QuestionsAnswered.net
What's Your Question?
What Is a Case Study?
When you’re performing research as part of your job or for a school assignment, you’ll probably come across case studies that help you to learn more about the topic at hand. But what is a case study and why are they helpful? Read on to learn all about case studies.
Deep Dive into a Topic
At face value, a case study is a deep dive into a topic. Case studies can be found in many fields, particularly across the social sciences and medicine. When you conduct a case study, you create a body of research based on an inquiry and related data from analysis of a group, individual or controlled research environment.
As a researcher, you can benefit from the analysis of case studies similar to inquiries you’re currently studying. Researchers often rely on case studies to answer questions that basic information and standard diagnostics cannot address.
Study a Pattern
One of the main objectives of a case study is to find a pattern that answers whatever the initial inquiry seeks to find. This might be a question about why college students are prone to certain eating habits or what mental health problems afflict house fire survivors. The researcher then collects data, either through observation or data research, and starts connecting the dots to find underlying behaviors or impacts of the sample group’s behavior.
Gather Evidence
During the study period, the researcher gathers evidence to back the observed patterns and future claims that’ll be derived from the data. Since case studies are usually presented in the professional environment, it’s not enough to simply have a theory and observational notes to back up a claim. Instead, the researcher must provide evidence to support the body of study and the resulting conclusions.
Present Findings
As the study progresses, the researcher develops a solid case to present to peers or a governing body. Case study presentation is important because it legitimizes the body of research and opens the findings to a broader analysis that may end up drawing a conclusion that’s more true to the data than what one or two researchers might establish. The presentation might be formal or casual, depending on the case study itself.
Draw Conclusions
Once the body of research is established, it’s time to draw conclusions from the case study. As with all social sciences studies, conclusions from one researcher shouldn’t necessarily be taken as gospel, but they’re helpful for advancing the body of knowledge in a given field. For that purpose, they’re an invaluable way of gathering new material and presenting ideas that others in the field can learn from and expand upon.
MORE FROM QUESTIONSANSWERED.NET
Poor Inventory Management Examples Made by Huge Brands
As many retailers can attest, poor inventory management can seriously harm a company and its brand/brands, leading to short-term financial damage, a fall in stock prices, bankruptcy, or company closure. From small businesses to companies with large inventories, there's always a concern with the everyday and long-term challenges of inventory management. Some companies may look at updating legacy management systems, while others look for real-time ways to future-proof the business. High-profile, well-known, and loved brands are not exempt from inventory control problems, and many retailers can learn valuable lessons from their mistakes.
How Poor Inventory Management Can Kill a Brand
When supply chain and inventory problems arise, retailers face some consequences. Here are some poor inventory management examples:
1) Using outdated methods to track items , such as:
- Manual inventory tracking , which becomes time-consuming and error-prone as your company grows. You’ll always be one step behind your actual inventory levels, which will cause ordering issues.
- Excel/electronic spreadsheets , which are prone to severe errors. In a study of errors in 25 sample spreadsheets, the Tuck Business School at Dartmouth College found that 15 workbooks contained 117 errors. While 40% of those errors had little impact on the businesses studied, seven errors caused massive losses of $4 million to $110 million, according to the researchers’ estimates.
2) Too large of an inventory . Reports show that most businesses have 20-40% of their working capital tied up in inventory. If you have a greater amount of product than what demand calls for, you won't be able to fulfill orders optimally. Large stock levels don’t just lead to more management headaches; they can also cut into profits and cause dead stock.
3) Inadequate reports and demand forecasting . When companies don’t use or have access to accurate information such as sales trends, best-selling products, customer behavior, and the like – they fall into the trap of ordering too much inventory. When this happens, companies experience the problems of an excessive amount of finished goods, ordering too few finished products, experiencing shortages, and losing customers. With accurate real-time reporting accessible 24/7, anytime, from anywhere, companies can forecast their customers’ future behavior and order accordingly to meet customer demand without exceeding their budget.
Four Examples of Poor Inventory Management
Let’s take a look at four high-profile brands and how a crisis of inventory created some real problems that companies could have prevented had they managed their inventory properly:
Nike’s Excess Inventory Problem
As one of the world's most recognized athletic brands, Nike has many goods to manage. And as a result, it has had difficulty keeping inventory under control. In the early 2000s, the company adopted an updated inventory management software after losing around $100 million in sales due to issues with tracking goods. The software promised to help Nike predict items that would sell best and prepare the company to meet demands, but bugs and data errors resulted in incorrect demand forecasts and led to millions more lost.
Nike’s case illustrated just how crucial it is to correctly manage stock levels and your inventory management system. When choosing an inventory management solution, it’s vital to ensure the quality of software your vendor provides is accurate, flexible, and customized for your particular business. It needs to be able to grow and change as the business and the customer base change.
Nike continues to have issues with inventory. 2016 was challenging for the retailer, as Nike's gross margin declined due to a higher percentage of discounted sales because of inventory management problems. The retailer continues to take steps to control its inventory management practices through manufacturing overhauls better and allowing new technology to bring manufacturing to the digital age. Ultimately Nike will remain a global leader as it keeps exploring new markets, innovating new products, and generating its supply channels.
Best Buy’s Christmas Inventory Nightmare
In December 2011—smack dab in the middle of the holiday season— Best Buy issued a statement : “Due to the overwhelming demand of hot product offerings on BestBuy.com during the November and December period, we have encountered a situation that has affected redemption of some of our customers’ online orders. We are very sorry for the inconvenience this has caused, and we have notified the affected customers.”
Customers were infuriated by Best Buy’s decision to cancel orders instead of delaying shipment, which was most likely because the company ran out of stock. Reportedly Best Buy sold many of the withdrawn items on Black Friday. The retailer essentially cast a wide net, collecting as many orders as possible, likely knowing it would be unable to fulfill them all.
