Inventory is the assets listed on a company’s balance sheet. It is also a major part of a business operation. In its simplest terms, inventory is nothing more than stock: the products, materials, or goods that a business holds or keep for the purpose of reselling. Inventory management is vital for the success of any business that offers products to its customers. Here are some great reasons why inventory management is important for any business.
Revenue and Profits
Inventory management is important for the purpose of knowing exactly how many items you have in stock at any given moment, so you’ll know exactly how much you need to order. Failing to have a proper inventory management system can result in unnecessary business expenses. For example, you can order too much of one product or not enough of another product. You may also find yourself in a situation where you don’t have items in stock for your customer, resulting in your customers contacting your competitors.
Forecasting
Proper inventory management allows business owners to adequately track products that were sold and when they were sold. You are also able to view items in stock at a glance, allowing you to see which items sell the most and which items are not selling. This will allow you to take the appropriate actions by ordering more items during your busy season and fewer items when you’re not as busy. For example, if you own a clothing store, you may discover that you sell more coats during the winter than in the fall. You can then order more coats prior to the winter, so you will be fully stocked when your customers arrive.
Inventory technology has evolved, and many inventory management tools are now equipped with bar codes, computers, and scanning devices. Many inventory management programs are compatible with most computer operating systems. Each one is different, so you will have to research and find the one that works best for you.
Time Saver
An inventory management system saves you time from eyeballing and counting your current inventory. From a computer screen, you can easily view the products that you have in stock, with specific quantities. There is no longer the need of scrambling to find products for customers. Items can be obtained rather quickly and provided to customers on-demand.
Customer Retention
Repeat customers are much more profitable than new customers. You can prevent overselling by analyzing inventory data and restocking within a timely manner. You have a greater chance of losing a customer when you fail to have a desired item in stock. You want to avoid having to call a customer and tell that customer that you don’t have their desired item in stock because you’ve sold out. With inventory tracking, you no longer need to worry about overselling merchandise. This will lead to higher customer satisfaction, and you’re more likely to have repeat customers.
Overstocking Items
Operating a successful wholesale or retail business involves proper spending. As a business owner, you should only purchase items that will sell within a certain amount of time. Remaining cash can also be used to increase your range of products or marketing efforts. Items that remain on shelves gathering dust for extended periods of time are of no value to you. An inventory management system will notify you of products that are slow to sell. These items may be more beneficial on a special order basis, and invest company revenue in products that sell quickly.
Minimize Theft and Losses
No business owner never wants to think that their employees will steal from them. However, it does happen. If your employees are aware that you have an accurate inventory management system, then they are less likely to attempt to steal any of your products. By managing accurate inventory levels, you can quickly identify instances of possible theft. You may also discover that you may be losing stock to damage or for some other reason.
Clearly, there are many reasons why you should consider putting an inventory management system in place. With more efficient business processes and improved loss prevention, you might find that your inventory management system pays for itself.
in forth paragraph you talking about Customer Retention but old customers are old and they can wait for upcoming stock,but new are new so they can go out for their demand facility,so i think we need to make freely for new customers.