This comprehensive guide shares all the tips and tricks small businesses need to take inventory to the next level. The journey to optimized inventory, greater accuracy, and scaling with more robust inventory software, such as the best inventory software for small business needs, starts here.
Inventory management is part of the supply chain where an organization systematically forecasts, procures, stores, consumes, and sells inventory alongside other supply chain stakeholders. Over the years, most large companies have warmed up to employing cutting-edge inventory control software. With the sheer number of products they move, it made sense for them to use tools to scale their operations and reduce inefficiencies. Even with some upfront investment in the best inventory software for small business, the long-term benefits proved beneficial to revenue and customer satisfaction.
A common misconception is that inventory management tools are only suited for large-scale companies. Today, there is enough data to show that small and midsize businesses (SMBs) stand to gain a lot by streamlining their operations using the latest technology.
One of the biggest reasons inventory management is crucial for smaller companies is the cost of carrying excess inventory. Additionally, businesses must react quickly to demand changes without carrying too much or too little inventory. Effective stock management software can address these challenges.
Thankfully, inventory management software is available that solves these small business challenges with solutions packaged and priced to suit an SMB’s budget. With inventory management software, small businesses can use inventory data and built-in reporting tools to predict future demand trends. Additionally, integrations with other platforms, such as QuickBooks Online or shipping software, enable small businesses to streamline processes and increase operational efficiency.
SMBs should seek cost-effective inventory management software that suits their specific operational needs and desired customer outcomes. With a powerful solution like Cin7 Core inventory management software, small businesses are poised for success.
In this guide we’ll discuss the key challenges, mistakes, and opportunities small businesses should consider when evaluating all things inventory management.
As a small business, inventory management starts as an intuitive process – counting and tracking – but can devolve into a challenge as operations become more complex. Savvy SMBs should work to stay one or two steps ahead of any budding issues to be in a position to fully capitalize on high-growth phases.
Small businesses that have successfully scaled up their operations may be managing raw materials, semi-finished parts, and ready-to-ship products or managing inventory across multiple locations. As these challenges grow, it is time to dig deeper into inventory management solutions for small businesses.
To cater to the unique needs of various industries, Cin7 offers tailored inventory management solutions that optimize operations, enhance customer satisfaction, and improve overall efficiency.
Retail businesses require precise inventory control to handle fluctuating customer demand and seasonal variations. Cin7’s best inventory software for small businesses provides real-time tracking and stock management, ensuring retailers can maintain optimal inventory levels and avoid out-of-stock or overstock situations. This inventory control software integrates seamlessly with QuickBooks Online, simplifying financial management and reporting.
Manufacturers often deal with complex supply chains and multiple product lines. Cin7’s inventory planner helps streamline production schedules and manage raw materials efficiently. The software supports purchase order management and vendor management, allowing manufacturers to maintain strong relationships with suppliers and ensure timely procurement. Cin7’s inventory management tool also assists in monitoring customer demand and aligning production with market needs.
E-commerce businesses face unique challenges like managing inventory across multiple sales channels and fulfilling orders promptly. Cin7’s stock management software and shipping software offer integrated solutions to track inventory, process orders, and manage shipping logistics. The system supports customer relationship management, enhancing customer service by providing accurate inventory availability and timely updates.
For the healthcare sector, maintaining accurate inventory records is critical for patient safety and regulatory compliance. Cin7’s inventory system offers robust tracking of medical supplies and pharmaceuticals, ensuring that healthcare providers have the necessary items in stock. The software also supports operational efficiency by automating order and inventory processes, reducing the risk of errors.
For wholesale businesses to control costs and waste and maintain profitability. Cin7’s inventory management software gives wholesaler full, real-time visibility of their inventory across warehouses, cities and countries. It also makes bundle assembly easy and provides cost of goods sold (COGS) analysis to help wholesalers make smarter business decisions. The software includes a built-in Warehouse Management System (WMS) and brings consumer-grade simplicity to the B2B and wholesale buying experience.
Simply put, inventory management refers to controlling the storage and usage of raw materials and finished products. This is supported by analog or digital systems, and it plays a pivotal role in an organization’s success. When SMBs have promising sales figures and are ready to scale, managing inventory needs to be a top priority.