As Best Buy proved, buying items online as an alternative to in-store still carries a risk. Consumers don't know for a fact that they will get their product. While receipts are issued and shipping estimates are given, some variables still allow consumers to be 100% certain their purchase will be complete every time. It’s not hard to imagine that Best Buy probably lost many of its customers to Amazon after that 2011 debacle.
Target’s Disastrous Failed Expansion into Canada
Target is a well-loved brand in the US, so it seemed only natural that it would be just as well-received with expansion up north into Canada. Target executives had a decision to make. They needed a way to track their stock levels and chose to work with an entirely new and untested system. Target Canada would eventually learn what happens when inexperienced employees working under a tight timeline are expected to launch a retailer using technology that nobody—not even at the US headquarters—understood.
In 2013, the company had trouble moving products from its large distribution centers onto store shelves, leaving Target outlets poorly stocked. It didn’t take long for Target to figure out the underlying cause of the breakdown: The data contained within the company’s supply chain software, which governs the movement of inventory, was riddled with flaws. The checkout system was glitchy and didn’t process transactions properly. Worse, the technology managing inventory and sales were new to the organization; no one seemed to fully understand how it worked.
Why Too Much Inventory is Bad
Besides technology issues, problems of ordering and inventory were running amok. Target stalled items with long lead times coming from overseas—products weren’t fitting into shipping containers as expected, or tariff codes were missing or incomplete. Finished goods that made it to a distribution center couldn’t fulfill orders for shipping to a store. Other items weren’t able to fit correctly onto store shelves. What appeared to be isolated fires quickly became a raging inferno threatening to destroy the company’s supply chain.
Target’s distribution centers were bursting with products and dead stock. Target Canada had ordered way more stock than it could sell. The company had purchased a sophisticated forecasting and replenishment system, but it wasn’t beneficial at the outset, requiring years of historical data to provide meaningful sales forecasts. When the buying team was preparing for store openings, it relied on wildly optimistic projections developed at US headquarters.
Roughly two years after they launched, Target Canada filed for creditor protection, marking the end of its first international foray and one of the most confounding sagas in Canadian corporate history. The debacle cost the parent company billions of dollars, sullied its reputation, and put roughly 17,600 people out of work.
Supply Chain Disruption Closed 900 KFC Branches in the UK
In February 2018, Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) was forced to close many of its 900 UK branches due to supply chain disruption . In a press release, the fast-food giant stated, “We've brought a new delivery partner onboard, but they've had a couple of teething problems - getting a fresh chicken out to 900 restaurants across the country is pretty complex!”
By changing their delivery partner, approximately 750 KFC outlets across the UK faced delays in receiving their daily delivery of fresh chicken, meaning their restaurants could not supply customers and ultimately had to close. At the time, many thought the giant could lose up to £ 1 million daily.
Could KFC have done more to ensure their supplier was suitable for the job? The thought is that multiple supplier contracts could have spread KFC could have avoided the weight of the mammoth delivery task and a crisis like this. Another issue was that their supplier only had one distribution spot instead of multiple, which would have been able to service the outlets much more manageable.
What Can Businesses Learn From Inventory Management Problems?
It takes more than having a large inventory of products to keep a retail business running. All that inventory must be stored, moved, and in the right place at the right time. Warehouses need to be efficient, and their tools and workhorse vehicles are kept up to date. Every part of the supply chain needs to coordinate, from obtaining raw materials to distributing finished goods.
The same can be said about the technology to track and manage the inventory as it moves locations. Companies need to know accurate numbers when it comes to inventory. Their livelihood, franchisees, investors, and employees depend on it! When you don’t see what you have or how/when it moves about, there’s no actual knowledge about the most critical aspect of your business – your inventory.
Retailers of all sizes are looking for easy-to-use, mobile, affordable, secure, and rapidly deployable asset tracking systems . They need a reliable method to track the thousands of inventory items that move through their location(s)/warehouses daily. Asset Panda is the answer. We leverage the cloud and free mobile apps to help retailers get the information they need about their inventory. Our retail and small business clients know where their inventory is, who has what, and its condition.
Asset Panda's Inventory Management System
Asset Panda is simple to use with a very intuitive platform. Our system records the entire lifecycle of an asset. Other capabilities include custom reports, depreciation calculation, mobile enterprise service desk, and more. Leading retailers recognize that better inventory tracking processes will lower business costs by reducing loss, property taxes, and the amount of insurance they must carry. All the home offices must run reports to get detailed, real-time data from the field.
Try our inventory management software free for 14 days so you can see what’s truly possible when you manage your inventory the right way! (No credit card required).
Audra London
See asset panda in action.
Our FREE demo will show how we can transform your asset management system
MBA Knowledge Base
Business • Management • Technology
Home » Management Case Studies » Case Study: Inventory Management Practices at Walmart
Case Study: Inventory Management Practices at Walmart
About walmart.
Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. is the largest retailer in the world, the world’s second-largest company and the nation’s largest nongovernmental employer. Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. operates retail stores in various retailing formats in all 50 states in the United States. The Company’s mass merchandising operations serve its customers primarily through the operation of three segments. The Wal-Mart Stores segment includes its discount stores, Supercenters, and Neighborhood Markets in the United States. The Sam’s club segment includes the warehouse membership clubs in the United States. The Company’s subsidiary, McLane Company, Inc. provides products and distribution services to retail industry and institutional foodservice customers. Wal-Mart serves customers and members more than 200 million times per week at more than 8,416 retail units under 53 different banners in 15 countries. With fiscal year 2010 sales of $405 billion, Wal-Mart employs more than 2.1 million associates worldwide. Nearly 75% of its stores are in the United States (“Wal-Mart International Operations”, 2004), but Wal-Mart is expanding internationally. The Group is engaged in the operations of retail stores located in all 50 states of the United States, Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Japan, Puerto Rico and the United Kingdom, Central America, Chile, Mexico,India and China.
