In our previous blog, we spoke about the concept of having a “Super Inventory”.

Basically, this means having an inventory that is always correct (excepting for human error).

The benefits that a company has by knowing the available quantities and status is not always obvious.

Of course, when a customer calls and wants to place an order, being able to tell them quickly what product is available and of a good quality is the the primary benefit.

Your customers develop a trust in your employees. They know that they can rely on them when they say that the order will be delivered next Thursday, because they are always armed with the best information.

All other things being equal, they will call your firm first, because of the superior service they have grown to expect. Beside this, it puts your employees into an empowered position to be able to substitute something not currently available for something that is, rather than losing a sale.

There are other benefits, however, that most haven’t or can’t give any thought to. We’re going to concentrate on 2 different benefits that can come from having an inventory that is completely reliable.

[1] Automated Allocation

Simply put, this means that the system will determine where the product should be pulled from in the fields / greenhouses.

The system can use business rules in order to ensure that the products are being shipped from the proper inventory, rather than taking them from one that will put your business at a disadvantage later (i.e. shipping from a later crop rather than finishing off an earlier inventory). By using this technology, you are not only maximising your use of planned inventory, but you also have the ability to take an order from a customer and electronically “flag” inventory as held without actually using manually applied, visual methods out in the field. The system knows that these items are already spoken for and will not direct your pulling crew to use those items until that order ships.

[2] Dock Inventory 

In an inventory where the system tells the users where to pull products, it also records that those pulls have been made. Once a pull has occurred, it will show up in a “Dock” location. It will not be removed from the dock location until the order has been shipped.

This means that if an order is short shipped or not shipped at all, the dock inventory will reflect that those items are still at the dock. By reviewing the dock inventory every morning before pulling, you can determine whether these unshipped items should be moved back out to the field or left and used for today’s shipping needs.

The system is aware of these items at the dock and will use these first rather than trying to pull those items from the field. Less handling, less labor – more profitability and capacity.

To explore more about these advanced features offered in Winplant, contact us for a free consultation.