Multichannel Inventory Management: A Detailed Guide to Successful Multichannel Inventory Management for eCommerce & D2C Sellers in 2023

December 19, 2022

Mismanagement of inventory costs businesses $1.75 trillion annually, and the probability of inventory errors only rises as organizations grow and sell through many channels. Brands must now use multiple retail and distribution channels to succeed in eCommerce fulfillment services. As a result, businesses must not only sell through various media but also navigate the challenges posed by the multichannel sales fulfillment model, such as tracking, managing, and delivering inventories. Inventory management may become extremely difficult rapidly, and your company may fail under strain if you don’t have the framework and resources to acquire inventory and complete orders.

In a multichannel inventory management system, purchases and manufacturing orders further increase the difficulty of managing inventory and storage space. Because of this, inventory management software (IMS) has grown to be a crucial component of multichannel operations. This kind of software provides various functions, including inventory, shipping, warehousing, accounting, and vendor administration, all of which work together to stop missed sales and dissatisfied consumers. Today, firms selling on several channels and managing inventory across multiple warehouses need to use multichannel inventory management. Let’s examine what it is and the problems it resolves.

Table Of Contents
  1. What Is Multichannel Inventory Management?
  2. A Practical Example Of Multichannel Inventory Management System
  3. 8 Common Challenges In Multichannel Inventory Management in 2023
  4. 6 Benefits of Having Multichannel Inventory Management
  5. 8 Key Features Of Ideal Multichannel Inventory Management
  6. 7 Factors To Look For In Multichannel Inventory Management Software in 2023
  7. Conclusion: How InventoryLogIQ Can Help With Multichannel Inventory Management in 2023
  8. Multichannel Inventory Management: FAQs

What Is Multichannel Inventory Management?

Monitoring inventory from various sales channels and storage facilities is known as multichannel inventory management. This comprises stock for retail, wholesale, online markets, and eCommerce. Your business can effortlessly manage stock levels, reorders, and inventory forecasts using multichannel inventory management, allowing you to precisely predict inventory turnover ratio each quarter. Instead of wasting time and resources managing your inventory details, multichannel inventory management solutions let you concentrate on expanding your company.

A Practical Example Of Multichannel Inventory Management System

Let’s say your business deals in fashion and apparel. One of your products is men’s jeanswear that you sell online and offline. All client orders are placed through the online platform, and you’ve listed denim jeans for sale in your shop. This makes it simple to keep track of your outgoing inventory and ensure you only sell what you have on hand. But when business picks up, you start searching for ways to grow and connect with other prospective clients who use different platforms for shopping.

Because you created shops on Flipkart and Amazon, keeping track of stock levels is considerably more challenging because orders are now being placed on three distinct platforms. For instance, if you have 100 blue denim jeans ready to sell, you might set your inventory to 100 on all your sales channels. You now face the chance of overselling, in any case. For instance, you might end up selling 20 denim jeans that you haven’t even created yet. Suppose you sell 70 pieces of denim of the inventory you have on hand on Myntra and 50 on Amazon the same day before. In that case, you can update the inventory counts on each site.

Therefore, maintaining an accurate product count today is practically impossible without a centralized, automated system for inventory management. You could certainly give it a go. However, you now face the risk of upsetting clients when they place an order for an item only to have it delayed or even cancelled because there is no inventory on hand. Additionally, you’ll need to acquire warehouse space and potentially even a business to manage your eCommerce fulfillment if your production increases and you need a place to store items and complete orders more quickly.

Sending inventory to numerous sites is required, and you are no longer the sole person in charge of adequately wrapping and shipping each of your goods. Incorrect stock may harm sales, fulfillment processes, and your reputation, so providers won’t want to cooperate with you. Your entire organization may fail if you can’t keep it in check. Currently, 55% of eCommerce companies handle inventory manually, frequently using spreadsheets or pen and paper. But there are a few drawbacks to this approach.

For starters, manually controlling inventories takes time. In addition, you’ll waste time and resources tracking every transaction on every eCommerce platform rather than concentrating on growing your business. Thus there is an opportunity cost involved. It is also simple to make mistakes due to the lack of visibility across sales channels and warehouses, which results in overstocking and overselling. Additionally, it is more challenging to manage and obtain data to make informed judgments, making it more difficult to expand your firm. Multichannel inventory management is the answer. Let’s examine how it will help your business and why it works.

8 Common Challenges In Multichannel Inventory Management in 2023

Making a significant influence on online markets like Amazon and Walmart requires using the appropriate technologies. However, there are still some potential problems faced during multichannel selling. This is because various sales channels expose organizations to multiple hazards, and depending on inadequate solutions will probably get you into trouble. The following are some of the most typical problems multichannel eCommerce businesses encounter:

Multichannel Inventory Management Becomes Challenging

Planning your inventory is crucial if you sell through numerous channels. It might be challenging to predict how much inventory you’ll need for each channel and when you’ll need it. Overstock, and you’ll have too much stock for a month. You risk running out of merchandise if you understock when you need it most. The impact of overselling on client satisfaction can be significant.

Directing your goods to the most effective warehouse reduces expenses and expedites delivery. A consumer at your physical store with an empty shopping cart and a credit card in hand is of little value to you if you have high inventory levels in a warehouse for your online business.

Processes for Fulfilling Orders Gets Complicated

When you were starting out and only selling on one channel, checking SKUs off on spreadsheets, printing individual shipping labels, and straightforward manual picking and packaging certainly sufficed. But now, since you’re on several channels, everything is much more difficult. The number of orders that need to be completed increases, and so does the complexity of the order fulfillment workflows.

Since you could apply various fulfillment strategies for multiple channels and move inventory between warehouses, the appropriate software may simplify the process by enabling you to process orders in a single location and in real-time, update order statuses automatically, and, most significantly, automate the multichannel order fulfillment procedures specific to your company.

Excessive Stock Gets Accumulated

Too much inventory is a resource drain that might prevent future investment since unsold inventory results in increased storage costs and insurance rates. This increased overhead will result in a cash flow restriction, which is never the intention. You can read more about excess inventory here.

Inefficient Management Of Warehouse Space 

Your finances and overall storage space are impacted when the incorrect items are stocked in many warehouses. It is tougher to restock things selling well with less space you have to fill. In addition, the insufficient room makes it much harder to satisfy customer needs, which leads to dissatisfied customers who could stop patronizing your establishment again. Additionally, you must pay holding charges for storing the unsold merchandise, which reduces your overall profitability.

Overselling Various Items

When a company sells through several channels, they frequently discover that there is a chance that they may accept payments for goods that are not yet in stock. As a result, overselling can make consumers dissatisfied. Cancelling an order may harm their experience, hurt your reputation, and raise the likelihood that they won’t shop at your online business again.

Erroneous Forecasting is Used

Insufficient data has a cascading impact. Additionally, because business is constantly changing in eCommerce, it is incredibly challenging to reverse course once inventory planning goes awry. It doesn’t help that, according to a Zentail poll, 54% of sellers still don’t use forecasting tools and instead try to compute shifting objectives manually. In addition, the same merchants frequently use a conventional forecasting methodology of 30, 60, or 90 days. As a result, they lack unified, real-time data to identify new purchasing patterns and instantly reorder (or reduce) product quantities.

High Rate Of Order Defects 

Order cancellations, wrong shipments, delivery exceptions, or late deliveries might result from an absence of inventory control. Your selling performance will suffer if they get out of hand. An ODR over 1% on Amazon is grounds for suspension. The cutoff is 2 per cent on eBay and Walmart. Beyond understocking and insufficient data, an inventory storage system that doesn’t connect your various facilities might sabotage your productivity.