Walmart Inventory Management
Wal-Mart had developed an ability to cater to the individual needs of its stores. Stores could choose from a number of delivery plans. For instance, there was an accelerated delivery system by which stores located within a certain distance of a geographical center could receive replenishment within a day. Wal-Mart invested heavily in IT and communications systems to effectively track sales and merchandise inventories in stores across the country. With the rapid expansion of Wal-Mart stores in the US, it was essential to have a good communication system. Hence, Wal-Mart set up its own satellite communication system in 1983. Explaining the benefits of the system Walton said, “I can walk in the satellite room, where our technicians sit in front of the computer screens talking on the phone to any stores that might be having a problem with the system, and just looking over their shoulders for a minute or two will tell me a lot about how a particular day is going. On the screen, I can see the total of the day’s bank credit sales adding up as they occur. If we have something really important or urgent to communicate to the stores and distribution centers, I, or any other Wal-Mart executive can walk back to our TV studio and get on that satellite transmission and get it right out there. I can also go every Saturday morning around three, look over these printouts and know precisely what kind of work we have had.”
Wal-Mart was able to reduce unproductive inventory by allowing stores to manage their own stocks, reducing pack sizes across many product categories, and timely price markdowns. Instead of cutting inventory across the board, Wal-Mart made full use of its IT capabilities to make more inventories available in the case of items that customers wanted most, while reducing the overall inventory levels. Wal-Mart also networked its suppliers through computers. The company entered into collaboration with P&G for maintaining the inventory in its stores and built an automated reordering system, which linked all computers between P&G and its stores and other distribution centers. The computer system at Wal-Mart stores identified an item which was low in stock and sent a signal to P&G. The system then sent a re-supply order to the nearest P&G factory through a satellite communication system. P&G then delivered the item either to the Wal-Mart distribution center or directly to the concerned stores. This collaboration between Wal-Mart and P&G was a win-win proposition for both because Wal-Mart could monitor its stock levels in the stores constantly and also identify the items that were moving fast. P&G could also lower its costs and pass on some of the savings to Wal-Mart due to better coordination.
Employees at the stores had the ‘Magic Wand,’ a hand-held computer which was linked to in-store terminals through a radio frequency network. These helped them to keep track of the inventory in stores, deliveries and backup merchandise in stock at the distribution centers. The order management and store replenishment of goods were entirely executed with the help of computers through the Point-of-Sales (POS) system. Through this system, it was possible to monitor and track the sales and merchandise stock levels on the store shelves. Wal-Mart also made use of the sophisticated algorithm system which enabled it to forecast the exact quantities of each item to be delivered, based on the inventories in each store. Since the data was accurate, even bulk items could be broken and supplied to the stores. Wal-Mart also used a centralized inventory data system using which the personnel at the stores could find out the level of inventories and the location of each product at any given time. It also showed whether a product was being loaded in the distribution center or was in transit on a truck. Once the goods were unloaded at the store, the store was furnished with full stocks of inventories of a particular item and the inventory data system was immediately updated.
Wal-Mart also made use of bar coding and radio frequency technology to manage its inventories. Using bar codes and fixed optical readers, the goods could be directed to the appropriate dock, from where they were loaded on to the trucks for shipment. Bar coding devices enabled efficient picking, receiving and proper inventory control of the appropriate goods. It also enabled easy order packing and physical counting of the inventories. In 1991, Wal-Mart had invested approximately $4 billion to build a retail link system. More than 10,000 Wal-Mart retail suppliers used the retail link system to monitor the sales of their goods at stores and replenish inventories. The details of daily transactions, which approximately amounted to more than 10 million per day, were processed through this integrated system and were furnished to every Wal-Mart store by 4 a.m., the next day. In October 2001, Wal-Mart tied-up with Atlas Commerce for upgrading the system through the Internet enabled technologies. Wal-Mart owned the largest and most sophisticated computer system in the private sector. The company used Massively Parallel Processor (MPP) computer system to track the movement of goods and stock levels. All information related to sales and inventories was passed on through an advanced satellite communication system. To provide back-up in case of a major breakdown or service interruption, the company had an extensive contingency plan. By making effective use of computers in all its company’s operations, Wal-Mart was successful in providing uninterrupted service to its customers, suppliers, stockholders and trading partners.
Related Posts:
- Case Study: Management Information System at Dell
- Case Study on Business Systems Planning And Implementation : McDonald's Corporation
- Case Study of Kishore Biyani: India's Retail King
- Case Study of PanAmSat: Recovering from a Satellite Failure
- Case Study: Why Woolworths Failed as a Business?
- Case Study: Starbucks Growth Strategy
- Case Study of Dell: Primary Target Markets and Positioning Strategy
- Case Study: Analysis of the Ethical Behavior of Coca Cola
- Case Study: An Assessment of Wal-Mart's Global Expansion Strategy
- Case Study: The International Growth of Zara
Leave a Reply Cancel reply
Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *
This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed .
Accessibility Links
- Skip to content
- Skip to search IOPscience
- Skip to Journals list
- Accessibility help
- Accessibility Help
Click here to close this panel.