Many small businesses approach inventory management with the paper-pen-calculator method or with spreadsheets. These solutions allow companies to manually record inbound and outbound materials with basic data and inventory tracking, but do not scale effectively as sales and business complexity increase.
Some of the common indicators of needing an updated, integrated approach to inventory management are:
If any of these problems sound familiar, it may be time to upgrade to a new inventory management solution.
Here are some of the most common inventory management mistakes that small business face:
Here’s the thing with spreadsheets: After a certain point, it becomes increasingly difficult to manage them. Businesses scaling up often find themselves entangled in multiple,cumbersome spreadsheets that restrict their decision-making and limit efficiency and accuracy.
It’s virtually impossible to automate the entire inventory process with spreadsheets. Businesses end up spending precious time manually updating sheets and double- or triple-checking data to ensure accuracy.
Compare this with a powerful inventory management software like Cin7 Core that allows inventory managers to automate redundant tasks. This improves data accuracy while freeing up time for teams to channel their energy into more meaningful activities. What’s more, inventory management software streamlines data visualization. No more staring at endless data trying to make sense of it all. The software analyzes the data and prepares various reports that lead to quicker decisions based on more accurate data and predictive forecasts.
Inventory, whether in a store or warehouse, should always be based on expected sales numbers. If inventory levels aren’t a function of sales forecasts, inventory will either be overstocked or understocked.
Consider demand, shelf life, profitability, and return orders before determining inventory levels. These variables quickly become difficult to manage as SKUs or product lines expand – then there are outside factors such as global economics, seasonality, etc. An inventory management software solution considers every scenario and angle to give inventory managers a more precise picture of stock replenishment.
Inventory maintenance includes activities such as monitoring inventory levels, tracking inventory movements, and conducting regular checks to ensure that inventory is in good condition and ready for use.
By properly maintaining their inventory, businesses can avoid stockouts, reduce the risk of product spoilage or damage, and minimize carrying costs. Inventory maintenance goes beyond validating inventory counts and includes rotating inventory and conducting preventative maintenance.
Inventory shrinkage refers to the loss of products due to expiry, bad weather conditions, defects during transportation, etc. Shrinkage is a reality that has to be dealt with by regular inventory maintenance.
Companies that don’t monitor and manage shrinkage are likely to oversell their inventory. They may sell products they can’t deliver because of stockouts, damages, or obsolete products. This results in canceled orders, refunds, and returns – all resulting in disappointed customers.
Stock clearance is one of the most important ingredients to running inventory. Prices should reflect market demand. When prices are too high, companies risk not getting enough sales; price too low and some earned revenue will be left on the table.
Often, companies worry about the implementation process and operational and order-fulfillment interruptions. This section shows how SMBs can implement world-class inventory management systems in simple steps.
The first step in implementing good small business inventory management is to conduct a vendor audit. This involves categorizing vendors and suppliers based on the products they provide, including product names, SKUs, descriptions, costs at various purchase quantities, selling prices, reorder levels, and lead times.
It’s crucial to document all of this information in a format that can be easily imported into the new inventory management system, along with photographs of the products. Other important details to record include vendor company information, contact person details, payment and delivery terms, and billing cycle data.
Through the vendor audit, small businesses can identify any vendors that may cause bottlenecks in the supply chain. In these cases, it’s essential to clearly communicate the working terms and establish Service Level Agreements (SLAs) and Non-Disclosure Agreements (NDAs) to protect mutual interests.
Next, businesses should streamline the ordering process by evaluating consumption, storage capability, reorder levels, and lead times. Then, create proper purchase orders (POs) with fulfillment conditions clearly documented.
Simplified order processes can minimize miss-timed orders, ensuring businesses carry appropriate inventory levels with fewer manual interventions.
When receiving shipments from vendors and suppliers, businesses need QA protocols to ensure that the items received meet requirements. This includes conducting random checks and verifying the shipping label details with the labels on individual cartons. Businesses that require further checks, such as destructive or non-destructive testing, should add these processes to QA workflows before accepting the delivery.
Once the shipment passes QA, the shipper and receiver should sign and keep copies of all necessary documents for their records. In circumstances where items will be resold, cross-docking may be needed to meet delivery requirements. When transferring stock to a warehouse, businesses should re-label items to match SKUs and internal identification methods. Frequently this is done using barcodes generated by the inventory management system.
