As we mentioned in a previous article, inventory management can affect the entire supply chain which is why it’s so important to ensure it’s organized and efficient. Good visuals can make a big difference in transforming all of that raw inventory data into aesthetically pleasing graphs and charts for greater insights. But this transformation can only take place with high-quality visual inventory management software.
What is visual inventory control? Why do you need it in your supply chain and how do you know if your inventory management system contains all of the necessary visualization features?
WHAT IS VISUAL INVENTORY CONTROL?
Visual inventory control refers to the visual verification of each product or item you’re moving for every transaction that takes place. In any supply chain, you must be able to physically see all critical supplies moving through your warehouse. Visual inventory management systems are used in multi-channel, multi-warehouse systems for stock control, serial number tracking and manufacturing operations in industries as diverse as food, electronics, medicine and apparel. It is used to simplify stock storage, and aid in items tracking and management purchasing to make your warehouse control more dynamic. Item photos, barcodes and bin labels all combine to help you match pick slips with items for more accurate orders.
Whether you’re controlling your inventory through regular stock reviews as part of your supply chain forecasting process, or by monitoring minimum stock levels, having visual representations of each product makes it easy to check that you are indeed working with the correct product, and gives warehouse managers and operators the ability to correct errors with product numbers or barcodes more quickly.
FEATURES & BENEFITS OF QUALITY VISUAL INVENTORY CONTROL
The ideal inventory management solution should be user-friendly with no complicated programs or functions for operators to learn. Other features include supported integration of all types of barcodes, the ability to track purchase order histories, keep detailed, accurate shipping records, and manage bill of materials, product expiration dates and contacts.
A strong visual inventory control system will allow you to
- Lower operational costs by better anticipating customer demand, thereby avoiding stock shortages, surpluses and obsolescence.
- Automate many of the tedious manual processes in your warehouses with technologies like voice-directed picking, RFID and machine learning.
- Optimize random bin locations and enhance lot traceability.
- Maintain a centralized data source where all members of your team can easily share all pertinent data with other departments or other branches of your supply chain.
- Build advanced KPI reports and send/receive instant messaging notifications within the warehouse to keep everyone updated on product movement.
VISUAL INVENTORY CONTROL WITH DATASCOPE
DATASCOPE WMS has plenty of experience helping companies in a variety of industries reach their ROI goals as quickly as possible for their Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) projects. Some of these industries have included:
- Apparel
- Automotive
- Construction materials
- Cosmetics
- Electronics
- Farming
- Food and beverage
- Medical products
- Textiles
- And many, many more
The days of inconvenient spreadsheets and paper records for stock control are long gone. With a user-friendly visual dashboard, the inventory control modules included in our software provide detailed data visibility into the movement on the warehouse floor.
- Inbound modules such as inbound receiving, supply chain transfers (SCT) and goods in transit (GIT) for receipt processing
- Outbound modules to help with picking rules, checkout strategies, invoicing, and customer returns
- WIP for job labeling, release, picking and receipting
- Pick face set up and stock replenishment
- Stock taking, cycle counting and other general warehouse movements
DATASCOPE WMS can be implemented on both PCs and mobile devices on your warehouse floor, leaving you with a set of virtual gates that enforce control of your inventory movement. With the cloud, you can track supply and demand in real-time for better quality control and warehouse organization.
Don’t put all the pressure on your warehousing staff to manage inventory manually. Our fully-customizable, state-of-the-art software was made specifically to meet the needs of manufacturers and distributors. Manufacturers can control all inventory from the raw material receipts to work in progress (WIP), not to mention the picking, packing and shipping of all finished products — all from our visual dashboard. With our proven framework, you’ll be able to benefit from our best practices, minimize costs and mitigate the risks involved in implementing a WMS and managing a supply chain.
DATASCOPE WMS is the foundation of any data-centric supply chain. See how to implement our software in your supply chain by scheduling a demo.