Inventory management efficiency analysis: A case study of an SME company
S S Islam 1 , A H Pulungan 2 and A Rochim 3
Published under licence by IOP Publishing Ltd Journal of Physics: Conference Series , Volume 1402 , Issue 2 Citation S S Islam et al 2019 J. Phys.: Conf. Ser. 1402 022040 DOI 10.1088/1742-6596/1402/2/022040
11103 Total downloads
Share this article
Author e-mails
[email protected]
Author affiliations
1 Industrial Engineering Program Study, Sampoerna University, South Jakarta, Indonesia
2 Accounting Program Study, Sampoerna University, South Jakarta, Indonesia
3 Industrial Engineering Program Study, Borobudur University, East Jakarta, Indonesia
Buy this article in print
The research aims to examine factors that affect inventory mismanagement in a Small Medium Enterprises (SME), which is a market leader in the Heavy Equipment Spare part Industry. Despite its status as market leader, the company deals with various inventory problems, for examples slow-moving stocks, delivery delays to customers, and so forth. Those problems, at the end, may reduce company's profit. In order to determine the main factors, this study applies quantitative and qualitative methods. Quantitative methods, specifically Pareto diagram and Inventory Turnover Ratio (ITR), are mainly used to evaluate sales and inventory management. ITR is affected by spare part quantity, warehouse area used, and the material amount. The top five ITR ratings are examined further through observation, interview, and questionnaire techniques. Meanwhile, the qualitative method is applied to evaluate the company's inventory information systems, procedures and coordinations among departments, and human resources. Our findings suggest that the unintegrated company's information system and lack of qualified human resources are the main factors affect inefficient inventory management. The research benefits to industry by suggesting the importance of information systems and human resources to inventory management. As for academics, this research enriches inventory management literature.
Export citation and abstract BibTeX RIS
Content from this work may be used under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 licence . Any further distribution of this work must maintain attribution to the author(s) and the title of the work, journal citation and DOI.
Inventory Solutions
Inventory feature tour, item management.
Item Grouping and Bundling
Multi-warehouse Management
Serial and batch tracking
Customer Lifecycle
Sales order management
Packaging and Shipping
Vendor Relations
Vendor price lists
Purchase order and billing solutions
Backorders and Dropshipments
- Purchase Order Templates
- Integrations
Post-shipment
Marketplace and shopping cart
Accounting Solution
Barcode Scanning
Webhooks and custom functions
Email and field update
Smart features
Reporting and analytics
SKU generator
Reorder points
View all features
- Marketplace Amazon eBay Etsy Shopping Cart Shopify Zoho Commerce Accounting Zoho Books QuickBooks Online Analytics Zoho Analytics
- Sales and Marketing Zoho CRM Google Shopping Digital Signature Zoho Sign Shipping integrations USPS UPS FedEx DHL Express Australia POST Envia Easyship EasyPost Shipment tracking AfterShip
- Payment services Stripe PayPal 2CHECKOUT Braintree Taxes Avalara More Integrations
- Small Business Guides
"We have been using Zoho Inventory for a couple of years now, and it has been amazing for us to collect all of our online and offline sales in one place. It also synchronizes perfectly across our accounting and marketing systems"
- Adam Petyt
Element packaging, filling in the gaps worldwide.
Element Packaging , led by Adam Petyt, manufactures and distributes biodegradable and compostable, environmentally friendly packaging products. They have a huge presence in the UK and European markets, and have recently expanded their business into a few Southeast Asian countries and the Caribbean. While the company's main footprint is in the B2B market currently, a good number of their orders are coming from the online retail market as well. Moving to a scalable solution like Zoho has helped the Element Packaging team grow substantially and efficiently over the last three years.
Boxed in by fragmented systems.
Initially, when the company was in the growing stage, it was quite easy for them to handle the shipments and stock details for their UK warehouse using Excel spreadsheets. As they started expanding their operations, they opted for QuickBooks for their accounting system. However, its lack of inventory and order management capabilities meant that they had to supplement it with stand-alone applications, connected with third-party connectors like Zapier. The data flow was not really seamless, though, and there were serious issues with their inventory management, such as gaps between their accounting and physical inventory. The Element team also found it quite difficult to accept online orders and feed them manually into their accounting system. Some other major issues that the team faced include tracking shipped packages and order handling. They needed to keep their customers updated with the shipment details, maintain warehouse-based stock updates, and provide live order statuses for the sales team, among other tasks.
Looking outside the box for the right solution.
Adam and his team discovered Zoho Inventory while looking for a scalable and easy-to-implement inventory management system. They signed up for a free trial and found that Zoho Inventory solves a lot of their issues with inventory management, warehousing, order management, online Shopify store integration, and shipment tracking. The Element field sales team is now using the Zoho Inventory mobile app to check for current stock availability and punch in their sales orders on the go. The Shopify integration helps them bring all the online sales transactions from their Shopify store in to Zoho Inventory, further increasing the communication between their website and inventory system. Shipments are now generated using the shipping integrations and manual shipping options in Zoho Inventory, and tracking information is available using the AfterShip tracking integration. The Zoho Analytics integration within Zoho Inventory helps the team create powerful BI reports based on the data from all of their integrated platforms.
The inventory system is now well integrated with Zoho Books for seamless handling of accounting data. This helps Element ensure that no orders are missed and that accounting is centralized for the company. Thanks to automation, they can now completely avoid manually entering accounting data as well.
Putting it all together.
Deploying Zoho Inventory in their organization has helped the accounts team stay well-informed about the inventory team's work and the orders that come in. Shopify orders from their online sales platform now flow into Zoho Inventory automatically, eliminating the need to feed in orders manually. With these new workflows, the warehouse management teams and front-end teams now collaborate seamlessly using the cloud-hosted mobile and web apps. Orders created by the sales team on the go via the mobile apps are now being immediately processed by the operations team, improving operational visibility and order turnaround time. Shipment tracking and automatic notifications have made customers happier, resulting in better engagement scores and an easier job for the customer success team. The gaps between the inventory and accounting systems have been resolved, and with payment status being updated in real time, there are no disparities there either.
The fabulous customer support that Element Packaging has received from the Zoho Inventory team encourages them to keep scaling higher. Adam and his team are now exploring Zoho CRM and many other apps in the Zoho portfolio and hoping to move further towards a unified business management experience for their company.
