Friday 25 May 2012

Bar Coding And Inventory Management

Bar coding is an effective inventory management tool that can be incorporated into your company’s processes for increased levels of efficiency at all levels. Bar coding essentially consists of a bar coding device that is able to recognize and also create unique barcodes for different products. Most businesses these days are adopting bar coding as a method of professionalized inventory management as there is a decreased level of errors associated with bar coding as compared to manually entering in the products being received or sent for sale. Maintaining a count of inventory at all stages is an important component of inventory management systems and generally requires a significant amount of manpower. Bar coding thus serves as a good replacement to manual methods of record keeping as there are no chances of error in this automated technique.

There is a high level of accuracy associated with bar coding and you are able to exercise better control and supervision over all your products. The best part about bar coding is that it helps to automatically enter the appropriate information into inventory management software as soon as a product is scanned through a bar code sensor leading to an update of all your systems. This helps point out the exact location of your products which can prove to be quite useful whenever you need to find out where a certain item is in the supply chain.

There are several other benefits that accrue to companies using bar coding as a technique of inventory management. There is a significant decrease in the count of lost or pilfered goods as an effective track of inventory can be maintained in the supply chain. It also becomes easier to fix responsibility and accountability of the employees under whom such losses may have occurred. Before going in for a bar coding system, you should conduct a cost benefit analysis of whether the installation of such a system is going to be economically viable for your company in the long run or not. The quantity and kind of products that you deal in should be considered while making this decision. If the variety of goods that you deal in is quite large, a bar coding system can help alleviate many problems associated with handling and recording a massive inventory.

For more information about inventory management, visit McLane Logistics Technology, located at 4001 Central Pointe Parkway, Temple, TX 76504. You can also call them at 1-800-989-7568.

Friday 18 May 2012

Supply Chain Management: Adds Value To Your Business

The supply chain is a key business process that helps to create and deliver value to your customer. If managed well, it offers enormous opportunities to improve an organization’s profitability. Good supply management helps a business to improve efficiency, customer service and cost effectiveness to compete in demanding markets and stand out from the competition. By streamlining work processes, forming stronger relationships with suppliers, and incorporating technology, you can significantly increase your company’s profitability.

The performance of a company depends on the vendors that supply goods to it, as well as the customers that buy products and services from it. They are linked through their transfer of information, materials and funds.  The collaboration amongst these entities to satisfy customer needs and reward all members of the supply chain is what is referred to as supply chain management. Today, it is a leading process-improvement, cost-saving and revenue-enhancing business strategy.

Key elements of effective supply chain management
  • Delivering quality products, on time and within the budget.
  • Planning ahead and executing the business deals as per the plan.
  • Conducting the business in a professional and ethical manner and charging a fair price for the products and services.
  • Focusing on best practices and continuous improvements.
  • Using technology to improve services.
Reliability and performance are critical to adding value to your business through supply chain management. High reliability will result in decreased inventories, reduced labor costs, better cash flow, improved lead times, and better reputation. All these factors are crucial at maintaining an edge over other businesses and standing out of the crowd.

The following are important steps in reducing the supply chain costs:
  • Order management: It involves keeping track of the product availability. Shipping accuracy, lead times and invoice accuracy,
  • Electronic commerce: This involves using standardized computer codes, barcodes, standard numbering system etc.
  • Inventory management: It comprises of keeping a tab on obsolescence of goods, price change, vendor managed inventory and communication of inventory optimization schemes.
  • Logistics management: Within its purview come products return rates due to shipping damage, cycle time for delivery, proof of delivery etc.
  • Sales productivity: This involves pre-sales support, post-sales support, marketing support, and business support.
For more details about supply chain management, contact McLane Logistics Technology. They are located at 4001 Central Pointe, Parkway, Temple, TX 76504. You can also call them at 1-800-989-7568.