Inaccurate Performance Insights

The most valuable player of any eCommerce organization is data. Unfortunately, having a selling presence across various platforms might leave you with a mountain of dispersed and disorganized data. That’s before you factor in additional difficulties like dropshipping or Amazon FBA. Identifying your organization’s areas where you should spend more time and energy might be challenging. You won’t be able to see clearly how the demand is shifting or what’s doing well.

6 Benefits of Having Multichannel Inventory Management

Not only does a system that updates inventory automatically across platforms for sales and warehouses keep you organized and spare you the hassle of making manual modifications. Multichannel inventory management immediately benefits your businesses bottom line in several different ways. Some of them are listed below:

Reduces Overselling and Overstocking

When your inventory is off, you can sell products you don’t have in stock. This can cause delays in order fulfillment, irate customers, and even lost revenues if you have to issue a refund and the buyer goes shopping somewhere else. Deadstock or overstocking of some products can also occur from not having a solid grip on inventory or customer demand for particular products.

With contemporary software solutions, multichannel inventory management streamlines this procedure. Each sale of items made anywhere will draw from the same inventory if you have a central database. Thus you can always be sure that your inventory is accurate.

Improves Visibility

The merchandise availability across all sales channels and warehouses can be quickly seen and evaluated by sellers using a multichannel inventory management system. The impact of sales on inventory is also visible to sellers in real-time. You can thus check inventory at any time to know quickly what goods are available, which ones you need to refill, and which products are selling where – and you can do it all in real-time.

Provides Insights

Without data, no eCommerce company can grow and prosper. As an eCommerce merchant, you must know what products are in demand, which aren’t moving, and how your inventory varies with seasons, trends, and sales to optimize your inventory and order fulfillment. This enables you to anticipate demand and plan for special occasions. Suppose you’re planning for Christmas Day, for instance. In that case, you may consider what products you’ll need to resupply before the event and then use historical sales data to forecast which things will sell quickly and make the necessary preparations.

Using data and insights to influence your decisions, you may also rapidly take advantage of fresh possibilities. For instance, you can find that a specific pair of denim jeans isn’t selling well and decide to give a one-day flash sale to persuade people to buy. Or, you can discover that sales of a specific product vastly outpace those elsewhere and opt to keep it solely in a local warehouse. You may streamline your business and concentrate on the most lucrative platforms by eliminating the selling channels that aren’t doing as well.

Improves Customer Experience

It would be best if you offered the same high standard of service regardless of whether a consumer decides to purchase your product—on your website, Myntra, or anyplace else. Whether you conduct business online or in person, you need a multichannel inventory management system that offers real-time visibility. When a buyer visits your online store to buy a pair of medium denim pants, they are out of stock. To find the item, the consumer might travel to other shop locations or check online to see whether the trousers are in stock.

However, a multichannel inventory management solution makes it simple for customers to ask a staff member to verify the inventory at different shop locations. Finding whether local businesses have the item in stock so the consumer can pick it up the same day or have the trousers sent right to their house will take a second. When an inventory management system is in place, it eliminates the need to search across many retailers for a pair of trousers.

Expedites Delivery

Regardless of your location, a multichannel inventory management system enables your company to handle inventories worldwide. As a result, shipping times will be quicker, and merchandise may be located closer to clients. With capabilities like route-optimization and last-mile delivery, multichannel inventory management software helps your company further enhance the fulfillment process and ensure that orders are delivered efficiently, precisely, and economically.

Enables To Rapid Business Expansion

You may scale your business in various ways, such as adding more items, expanding your distribution channels, partnering with more suppliers and manufacturers, and keeping inventory in multiple warehouses. Additionally, growing in any of these methods becomes more challenging if inventory needs to be manually tracked. By implementing multichannel inventory management to enhance the delivery process, you can also increase the productivity of your business.

In addition, numerous software capabilities, such as automatic planning, route adjustment and order monitoring, analytics, and more, may completely transform your company. In addition to guaranteeing quick, correct delivery for your clients, doing this will free up your time to concentrate on the essential aspects of running your company: developing, promoting, and selling high-quality items.

8 Key Features Of Ideal Multichannel Inventory Management

To have an impeccable multichannel inventory management system, look out for the key features mentioned below:

Native Integrations

multichannel inventory management_Native Integrations
Source

Without extra third-party connectors, every multichannel management system is worth being competent. In addition, it should be able to connect to every eCommerce channel you use. By taking third-party integrations out of the picture, disconnections will decrease. A seamless connection guarantees a smooth workflow. Additionally, you often receive better and quicker assistance with native integrations built and managed in-house without an intermediary.

Integrations for eCommerce can help speed up the payment procedure. For instance, businesses that accept payments through various payment gateways would want an order management system with robust integration capabilities. By doing so, businesses may control payments and refunds without ever leaving their main system.

Flexible Alternatives For Order Fulfillment

multichannel inventory management_Flexible Alternatives For Order Fulfillment
Source

Flexible order fulfillment solutions are necessary if you want to deliver orders to customers as quickly and affordably as possible. Based on your procedures, a multichannel order management system should be able to automate multichannel order fulfillment. For instance, based on the channel the order came from and the location of the delivery address, it should be possible to choose the fulfillment strategy or warehouse automatically.

Inventory Management At Multiple locations

multichannel inventory management_Inventory Management At Multiple locations
Source

When it comes to inventory management, a multichannel order management system excels. You will be able to view all your inventory in one seamlessly connected location, as opposed to having to view it individually for each eCommerce channel or manually combine it with other goods into a basic inventory management system. For order fulfillment, the inventory may be sent to warehouses with stock available using multichannel inventory management software, saving you the time required for manual rerouting. They can even start backorders or buy orders with suppliers to restock stock levels in the future.

Point of Sale Integration

multichannel inventory management_Point of Sale Integration
Source

Do you ever wish that the inventory you sell through your eCommerce channels and the merchandise you trade in your physical shop could be promptly reconciled? That is possible with multichannel order management systems with integrated POS. This is extremely helpful if you give your clients a choice to buy online and pick up in person or to click and collect.

Planning Inventory Levels Using Data

multichannel inventory management_Planning Inventory Levels Using Data
Source

When you use a multichannel order management system with integrated inventory planning, you can access all your data from every channel at your fingertips. As a result, you can predict which things to sell when and through which channels. A data-driven inventory planning system can improve your inventory management using useful inventory management KPIs, enabling an effective data-driven growth strategy.

Process Automations

multichannel inventory management_Process Automations
Source

The world is evolving due to automation. Nowhere is this truer than in the eCommerce fulfillment industries. Workflow automation may be scaled to your company’s demands, taking over the time-consuming tasks so you can focus on the things that require human interaction. To build a seamless omnichannel customer experience, you may control the process automation across all of your various sales channels. Your order management software’s incorporation of workflow automation will hasten order processing, reduce human error, and ensure quick delivery and order correctness to your consumers.

Business Reporting and Intelligence

multichannel inventory management_Business Reporting and Intelligence
Source

You don’t want to waste time while making decisions for your company. You want to have access to all the information you require immediately. A multichannel selling management system must feature simple yet capable reporting that can gather information from your sales channels and provide you with in-the-moment business insights.

Additionally, you should consider using retail business intelligence, which will give a comprehensive account of your company’s performance, if you want to gain more in-depth insights into your channels, goods, and customers. Consequently, you will have all the information necessary to make data-driven decisions.

