How Technology has Re-shaped Inventory Management Processes

Why “Pen and Paper” Doesn’t Work

Long gone are the days of “pen and paper” inventory management systems. With all of the technology so readily available to us today, the idea of completing tasks without automation is rare and unpleasant. When it comes to managing orders, sales, and the physical organization that takes place within a warehouse, even a smaller business is going to need some sort of system to keep everything running smoothly. To keep a record of everything manually (even if you are entering it into a spreadsheet rather than hand writing it), is extremely time consuming and also takes into account the existence of human error. 

With a larger company, it’s even more pertinent to have an automated system which integrates all aspects of inventory management because there are so many more aspects to keep organized. Not only does a larger business have more physical inventory, but there will also be a higher volume of sales going out and orders coming in. One may want to include factors such as reporting, forecasting, and keeping an exact record of where each product is at all times. To do all of this manually wastes time that could be used for building your business.

The Technology Available to Us Has Changed the Game

In this day and age, everyone uses their smart phones for just about everything. We have the world at our fingertips- literally, and we value the speed and convenience technology has brought to our lives. The potential customers who are interested in your business most likely value these things in their own lives. They want to be able to place an order with your company quickly and efficiently and have it arrive at their doorstep in the same fashion. In order to make this customer experience a successful one, you need the same values existing within your company’s warehouse processes. 

Having the adequate technology to help your employees in your warehouse is an investment that will benefit everyone. Devices such as barcode scanners keep the products physically organized in their places and help you to avoid missing inventory or wasting time searching for something not in its place. In addition, hand held tablets can help automate workflow processes for warehouse employees by displaying the steps they need to take to complete a task successfully.

Having the Right Software

Devices such as barcode scanners and hand held tablets would be useless without a strong software behind them, dictating how things should be completed. An inventory management software should be utilized to integrate all aspects of your business and automate as many workflow processes as possible. If you go with a quality software, warehouse employees will always know exactly how to process next when completing the day’s workflow. 

Using automation to speed up tasks will help your business long term in that less time will be wasted on meaningless tasks. The quicker an employee is able to pick and pack that product, and the less time they spend wandering around the warehouse in search of it, the more time will be available for more productive tasks to be accomplished. This extra time can be used to improve your business, come up with new plans, ideas, and simply complete more work for the day. As a result, your business will experience growth and success. 

With this growth, comes an even greater need for a tool such as a sophisticated warehouse management software. Growth means more customers, orders, products, shipments, and employees. All of this is great and is the goal for most businesses out there. However, if it is not all organized and integrated properly, you are setting yourself up for failure. A quality WMS is an investment that you can’t afford to miss out on if you want your business to thrive.

How to Choose the Right Software for You?

There are a lot of options out there for “out of the box” SaaS systems which will organize your inventory and manage your workflow processes. However, the decision to take it to the next level and ensure that any and all of your unique workflow processes will be accounted for within the software is what will set you apart from the rest. The ability to customize and tailor your inventory management software will prevent you running into problems which need to be solved manually. Having an issue with a step in your workflow that does not fit into the software you’re using will cause confusion and take time to correct every time it comes up.

Choosing a customizable software such as SkuNexus will eliminate such issues. SkuNexus is the world’s most customizable order/inventory/warehouse management system. SkuNexus developers work with you to learn your business and requirements, and then build out the features you need to succeed. Learn more about SkuNexus and how it can be a solution for you by clicking HERE to schedule a call!