Labels mark the date of receipt, batch details, and exact storage location. All of these details are required to properly trace and manage warehoused items.
With inventory management software, small businesses receive status reports for each item in their inventory – including updates every time an item moves in or out. However, it is necessary to conduct good old-fashioned physical inventory counting. This helps cover incidents such as damages, misplacements, theft, and other issues. This can be approached in many ways, but the most widely used methods are cycle counting and ABC analysis.
A barcode system assists any business, small or large, in managing its inventory. Barcoding saves a lot of time, money and also improves accuracy when managing inventory.
Whether it’s computer chips, sneakers, produce, or any other item, effective organization is key to thriving in the “I need it yesterday” mindset of today’s customer. Efficient item location leads to quicker picking, packing, and shipping and less lost product.
Here are some key steps that will help organize inventory and make the most out of available resources.
The first step to optimizing inventory is to thoroughly document all information regarding vendors and items. Creating a bill of materials (BOM) is a great starting point.
Be sure to include vendor prices, pricing policies, payment terms and conditions, lead times, contact information, and other information as required. It is also a good idea to include a vendor’s working hours and preferences for shipping partners.
Logging this information in inventory management software not only creates a reliable record for the entire team, but can also support time-saving automation for replenishment and other projects.
Many inventory management challenges can be overcome with a simple barcoding system. Barcoding gives inventory managers an accurate way to see stock level. It also helps capture additional information such as inbound and outbound traceability, stock transfers, total time spent in storage, and shelf life.
Different types of businesses have different methods of managing their inventory. For example, some use manual tracking in spreadsheets. Retailers use point-of-sale (POS) systems. On the other hand, e-commerce businesses use order management systems. Businesses should organize inventory by setting up the stock and all the supplier information in a secure and accessible manner.
Here are common parameters often needed in databases such as a POS:
Apart from the product-oriented information, it is vital to track all the information of the vendor or supplier. Therefore, most inventory systems contain vendor directory features to save contact information and tie all the products to a particular vendor.
The supplier information needed for tracking:
POs (Purchase Orders) are the most straightforward method for managing the buying or procurement side of inventory. Businesses use POs to track every step of an order, including placing an order, shipment delivery, and payment.
Purchase orders document financial transactions. As such, businesses need POs to review cash flow and forecast stock requirements.
Purchase orders are often created electronically in a vendor’s internal system, but they can also be created through online ordering systems or even email.
Real-time inventory tracking enables SMBs to monitor inventory levels and fix anomalies before they become bigger problems. Spreadsheets that need to be updated manually cannot be used to monitor inventories in the moment-to-moment changes that happen daily. A powerful inventory management system is the best tool for real-time inventory tracking across all warehouses from receiving to shipping.
Quality control mechanisms should be implemented so that necessary checks and balances are applied across the inventory. Quality control goes beyond the quality of the product received, and should also include monitoring for inefficient workers and faulty technology.
Small businesses with minimal inventory and resources often use manual tools for inventory counting. The two most common forms are pen and paper, and spreadsheets. With both of these methods, businesses run the risk of inaccurate and out-of-date inventory counts.
Limitations of manual inventory count
Physical counting
Perhaps the biggest limitation of manual counting is that SMBs have to take physical inventory counts. This activity is extremely important to keep inventory in sound health. However, it’s also heavily time-consuming, tedious work that is error-prone. Whenever possible, it’s more efficient and accurate to automate inventory accounting using a reliable inventory management system.
Communication Gap
When managing inventory manually, SMBs must take physical notes of all the key information and numbers. As the company grows and additional hands come aboard, it becomes difficult to maintain a hand-written ledger.
For example, one inventory worker may make an entry in his notebook as soon as replenishment stock is received. However, he may forget to inform the rest of the team or update the master ledger, leading to a discrepancy in the numbers. The team may think the item is still out of stock and even refuse sales orders, while the item has actually been replenished and is ready to be shipped.
Inventory cycle counting is the process of tracking inventory by only checking a small part of it rather than the entire available stock. Companies prefer conducting cycle counts rather than full inventory counts because it’s faster and typically yields similar results. Cycle counting introduces some inaccuracy risk, but complete inventory counting is exhausting, resource-heavy, and slow. Businesses need to balance inventory accuracy and operational speed.