Accounting Purchases

multichannel inventory management_Accounting Purchases
Source

Post-purchase analytics are crucial for running your company. The ideal order management system should make them as simple as feasible. To transfer real-time data into your preferred retail accounting software, look for an order management system that offers inventory transfer, demand, warehousing, and buying information. You’ll be able to make wiser business decisions if you have access to your financial data from several sources on a single platform.

7 Factors To Look For In Multichannel Inventory Management Software in 2023

The most excellent and dependable multichannel inventory software may be found by considering several options. First, you must thoroughly understand your unique business requirements, the size of your company, and the number of warehouses you have to select the appropriate software. In a multichannel environment, inventory management may be challenging. You must know the particular integrations and capabilities needed to sell and restock your items, which vary from business to business. Redundancies and workflow disruptions can be avoided by choosing the appropriate tool combination. So that you can select and incorporate the ideal software choice for your inventory management, there are a few things to consider. These consist of:

Controlling Inventory and Predicting

Inventory control and forecasting should be considered when limiting your software selections since they serve as the foundation of your inventory management. Therefore, it’s to your best advantage to pay special attention to the following before committing to a specific system:

Flexibility in Stock Keeping Units (SKU)

The finest software enables autonomous tracking of bundles and kits and individual goods, key components, and product variants. This SKU flexibility enables instant access to your product data, aids in tracking your inventory across all channels for timely replenishment, and allows you to keep track of your best-selling goods.

Forecasting

One of the most critical factors in inventory forecasting is the sales history of a product. To be able to look back on it or use it in calculations for inventory planning, your programme should capture and preserve sales data for years. This is now more crucial than ever as COVID speeds up the adoption of eCommerce. In addition, accurate inventory and supply chain forecasting puts brands and marketplace vendors in a better position to benefit from the profits.

Data from Every Channel

The key to more efficient inventory management is to gather data from all your sales channels to create a single repository for your sales data, fulfillment data, and supply chain automation processes. In addition, to acquire a comprehensive understanding of product performance and operational profitability on a per-SKU, per-channel basis, you should ideally be able to combine the data from each sales channel.

Scanning and Barcoding

For larger companies with multiple warehouses and fluctuating inventory levels, this is one of the most crucial factors because barcoding and scanning make it much simpler to collect real-time data from your various warehouse locations and guarantee you’re working with real-time, accurate stock data. If you use barcoding technology, it will be an essential part of managing your multichannel software.

However, Barcode systems cannot be integrated with every multichannel inventory management software. Therefore, verify that your entire toolkit will function as a unit and that your operations software is compatible with your barcode accessories. Another option is to utilize a mobile device to scan stock using an app like Barcodes or Scout.

Analytics

The usefulness and efficiency of the tool will also be influenced by the inventory analytics you have access to in your programme. It is crucial to prioritize in-depth access to the data you want and to conduct research on the reports the programme offers. To make the necessary modifications or adjustments as your firm continues to sell, ensure the business information you get is actionable and quantifiable.

Configurability and Customization

It’s not always simple to customize inventory management system. However, as no two organizations run similarly, customization and configurability are crucial components. Implementation will be more straightforward the more you can personalize and customize your multichannel software. Choose products with a robust App Store or integrations directory.

Suggested Read: What is a Periodic Inventory System?

Conclusion: How InventoryLogIQ Can Help With Multichannel Inventory Management in 2023

Software for multichannel inventory management is necessary for any company that wants to run smoothly and efficiently. As a result, companies of all sizes enjoy the most effective inventory management system that enhances customer satisfaction and facilitates a seamless customer experience while balancing the budgetary constraints associated with everyday operations. It would be best if you had a robust multichannel inventory management strategy to prevent overstocking and stock-outs and guarantee that customers receive what they request. Then, your eCommerce firm can quickly profit from using the proper software.

multichannel inventory management_InventoryLogIQ

For experienced merchants, InventoryLogIQ’s integration offers a powerful multichannel inventory management solution. Our services ensure that your listings reflect the correct numbers and that your product data is accurate. At the same time, we can also quickly and affordably store and manage your inventory across your marketplaces and fulfillment centers. By collaborating with InventoryLogIQ, you can exceed customer expectations, prevent mishaps and reduce forecasting glitches from depressing your sales.

Suggested Read: ERP Inventory Management System: When Your Business Requires an ERP Inventory System [2023]?

Multichannel Inventory Management: FAQs

Supercharge your fulfilment with InventoryLogIQ now, contact our team.

Related Posts

Inventory Cycle Count: A Detailed Guide Including Definition, Methods, Advantages and Processes in 2023

Inventory Cycle Count: A Detailed Guide Including Definition, Methods, Advantages and Processes in 2023

