Inventory counts can take days or even weeks when employees rely on paper sheets and manual data entry. For businesses managing hundreds or thousands of items, a more organized counting process and inventory management software can reduce manual work, save time, and improve accuracy.
Not every stockroom needs the same automation. Here's how I'd decide between scanning apps, eLabels, RFID, weight sensors, BoxLock, and vending machines for replenishing point-of-use inventory in a VMI or CMI model.
A manual stockroom system runs on two things: a spreadsheet and someone's memory. Point-of-use inventory management replaces that guesswork with a scanning app and automated reorder triggers. The result is a stockroom that reflects what's actually on the shelf, not what a spreadsheet from three months ago says should be there.
Point-of-use inventory only works when usage is captured consistently. The best tracking technology is the one your team will actually use in the places inventory gets consumed: the stockroom, the truck, and the jobsite. Here are some factors to consider
With inventory scales and sensors, distributors can manage more customers with fewer site visits and less labor.
Lack of visibility can lead to stockouts, rush orders, and higher operational costs. Mobile apps and sensors are a better way to do data-driven MRO inventory auto-replenishment.
I wish more distributors would appreciate how much better it is to do cycle counting versus ordering when they set up their new vendor-managed inventory (VMI) app to manage point-of-use (stockroom, clinic, jobsite, vehicle, etc) inventory for customers.
To stay competitive, distributors and the companies they serve are turning to leading solutions like artificial intelligence (AI) and inventory sensors to gain near real-time visibility, streamline replenishment, and make smarter, proactive decisions.
A vendor-managed inventory app is used by an industrial or medical distributor to facilitate the VMI process of replenishing onsite inventory at the customers' point-of-use location (where the customer uses the inventory in the course of conducting their operations, as opposed to selling the inventory). VMI apps help distributors and customers share inventory data seamlessly and make replenishment decisions collaboratively. Learn about important features of a VMI app here.
The Amazon Smart Shelf was a cool little wireless weight pad for replenishment but alas... it is discontinued. Luckily, for companies that absolutely cannot stock out of inventory, there are still other inventory sensor technologies that can automate replenishment.