- Order Management Software
- Warehouse Management
- Inventory Management System
- Inventory Tracking Software
- Inventory Control
- Order Fulfillment
- Marketplace Integrations
- Inventory Reports
- Order Templates
- Inventory Mobile App
- All Features
- Manufacturers
- Multi-channel Selling Businesses
- Multichannel Inventory Management
- Ecommerce Inventory Management
- Amazon Inventory Management
- Shopify Inventory Management
- Etsy Inventory Management
- Ebay Inventory Management
- QuickBooks Inventory Management
- Retail Inventory Management
- Alternative Software Comparison
- TradeGecko vs. Zoho Inventory
- Stitch Labs
- Free SKU Generator
- Reorder Point Calculator
- Economic Order Quantity Calculator
- Break Even Point Calculator
- Inventory Turnover Ratio Calculator
- Free Barcode Generator
- Free Purchase Order Generator
- Free Packing Slip Generator
- Free Shipping Label Generator
- Major Integrations
- Google Shopping
- Crossfire EDI
- All Integrations
- General Learning
- What is Inventory Management?
- What is Logistics Management?
- Inventory Dictionary
- GDPR and Zoho Finance
- Quick Links
- Pricing Comparison
- Free Inventory Management Software
- Best Inventory Management Software
- Partner program
- Help Documentation
- API Documentation
- Holiday Resources
- Send us an Email (or) Call us 24 x 5 : US - 8443165544
- Select Edition
- United States Global Australia Bahrain Canada India Kenya Kuwait Mexico Oman Qatar Saudi Arabia South Africa U.A.E United Kingdom United States
- Available On
- Connect with us
- Choose Privacy. Choose Zoho.
- Other Zoho Finance Apps
- Zoho Books Online Accounting Software
- Zoho Subscriptions Subscription Management
- Zoho Expense Online Expense Reporting
- Zoho Checkout Online Payments Software
- Zoho Invoice 100% Free Invoicing Solution
By attending this demo, you'll receive $50 in Zoho Wallet credit on us. Cheers!
Please enter your name
Please enter a valid email address
We can wait. Take your time to draft us your question.
By clicking the 'Submit' button, you agree to our Privacy Policy .
We need your phone number to contact you.
Give us a date and time to get in touch with you!
Type the characters you see in the picture above
Most businesses require storage space for their products and inventory. Storage is not only required for finished products or stock, but also for other inventory elements like raw materials and packaging units.
As your business grows large, the need for an increased storage space and its complex management becomes inevitable. It is like a chain reaction. Your business grows, demand increases, stock requirements go up, and so does the need for raw material. You can easily buy a storage space like a warehouse to store your inventory, but without proper management of each and every individual unit, your entire supply chain and business operations could shut down.
This is where inventory management comes into play. Warehouse inventory management encompasses the principles and processes by which stock in a warehouse is received, stored, audited, and managed till order/sale fulfillment. As simple as it sounds, managing warehouse inventory is a complex process that requires the simultaneous and effective functioning of different verticals.
The management mechanism
The warehouse inventory management process can be broken down into six core processes that include:
- Receiving: Checking in and logging incoming items. This step requires verification of the unit, its quantity, and condition.
- Designating: Also known as putting away, in this process, the items are put away from the receiving dock to their designated storage locations.
- Storing: Safe storage and logical arrangement of inventory is one of the most crucial aspects of inventory management.
- Picking: This step includes collecting the units ready for shipment..
- Packing: In this process, the inventory is safely packed with suitable packaging along with an accurate packing slip.
- Shipment: Sending out the finalized orders, ensuring that they are on the right carrier, at the right time with the proper documentation encompasses the last step of the process.
The challenges faced
Some of the most common warehouse inventory management challenges faced by businesses include
- Inventory Visibility issues: Limited visibility of inventory is the biggest cause behind poor warehouse management. Limited visibility results in difficulties in locating and identifying stocks in the inventory. Time is of the essence, and visibility issues amount to time lost in locating the items, not to mention the imminent possibility of picking the wrong item. Delayed shipment and disruptions to supply chains are generally attributed to limited visibility to inventory.
- Inefficient management practices: With growing inventory, the task of tracking and accurately locating inventory gets tougher and tougher. Lack of technological tools amounts to sloppy inventory management. Automation and digitization become absolutely necessary with manual management having its restrictions..
- Tracking obsolete inventory: Not every item makes it to its final destination. Some inventory items become obsolete over time and occupy precious inventory space. As a result warehouse managers discard irrelevant inventory. The problem arises when such items become relevant, and the discarded inventory cannot be relocated anymore. This leaves the business with no choice other than re-buying the same piece of inventory and spending heavily.
- Maintaining the correct levels of stock: Overstocking or understocking can hurt businesses badly. This problem emerges due to poor accountancy and stock control. Ultimately businesses fail to analyze their needs and demands and end up stocking more or less inventory than required.
AI and ML to the rescue
Choosing the right Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning tools is the only way to ace warehouse inventory management. These tools are commonly known as Warehouse Management Systems or simply WMS.
In a lot of cases, WMS is a built-in feature of the Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) software suite that businesses use as a 360 degree software solution. In other cases, it comes as a stand-alone system that enterprises can opt for individually.
Visionify provides the answer
Visionify.ai’s WMS solutions make the best use of Industry 4.0 tech to tackle all the challenges of warehouse inventory management . Our vision backed real-time inventory features can help you monitor acquisition, tracking, and shipping of products. Visonify’s Computer Vision tools will enable your WMS to accurately detect the locations of your stock and its availability.
Apart from the barcode sensing and log-keeping to check stock levels, our WMS solutions make the most of Computer Vision tools to detect empty slots. Our Computer Vision cameras are programmed to monitor the movement of shelves and instantly trigger notifications and entries for the log.