If you are an eCommerce seller, inventory becomes your biggest asset to invest in. Having inventory cycle counts is important because it can prevent losing out on sales and revenue. Inventory disparities are a problem that can be resolved relatively quickly. Every firm should strive to run accurate inventory cycle counts. For warehouse and returns management, general logistics and sales forecasting to be successful, accurate inventory counts are essential. Accurate cycle counting has an impact on almost every part of your company and its effects can last for years. It is a crucial component of inventory management procedures used by many firms since it ultimately ensures that consumers can obtain what they want when they want it while minimizing the costs associated with maintaining goods on hand. Today, we will learn about the method of controlling inventory through inventory cycle counts, what inventory cycle counting is, how it can improve your inventory accuracy to avoid stockouts and the best practices for implementing it. What is an Inventory Cycle Count? An inventory cycle count, also called cycle counting, is an inventory counting method that decreases the need for conventional audits by rotating product counts in a cyclical schedule. For large warehouses with a huge number of several distinct product types, inventory cycle counting is the preferred method. Cycle counting helps businesses operate effective, cost-friendly and time-saving inventory counts. Inventory cycle counts are commonly referred for inventory cycle audits. Different Methods of Inventory Cycle Counting ABC Cycle Counting This approach is used for inventory counts that are based on the Pareto Principle when counting more expensive, faster-moving items. According to ABC cycle counting, 20% of the parts in a warehouse correspond to 80% of the sales. These are the "A" items (the "B" items make up 30% of the inventory and 15% of the sales and so on.). Your most valuable assets or fastest-moving SKUs might be "A" goods.  Software for inventory control can classify the counts as A, B or C goods. Consider counting your "A" items more frequently while counting your "B" and "C" goods less frequently. You can use additional indicators like transactions and production figures to start ABC cycle counting. You can determine which products significantly affect your company's overall inventory cost using a variety of measures. Read to learn about what is ABC Analysis. Usage-Based Cycle Counting Any time an item is transferred (part of inventory transfer), whether it is through a manufacturer, distributor or eventually to the client, there is a chance that the inventory will vary. The most frequently accessed products are given priority in usage-based cycle counting to curtail that. Access could refer to being physically handled in any form, including being processed into or out of a warehouse. Hybrid Cycle Counting The usage-based and ABC counting techniques are combined in the hybrid cycle counting method to give the most frequently accessed, high-value items priority. When the ABC categories get too big, this approach is required. Managers can prioritize the A-category products with the most traffic by further segmenting their ABC categories. These items' inventory volatility hurts the company's bottom line the most. As a result, it makes sense that leaders would want to concentrate on precise counts within this area. Control Group Cycle Counting Control group cycle counting is based on the idea of establishing a control group and then using the information to expand to bigger sets. Companies will count the same products repeatedly over a short period of time using this practice. This is done in order to identify counting problems, correct them and improve the counting procedure before applying it to a larger group of items. For companies that are new to inventory cycle counts, this strategy may be advantageous. It enables you to practice your cycle counting skills over time until they are suitable for usage on a broader scale. Random Sample Cycle Counting Random sample cycle counting works well for businesses that sell lots of similar goods. This method enables you to choose a random sample of objects for each cycle count. The advantage in this situation is that random sample cycle counting may be done during regular business hours and poses little inconvenience to your warehouse. As the item selection procedure is random in this configuration, certain items may be tallied frequently and others infrequently. A diminished population, a subset of random sample cycle counting, is a different approach. Here, items are counted and then excluded from further inventory cycle counts until everything in the inventory has been counted. Geographic Cycle Counting The geographic counting approach emphasizes counting goods in a specific physical location. This approach, combined with random counts spaced at random intervals, can assist in pinpointing issue areas like theft or damage. Advantages of an Inventory Cycle Count Enhances Productivity Source An inventory cycle count keeps track of your inventory by maintaining inventory accuracy and efficiency in a variety of areas which leads to better productivity and output. The following aspects of your business will benefit the most from conducting an inventory cycle count: Assists in Purchasing Source Performing consistent inventory cycle counts enables you to purchase only what you need to prevent jamming money on overstocked or unsold goods. This will help reduce costs and wastage associated with over-ordering. Helps With Production Source Doing routine inventory cycle counts will help you plan your production to meet your demand and produce the proper quantities at the appropriate time to prevent making products that will occupy storage space. Assists in Sales & Marketing Source Inventory cycle counts can enable you to discuss with your sales team what is and is not selling. It will improve internal business relationships and generate more revenue as a result. Check on extra products and plan promotions to assist in generating sales.  Helps in Financing Source An inventory cycle count is necessary for many accounting computations. Cycle counting makes it possible for you to run reports and calculate data with the assurance that there won't need to be any large recalculations throughout tax season. Saves Time and Effort Source Cycle counting is more efficient than lengthy annual inventory counts because it can break up the monotony of protracted inventory audits. Therefore, you generally won't need to close your business or ask your staff to skip work in order to count your inventory. Additionally, regular inventory cycle counts make it simpler to locate misplaced, harmed or stolen goods in a sizable warehouse inventory. Saves Monetary Resources Source An inventory cycle count will also help you save money. To fully count every item in your inventory, annual counts frequently necessitate overtime hours. Setting aside time in daily or weekly chunks to count groupings of goods works out to be more economical. Processes Involved in an Inventory Cycle Count in 2023 Warehouses start inventory cycle counting to avoid the root causes of errors in tabulating inventory. After you complete a full physical inventory check to know and correct any discrepancies, you must use a regular counting program for maintenance. Steps during an inventory cycle count are listed below: Review All Your Documents Starting with an accurate database is important. Review and correct all data entries for inventory transactions to start the inventory cycle count process. Upload the Inventory Cycle Count Report Make a report on the inventory cycle count. Upload the report to your database or software solution if you plan on conducting the count. Start the Inventory Cycle Count The report's inventory locations, summaries and numbers should be reviewed by a counting person, who should then contrast them with what is physically present on the shelves. Investigate and Correct Any Discrepancies Determine any differences discovered during the count and work with the stock manager to resolve them. Search for mistake patterns. Change Processes and Add Policies Whenever necessary, put any inventory counting policies or processes into action. For this, you may need to change some processes in your standard workflow. Update Records Update the inventory record database to reflect the items that are currently on the shelves. Calculate the Accuracy Percentage For this, first match your data with a standard inventory cycle count and other competitors. After getting the inventory cycle count, keep auditing the inventory regularly and get the accuracy percentage each time. Then compare them and identify the best practices. Conclusion: Automate Your Inventory Cycle Counts With InventoryLogIQ Inventory cycle counts are a valuable tool for businesses of all sizes and industries. By regularly counting a portion of their inventory, businesses can maintain accurate inventory records, identify discrepancies, improve operational efficiency and provide better customer service. As such, businesses should consider implementing inventory cycle counts as part of their inventory management strategy to streamline their operations and improve their bottom line. InventoryLogIQ can automate your inventory counting process by utilizing an advanced AI-based OMS to enable automated inventory counts and real-time inventory updates across multiple fulfillment centers and eCommerce platforms. The benefits of outsourcing inventory management to 3PL providers experts like us are better accuracy and more efficiency. This greatly accelerates the process of inventory management while reducing any chance of errors occurring. You can benefit from a shorter order cycle time as a result, which might increase the number of days your inventory can be sold for. It also frees up your time so you can concentrate on the other operations of your eCommerce store. Inventory Cycle Count: FAQs How do you calculate the inventory cycle count?Divide the annual cost of sales by the average inventory level for the year to arrive at the cycle's calculation. As a result, if the company spent 100 days in total last year to produce its products and its average inventory time comprised of 20 days, its inventory cycle would be 5 days. How often should you count inventory?Once a year, a physical inventory count should be done. However, more frequent inspections can be fruitful. You may ensure that your inventory and your records match by periodically verifying your stock. Additionally, you will be able to see any issues with your record-keeping practices. What is the inventory cycle?The time it takes to generate and fulfill an order is known as the inventory cycle time and it is typically expressed in days. It basically gauges how quickly a business can finish the entire manufacturing or assembly process and transforming raw materials or components into a marketable product. Why is cycle count important?In cycle counting, fewer things are inventoried at once which involves inventory assessment with an automated system and maintains reliable data with a lower chance of error. Employees that are aware that inventory levels are appropriately updated frequently will not be tempted to steal. What is the 80/20 rule in inventory?According to the 80/20 rule, only 20% of effort, consumers or other units of the measurement result in 80% of the results. The rule says that businesses make about 80% of their revenue on 20% of their inventory.

March 28, 2023
What is Physical Stock? Meaning, Types, Steps & Best Practices of Physical Inventory Counting Methods in 2023

What is Physical Stock? Meaning, Types, Steps & Best Practices of Physical Inventory Counting Methods in 2023

