A few common themes that benefit SMEs in their business management solutions are automation, reducing or eliminating manual processes (and the associated risk of human error), and time and cost savings.
These apply across the entire business spectrum, but it’s perhaps most effective when they come together to improve the management and distribution of inventory, because this can have the greatest impact on the relationships with customers and vendors.
Companies have long since relied on SAP inventory management software for establishing and maintaining an effective supply chain in increasingly demanding market conditions. Improving the capabilities of warehouse management for the mobile workforce is now the next important step in business operations for many SMEs.
Customer inventory challenges
- Manual updates of inventory movement increases the possibility of human error
- Inaccurate Inventory On Hand status report makes it difficult to make and keep promises to customers and also causes issues with warehouse waste and storage
- Stock taking process is time and resource heavy and does not offer reliable results
How can the SAP B1 mobile warehouse solution support SMEs?
Search
The search function allows warehouse staff to search product details and inventory information such as In Stock Quantity, and available Batch and Serial Numbers – providing accurate and timely information for customers.
Receiving and put-away
A Goods Receipt PO is generated when the warehouse receives and enters the product into the system – this is all done by scanning the barcode into the mobile app and the related Batch or Serial Number can also be scanned and synchronised into SAP B1.
Keying in batch/serial number:
Defining Putaway location:
Instantly view data in SAP B1:
Delivery
Scanning the product enables the validation between the picked item barcode against the Sales Order Product Barcode from SAP B1, which ensures the warehouse picks the correct product before shipping.
Urgent deliveries
For urgent orders without a Sales Order, warehouse staff can perform a fulfilment and synchronise the details into SAP B1.
Inventory transfer
Stock might need to be moved internally within the warehouse or between various locations – by scanning the item barcode during any stock movement, the transaction is stored and synchronised in SAP B1 in real time.
Scan and enter inventory data:
Enter transfer details:
Stock take
By reducing the need for manual input, the stock take is performed by scanning the item barcode, any batch/serial number and the counted quantity.
Stock count main screen:
Scan data and add quantities:
Note: if using an Android tablet, which does not have the scanning feature, we can also design another stock take screen, which lists down all inventory items, batch and serial numbers, for the user to tick the checkbox and enter the counted quantity.
What are the business benefits of mobile warehouse management?
Reduce human involvement
– by providing barcode scanning solutions, you can use fewer people to complete a more efficient process, and also eliminate the risk of manual input errorAccurate data
– by syncing data between your mobile warehouse management and SAP application you can always rely on accurate and timely data – an important element for SMEs when trying to meet customer demandsReal time inventory>
– knowing how much inventory you have, and where, enables quick and reliable decisions to be made when trying to establish efficient purchasing, storage and wastage processesEffective stock take process
– reducing human involvement in the stock take process produces more reliable results with less risk of manual input and errorCost and time saving
– vital for any SME, reducing time and money spent on processes that can be easily automated (and run better) helps redirect precious resources to more customer-centric activities
Note: This story has also been adapted for publication in Steemit.