As any manufacturing manager knows, supply chain management can be challenging at times. The amount of tracking involved in the movement of inventory and stock can cause headaches and if the stock levels are not accurate, then forecasting can be just as tough. Many manufacturing managers are struggling to cope with the vast amounts of information required from them. This is even with the support of warehouse management and ERP activities.

1. HowtheCloudCanRevolutionizeYourSupplyChain
&InventoryManagement
ind-svcs.com/blog/cloud-can-revolutionize-supply-chain-inventory-management/
Asanymanufacturingmanagerknows,supplychainmanagementcanbechallengingattimes.The
amountoftrackinginvolvedinthemovementofinventoryandstockcancauseheadachesandifthe
stocklevelsarenotaccurate,thenforecastingcanbejustastough.Manymanufacturingmanagers
arestrugglingtocopewiththevastamountsofinformationrequiredfromthem.Thisisevenwiththe
supportofwarehousemanagementandERPactivities.
BetterInventoryManagement
Whatisneededisabetterinventorymanagementsystemwhichisrobustsoitcanhelpmonitorall
stockmovement;whilealsobeingflexibleenoughtobeusedintoday’sbusymanufacturing
environment.
Cloudcomputingisonesuchsolutionforamanufacturer’sinventorymanagementsystem.
ThebenefitsofCloudcomputingwerehighlightedtoJimCafone,theVicePresidentofsupplychainfor
PfizerInc.HebrokehisiPadscreenafterhedroppedthedevice.HadhenotbeenusingCloudstorage
hewouldhavehadtotakethedevicetoarepairshopfordataretrieval.YetbecauseofCloudstorage
hewasabletobuyanewiPadandwithin10minuteshadfullaccesstoeverythinghehadbefore.
Havingthatbackupwithinacomputingsystemcanbeessentialincasetheworstshouldhappen.This
isbusinesscontinuitypeople!
ThispersonalexperiencedoeshighlightsomeofthebestqualitieswhichCloudoffersmanufacturersin
theirinventorymanagementsystem.Yetthisdoesnotparticularlyhighlighthowitcanbeused.Forthis,
manufacturershavetoconsidertheday-to-dayrunningoftheirsupplychain.
1.InventoryShortages
Inventoryshortagesareacostlyproblemwithinabusiness.Iftheforecastingisnotaccurateandthe
businesshasunreliablesuppliers,thereisariskthatthehigh-demandproductswillbecomeoutof
stock.
Thiscanmeanthatabusinesscanfailinkeepingupwithcustomerdemands.Gettingbehindon
customerorderswillleadtodisappointedcustomers,lostsalesanddamagethebusiness’reputation.
ByusingCloudsoftwareabusinesscanemployamuchmoreeffectiveinventorymanagement
system.Themanagementteamcanseeinrealtimeexactlywhatthestocklevelsareforeachitem.
Whenthelevelsarestartingtogetlow,abusinesscanthenscheduleorders.
2.Forecasting

2. Forecastingreliesonaccurateinventory
managementanddataanalysis,topredictatwhat
levelofstockabusinessneedstoreorderitems,
basedonthenumberofcustomerorders.Whenan
inventorymanagementsystemdoesnotusereal-
timeinformation,thedatausedtomakeforecasts
isinaccurateandshortagesinstockcanoccur.
ACloudsystemallowsfortheinformationupdated
onthewarehousefloortobeinstantlymade
availabletotheoffice.Thereforewhendecisions
andfutureplansneedtobemade,the
managementteamhavecurrent,up-to-date
information.
3.ManagementofYourSuppliers
Asignificantpartofthesupplychainmanagementisthemanagementofthesuppliers.Allbusinesses
wanttoknowthattheyaregettingafairpriceandagoodservicesotheycanmaximizetheirprofit.
Cloudcomputingallowsthebusinesstosyncitssystemstogethersothatthemanagementteamcan
comprehensivelyanalyzetheirsupplier’sperformance.
UsingtheCloudforaninventorysupplymanagementsystemcansupportthebusinessinmany
differentways.Whilehelpingwarehousemanagementkeeptrackofstockitcansupportsenior
managementtomakeaccuratepredictionsanddecisions.Therefore,businesseswillbeableto
maintaincustomersatisfaction,whichwillincreasesalesandtheirprofitability.
HereisagreatlistofSCMsoftwarethatcanhelprevolutionizeyourinventorymanagementandsupply
chain.
IndustrialServices
CommonwealthIndustrialServices,Inc.(CIS)isanindustrialservicescompany
locatedinHopewell,Virginia.Althoughhistoricallyaservicebusiness,CIS’primary
profitcenteristhepackagingandresaleofammoniumsulfate.
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