How to Optimize Inventory, Reduce Costs, and Automate Your Supply Chain

Written by Gregg Mercede | Jun 21, 2021 3:17:26 PM

When it comes to supply chain management, there’s a lot of room for errors, but if you have the right plans in place, there are also plenty of opportunities to increase profit and enhance employee productivity. In fact, you can even boost your profits in times when you’re not even making sales. That’s because an optimized supply chain management system can reduce your costs and automate your supply chain in ways that work best for your business as a whole.

Sounds, great, right? But, how exactly do you achieve this optimization? Here are a few tips to get you started, as well as the benefits you’ll realize when you choose to implement a distribution ERP system that’s built for today’s world.

1. Increase Sales

Incorporate a tool that helps you capitalize on every business opportunity while you simultaneously find new ways to generate revenue from existing customers. Acumatica Distribution Edition was built to help you generate more leads with a software that connects marketing automation with all of the other functions your business needs to perform in order to succeed.

Be sure to focus on the customer when you’re considering your supply chain structure and strategy. To avoid frequent custom issues and complaints, as well as additional costs that are unnecessary, focus your attention on your buyers by offering perks such as next-day delivery or unlimited free shipping if they purchase a paid membership.

2. Manage Supply Chains Effectively

When you manage your supply chains effectively, you can replenish your inventory in a timely manner so you can increase turns and minimize carrying costs. Effective inventory management is absolutely imperative. If you don’t have enough product on hand, your customers will become frustrated and view your brand negatively as a result of prolonged wait times. If you have too much inventory on hand, you’re increasing carrying costs.

With the right tools, you’ll know exactly when to replenish your stocking levels so you never have too much or too little inventory.

  • You should evaluate your supply chain strategy on a regular basis to ensure you’re meeting your goals. An effective supply chain strategy should:
  • - Clearly document your process and goals
  • - Incorporate all aspects of the company, including sales and marketing, R&D, purchasing, manufacturing, and logistics
  • - Meet your customers’ needs, as well as those of your business
  • - Be clear and precise so leaders can quickly make decisions about improvements

3. Streamline Warehouse Operations

These days, you can easily automate transactions with barcoding, wave-and-batch picking, and advanced inventory and WMS features.

The greatest distributors in the game have mastered the ability to turn inventory and fulfill orders quickly. That’s because they run efficient warehouses that are founded on barcode systems that allow for flexible order strategies. Acumatica, for example, is a warehouse management system (WMS) that automates the pick, pack, and ship process, minimizing problems, improving accuracy, and getting rid of manual data entry.

4. Be Faster and Experience Improved Customer Satisfaction

Great ERP systems are built to both improve the rate of speed at which orders are processed and minimize the inaccuracies that can occur when humans are at the helm. When you have more accurate orders that are delivered quicker, everybody wins.

Bear in mind that customers now have millions of options, thanks to the growth of ecommerce, so it’s important to stand out from your competition. When you use the right ERP software, accompanied by a great CRM, you’ll enjoy advanced features that enable you to be faster while enhancing your customer experiences. The key comes down to reducing inefficiencies and eliminating waste. When you achieve these two things, you’ll realize a faster, healthier supply chain that supports growth and makes your customers happy.

5. Improve Data Visibility

If you really want to succeed, you need real-time analytics that give you insight into what’s going on in the here and now. Many stand-alone CRMs and ERPs systems offer limited functionality that can’t integrate with other systems. This can cause delays in back-office processing and order fulfillment. However, when you employ a tool that’s designed to bring all of these aspects together, you’ll realize a progressive transition into a world of insight. With this information, you’ll glean real-time information from external systems that are then working together.

6. Automate Your Business

Embrace the power of AI and machine learning with visual process flows. When you employ technology strategically, you’re able to create, process, and fulfill orders more quickly based on customer order history and automated barcode transactions. AI and machine learning serve huge benefits to the distribution industry, minimizing complexities and speeding up processes with every step.

7. Hire Cloud 9 ERP Solutions

From process automation to order fulfillment, inventory tracking and customer support, Acumatica Distribution Management delivers the functionality and ease of use you deserve. Configured and implemented by an exclusive network of partners like Gold Certified Acumatica Partner Cloud 9 ERP Solutions, this product gives you complete control over your entire set of supply chain and logistics activities.

When it’s time to make your inventory shine, reduce your costs, and keep your customers happy, you need an awesome ERP system that’s meant to manage your business. Cloud 9 ERP solutions is here to help, and we can provide you with everything you need to know to ensure you’re making the most of your business operation’s efforts. Contact us today to learn more or watch our Acumatica Distribution Demo.

Learn More in Our eBook: 7 Ways Distributors Grow With Acumatica

Learn how you can boost sales, reduce costs, and exceed customer expectations in our new eBook: 7 Ways Distributors Grow With Acumatica

You will find out how modern technology can help you:

- Generate leads and increase sales.
- Increase turns and minimize carrying costs.
- Automate transactions to improve data accuracy and reduce manual entry.
- Boost customer satisfaction with self-service tools.
Manage your entire business from a single application, anytime, anywhere.

DOWNLOAD NOW

Additional Distribution Resources

Steps to Operating in a Modern Distribution Environment

3 Steps to WMS Advancement

6 Features to Look for in a Modern Warehouse Management and Distribution ERP