There are various types and subtypes of inventory cycle count procedures. The key types include:
When utilizing a POS-based inventory counting system, organizing inventory accurately before starting will set the team up for success and ensure the system has adequate data to structure inventory properly.
While doing this, remember to add as many details about the product as possible (such as the POS details we mentioned earlier in the article). Even if some of the details are seemingly obvious, they can be crucial in the future.
Read on for other useful information on inventory counting with a POS system.
Assign unique IDs to products
This is often accomplished by assigning stock-keeping unit (SKU) numbers to products based on where they’ve been stored. This makes it simpler for the POS system to locate the items.
Upload the data to the POS system
The POS provider may have support for this process, or information may be available in the POS manual. Most POS systems allow users to upload data using the CSV file format. Alternatively, it’s possible to enter the data into the POS software manually, but it’s not advisable. Manually entering the data is inefficient and also prone to human error.
Once the data is in the system, the POS software will automatically show the entire inventory along with the latest numbers. To check, a worker can pick a sample and verify the data.
After verifying the data in the POS is accurate, the inventory is ready to go.
In today’s fast-paced businesses, errors are going to happen. What sets winning businesses apart is how efficiently these errors are reconciled. Here, we review a few inventory reconciliation best practices to help SMBs stay ahead of the competition.
Earlier we covered various counting methods. Select a counting method that aligns with your business goals, and assign a senior team member (or multiple senior teammates) to help and oversee the counting process to increase the odds of an accurate count.
The next step is to verify the results with inventory records. Look back on recent (reliable) records. This is a fairly simple process in inventory management software.
After verifying the physical stock counts and expected inventory levels, the next step is determining the difference between the physical stock count and the records. After finding discrepancies, it’s time for some detective work to discover what went wrong.
This may include verifying purchases and sales records, talking to team members who update inventory counts, checking internal stock transfer documents, etc. Workers might also find undocumented items that need to be processed.
When resolving discrepancies, any of the following outcomes are possible:
The items that cannot be found or are no longer fit for use are what the industry calls inventory shrinkage.
After identifying the cause of inventory shrinkage, the next step is to write off the damages. This is an important part of accounting and compliance, but should also lead to process improvements and new policies.
After reconciling inventory, it’s the perfect time to reflect on how it went. What can be done to resolve discrepancies more efficiently in the future? Were there interruptions that can be minimized or avoided next time? Talk to managers and team members involved in the process to find the little things that add up to big changes. Also, consider the efficiencies that a cloud-based inventory management system brings to these scenarios.
Organizing inventory is less of a science and more of a “Who has space in their garage?” scenario when SMBs start out. But as small businesses grow, optimizing space becomes increasingly important. Making popular items more accessible and creating faster pick flows are two big examples of a well-oiled warehouse.
Optimizing inventory and warehouse space can boost profitability by preventing stockouts, reducing unsold goods, increasing worker productivity, minimizing lost product, and more. While organizing inventory is a highly manual process, inventory management software helps. For example, inventory management solutions help identify trends such as popular items and items that are frequently purchased together (and would benefit from being next to each other in the warehouse).
Managing inventory involves a lot of resources and manual labor. Thankfully, many activities are fairly repetitive and can be automated with the help of a robust inventory management system. Doing this frees up time and energy so inventory managers can spend time on critical tasks or value-add projects.
To achieve scalability with inventory, SMBs need to react quickly to demand changes in the market. This includes staying one step ahead of consumers in terms of the raw materials, fabrication, warehousing, shipping, and replenishment.
Automation allows businesses to monitor the demand by tracking sales numbers closely over time and identifying seasonality and other trends. Inventory management software analyzes data in real-time and enables inventory managers to run custom reports on demand to produce advanced analysis for more informed, strategic decisions.
Even the most thorough manual processes will bump into human error.. This is why automation is encouraged whenever and wherever possible. Humans will never be entirely removed from inventory management, and that’s okay. But with automation, workers can focus on key tasks while leaning on automation to up the efficiency of error-prone tasks like data entry, scheduling, and more.
Some of the most common customer grievances in the e-commerce space come from a lack of communication. Ordering an item that is actually out of stock or not getting timely updates about orders creates unnecessary tension that pushes even the most loyal customers away.
