Did you know that 67 percent of warehouses plan to use mobile devices as a way to manage inventory in a more efficient way? Having the best inventory management tool is essential if you want to get the most out of your warehousing employees and equipment. Good inventory management allows your warehouse to flow in an endless current of goods coming in and going out.
It’s easy to feel like you’re in over your head if you’re using all of the old-school methods for taking and keeping inventory at your warehouse. The good news is that you’ve found the right place to learn all about some of the best inventory management tools on the market.
Keep reading to learn all about the pros and cons of the best management tools today!
Reports
Reports are arguably the most important management tool when you’re running a warehouse. You’ll need a software program that tracks the goods entering and leaving your warehouse in order to get these reports. They come from the data within your inventory management database, and they give you a much clearer picture of the goods that are in your inventory.
It’s up to you to determine how you wish to use these reports, but they’re a great option if you’re looking for sales reports and inventory reports. You can use each of those types of reports to stay ahead of the game with your supply chain management.
You’ll have an easier time seeing the order history for all of your customers. A good inventory management tool will also help you look for a certain lot number or serial number when you’re going through your inventory.
The big benefit of using reports for your warehouse management is the ability to get an in-depth look at your warehouse as a whole. It will save you a ton of time and energy when you’re looking for important data and information.
Many of these reports are also automated. Automated reports take one more thing off of your plate, and they decrease the odds of human error. Combine these reports with inventory spreadsheet excel sheets and you’ll be good to go!
Reorder Alerts
Reorder alerts are another crucial tool when it comes to inventory management. This tool keeps an eye on how much of each good you have in stock at any given moment. You’ll need to set the alert to go off when your inventory reaches a particular number.
It’s a great way to ensure that you’re staying on top of your supply chain management. It’s hard to know when to order more goods when you’re unsure about when you’ll run out.
Having a good inventory management tool makes it easy to remind yourself to order more inventory when you get closer to selling out. You should have no problems seeing the amount of each product in your inventory as long as you get quality inventory management software.
A big benefit of setting up reorder alerts for your warehouse is the fact that it will save you a ton of time. Many warehouse managers that don’t have management tools spend hours looking for information about purchasing and their inventory levels.
It also makes looking up your inventory levels a breeze compared to your manual options. Best of all, you can trust that your inventory numbers are accurate since you’re using the right tools to manage your inventory.
Barcoding and Mobile Systems
Mobile devices are making managing a warehouse easier than ever, especially when they get combined with barcodes. The system involves placing barcodes on each item that comes into your warehouse. When an item arrives at the warehouse it will get scanned and then placed in the best place for storage.
The barcode system makes it easier than ever to keep live tabs on the number of goods that you have in stock at your warehouse. The speed and ease with which you’ll track your inventory are hard to eclipse when you’re using an inventory management tool.
Look at using mobile systems and barcoding as an alternative to counting your inventory by hand. You’ll be glad that you made the switch to using this technology.
System Integrations Software
Odds are that you’re using more than one type of software in order to manage your warehouse. It’s important that you get inventory management software that allows you to integrate it with the other software programs that you’re using. The most common software programs that you’ll want to integrate with are your accounting software and your online store software.
The biggest benefit that you’ll see from systems integration with your different software programs is the ability to have a better view of your inventory across multiple channels. You’ll find that it’s easier to view your goods throughout your supply chain.
Dashboards
Dashboards are another great tool that you need to use for inventory management. Your dashboard is a graphical display of the information that your software is collecting from your database. It’s a great way to get a quick glimpse of the items that you have in your inventory as well as their combined worth.
It’s also an effective way of tracking your business’s sales numbers if you’re running an e-commerce business. Having easy access to this information makes it much easier for you to make quick and informed decisions about your inventory and your supply chain.
If you’re looking for effective ways to compile important data then you can’t go wrong with a dashboard tool. It allows for better accuracy as well as a ton of saved time.
Start Using an Inventory Management Tool Today
It’s time to make the switch to an inventory management tool at your small business or your warehouse, especially if you want to save time and boost your revenue. Make sure that you invest in software integration to make life easier with accounting and sales software. You should also start using mobile devices and barcoding for a quick and easy method of checking your inventory.
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