The highest growth rate the sector has had since 2011 was $5.15 trillion in retail spending in physical locations in 2021. Retailers are retaining more inventory than ever before to meet demand. It's understandable why the number of warehouses in the US has been steadily rising since 2013. Despite the exponential rise in warehouse storage and inventory levels, evidence indicates that merchants aren't doing a great job controlling their goods. Only 8% of smaller companies keep track of their inventory. Pen and paper are used manually by another 14% of people. This article will explain the advantages of maintaining a physical inventory count for your retail shop as well as how to go about doing it. The tangible goods that retail establishments, manufacturing facilities, and warehouses stock are essential. Companies should do physical inventory counts of their products to maintain appropriate and correct inventory levels. Physical inventory counts can monitor stock levels, confirm current numbers, and spot internal problems or theft. In this article, we define physical stock, list various inventory counting techniques, and outline the procedures for doing accurate inventory counts. What is a Physical Inventory Count? Physical inventory counts are a method used in inventory management to track every physical item a company has. Cycle counting often referred to as periodic counting or yearly counting, are two ways to do physical inventory counts. A corporation can find out if there is any loss or shrinkage that they can account for in their financial records by performing a physical inventory. Physical inventory counts take place in a variety of companies, although they are most frequent at manufacturing plants, distribution centres, and retail outlets. Suggested Read: What is a Periodic Inventory System? 4 Major Purposes of Conducting Physical Inventory Count The physical inventory count serves a variety of functions, which includes: Ensuring Accurate Stock Levels Physical inventory levels frequently differ from what digital records indicate. For instance, inventory levels might change in a production setting if a worker takes a replacement item but fails to register it. Employees may unintentionally enter inaccurate inventory into the system when working in retail. Additionally, there have been incidents of stealing, theft, damage, or incorrectly recorded returns, giveaways, or ruined goods. The physical inventory levels go out of sync with the records when this occurs. The resolution of a physical count can explain these differences. Keeping Track of Theft, Damaged Goods or Internal Problems A corporation can monitor for internal and external theft, damaged items, or internal problems by doing physical inventory counts. Theft, often known as shrinkage in the context of inventory, may make it difficult for firms to stay profitable. Employees must also take proper care of damaged inventory by reporting the damage to a manager or supervisor so that inventory levels may be adjusted and the product can be returned to the manufacturer for a warranty replacement or credit. The need for staff training on inventory protocol, shipping and receiving policies, or manufacturing best practices is just one internal issue that inventory counts might highlight. Reporting Wages and Income Accurate revenue statements and other financial papers may be produced by businesses with the use of adequate inventory levels for reporting. For instance, making actual earnings and precise balance sheet statements depend on maintaining an accurate inventory. The board of directors, top management, and investors of an organization utilize this data to make choices regarding the course of the business. The accuracy of revenue, wages, and inventories is so crucial. Creating a Precise Budget Inventory counts are also used by businesses to assess how much has been sold and how much stock is still available. When determining which things are the most popular, this might give helpful information regarding the inventory turnover rate or how frequently the item sells. As a result, this can assist businesses in developing a precise inventory budget. They may choose which items and how many of each to have on hand. To prepare for the upcoming year's purchases, a retail business can, for instance, do an inventory count on seasonal items. 6 Main Types of Physical Inventory Count Methods The main types of physical inventory counting procedures include: Point-of-Sale or Electronic Counting Electronic counting scans and tracks goods digitally using specialized computer tracking software. For instance, many businesses utilize point-of-sale (POS) systems, which enable staff to scan things as consumers buy them. The application automatically subtracts the quantity from the inventory as soon as the buyer purchases the item, and the team monitors it through the POS system. The warehouse receiver adds new products to the system when the shop gets them using the same technology to increase stock. POS systems frequently communicate with other types of software, such as enterprise resource planning, accounting, or merchandising software. The firm employees may, for instance, conduct a physical inventory count to ensure that the physical and digital numbers match. Although this technology helps to increase inventory accuracy, the associated fees might raise a company's costs. Employees have time to become familiar with the system and appropriately carry out the operations. Manually Counting  Unlike automated counting, manual inventory counting involves staff members writing down the inventory results on paper. The management of a corporation can assign workers as necessary or have a dedicated employee or team perform physical inventory counts. To count, they can go about the shop, warehouse, or storage area to identify the things and add up the amounts using a spreadsheet or printout of the products. By using this technique, a business might avoid paying for the initial expenditures of building an electronic system. It is also helpful in confirming POS system findings. It's crucial to remember that human inventory counting might produce a range of results based on the size of the business, the accuracy, and the care taken by the counters. Periodic Counting Periodic Counting or Cycle counting is a method of physical inventory counting in small increments over the course of a month or year. For instance, to assure accurate data, a retail shop would tally the most popular produce items each Monday morning. Fourth Tuesdays, the specialized section receives a similar treatment, and so on. The corporation will gain from this in a number of ways. First of all, it enables the business to continue operating rather than shutting down to finish an entire physical inventory count. Additionally, since inventory is constantly counted and faults can be found promptly, it enables any inconsistencies to be resolved sooner. This is advantageous for quickly transporting goods or products that the business wishes to monitor. Many companies choose to perform a complete inventory count once a year and the regular cycle counts. Complete Physical Counting Companies frequently do a comprehensive physical inventory once a year. Organizations can utilize their own workers to count, engage temporary help, or pay an inventory counting agency to complete this task. Many organizations arrange shelves, storerooms, and warehouses before finishing a complete inventory to make sure that goods are located correctly and are simple to find. Depending on how things go at the firm, the business may temporarily close or stay open on inventory day. Counters can be given inventory lists or spreadsheets by managers, along with instructions on how to record the number of things sold accurately. At the conclusion of physical inventory counting, all counters give in their sheets to the supervisors, who then compile the findings. Spot Counting Spot counting, arbitrary counting or ad-hoc counting is a type of physical inventory counting method that is frequently started by the user and is not planned, making it useful in unusual circumstances. Let's say you counted a zone, but a few days later, the system malfunctioned because of someone or some procedure. Instead of waiting for the next cycle count, you can construct a new, empty order and begin adding counted items to it. Of course, your system must be able to compare the quantity that was tallied to the data stored in the program. Arbitrary counting is sometimes referred to as blind counting since it typically takes place in unplanned, tiny store/warehouse zones or locations. Tag Counting The personnel of the store or warehouse should physically tag each item prior to tag counting. The worker must complete the required slots on the tag with the item ID, counted amount, and other pertinent information during physical inventory counting. Some labels have two sides, allowing an additional worker to check the data and, if necessary, fill in the adjustment on the second side. These tags are gathered and added to the system as journals when the counting procedure is complete. The primary distinction between tag counting and all other counting techniques is that tag counting does not involve a direct comparison to system data. As opposed to just producing a counting order and comparing it to the tag counting list, it is more like creating a rough draught list of your goods and quantities, refining it (e.g., updating with sales that have occurred during the counting), and then comparing it to the final list. How to Conduct a Physical Inventory Count in 12 Easy Steps A successful retail business is built on effective inventory management. Customers will always find what they're looking for in a well-stocked backroom, and your workers will always have what they need to do their jobs. In the best-case scenario, organized stock supports your everyday operations so that personnel may concentrate on customers. At worst, you're left with a logistical nightmare of missing items and lost sales. Your staff will need to count meticulously, track, and process products on a regular basis to keep your inventory operating correctly. Are they driven to complete the assignment as inventory season approaches, or would they prefer to skulk off? The given steps for counting physical inventory can help you manage stress if you run a retail firm. Let's take a look: Check the Date It can be a big deal if you have to manually count your physical inventory every month, every three months, or at the conclusion of a reporting period. It may be necessary to take stock outside of regular business hours because it is a laborious operation. Give your team plenty of warning so they can plan accordingly around their commitments, and be sure to schedule workers correctly, so nobody takes on an opening shift. Post a sign in your store or on your social media accounts informing clients if you need to close your store during regular business hours. The secret is to plan. Assign Your Counters Physical inventory counting needs expertise. Before you allocate your counters, make the position a learning opportunity for both inexperienced and experienced workers by letting them train one another and providing checks and balances along the way. Make a written protocol and include information on how you'll establish a precise cut-off point for stock movement for an accurate count. Count teams typically consist of two individuals - one who counts and the other who records. To make sure that everyone will be accessible on the specified day and time, provide your team with their schedules as far in advance as you can. Notify All Storage Facilities Make sure to inform relevant third parties that they should likewise undertake a physical count of inventory on the given date, whether your organization has merchandise in outside storage or on consignment. To ensure that they are not counted, make careful to separate any recently acquired products. Deliveries to the warehouse should be delayed if at all feasible to prevent variations from occurring during the count. Before starting the count, you'll want everything to be free of clutter. Examine Your Stock A few days ahead of time, check your inventory to make sure everything is in order. Search for objects with missing or partial component numbers and those that are in a state that might complicate the procedure. Adjust your inventory as needed to make it ready for the physical count. Make a Proper Warehouse Plan Make sure your staff has a map of your floor, backroom, and storage so they know where to go when they need to. A map can let you allocate personnel to their stations more efficiently, whether you need to take photographs or sketch up a plan. Create a tracking sheet for each sector and assign a different number to each display, rack, and shelf. Visualizing your inventory area will reduce confusion and make it easier for your personnel to get started. Make Your Own Category You may count and group comparable objects together with the aid of categories. The categories for a retail setting may be footwear, tops, bottoms, outerwear, and accessories. Depending on your industry, these groups can be