Inventory management software provides automation tools that improve the customer experience. For example, these systems can provide customers with valuable information throughout the ordering and delivery process through automated emails and alerts. This relieves the burden on customer service teams by reducing a significant percentage of service calls, emails, online chat requests, etc.
To maintain a healthy inventory threshold, SMBs need to stay ahead of demand and seasonality. The automated solutions provided by inventory management software help analyze trends in the data for faster and better raw material orders and replenishment. This includes running inventory analysis and comparing it against the production rate.
As the name indicates, sales forecasting refers to predetermining how many sales small businesses are likely to make in a given timeframe. This can be done using multiple methods, including looking at past data and moving averages for trend-based predictions.
Always use reliable data. Bad data leads to bad decisions – some of which a small business may not be able to absorb. A classic example is the bullwhip effect, where overestimates in demand are exacerbated when partners and suppliers base their decisions on inaccurate estimations.
Inventory management software helps prioritize raw materials consumed in production. For instance, consumables should be used before their end-of-life to reduce waste.
The same rule applies to all other stored goods, including returned items. Careful inspection needs to be performed before restocking a returned item, and clear processes are needed to ensure the reverse logistics and re-selling are airtight. These steps maximize the chances of recovering some of the lost profit from returns.
SMBs may also want to create SLA contracts with vendors and implement lean manufacturing concepts like just-in-time (JIT), depending on the supply chain’s flexibility.
Lastly, we recommend SMBs transfer all purchase and selling documents to software systems, like their inventory management system. This allows businesses to follow all processes mentioned above accurately in addition to fueling better analytics, increasing traceability, and improving record keeping.
For example, inventory management software helps to automatically reorder certain items (designated by inventory managers) to reduce administrative workload. This streamlines many accounting processes and saves time. Integration with other systems, such as accounting software, brings additional synergies as well.
Cin7’s inventory management software is designed to integrate seamlessly with other essential business tools, enhancing operational efficiency and providing a unified platform for managing various aspects of business operations.
Cin7 integrates with leading accounting software like QuickBooks Online, simplifying financial management and ensuring accurate accounting records. This integration helps businesses automate financial processes, including invoicing and purchase orders, reducing manual data entry and minimizing errors.
Cin7’s inventory control software integrates with popular e-commerce platforms like Shopify, Amazon, and WooCommerce, enabling businesses to manage their online sales channels efficiently. This integration provides real–time inventory updates, automates order processing, and synchronizes product listings across platforms, enhancing the customer shopping experience.
Cin7’s integration with customer relationship management (CRM) tools allows businesses to maintain detailed customer records and improve sales strategies. The software also supports vendor management, providing a comprehensive view of supplier performance and facilitating better communication and collaboration.
Cin7 offers a mobile app that provides on-the-go access to inventory data, sales reports, and order statuses. This feature is particularly useful for businesses with multiple locations or remote teams, ensuring they have real-time access to critical information and can make informed decisions quickly.
By leveraging these integrations, Cin7 helps businesses streamline their inventory operations, improve customer support, and achieve greater operational efficiency. Whether you’re managing a retail store, manufacturing facility, or e-commerce business, Cin7’s integrated solutions provide the tools you need to succeed.
This guide covered many best practices SMBs can use to refine inventory management and keep up with larger competitors.
Small businesses need to evolve as they grow, but it all starts with the strong foundation covered in this guide.
Learn more about our leading inventory management software, Cin7 Core
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Inventory management software is utilized to track all the levels of inventory, deliveries, and sales. But beyond that you can use inventory management software to build work orders, production-related documents, and bill of materials as well as integrate seamlessly with 3rd parties throughout our business processes from accounting tools like Quickbooks to selling platforms like Amazon and Etsy.
Typically, a warehouse management system (WMS) controls the storage and movement of materials in the warehouse, including managing and optimizing storing, moving, and tracking the whole inventory. On the other hand, inventory management software helps optimize how many products are required to keep in stock. Inventory management systems help maintain a whole record of the inventory and ensure that future demand for the product should be fulfilled.
The three crucial things to consider are integration, data quality, and training. Inventory management software can integrate with existing systems, such as an ERP or accounting software. Cleansing, verifying, and formatting data for integration is crucial to ensure a smooth transition to inventory management systems. Lastly, it requires proper training before inventory managers and other workers start using the software.