Our AI and ML powered solutions can also help you with Stock control features that dig up obsolete inventory while suggesting appropriate actions for old stocks. Additionally, we can enable your WMS systems to come up with intelligent forecasting tools that will help your warehouse managers by raising stocking requirements based on expected customer demand and historical sales data.
Clients’ Feedback
Our clients have highly acclaimed our Warehouse Inventory Management solutions. Our services have helped retailers and warehouse owners improve accuracy, boost efficiency, and cut down costs and loss of time.
Manage easily with Visionify
Simplifying and streamlining inventory management is crucial for building a successful business. Accuracy and time efficiency are key to successfully running supply chains. We solve all your inventory problems with our AI-powered Out-of-stock solutions that help you maximize your inventory management and decrease errors. You get real-time insights round the clock without the need to physically visit your inventory store.
Take your business up a notch with Visonify.ai’s Warehouse Inventory Management solutions that save you time and money. Get in touch with us to receive more information on how our solutions can be deployed for your warehouse and inventory challenges.
- Terms of Use
- Privacy Policy
- +1 720-449-1124
- [email protected]
- 1644 Platte St, Denver, CO 80202
We've updated our privacy policy. Click here to review the details. Tap here to review the details.
Activate your 30 day free trial to unlock unlimited reading.
inventory management and case studies
You are reading a preview.
Activate your 30 day free trial to continue reading.
Check these out next
Download to read offline
inventory management and case studies examples
Recommended
More Related Content
Slideshows for you (20).
Similar to inventory management and case studies (20)
Recently uploaded (20)
- 1. A stock of items held to meet future demand Inventory is a list for goods and materials, or those goods and materials themselves, held available in stock by a business. 11/28/13 1
- 2. Work in process Vendors Raw Materials Work in process Finished Customer goods Work in process 11/28/13 2
- 3. Raw Materials – Basic inputs that are converted into finished product through the manufacturing process Work-in-progress – Semi-manufactured products need some more works before they become finished goods for sale Finished Goods – Completely manufactured products ready for sale Supplies – Office and plant cleaning materials not directly enter production but are necessary for production process and do not involve significant investment. 11/28/13 3
- 4. Ensure a continuous supply of raw materials to facilitate uninterrupted production Maintain sufficient stocks of raw materials in periods of short supply and anticipate price changes Maintain sufficient finished goods inventory for smooth sales operation, and efficient customer service Minimize the carrying cost and time Control investment in inventories and keep it at an optimum level 11/28/13 4
- 5. Meet variations in customer demand: ◦ Meet unexpected demand ◦ Smooth seasonal or cyclical demand Pricing related: ◦ Temporary price discounts ◦ Hedge against price increases ◦ Take advantage of quantity discounts Process & supply surprises ◦ Internal – upsets in parts of or our own processes ◦ External – delays in incoming goods 11/28/13 5
- 6. To maintain a optimum size of inventory for efficient and smooth production and sales operations To maintain a minimum investment in inventories to maximize the profitability Effort should be made to place an order at the right time with right source to acquire the right quantity at the right price and right quality 11/28/13 6
- 7. -Track inventory –How much to order –When to order 11/28/13 7
- 8. When a submarine arrives at the Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard (PHNSY), it undergoes a well-planned schedule of maintenance, overhaul, repairs, and upgrades. On-time completion of these and other maintenance-type operations play a major role in maintaining the readiness of submarines in the Pacific. To ensure these critical deadlines are met, PHNSY relies on skilled mechanics in three shifts a day and some weekends. According to Iris Seiki, PHNSY Supply Systems Analyst, not having inventory readily available for the mechanics on all three shifts and weekends has a direct impact on the project and on other people's job.
- 9. Problems: •stores tooling, personal protective equipment (PPE), and consumable products in centrally located tool rooms. •With the exception of the occasional walk and wait time to and from the waterfront tool room, getting the needed items for the task at hand was generally a simple process •Because the tool room was staffed for the first shift only, getting materials was somewhat more complicated for the other shifts. • If the mechanic from the previous shift didn't turn over the materials to the next shift, he/she would have to submit an item request for the needed materials for the task at hand. •the materials came 24 hours later.
- 10. Problems: -Work stoppage due to inefficient processes -Wasted time walking to and from tool room -Inventory shrinkage
- 11. PHNSY looked to WinWare, Inc., the makers of CribMaster to provide a solution. CribMaster is a set of inventory solutions used in military and other industrial-type environments. In their search for a storage system that offered flexibility, PHNSY chose a suite of ToolCube™ point-of-use devices Located them dockside where the submarines undergo maintenance. The ToolCube™ is a large, heavy- gauge-steel constructed cabinet that contains drawers and compartments of various sizes
- 12. Tasks performed by Toolcube TM •The mechanic simply scans his/her badge and selects the item requested. • CribMaster then provides access to only the approved quantity of the exact item requested. • With the ToolCube's™ unique storage system of configurable drawers, PHNSY could accommodate many different types of inventory. •The capability of adding more devices as their operation grew and controls needed to be tightened.
- 13. Stock-outs in their consumable materials have been greatly reduced. The min/max feature on the software ensures optimum inventory levels by sending an email alerting someone when replenishment is needed. More importantly from the mechanics point of view, they enjoy having the right material at the right time 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. This has allowed them to do their job regardless of which shift they are working and allowed PHNSY to control material usage all at the same time.
- 14. CASE STUDY - BOEING (UK) Unrivaled Accuracy: RGIS Pilots Inventory Program for UK CH-47 Chinook CHALLENGES: -In May of 2006, Boeing formally commenced work on the “Through Life Customer Support” programme for the Royal Air Force’s (RAF’s) fleet of Chinook helicopters. -Boeing had previously manufactured and sold the Chinook helicopters and parts to the RAF. -Prior to the awarding of this maintenance contract to Boeing, the RAF maintained these helicopters in-house and managed the tracking of parts in stock with two inventory systems. -The value of the parts varies from a few pence to over £1,000,000 per item. -The parts are located on RAF/MOD installations in the U.K. and around the world.