further divided based on color or gender. The counting procedure will be more smoothly executed if a systematic system is created. You'll run into certain things that don't have a designated spot in your store when you're arranging your physical count. It would be best if you made a decision on how to handle objects without a clear home. They can be transferred or returned from other places. Start the Pre-Count Make sure everything is tagged correctly and labeled before the count starts. After all the things have been tallied, failure to deal with stray objects can lead to problems and anger. Start early by counting some of the items. Put the objects that were counted in sealed boxes when the pre-count is done. The goods will need to be recounted if, on the day of the physical count, you discover broken seals on packets that have already been counted. Set Frequent Reminders Give your staff a review of what they learned in training before the big day. Walk your staff around the shop if you've relocated any stations or merchandise to prevent confusion. Distribute instructions that break down the counting procedure into simple stages. Despite the fact that there shouldn't be any things without labels or pricing, emphasize the significance of gathering such items in a specific location so they may be handled last. Explain the Procedure Lead by example and demonstrate to your staff the correct way to do a physical inventory count. Give them a sample of a completed form, then have them go over their initial try to ensure the form was filled out correctly. Assign the count teams to various areas of the shop using the map. To prevent double-counting, mark the regions on the map that have been counted. Get Set and Go Counting You may pair off your teams and start physical inventory counting now. The second person completes the count tag using the sample data below after the first person has finished counting: LocationItem informationportion numberQuantityMeasurement unit The team attaches the original count tag to the inventory item, keeps a copy, and turns the tags into the person in charge. The person in charge will verify that all titles have been completed entirely and none are missing. Recheck Your Possessions Perform spot checks in sections to see whether the items were appropriately counted. Take advantage of the chance to verify each section doubly if this stock audit finds a mistake. It will be worthwhile to double-check the counts that have previously been made. To assure the correctness of the inputs, a data entry team should additionally include two members. Complete the Reporting To add up your computations, record your physical inventory counts on a spreadsheet. Your inventory reports will enable you to find any discrepancies between the physical and book counts so that you can develop a strategy to eliminate them. To find potential patterns, compile physical count inventory records over a specified time period. Is there, for instance, a particular low-count spot in your store? Are there any procedures you might strengthen to prevent the loss of goods? Your business should be impacted by your reports and results in all areas, from financing to visual merchandising. 5 Benefits of Physical Stock Counting in 2023 To maintain accurate and up-to-date inventory records, physical inventory counts are a crucial component. Better sales and purchase estimates may be made thanks to correct inventory records, which also guarantee that you always have the proper quantity of stock on hand. Your consumers will benefit from having a physical inventory taken. Precise physical inventory counts are essential for the reasons listed below: Provides an Accurate Insight Into Inventory Levels  You will have a far better knowledge of how much merchandise you will need to have on hand to satisfy consumer needs when you effectively manage your inventory. You won't have to worry about running out of supplies all the time, thanks to this. By being aware of your inventory levels, you may prevent clients from making orders for items that are not currently in stock. Without having to worry about keeping too many goods on hand, shortages will be less of an issue. Improves Demand Predictions An essential component of inventory management is demand forecasting. It occurs when you foresee a product's level of demand, the rate at which it will sell out, and the time at which that SKU has to be restocked. A physical inventory check can enhance buying and forecasting of inventories. For example, retailers that see demand forecasting reports that suggest which products to replenish based on their profitability and restock rate can do so in a way that allows them to do so based on both the popularity and profitability of the items. Suggested Read: What is Inventory Forecasting? Enhances Sell-Through Rate of Slow-Moving Inventory An actual inventory count does more than avoid stockouts. Retailers also reduce the chance of keeping out-of-date stock at the total price for an extended period of time. Retailers should have access to inventory grading data that group items according to their cost per unit, selling price, number of sold units, and overall income over time. Merchants should proactively think about re-merchandising items in-store, advertising them to generate interest, or offering a special discount to encourage sales for those that aren't selling as intended. In order to recover your initial investment and create a place for more in-demand goods that either sell at a larger volume, have better profit, or both, it is helpful to move through failing inventory. Reduces Inventory Shrinkage Inventory loss is a frequent and annoying issue for merchants. When your actual stock is less than the amount listed in your inventory management software, this occurs. Theft by employees and shoplifting are the two main reasons for stock shrinkage. A weekly partial inventory count, for instance, can assist retailers in identifying discrepancies between a store's actual inventory and the inventory levels recorded in its point-of-sale system with a smaller sample size of inventory that is easier to count (one particular product category, for example), giving them enough time to determine what caused the shrinkage and reconcile it. Prevents Overstocking and Understocking  Lack of physical inventory tracking can lead to carrying too much (or not enough) goods, which could lead to budgetary concerns if not maintained under control. Overstocking, often known as the gap between available inventory and demand, has resulted in markdowns totaling more than $300 billion. Discounting at scale leads to lost income because of lower-than-expected margins on each transaction, despite the fact that it has valuable use cases. You can allocate enough money to inventory to satisfy demand without overstocking or understocking by maintaining an accurate inventory ledger and using the information from your POS system to understand better how well-liked the products you carry are with customers. 7 Best Practices to Implement for Counting Physical Stock in 2023 Make a Map of Your Shop, Warehouse or Stockroom Source Make a map of the locations where your inventory is kept, whether it be on your shop floor, in a stockroom, or in a warehouse, as part of your preparations. Label each product category's location and the person in charge of counting it on the map. This will aid store employees in getting their bearings and assist the manager you assigned to maintain track of who is in charge of what. Give each employee a list of the SKUs they will count in their assigned region as well. This may be a helpful tool when they scan product barcodes and enter their count into the POS system. Use Box and Shelf Labels Source Label shelves and boxes according to the things they hold and make sure the contents of each are located where they should be according to a map of your store. The shop map you made in the previous step should be reflected in these labels. Prior to the inventory count, it will be easier to stay organized and save time when it comes time to account for the miscellaneous things if boxes and shelves are proactively labeled and products are placed in their proper locations. Clean the Locations Where You are Counting Source Make sure there is enough space for employees to count large quantities of items in each location designated for stock-taking. Get rid of any boxes or inventory items that are unnecessary. Any freestanding furniture, such as mannequins or display cases, should be moved to one side. Use Barcode Readers Source While it is possible to hand count the objects, teams are more prone to make mistakes. For quicker and more accurate counting, choose barcode scanners. Store employees scan the barcode on the product's tag, and the inventory levels connected with that product's SKU are automatically entered into the POS system as opposed to each product having to be manually counted and recorded in a spreadsheet or on paper. Mis-counts are unlikely unless the store employee scans the exact same item twice. Barcode scanners are necessary for teams charged with counting enormous volumes of merchandise. Set a Time When Counting Will Be Handy Source Setting a deadline for your inventory count is worthwhile. Depending on how many things you carry, performing a physical count can take one business a whole day and another just a few. In either case, giving oneself too much time is preferable to not enough. Additionally, some retailers choose to conduct nighttime inventory counts, appointing a team of staff to enter the premises during off-hours. Just bear in mind that in many areas, paying employees more for midnight labor than for a shift during regular business hours is the norm. Train and Inform Staff Members Source Before beginning a comprehensive physical inventory count, take the time to teach and instruct your store personnel on how to perform it. To count inventory and record outcomes, every member of your team should be able to operate a barcode scanner and your POS system. Spend some time outlining the typical difficulties they may encounter. What happens if a tag is missing, a product is defective, or a label is mislabeled? To ensure that staff members know what to do in each instance, share the solution and the procedure you've put in place. Utilize Technology for Physical Inventory Count Source Pen and paper counting takes more time than electronic counting. It's simple to make a mistake when counting, leading to erroneous inventory data. Additionally, a physical stock count across many retail locations will generate more data that will require much more time to process and understand than if everything were recorded using inventory management software. Inventor management technology provides solutions to these issues. Inventory reconciliation is sped up, and merchants have a single source of truth for both their financials and inventory when they scan products since the point-of-sale system will automatically register inventory levels for that SKU. Suggested Read: Supply Chain Forecasting Conclusion: Improve Your Physical Inventory Counts With InventoryLogIQ In conclusion, it is crucial to perform routine physical inventory counts even if you have an inventory management system in case-specific procedures are not operating as effectively as they should. Inventory counts assist you in reducing unexpected shortages and identifying which internal processes need to be changed to enhance your business operations as a whole. One of the top providers of inventory and data-collecting services is InventoryLogIQ. We offer physical inventory counting, merchandise planning and space optimization services to the majority of large retailers across the nation using our custom OMS and professional team. The integrated, one-handed inventory count terminal and warehouse management solutions are the technological advancements from which InventoryLogIQ continues to hold an excellent reputation in the market. This will not only handle your complete inventory but also make doing an inventory count simple by offering a section just for counting your inventory and notifying you right away if there are any shortages or exceeding stock. Physical Stock: FAQs Why is the physical inventory count performed?The Inventory account balance is updated to reflect the actual amount of accessible inventory using the physical count. To ascertain whether there have been any theft, loss, damage, or inaccuracies in inventory, a physical count is performed. How frequently should physical inventory counts take place?At the very least once a year, a physical inventory count should be done, however more regular inspections might be helpful. You may ensure that your inventory and your records match by frequently verifying your stock. Additionally, you'll be able to see any issues with your record-keeping practices. How is physical inventory managed?Wireless inventory scanners make it simple to scan a product wherever it is stored using barcodes to distinguish between each SKU type. You can simply monitor things by SKU, know how much is in stock, and identify every SKU in a warehouse by adding a barcode to your product tags or packaging.

