Warehouse Management
It has been my experience that warehouse management goes a long way in helping your business operations. Even in a simple and basic format I have noticed the positive impact. Sometimes those simple processes are actually the best. But then what system to use and which is best? Well that is up to you. How you operate and what your needs are will determine the best approach. Modern technology adds another benefit, mobility. Our Android mobile devices and scanners now allow us far more flexibility when managing stock.
If you are in the business of storing stock you will have a Warehouse facility and will therefore require some form of Stock Management Solution. Whether you are buying stock to sell or manufacturing stock from raw materials to sell you will need stock management. Even in its most basic form Warehouse Management enables proper stock controls. These controls improve your ability to store and rotate and ultimately pick your stock for delivery. Where you pack your stock and how you store it in your warehouse influences your ability to locate and pick those items in the future. A good cataloguing system of bin locations is needed.
Mobile Stock Counts
The formidable stock take procedure. Some companies view the process as a swear word. Other companies perform rotational stock checks at the beginning of every shift. Which one is best for your business? Regardless of the stock count process you prefer, you will still need to physically go and count the stock. Once you have counted and recorded the values you will need to enter them into your system. Using a scanner will help you. Using an Android Mobile device will help you even more. The Mobile Stock Count function of some programs allow you to simply scan and enter your stock count directly into your live stock control software. Or you can have an authorisation check first before it is uploaded.
Mobile Warehouse Transfers
In a multi-warehouse environment, the location of your stock can become the difference between making or losing a sale. If one store has 10 items that they do not sell, and another store sells that same item but has no stock then you will lose sales. It is a simple concept that is often overlooked. Your warehouse management software should identify this situation so that you can instruct your warehouses to rotate your stock more efficiently. Your staff will then be required to locate and move your stock. Using your warehouse bin locations and a mobile device your warehouse staff can quickly locate and pick your stock for warehouse transfers. By improving this process within your business, you will ensure more efficient order fulfilment.
More Warehouse Management Areas
There are so many more areas within Warehouse Management that will benefit your business. Here’s a list of some of the areas that you can look at:
- Bin Transfers
- Multiple Stock Pick
- Stock Pick
- Goods Receiving
- Delivery Advices
I will leave these topics for discussion on another day and will close off with this, if you cannot measure you cannot manage. Regardless of how small or large your concern may be, if you can measure it you can manage it.
