A Smarter Approach to ERP and Inventory(Stock) Management

As an unbiased ERP consulting agency, it’s a subject that comes up typically as project groups look to Apagen to know the easiest way to work by way of enterprise system choice to improve key processes associated to stock administration.

Whether a advanced manufacturer or a regional distributor, integrated ERP and inventory management is a cornerstone of profitable operations. As an instance, wholesale distributors in the present day discover their margins squeezed from all sides. While clients search sooner and more correct fulfillment, worth continues to be a main determination issue. Inadequate stock management processes can cripple an group.

Likewise, the very last thing a manufacturer needs to come across is a cloth outage during a period of excessive demand. After re-ordering the material, it might take days to arrive, disrupting the provision chain process. Yet if there are too many merchandise on the store ground, it may trigger a bottleneck.

When considering ERP and inventory management, it’s tempting to first determine options and features that supply stock administration capabilities. ERP might help manufacturers with a spread of stock management performance, from parts administration, invoice of material and stock counts to label printing, warehouse management, stock transactions and supply monitoring.

ERP and Inventory(Stock) Management — A Smarter Approach

A wiser method is to suppose by way of enterprise process enchancment.

Instead of beginning with technology, analyze processes and search for waste that comes from siloed methods or extremely guide stock management. This consists of contemplating downstream and upstream communication and the way the method might be improved total. A thorough enterprise course of evaluation will floor gaps within the course of as associated to the present state.

During the evaluation, contain key enterprise customers, stock division administration, and an knowledgeable enterprise course of enchancment guide. It is essential to have an outsider, like Apagen, to allow them to present an unbiased opinion of the stock course of.

Driving efficiency enhancements is about “configuring the future state” because it relates to stock administration finest practices.

We can’t underestimate the worth of setting objectives for efficiency enchancment that may be measured after the go-live. Capture key efficiency indicators for the enterprise as part of the present state analysis — then evaluate them to a brand new set of KPIs after utilizing the brand new know-how for some time.

3 Improvement Areas with ERP and Inventory(Stock) Management

How can ERP technology impression stock management? After providing process enchancment companies throughout a number of tasks, listed here are three thought-starters:

• Methods to enhance data entry — through modern barcode scanners or different gadgets which scale back knowledge entry errors, pace knowledge assortment and drive well timed info and integration of warehouse knowledge into the ERP System.
• Real-time and enterprise-wide reporting — to realize the flexibility to entry real-time gross sales/work orders, purchase orders and stock info that would circulation seamlessly between the warehouse and ERP system as processes are performed.
• Integration with ERP — which is critical to reaching their desired future state. As an example, it’s essential for enterprise process improvement to integrate data switch or transfer between the warehouse and ERP for timely and correct knowledge for invoicing, purchase order fee and stock monitoring and administration, all with out guide keyboard knowledge entry.

Learn More about ERP and Inventory Control

Apagen’s perception about ERP and stock management was lately featured in an business publication.

Contact the Apagen crew to discover your group’s means to leverage ERP and stock management.