Thursday 10 May 2012

Simplify Logistics With Transport Management

Transportation is an important aspect of logistics. An effective transport management system is crucial in addressing and supporting your specific business goals, objectives and challenges. It’s a mandatory element for effective logistics management and it helps keep your logistics more organized and accurate. Transportation management is the backbone of the whole supply chain that helps to deliver the right product in the right quantity, at the right place, at the right time, to the right consumer.

A transport management system helps you plan your logistics business effectively. It involves cutting down on the transport cost, having less lead-time, fewer stops etc. With the help of such a system, businesses can calculate the transport cost and adjust the routes so as to decrease the transportation costs. One can easily find out which routes yield better profit margins and which stops are harming your profit ratio. In addition to this, you are sure to increase your goodwill as customers will enjoy timely delivery of products due to your effective transportation.

An intrinsic part of transport management systems are detailed and customized analytics reports. These reports help you understand your business better and find out the areas that need improvements. You can also compare the performance of various months to see where you stand. An important tool of transport management is the GPS vehicle tracking facility which helps you track your fleet of vehicles with the help of satellites. This facility enables you to give your customers an idea as to when they’ll receive the goods and helps in effective billing and accurate report generation. It also makes it easy to communicate critical data and shipments in real time through a web based portal for collaboration with your logistics suppliers and carriers.

Companies are increasingly switching over to the use of transportation management software to keep their customers happy globally. This software is of immense help in keeping a business organized, efficient and profitable. One can easily keep a tab on the logistics and avoid any chances of confusion, mistakes and miscalculations that can cost you a reliable customer. Whether you operate your own fleet or procure outside carrier services, a transport management system is required to simplify, optimize, and reduce the costs of managing a complex transportation logistics management network. It provides in-depth insight, control and visibility into all the details of your transportation operations.

McLane Logistics Technology provides reliable and customized distribution management/ supply chain management/ logistics management software to give your business an edge over competition. For more details visit them at 4001 Central Pointe Parkway, Temple, TX 76504 or call us at 1-800-989-7568.

Thursday 3 May 2012

Supply Chain Management: The Backbone Of Service Industries

Supply chain management is a central component of every business chain, which involves delivering the right goods to the right person, at the right time. Even though this might sound as an easy task, when considered at a small level, it is actually a complex multi-step process, which requires perfection and strategy at each stage. The basic objective of any supply chain is to synchronize supply with demand, along with focusing on net value. The importance of supply chain management can be understood by taking into account the different functions performed by this component of the business chain. These function are as follows:
  1. Configuration of the business network- This includes ascertaining the number and location of different people involved throughout the process. It starts from the suppliers and producers, extending to the distributers, warehouse managers, and finally the consumers.
  2. Devising a strategy for distribution- This step includes various stages, which start from determining whether the operating control shall be centralized, decentralized, or shared. The next step is analyzing the best mode for delivery. Direct shipment is a practical option for most businesses. Others include cross docking, pool point shipping, and direct store delivery. The supply chain management also needs to determine the best mode of transportation to suit the company’s needs as well as budget. 
  3. Proper coordination for low logistics cost- It is the duty of the SCM to ensure that all the above mentioned processes are carried out at the lowest possible cost. The key in this step is trade-offs, which are vital for optimizing logistics costs. Making choices like Full Truckload versus Low Than Truckload shipments, is the role of the SCM, and can have a significant effect on the end-process net cost.
  4. Effective inter-process communication- Considering the various entities involved in the complete process, it is essential to have a binding link between each process. This role is played by the SCM. All potential collaboration is taken care of, and vital information about factors like demand signals, transportation, and forecasts, is effectively communicated to the concerned persons. Timely cash flow throughout the process is also taken care of by the SCM.
  5. Inventory management- The final, yet probably most important role of the SCM is managing the inventory. With the inventory not in order, none of the aforementioned processes can be carried out smoothly.
Considering all the roles played by the Supply Chain Management in any business enterprise, it would not be an overstatement to term it as the backbone of the service industries.

For more details about supply chain management, visit Mclane Logistics Technology located at 4001 Central Pointe, Parkway, Temple , TX 76504. You can also call them at 1-800-989-7568.