- 15. CHALLENGES: -The information had to be viewed separately, consolidated, and then reported globally back to Boeing and the MOD. - Parts in stock are assigned a designated location within a base. -For security reasons, an individual stock item may have several locations within a base. -This meant there was no central view of which parts were at which base, or at what location(s) on a base a part was stored.
- 16. SOLUTION: -RGIS staff members worked with Boeing, RAF/MOD, and DARA to complete this project. - RGIS provided auditors along with managers and operations support personnel working across five U.K. bases. -The RGIS program was divided in three steps: The RGIS Process Pre-Inventory The RGIS Process Inventory: The RGIS Process Post-Inventory:
- 17. The RGIS Process Pre-Inventory: • RGIS worked with Boeing in a tight schedule window, to accomplish the inventory in one week less than was initially required. •Scheduling challenges included the following: >The very limited availability of RAF/MOD and DARA staff, who were required to assist with locating and opening some parts containers >The requirement that the same part had to be counted in all locations around the world at one time >Part counting had to be completed in a specified four-hour window or else that count would be invalidated in other locations. >RGIS created a custom inventory programme to facilitate the many and varied streams of information that were required
- 18. The RGIS Process Inventory: •RGIS captured and reconciled the data at the five U.K. bases. •Parts were categorized according to class and condition and whether the item was removed from an aircraft for repair. •Counts were compared to the quantities on record in the RAF databases •Variance reports were generated in real time. •Items showing discrepancies were recounted. •Fully reconciled data had to be made available twice daily.
- 19. The RGIS Process Post-Inventory: •RGIS provided Boeing with a consolidated file showing the global position of each parts line captured compared to the quantity expected at the time the item was counted. •Interim reports and final information were provided on the secure Boeing website for ease of access by those with permission to view the data. •Boeing and the MOD were able to obtain an accurate inventory count •They could more readily identify where they would have an urgent and immediate need for parts.
- 20. BENEFITS: •RGIS provided an accurate, reliable and efficient inventory resulting in improved product availability and process improvements for the future. •Excellent track record in accurate and consistent data-gathering techniques across multiple sites •Proven scheduling flexibility •Effectiveness in working with multiple project partners •Efficient project coordination and data reconciliation abilities •Employee integrity •RGIS provided an inventory program that helped Boeing reduce their costs and improve their processes.
- 21. Case Study Inventory Management System Manufacturing Company Problems: •A global manufacturing company was experiencing inefficiencies in in its inventory management processes. •With suppliers across the world delivering parts for the company's products •Multiple buyers within the company are responsible for tracking the parts required for each product from the manufacturing phase through delivery •The company needed a way to keep a master list of all inventory with easy access to parts' delivery statuses and other pertinent information relevant to the company.
- 22. Approach: •Aciron initiated the project by holding extensive interviews with client personnel to understand the company’s needs and challenges. •Aciron followed an agile, iterative, approach to application development •Allowing the client to regularly review and make adjustments to the application, and to easily incorporate the clients' evolving requirements. •Throughout the project, Aciron focused on open communication, with regular status reports and meetings. •Consistently engaging key client personnel and ensuring project milestones were met on time and within budget.
- 23. Solution: •Aciron developed a custom database driven inventory management application •Application enables the company's multiple buyers, regardless of their locations, to easily track, manage, and generate reports regarding the company's inventory and deliveries •The user interface of the application was developed to be clean and user-friendly, enabling users to easily navigate and utilize the system. •The intuitive automated system provides the client with a rapid, accurate, and efficient means to collect, process, transmit, record, and manage inventory data. •Providing a clear view of any inventory shortages and delays, along with comprehensive communication tools •The system eliminates the need to rely on traditional means of communications, such as phone and email, etc., to manage such delays •The system also includes an extensive set of reporting mechanisms to allow the planners, project managers, operations managers, and buyers to more effectively maintain inventory.
- 24. Benefits: •With on-demand access to up-to-date detailed data on the company's inventory, the client is able to make more informed decisions. •While reducing costs and inefficiency within the company. In addition, as a browser based application •The system eliminates the inefficiencies inherent in using multiple spreadsheets and manual processes involved in tracking and managing inventory by creating one secure, central solution. •Since completion, the system has proved to be a critical business application for the client, driving productivity and increasing margins, while reducing costs
Share Clipboard
Public clipboards featuring this slide, select another clipboard.
Looks like you’ve clipped this slide to already.
You just clipped your first slide!
Create a clipboard
Get slideshare without ads, special offer to slideshare readers, just for you: free 60-day trial to the world’s largest digital library..
The SlideShare family just got bigger. Enjoy access to millions of ebooks, audiobooks, magazines, and more from Scribd.
You have now unlocked unlimited access to 20M+ documents!
Unlimited Reading
Learn faster and smarter from top experts
Unlimited Downloading
Download to take your learnings offline and on the go
Instant access to millions of ebooks, audiobooks, magazines, podcasts and more.
Read and listen offline with any device.
Free access to premium services like Tuneln, Mubi and more.
Help us keep SlideShare free
It appears that you have an ad-blocker running. By whitelisting SlideShare on your ad-blocker, you are supporting our community of content creators.
We've updated our privacy policy.
We’ve updated our privacy policy so that we are compliant with changing global privacy regulations and to provide you with insight into the limited ways in which we use your data.
You can read the details below. By accepting, you agree to the updated privacy policy.
