Inventory systems may have once been rigid frameworks managed exclusively through spreadsheets, but things have changed. Thanks to the Internet and mobile devices, the way people shop today has also changed, with many orders now being placed outside of “working hours”, and with many customers expecting very fast, even same-day deliveries. This calls for a more proactive and efficient approach to inventory management. In other words, this calls out for a mobile inventory management solution. Is your inventory system ready for mobile shoppers? Here are the key warning signs you should heed.
1. Your customers complain that you don’t fulfill orders fast enough
While slow order processing or slow shipping may cause this, inefficient inventory management can also cause it. If inventory levels are not checked several times a day, and replenishment orders for depleting stock not sent quickly, delayed orders become unavoidable. Today, when there are so many online shops around, customers are not very tolerant of businesses that don’t deliver on their promises. Fortunately, an ecommerce mobile inventory app keeps your order fulfillment rate high.
2. You can’t check inventory data outside “open hours”
Online shoppers may place orders at any time of day, which can cause no small inconvenience to brick and mortar businesses that also have an online shopfront. Even when an automated sales system handles the order processing for, if you don’t keep a close eye on stock quantities, you may not always be able to respond fast enough to spikes in demand. Ideally, you want to use a QuickBooks mobile inventory app that stores your stock-related data in the cloud, where it’s always easy to access.
3. Hardware problems have a negative impact on your inventory control
If you store your essential inventory data on one or two computers, imagine the problems that can arise when those computers encounter hardware problems. Even if you keep data backups and can transfer inventory data to another computer, you’ll still be losing valuable time that otherwise could be spent on other areas of your business. A mobile inventory management solution can virtually eliminate the risk of hardware problems impacting your inventory control, as it stores data online, in the cloud, which can be easily accessed on another device.
4. Inventory control is restricted to one or two individuals or devices
Whether you handle inventory control yourself or have entrusted it to a specific employee, situations may arise when you or that employee may not be able to send the necessary purchase orders or set up reorder automation on time. When the situation requires it, It’s very important for inventory-related duties to be easy to pass on to someone else, who can sort things out before understock lowers customer satisfaction or overstock increases inventory costs. A good ecommerce mobile inventory app offers ready access to inventory data and tools, but at the same time comes with good security features, so that only authorized people can access that data.
Making the transition from a traditional inventory management system to a mobile inventory management solution doesn’t have to be costly or stressful. With DataQlick, a QuickBooks mobile inventory app, upgrading your inventory system to the demands of the 21st century is a simple process. Discover DataQlick.