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How Best to Manage a Digital Inventory if you operate from a Warehouse




A technology-based way of inventory tracking in warehouses and other storage units is to use a Barcode Scanner. Using a simple interface, these devices can interact with and work with smartphones and tablets as well as a mobile barcode scanner. They have a printer function, too, for those requiring a back-up or another record of the digital inventory.

Different Types of Inventories?

There are four basic types of inventories that are used in warehouses. These include raw materials, work-in-progress, finished goods, and packing materials. Raw materials can be building supplies and materials for use in the construction industry. Work-in-progress will use the warehouse for storing partly manufactured goods of a wholesale nature. Finished goods are those which are intended for dispatch to retail environments. Packing materials, its own industry, will include the storage of, for instance, cardboard and bubble wrap-type packaging waiting for production lines where it will be needed to house the finished goods produced.

Different Stock Control Systems

Stock can be managed in various ways depending on the type of business. Different methods include Stock Reviews, First in First Out (FIFO), Just in Time (JIT), Batch Control, Economic Order Quantity (EOQ) and Vendor-managed inventory (VMI). For more information on Inventory control there are some further details that can be studied online. Stock control is primarily about the order that stock is moved into and out of the warehouse. For instance, FIFO would be used for goods which are going to soon become out of date, so need to be dispatched in the order that they were received into the warehouse. Large supermarket chains will use JIT because they rely on selling in bulk and moving foodstuffs on very quickly. They will not store anything for very long. This requires a particularly efficient method of digital stock control to keep track of such frequent movements of goods. Bar Scanners are essential in these kinds of environments. No manual system could possibly keep up with the demand. Bar Scanners can be useful for any of the stock control systems because whichever one is decided upon it will efficiently perform the task of recording and keeping track of all the goods within its system.

The Technology that can be Used

There are two main types of inventory management system – barcode systems and radio frequency identification (RIFD) systems. They are used to give support to the overall inventory processes. Both these systems required barcode technology to scan the products into the warehouse. The portability of the Barcode Scanner, due to its interactivity with other small devices, make it the perfect solution for a warehouse environment. It is easy to use and easy to see easily and quickly the current state of play with stock. By its very nature stock comes in volumes and that creates the need to manage it with effectiveness. The Barcode Scanner can be considered as much an asset to the warehouse environment as one of its staff. It is easy to train staff to use, too.

In looking at how to manage a warehouse, it is clear to see that there are different kinds of inventories required and different kinds of stock control systems possible, but all of these can be managed more effectively with an invaluable device known as a Barcode Scanner. It will allow for stock to be recorded immediately before it has a chance to find itself elsewhere and lost out of the stock control system completely. This will cut down on the theft risk, too, and ultimately keep insurance premiums down. Technology is certainly the answer to the problem of warehouse management. Not that it is a problem anymore.
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