Mobile inventory management brings visibility, flexibility to the warehouse

Out of all the complex business information that manufacturers must keep track of, inventory is among the most critical. With large volumes of goods moving through and out of the warehouse, real-time inventory data is invaluable to everyone involved in the process, from warehouse workers to retailers. Mobile inventory management software can provide quick access to this data, with the added convenience and freedom of unwired devices.

“[Mobile inventory management] offers remote or field workers the opportunity to both understand and influence buying and selling behaviors,” said Simon Ellis, practice director of global supply chain strategies at IDC Manufacturing Insights, based in Framingham, Mass. “This would also allow people who work around the retail store, such as in retail support, merchandising or sales to have a better and more timely view of in-stock inventory and shipment statuses.”

The benefits of mobile inventory management begin in the warehouse, according to C. Dwight Klappich, research vice president for Gartner Inc. in Stamford, Conn. “We see an extensive and growing use of mobile devices as an extension of business applications, shifting the interface from a desktop or notebook,” he said. “The guys walking around the warehouse are using these disconnected mobile devices as a user interface connected to some other application, and the warehouse management system is feeding data to the inventory management system.”

Recent advancements in mobile devices themselves -- particularly smartphones and tablets -- have given manufacturers more freedom to share information in different formats. “[Mobile inventory management] used to be very text-based, as there was limited real estate on devices. Now users are acclimated to a more appealing experience and can use mobile to send pictures or a map to somebody in a warehouse to verify what they’re looking for more easily,” Klappich said.

This instant communication between the manufacturing side and the sales side is one of the biggest draws of mobile inventory management, said George Lawrie, vice president and principal analyst serving application development and delivery professionals at Forrester Research Inc., based in Cambridge, Mass. Lawrie points to the increasingly popular practice of direct store delivery, in which manufacturers deliver goods right from warehouses to stores using their own employees, rather than employing a centralized distribution process. With mobile inventory management, these employees can stay informed on stock levels as they make deliveries and up to date on changes to how the merchandise should be displayed, Lawrie explained.

“A common cause of inefficiency in the supply chain is that on-hand inventory is often displayed incorrectly,” he said. “The way that an item is displayed makes a big difference. That’s why manufacturers are putting their own people in the stores. For example, route service people for snacks or soda, when the display matters and it’s low volume, are sent in to make sure items are correctly displayed and inventory is up to standard. This is happening all over, from China to South Africa to India.”