Automation in Inventory Management: Why You Should Adopt It in Your Business

An automated inventory system is the best solution for any business size. In addition to simplifying the work and increasing its speed, the business receives an increase in profitability. But what software to choose and what to look for in your particular case.

What Is Automated Inventory Management?

An automated inventory management system refers to the use of technology or software that helps to manage inventory in a warehouse in real-time. This greatly reduces the number of errors and optimizes the time spent on conducting inventory, which occurs during manual inventory.

In addition, automation enables the following operations:

• use of already connected automated inventory control systems;

• processing and delivery of orders;

• tracking operations in the warehouse;

• tracking the quantity and actions with goods in the warehouse;

• obtaining up-to-date data on the work of the warehouse.

Automation of the inventory management system is an excellent solution for complete control of the warehouse and increasing the transparency of its condition. In addition to simple inventory, such a system can help automate reordering or shipping notifications.

5 Reasons Why You Need Automated Inventory Management

Inventory automation has many benefits, but we’ll focus on the most significant ones.

1. Tracking inventory

Centralized view of stocks in a warehouse and stock inventory management on them. In addition, it gives the opportunity to distribute stocks across sales channels if your business has several warehouses or offline outlets.

2. Control of expenses

This allows you to track all orders and compile statistics on popular and unpopular products. In addition, you will be able to quickly receive information that some products are running out.

3. Improving the delivery process

Timely delivery is an important contribution to the company’s reputation. By managing customer expectations, you are in control and you can give guarantees.

4. Management of planning and forecasting

Analysis of trends, presentation of promotional offers to customers and forecasting demand, taking into account a large number of factors — all this becomes possible with the use of such software.

5. Reducing the time spent on inventory management

Manual inventory is a fucking process, automation makes it much faster. In addition, you can customize the sorting or set any other additional parameters at your discretion.

The Benefits of Automated Inventory Management

Automated inventory management can have a significant impact on your position in the market. Let’s take a look at the key benefits of automating inventory.

1. Elimination of the human factor and all the risks associated with it. You do not depend on carelessness, poor health, or dishonesty of employees, everything goes automatically.
2. Saving time resources for inventory, tracking, and requests for replenishment of resources.
3. Instant real-time updates on the status of warehouses. This makes planning easier and improves maintenance.
4. Synchronization of information about goods for business with several points of sale and/or warehouses.
5. Ease of making settlements at any time, without having to expect, for example, monthly reports.

Read also: 8 Steps to Understanding The Mobile App Development Lifecycle

Key Types of Inventory Systems

Let’s consider the main types of inventory systems that help automate processes:

• Periodic inventory system

Represents physical calculations on a periodic basis. The basis is a comparison of the current quantity of goods with the data of an earlier period (for example, the previous quarter). For example, scanned barcodes and manual counting can be used here.

• Perpetual inventory system

The system allows you to receive data in real-time. You can see any changes quickly and efficiently, up to the position of the goods in the warehouse. It is carried out manually using barcode scanners or automatically using RFID technology.

Consider also technologies that help maintain inventory technology.

• Manual inventory

Everything is done by a person who writes everything to the database and compares the results.

• Barcode systems

Tags are scanned and entered into the database, after which the information is automatically updated. More costly than manual counting, but considered more accurate.

• Radiofrequency identification (RFID) systems

These can be both active tags (with a personal signal) and passive (requiring a reader).

Core Automated Inventory Management Features

Inventory management technology can include additional business opportunities. Let’s consider the main functions without which such a system cannot exist.

The list of required functions includes:

• Automatic product re-order
• Development of promotions
• E-commerce
• Reporting for multiple stores
• Store orders
• Shipping notifications
• Features of the franchise and network

Thus, the business owner should always have an idea of the number of goods in the warehouse, as well as any movement of them. This helps to manage sales and form promotional offers for customers.

Outstanding Examples Of Automated Warehouse

Today there are a large number of systems for managing inventory. Here are some good examples of automation.

Walmart

Despite the fact that this giant does not actually have warehouses, each supermarket in the chain is an automated warehouse operated by consumers.

Coca Cola

Coca-Cola has a fully automated warehouse for the EMEA region. It is complex with ensuring the storage of all products in proper conditions. In addition to the already impressive volumes (25,224 pallet places), an expansion is envisaged here.

Amazon.com

Amazon has a huge number of warehouses around the world: 18 in the US, 20 in Europe, and 10 in Asia. Large warehouses are the most automated, smaller ones are not so advanced.

How Much Does It Cost To Make an Inventory Management System?

The cost of any development always depends on various factors, among which, of course, the complexity of the application and the chosen developers.

On average, development costs can range from $ 15,000 to $ 30,000. You can choose between freelance developers or hire an outsourcing company to do the work on a turnkey basis. The hourly rate of employees differs significantly from country to country. So, in India, it can be $ 25 per hour of work, in Eastern Europe — about $ 28–50, and up to $ 200 in the United States.

Why Choose TopDevs for Inventory Management Software Development?

The TopDevs team has deep expertise in application development from a wide variety of fields. You can verify this by looking at our portfolio.

Working with us, you get the following benefits:

• full compliance with the legislation;
• thought out to the smallest detail UI and UX;
• test coverage;
• constant communication with the development team;
• full reporting on budgets.

We are open to discussing your ideas and are ready to offer our assistance in their implementation. And we’ll be happy to develop a logistics and inventory management system for you.

Final Thoughts

Warehouse automation using inventory tracking and warehouse management systems is a profitable investment for a business looking to reduce human losses.

Logistics, sales management, promotional offers, tracking the number of goods in warehouses — all this is easier and faster, meeting the needs of users as much as possible.