- Shipping Workflow
- Discounted Rates
- Advanced Reporting
- Tracking & Returns
- Customer Marketing
- Email Marketing
- Campaign Management
- Feedback Requests
- Interactive Metrics
- Shopify Seller Tools
- Shopify Seller Suite
- Seamless shipping integration
- Abandoned Cart Emails
- Discounted UPS Rates
- Branded Tracking
- Shipping Supplies
- Integrations
- Resource Library
- Marketing Resources Hub
- Case Studies
- Definitive Guide to Shipping
- The SMB Holiday Checklist
- Brick-and-Mortar to Online Guide
- Dimensional Weight Calculator
- 2022 USPS Shipping Rates
- USPS Shipping Calculator
- Postage Savings Calculator
- Start FREE 30-day trial
Case Study: How Streamlined Inventory Led to Growth
How Mason Bottle saved thousands of dollars, introduced a new product line, and grew their business through better inventory management.
Before Inventory Management
Mason Bottle owner Laura Belmar had a dilemma. As an Amazon seller and owner of two Shopify stores , one for retail and one for wholesale, she was in need of a solution that could help her keep the numbers straight and organize her SKUs. Her search for inventory management solutions that worked with Shopify only yielded options that didn’t fit her business needs or budget.
Laura was a ShippingEasy customer from the outset, finding it to be a great solution for all her shipping needs, saving her time and money. When ShippingEasy introduced a cost-effective Inventory Management solution, it not only filled the gap but also helped grow her business.
After implementing Inventory Management, Laura was able to add new product lines, create a self-sustaining business, and overhaul her purchase order system in a way that freed up cash for her to invest in digital marketing tactics.
How it all came together
Using ShippingEasy's Inventory Management solution yielded tangible results for Mason Bottle.
Time savings were just the beginning
“ShippingEasy can help e-commerce companies spend their time more efficiently so that they can focus less on logistics and more on generating sales.”
Time savings = business growth
"Instead of investing a huge amount in inventory and waiting months for it to arrive, we essentially have no cash tied up in inventory at all. Many months we are able to sell the bulk of our monthly PO before we even have to pay for it."
Reinvesting back into the business
"This PO system, made possible by ShippingEasy, has freed up cash for us to invest in Facebook and Instagram ads, Pinterest ads, Google Adwords and Amazon Sponsored product ads. And the ROI from our digital marketing efforts is what drives our growth as an e-commerce company."
Real business growth
"I realized that I spent far too much time on logistics, customer care, inventory management, etc. and not enough time doing the things that actually drive sales, like marketing funnels and email automation. ShippingEasy can help e-commerce companies spend their time more efficiently so that they can focus less on logistics and more on generating sales."
Stellar Results
Learn more and see Inventory Management in action by booking a quick demo!
Streamline your inventory processes, stop wasting time and money, and start growing your business—all in the same place you ship! Get started with Inventory Management from ShippingEasy today.
We're here to help.
Our award-winning customer support includes live chat, email and US-based phone support for all merchants. Unlike other platforms, help is free and you’ll always get a real, live human.
Get started for free.
Ready to ship faster, get the lowest rates, and to grow your business?
No credit card required. Cancel anytime.
- Our Feature List
- Our Pricing
- Our Service
- Our Reviews
- ShippingNow™
- Careers | Jobs
- Become an affiliate
- Become a strategic partner
- Privacy Policy
- Terms of Service
- Do Not Sell My Personal Information
- Limit the Use of My Sensitive Personal Information
- Multi-Carrier Shipping: Ship with USPS, UPS & FedEx
- ShippingEasy with USPS
- ShippingEasy with UPS
- ShippingEasy with FedEx
- ShippingEasy with DHL eCommerce
- ShippingEasy with DHL Express
- USPS Discounted Rate Table
- USPS Commercial Rates
- USPS Regional Rate Box
- Amazon Shipping
- Amazon Seller Central
- BigCommerce
- ChannelAdvisor
- WooCommerce
- Yahoo! Stores
- View All Integrations
- 2021 Shipping Rate Guide
- Guide to E-commerce Shipping
- Support Content
- Shipping Resources
- USPS Savings Calculator
- Shipping Insurance
- Request a feature
- Request a USPS Sales Representative
- Request International Discounts
IMAGES
VIDEO
COMMENTS
Whether you run an e-commerce business or a brick-and-mortar operation, if you stock physical products, it’s crucial for you to stay on top of your inventory at all times. Often, this involves tracking which items are going out, what’s stil...
When you’re performing research as part of your job or for a school assignment, you’ll probably come across case studies that help you to learn more about the topic at hand. But what is a case study and why are they helpful? Read on to lear...
Case studies are important because they help make something being discussed more realistic for both teachers and learners. Case studies help students to see that what they have learned is not purely theoretical but instead can serve to crea...
Poor Inventory Management Examples Made by Huge Brands · 1) Using outdated methods to track items, such as: Manual inventory tracking, which becomes time-
This paper presents a case study for the assembling company on inventory management. It is proposed to use inventory management in order to
Further a site was visited, and the case study approach was adopted.
The computer system at Wal-Mart stores identified an item which was low in stock and sent a signal to P&G. The system then sent a re-supply order to the nearest
Inventory management efficiency analysis: A case study of an SME company. S S Islam1, A H Pulungan2 and A Rochim3. Published under licence by IOP Publishing
They wanted to manage their inventory in a way that connected directly with their online store, a large revenue source for them. At the same time, Ashish had to
Home > Case Studies > Element Packaging. "We have been using Zoho Inventory for a couple of years now, and it has been amazing for us to collect all of our
Inventory Visibility issues: Limited visibility of inventory is the biggest cause behind poor warehouse management. · Inefficient management practices: · Tracking
Case Study Inventory Management System Manufacturing Company Problems: •A global manufacturing company was experiencing inefficiencies in in its inventory
Therefore, in our research, we study the inventory management practices of an international lifestyle product retailer in one of the poorest countries in the
In this inventory management case study, we uncover how Mason Bottle saved literally thousands of dollars, introduced new products, and increased digital