Food manufacturer and distributors that allow large quantities of their inventory to near the expiration date, they risk losing a lot of money. They will either need to sell those perishable items fast or face losing even more money after it expires. Poor inventory management can lead to a crisis situation where a big portion of the perishable items that you have stored in your inventory are getting ready to expire at the same time.
Discounting food that is close to its expiration date so you can sell it before it goes bad will bring in some money so that the inventory isn’t a total loss. You will most likely have to discount the food so steeply that you will still end up paying some money out of pocket to cover the cost of the food, not to mention the cost of storing and shipping it.
Disasters like this happen all the time in warehouses because of poor inventory management, over ordering, and other mistakes. An automated inventory management system can eliminate these problems and ensure that your inventory is full of perishables that have staggered expirations dates so that you don’t end up losing a huge chunk of your inventory to steeply discounted prices.
Switching to an automated inventory management system will eliminate the risk of having to hold a massive sale by implementing changes at every part of the delivery and storage process to ensure that the perishable items are kept fresh as long as possible and sold quickly while they are still fresh.
How to Manage Perishable Goods with Inventory Management Software
Inventory management software will streamline your warehouse processes in the following ways.
Better Scheduling
If a shipment of perishable items is going to be late, or has problems in transit, an inventory management system can alert the right team members. This allows changes to be made to account for the fact that the perishable items may be a few days closer to expiring by the time they arrive. They can be sold first, and perishable items with later expirations dates can wait.
Better Storage
An inventory management system can ensure that the perishable items are being stored as efficiently as possible and that they are placed in an order that makes sense to get the foods with the closest expiration dates out the door first.
Quicker Fulfillment
With an automated inventory management system, it will be easier to stay on top of real time orders and make sure they are fulfilled and shipped out fast. The faster the orders go out the fresher the food will be when it gets to the destination. That will reduce spoilage and lower the risk of having to discount the food to get it sold.
Routine Checks
Human error creates a lot of spoilage and lost inventory. Automated management systems can be used a backup to double check inventory numbers, fulfillment dates, and other details that can sometimes get lost in the shuffle. Those numbers can mean the difference between selling perishables at full price or selling them for pennies on the dollar.
Automated Inventory Management System for Macola and SAP Business One
Ready to get started with an automated inventory management system? WiSys Agility solutions have been designed to achieve efficient Warehouse Management, Supply Chain Management and Inventory Management. Contact us to learn more.