Importance of Stock Control for E-Commerce Businesses
Stock control – or inventory management – is a crucial component to the running of any business. Stock control is the art of tracking your inventory and making decisions on how much of it you should have on hand at any given time. Good practice, at its most fundamental level, is underpinned by balance – finding the sweet spot where you can reduce storage costs as much as possible whilst still meeting customer demand. Focus too much on cutting costs and you’ll find yourself unprepared for emergencies, changes in the market, or other unforeseen issues. Prepare too much and you’ll sink too much money into your overheads.
Achieving that balance is the core of inventory management for all types of businesses. But what makes stock control especially important to e-commerce businesses?
Today, our expert team here at Allegro Logistics will be outlining the many reasons why quality inventory management is a necessity for all online storefronts.
Automating Your Warehouse
Using online inventory management software provides businesses with a plethora of benefits to optimise their logistical efficiency. Being able to track outgoing orders, warehouse stock, and storage capacity in real time allows businesses to better forecast customer demand and calculate future production costs. Modern automated systems can re-order items whenever stock gets low, alert staff to unexpected changes, and provide useful sales data.
The impact that these systems have had on e-commerce businesses worldwide has been immense. Put simply, the more information you have, the better you can fine-tune your operations – streamlining your business, reducing costs, and saving time. For example, our online platform Mintsoft integrates with over 50 popular e-commerce and courier services, consolidating all of our clients’ online fulfilment aspects in one place. This allows us to more effectively meet our clients’ needs with one, seamless logistical system.
Reducing the Risk of Theft & Misplaced Goods
The more you rely on manual stock control, the likelier you are to encounter accidents and miscommunication. Human error is inevitable. But with modern, automated stock management systems, you can drastically decrease the frequency and impact of such errors – and save yourself valuable time. These systems are also a massive deterrent to theft, as their software can accurately account for all of the stock you have in storage – from the moment you acquire it to the moment it is delivered to the end consumer.
Less Ambiguity, More Accuracy
Following on from the above point, quality stock control reduces your company’s reliance on guesswork. What this means is that you will be left with more accurate data with which to forecast future sales – making the job of those in your marketing department a lot easier.
Preventing a Stock-Out
The depletion of stock, often referred to as a “stock-out” occurs when a business doesn’t have enough product to meet customer demand. Naturally, this damages a business’ reputation and usually results in dire financial losses. Sophisticated inventory management software can help guard against this phenomenon with real-time data and robust insights into market changes and seasonal trends. This data can also help prevent overstocking and overselling of products. Live stock figures also benefit the customer, allowing them to observe what is currently available – something especially useful for B2B companies using trade platforms.
Selling Across Various Channels
Earlier in this post we referred to Mintsoft, our online platform that integrates dozens of e-commerce and courier channels. Whether you are using eBay, Amazon, Shopify, WooCommerce, or more, our integrated system allows us to track products on their journeys across multiple channels. Without an integrated system, keeping track of all these products would be a real headache – one that would cost valuable time.
Expediency
E-commerce businesses often sell finished products that sit in a warehouse until an order is placed. Some of these products – particularly perishables such as food – have a limited shelf life, in which case the need for fast, hassle-free distribution is paramount. High quality stock control ensures expediency – preventing waste and nurturing customer satisfaction. With online stores, sales can change fast – so inventory management is necessary for e-commerce businesses to stay on top of things.
Customer Retention
Good stock control should see consistent, constant levels of stock in your warehouse. The less you experience stock-outs, the better your brand image. Customers will appreciate and remember if your products or services are always available, increasing the chances of return business. Anytime you have an opportunity to turn a one-time buyer into a repeat one, take it.
See more: How to Improve the Customer Experience of Your E-Commerce Business
Organising Your Warehouse
Without a proper stock control strategy, warehouses can become very messy places. This drastically hampers your efficiency, as your employees sink time into moving and locating products – time that could be spent elsewhere. To ensure you don’t lose time (and therefore money) to time-consuming manual processes, make use of modern automated systems. Quality inventory management can help you organise your warehouse in a variety of ways, such as sorting products by brand, by seasonality, or sales performance.
E-Commerce Order Fulfilment Services with Allegro Logistics
At Allegro Logistics, we specialise in helping businesses get their products in the hands of consumers. Our state-of-the-art integrated warehouse system facilitates seamless e-commerce fulfilment for our clients. We ship thousands of orders every day – both domestically and internationally – including same-day dispatch. Our streamlined approach ensures that whatever your logistical needs, you can be assured of fast, hassle-free shipping. Whether it’s a bespoke project, a promotional marketing campaign, or an international sea freight, we’ve got you covered.
For more information on our industry-leading logistical services, don’t hesitate to get in touch with our friendly staff today.
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