The Season for ERP Solutions

The season for buying, purchasing and the season for inventory control are now.  The season for change is now.  Now is the time for the changes you need to make to better prepare yourself and your organization for the next season. 

 

The season of change is now.

 

When a business has a consistent yearlong demand for its products, planning is a little easier with the right tools.  After all if you pick, pack and ship a thousand units a month and you know your suppliers lead time and balance order point with applicable discounts, the purchasing effort can be automated.  You can ensure that you have enough inventory to meet demand, but not too much that warehouse space is wasted or consumed where other products could be better stocked.

 

When a business’ products have seasonal demand, the challenges increase.  Add another level of complexity when the seasonal products are perishable, such as found in the food industry.  Productivity has increased importance as does handling.  The need to drive operational efficiencies increases as the penalties for not doing so become increasing cost prohibitive. 

 

Some organizations in food processing are still using the look-and-see method of reordering.  Someone who has been in the business a relatively long time walks through the warehouse or is able to keep a running count in their head and orders what they think is right at that time.  Chances are if they have been doing this long enough they may be accurate.  They may also not be.  What happens when this person goes on vacation?  What happens if they take a leave of absence?  What happens when they retire or are suddenly not able to work anymore? 

 

How do you transfer someone’s gut instinct into a reproducible formula for optimum inventory levels?

 

The challenges of the supply chain have not fundamentally changed since the beginning of commerce.

 

What has changed is the need for quicker access to greater and greater amounts of information.  The need for mobility and anywhere access.  Analytic analysis of the repository of information collected to identify and respond to new business demands.

 

 

The season of the switch.

 

 

New business environments require a comprehensive set of integrated, cross-functional business processes.  There needs to be an alignment of both strategic and tactical operations to improve productivity and insight, reduce costs through greater efficiencies and flexibility in computing environments. 

 

Industry requirements are constantly changing and new systems are needed to meet those demands and reduce risk through improved financial management. 

 

The benefits are more profitability, peace of mind and a restful night of sleep.

 

The solution starts with a solid foundation of financial management.  Add to that advanced options in distribution management.  The end result is a system that integrates the entire operation.  Better integration means superior customer service levels. 

 

A happy customer should be the goal of any solution.

 

Inventory management with comprehensive sales analysis and forecasting enables a more strategic approach.  Are you achieving your goals for inventory turnover?  How well do you meet customer demand?  Do you have what they need when they want it?  Do you have excess inventory taking up space and increasing overhead?

 

There are different seasons for inventory and seasons for Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) solutions. 

 

What worked well years ago may not be able to keep up with demand or the changing landscape of commerce today.  The overhead of maintaining an older system can often outpace and out cost a new system optimized for your industry.

 

All businesses struggle to some extent somewhere along the business cycle.  Each business has their challenge spot.  A fresh set of eyes and thorough analysis can reveal these bottlenecks and open the door to increased efficiencies and profits.  Profits that can be reinvested to further drive efficiency. 

 

Experience has shown that the more of any business that is integrated into a single system the better that organization is capable of operating.  What we do not know is where your organization struggles without talking with you. 

 

Is your season of change upon you now?  How will you address the challenges of the next season?

 

Contact Dolvin Consulting today.  Not tomorrow, not next season.  We are here to listen and help.  We are not here to tell you how to operate your business.  We are a resource that you can utilize to identify areas of improvement that will help you compete more effectively with your competition enabling you to fulfill your customer’s needs.  A happy customer is a loyal customer.