March 24, 2023
Perpetual Inventory System Guide: Definition, Methods, Factors Considered, Benefits & How is Perpetual Inventory Different From Periodic Inventory Systems in 2023

Perpetual Inventory System Guide: Definition, Methods, Factors Considered, Benefits & How is Perpetual Inventory Different From Periodic Inventory Systems in 2023

For any sustainable and successful business, a sound inventory system is required to track goods throughout the supply chain cycle. From purchasing raw materials to producing the goods and, finally, selling the product, proper inventory management is key. It’s an effective system that keeps records of purchased materials, sales inventory and also stock-on-hand details of your business entity. The fundamental structure of inventory management includes inventory purchase (ready-to-sell goods that are procured and delivered to the point of sale or warehouse), storage of inventory (inventory that is stored until needed) and goods and materials that are at different stages of the fulfillment network. There are two types of inventory, as stated below:  Periodic Inventory Perpetual Inventory  While both these accounting methods are similar (businesses use them to track the number of products, stock availability, etc.), they have several inherent differences. What is a Perpetual Inventory System? A perpetual inventory system allows businesses to keep a real-time account or stock of inventory on hand. The widespread usage of computers and technology has made this system very effective. Businesses worldwide have found that this system is highly user-friendly and has fostered the ease of conducting various processes, eliminating redundancies and complexities of the traditional inventory system. Barcodes, Radio Frequency Identification Scanners (RFID) and point of sales systems supported by perpetual inventory systems quickly input inventory information of all business transactions on a real-time basis. Perpetual Inventory Systems are popular in modern business. They are often found in large businesses across multiple industries, such as jewelers, electronic stores and global enterprises such as restaurant chains, clothing stores, etc. Perpetual inventory systems track the details of product sales instantly through point-of-sale systems (PoS). However, perpetual inventory does not keep track of physical stock/products. Inventory reports can be accessed online at any time, making it easier to manage inventory levels and the cash needed to purchase additional inventory. Updates are automatically created when you receive or sell inventory. Your inventory accounts immediately reflect data about purchases, return of goods and stock data. 6 Main Differences Between Perpetual Inventory and Periodic Inventory Systems A perpetual inventory system constantly updates the purchase and sales records constantly, which provides a real-time reflection into what is staying or leaving the warehouse. A periodic inventory system only records updates to inventory and costs of sales at scheduled times throughout the year, not on a constant basis. While a perpetual inventory system can record and monitor the movement of the stock non-stop, a periodic inventory system can update inventory records at intervals, which happens after the stock is physically accounted for. The 6 main differences are listed in the table below: [table id=1 /] Advantages of Perpetual Inventory There are multiple advantages of perpetual inventory, which gives companies the ability to operate more effectively. They are listed below: Provides Updates in Real-Time Perpetual inventory maintains live records of inventory as soon as it is bought or obtained by the company. This enables the retailer to always be aware of when stocks are running low, which items are popular, when items were bought etc., so they can plan accordingly and be ahead of the curve. Manages Inventory in Multiple Warehouses Gone are the days when companies had to maintain multiple spreadsheets or files and manually add and remove items from the list. Perpetual inventory systems consolidate all your inventory records which is stored across multiple warehouses in one place. This will help make processes more efficient and will surely mitigate any errors or delays. Keeps Users Informed Through Forecasting Using perpetual inventory, retailers have a better idea of their customers' purchasing patterns based on the inventory sold. They will have a better idea of which products are in demand, during which season and which price point is doing the best. They will also get an idea of which products aren’t doing well and are just accumulating space in the warehouse. This understanding will help the business forecast demand and supply in the future. Suggested Read: What is Inventory Forecasting? Assists in Accounting Procedures Inventory is a key aspect of every accounting process as it gauges the value of the assets that firms have on hand. Since perpetual inventory systems constantly track and provide updates on inventory levels, it becomes much easier and faster to access this information. Disadvantages of Perpetual Inventory Can be Expensive Perpetual inventory is generally regarded as not being a pocket-friendly solution because of all the technology and software that is needed to enable it. Adding new inventory lists can also be chargeable, in addition to needing to train employees on how to use them. Overall, it may not be the best option for small businesses that do not need to calculate inventory for multiple different warehouses. Does Not Consider Expired and Mishandled Goods  Since perpetual inventory systems utilize data from sales and purchases to maintain records of inventory, it sometimes leaves out items that have been purchased but may have expired or have broken due to mishandling. Since manual counts are not performed, the management will continue to count those items unless someone has physically noticed the incident. This opens the door for unwanted errors and discrepancies in the inventory count. 5 Operations of a Perpetual Inventory System Point-of-Sale System A point-of-sale or point-of-purchase in a perpetual inventory system is the place where the customer walks up to your checkout counter after they pick up a product or service at a store or business entity. A point-of-sale is the combination of hardware units and software applications that enable your business to make those sales to customers. Cost of Goods Sold Updates Cost of goods sold (COGS) refers to the direct costs of the production of goods sold by a company. This includes the cost of the materials procured and labor hired to create the goods. Indirect expenses like distribution costs and sales force costs are excluded in COGS. Reorder Point Automation A reorder point system alerts you about when to place an order, so you won't run out of stock and tells you when to place a requisition to replenish your stocks. The reorder automation point automatically calculates your stock based on supply chain forecasting that is based on past consumption data (historical data) to forecast future requirements. Purchase Order Automation Purchase Order Automation Systems streamline your purchase orders to increase efficiency by tallying with the corresponding invoice and requisition purchase requests automatically. Warehouse Management Software Typically, any warehouse management system (WMS) is designed to monitor the entire inventory in hand. It can also manage supply chain operations right from the manufacturing or distribution center and can coordinate with different parts of the supply chain to get tasks done. 6 Things to Consider Before Choosing An Inventory System Requirements Source You first need to assess your requirements and make a decision based on that. A small business would require a very different inventory management system than a multinational company. You would need to be aware of how much inventory you would need to manage, the nature of the inventory, the value of the items, etc. Expenses Source Because of the fact that certain inventory management systems are so dependent on technology, such as the perpetual inventory system, prices can easily skyrocket, which would be pointless if you don’t need all those features in the first place. Choose a system that fits your budget so that you can invest in other facets of your business. Configuration Options Source If your business deals with multiple types of inventory, scattered across different warehouses, it would be important to make a note of the