The simple benefits of implementing Inventory Management software are well-known. Some of the immediate benefits include:
- only as many items as can be consumed or sold in a given period are purchased
- avoidance of stock-outs
- alignment of on-the-shelf units with demand forecasts
- integration of procurement, billing and accounts payable and receivable
- real-time inventory status
For businesses that operate across a distributed network, implementing inventory management software becomes a necessity for ensuring production and sales can continue seamlessly. By leveraging the stock room capacity of several sites, business can optimizing the quantity of items held in stock not just in a single location, but across their entire interconnected network.
Whether parts or other stock items are held in regional warehouses, distribution centers, or in individual stock rooms, businesses that effectively implement inventory management software solutions are able to serve customers better by identifying where in the network parts exist. Even if the item is not held locally, with same-day and overnight shipping methods, parts can be picked, shipped, received and delivered to the customer quickly.
The logistics of this method of inventory management are not revolutionary, of course. What should be obvious, however, is that identifying and implementing the software that enables such organizational effectiveness is critical. Operating a supply chain across a widely distributed network is impossible if the management software doesn't align with existing practices, proves too difficult for end users to understand, or simply returns in accurate information.
Ensuring not just the correctness, but also the usability, of an inventory management solution is critical for ensuring a successful implementation. Training end users during the initial installation is fundamental to success, as is keeping them aware of any updates, or bringing new sites on-line as required. As the number of sites within the network increases, solutions must also be scalable, allowing each function - from sales to planning to production managers - to assess inventory quantities wherever the units may lie.
The supply chain consultants at Anseris have deep expertise when it comes to identifying inventory management software solutions and implementing them into a geographically distributed network. Contact us to learn more about our experience and capabilities.
Balancing service level goals across multiple channels of demand can be a daunting proposition. But with Replenishment, we can easily achieve this. Managing our distribution center efforts has really turned from an art to a science with Replenishment.