauthorized presence or movement in your warehouse. To track warehouse inventory most successfully, labeling every object and person is necessary.
Abhishek Jaiswal
@cedcommerce
Abhishek Jaiswal is the CEO and Co-Founder of CedCommerce. The firm he represents specializes in helping 3P sellers onboard largest marketplaces of the world. Largest retailers Walmart, Sears, BestBuy have made CedCommerce their channel integration partner to enable 3P sellers list their catalog on their e-commerce marketplaces.
“The single best way to keep track of warehouse inventory is the amalgamation of 3 important elements…”
Demand Forecasting, WMS (Warehouse Management Systems) Integrated with barcode scanners, and JIT (Just-in-Time) Ordering.
Accurate forecasting drives most efficient results. It includes past sales records, market trends, health of the economy, marketing efforts and much more. The key is to be a price as it is possible and include all the variables that could impact forecasting. Correct forecasting helps you order items in just the right amount so as to save precious space.
Thereafter, this data should be synchronized with Warehouse Management Systems. You can easily draw crucial information – fastest moving inventory, low-turn stock, the status of perishable goods, and more. Moreover, threshold-status based alert features alert you just-in-time to re-stock before inventory actually runs dry.
And then there is good old JIT or (Just in Time ordering) This strategy mitigates inventory wastage risks by offsetting them to the manufacturer themselves. So, once you receive a low stock notification from the WMS, you order when they are needed, minimizing wastage problems and saving vital warehouse space.
This method is working great for thousands of sellers associated with us through our Multichannel solutions helping them move and list their inventory on the largest marketplaces.
Amy Kilvington
@BlindsDirectGB
Amy Kilvington works at Blinds Direct, a leading manufacturer of blinds, curtains, and interior furnishings.
“Manage your inventory digitally on a daily basis by…”
Finding a high-quality inventory management system that fits within your budget. If possible, build your own bespoke system! This integrated software should continuously track your inventory levels along with all orders and deliveries. We do recommend that you complement this with up to four stocktakes per year.
Scott Crumrine
@GuavaFamily
Scott Crumrine is the Founder &CEO of Guava Family, Inc.
“Random quality control checks with the manager of the warehouse is a great addition to any inventory process…”
Random quality control mitigates potential mistakes by adding another layer of responsibility in the warehouse to keep it clean and organized. Accordingly, these random checks will help to catch and mitigate potential mistakes in packaging, shipping, and receiving. Not only will random QA checks help improve the overall inventory, but it will also allow the inventory manager more flexibility and ownership over his or her warehouse floor. Giving “ownership” of the processes to the warehouse team will help support innovation and reduce mistakes that hurt the bottom line.
Antonia Townsend
@TheEnclosed
Antonia Townsend is the Founder &Chief Knicker Officer at Enclosed.
“The right warehouse inventory solution varies by size, industry, and stage of company…”
For Enclosed, a high-end lingerie e-commerce company, we have frankly been unable to find any off-the-shelf solutions for our particular warehouse inventory needs. While we looked at several off-the-shelf offerings, nothing fit our needs for managing our high-value (we carry expensive designer lingerie), small sized (think of the size of a pair of folded panties!), and rotating needs (we fulfill our customer demand daily, but do larger batches monthly).
For us, a combination of careful Excel-based tracking (using lots of fairly advanced functions) and old-fashioned plastic-box and label organization has kept our inventory organized and accessible. (The latter being as important as the former.)
Ryan Polakoff
@nexterus
Ryan Polakoff, vice president, sales and marketing of Nexterus, is a supply chain professional with 15 years of experience in sales, supply chain optimization, logistics operations, marketing, and project management. Ryan oversees the Corporate Sales and Marketing teams and is the head of Franchise Development for Nexterus.
“The best way to track warehouse inventory is with the use of…”
Either an IMS (Inventory Management System) or WMS (Warehouse Management System), in which information is fed to and from the warehouse floor via bar coding or RFID.
IMS is focused on inventory management and can be used to supplement current in-house systems. A WMS will provide more overall warehouse management processes and can stand alone in providing direct external customer access and links to systems. In today’s software market, the difference between an IMS and WMS software package is sometimes hard to distinguish.
The determination to use barcoding or RFID will depend on the actual layout of the warehouse, value of the goods, and what type of security is needed. RFID is more expensive overall, and therefore is usually associated with higher valued goods, where tighter security is warranted, or where the company wants to use a more passive data collection method.
Further, the system (IMS or WMS and method of identification) will need to be compatible with the type of picking process being utilized, which will affect the number of personnel and type of equipment needed.
Andrew Rawson
@Traliant
Andrew Rawson came to Traliant with more than 25 years of experience in strategy, operations, and marketing. Most recently, Andrew served as the Global Head of Compliance Learning (eLearning) at Thomson Reuters, an information, technology, and services company with more than 60,000 employees.
“One of the best ways to keep track of warehouse inventory is to…”
Make sure everything has a label. It may seem like a simple fix but it could make a huge difference when trying to properly manage warehouse inventory. Having labels on everything makes it much easier for warehouse workers to pick the right inventory more often. Human error is inevitable but by labeling, ultimately you are cutting the risk of these errors way down.
Darren Schreher
@iheartraving
Darren Schreher is the Digital Manager for INTO THE AM and iHeartRaves, curators of all over print clothing and world leaders in festival fashion.
“We use software to help manage our warehouse inventory…”
It’s also critically important for the entire returns process. Our recently upgraded software can now automatically send a customer a return label for them to send products directly back to us. This cuts down lots of friction by not requiring the customer to provide their own shipping labels. The software also helps us track exactly which stages the return is in and clearly communicate the status to the customer so they know what’s going on at all times. Also, we automate these types of communication to all the necessary departments, including operations and marketing:
- The product is live on the site
- Purchase Orders are initially ordered
- The order is received by our warehouse
- A partial or full order is shipped
- Low inventory
Before we had this type of communication, we had lots of issues in terms of overselling, marketing products that have low stock, and having inventory sit in our warehouse too long before items became live for sale, etc.
Products and Tracking Solutions from Camcode:
- Pipe Labels
- Magnetic Rack Labels
- Custom Barcode Stickers
- Jenis Kode Batang
- Vinyl Labels
- Pallet Tags
- Barcode Security Labels
- Property Of Stickers
- Label UID
- Property Tags