customizability of the system so that you can get the most out of it. It would not be of any help if you are not able to manage your inventory as efficiently as possible due to constraints in your inventory management software. Ease of Use Source It is important for businesses, especially smaller ones, to factor in ease of use when they are opting for an inventory management system. If the system is too complicated and requires a sharp learning curve, it could take days for your employees to get accustomed to it. Choose a system that has all the features you are looking for but that is also well-designed and user-friendly. Integration Ability Source Inventory is the key component of any eCommerce business. It pays off to have an inventory management system that can play nice with other software tools and systems involved in other business activities. There shouldn’t be a bottleneck in any section of the business and you can do your best to make sure your inventory management system can integrate well with other applications. Flexibility Source Flexibility is a very important factor to consider while choosing an inventory management system since it’ll be handling such a key aspect of your business. You need to find out things like if it is compatible with devices of all screen sizes, what software platform it uses and if it can integrate with other systems. Once you understand this, it’ll make your decision much easier. Support Source After-sales support is a key factor when choosing an inventory management system, especially if you have shelled out a decent amount. You would want to have access to facilities such as tutorials and customer support in case something goes wrong and you need some assistance. Companies that care about their customers even after the sale is made often provide the best services. The 3 Main Methods of a Perpetual Inventory System FIFO Perpetual Inventory Method FIFO is a cost flow tracking system under which the first unit of inventory acquired is considered to be the first unit consumed or sold. The perpetual FIFO inventory method determines the cost of your oldest inventory and multiplies that cost by the total amount of inventory sold. LIFO Perpetual Inventory Method This method is a cost flow assumption that businesses use to evaluate their stocks wherein the last items placed in inventory are the first items sold. To Summarise, the last costs available at the time of the sale are the first to be removed from the Inventory account and debited to the Cost of Goods Sold account. Weight Averaging Cost Perpetual Inventory Method The weighted average cost method is a means of tracking inventory that assigns a cost to each unit based on the average cost of all units that are available for sale during a specified time period. The weighted average cost per unit is arrived at by adding the total cost of all units available for sale divided by the total number of units available. Perpetual Inventory Benefits for eCommerce Businesses in 2023 Shortens the Time Needed for Accounting Procedures During the preparation of financial books, usually at the end of the year, the value of the closing stock needs to be known. With a perpetual inventory system, this information is always on-hand as it reflects any changes to the inventory in real-time, which helps to speed up accounting procedures. Requires Less Investment in Materials Since perpetual inventory systems keep track of every purchase and sale of inventory, whether it is raw materials, finished goods or work-in-progress inventory or products, businesses can get a clear idea of the what amounts they are spending on what materials and it can help them optimize the quantities that are needed and thus, reduce inventory costs. Helps in Restocking A business will be able to know if inventory of a certain product is running low and will be able to reorder items before it runs out completely. This aids in the continuous fulfillment of customer orders and keeps the business running smoothly and effectively. Optimizes the Use of Resources Since perpetual inventory gives us a clear idea of what the expenses and incomes of the business are and where they are entering and exiting from, the business can optimize every process that involves working capital, whether it is labor working on a particular task, the purchase of materials, the transport of goods, etc. Helps Provide a Clear Picture Perpetual inventory systems update inventory levels in real-time. This means that you will always have an idea of which products are doing well and which aren’t. In addition, you’ll get access to more granular data such as seasonal demand for products, what causes spikes and dips in demand and much more. Conclusion: How InventoryLogIQ Can Help You Monitor Your Perpetual Inventory A perpetual inventory system provides more accurate information because ongoing recording and prompt verification of inventory are done. Perpetual inventory also enables financial statements to be prepared quickly and accurately. A Perpetual inventory system is best suited for big enterprises, while a periodic inventory system is suitable for small businesses. Perpetual inventory is the preferred method for tracking inventory with accurate results on an ongoing basis. If you need help with acquiring a perpetual inventory system for your business and any other inventory-related requirements, InventoryLogIQ can be a good option for you. InventoryLogIQ has a custom OMS that aids in providing real-time updates of your inventory levels across multiple warehouses. In addition, our platform can integrate with most big eCommerce marketplaces to ensure that all your inventory management and order fulfillment happens in one centralized location. We also give you deep insights into the inner workings of your inventory and order-related data so that you can plan ahead. Perpetual Inventory System: FAQs What is a perpetual inventory system?It is a program designed to estimate your inventory without any disruptions. A perpetual inventory system relies on electronic records rather than physical ones. It generally starts from the baseline with a physical count and details get updated as and when purchases are made and shipments come inward or move outwards. Why is it important to have a perpetual inventory system?A perpetual inventory system instantly tracks sales and inventory levels for individual items, which helps to prevent stock-outs. Perpetual inventory systems monitor the availability of stock at all times and alerts you whenever a product is out of stock or is getting depleted. Why is a perpetual inventory system most suited for eCommerce businesses?With a high degree of record accuracy, inventory reordering can be conducted with confidence and it ensures stable delivery timelines for your customers. The perpetual inventory system tracks every inventory transaction in real-time; the resulting inventory records are highly accurate and reliable. This may improve customer satisfaction and bolster sales. It also gives business owners a more accurate understanding of customer preferences and centralizes the inventory management system for multiple locations.  What are the advantages of the perpetual inventory system over the periodic inventory system? A Perpetual inventory system captures and tracks updates to inventory and costs of sales throughout the year. A perpetual inventory system is designed to update and record the inventory account automatically whenever a sale or purchase takes place. Each sale or purchase that happens immediately upon sale or purchase is recognized. A periodic inventory system updates the inventory account at certain scheduled times or at the end of an operating cycle. The update and recognition could occur at the end of the month, quarter or year. There is a gap between the sale or purchase of inventory and when the inventory activity is recognized. A faster inventory system enables companies to react faster to the supply and demand of the market.  What kind of business is ideally suited for a perpetual inventory system?Typically a large enterprise with large amounts of inventory, sales volumes and multiple retail outlets need perpetual inventory systems. The scope for marginal errors with the periodic system is higher when compared to the perpetual system because it is based on a physical counting system. Many leading eCommerce enterprises use a perpetual inventory system for tracking stocks at their stores and warehouses such as Amazon, Walmart, Marks & Spencer and others.

March 23, 2023