Inventory Management Systems Essay

In today’s business environment, even many smaller businesses have come to rely on computerized inventory management systems. Automated systems can replace the cost and time consuming processes that were once completed by hand while providing companies with more accurate data. Inventory control is important to ensure control in businesses that handle transactions revolving around consumer goods. Without proper inventory control, a store may run out of stock on an important item. A good inventory control system will alert the retailer when it is time to reorder (www.barcodesinc.com). It will also aid in the prevention of theft and product loss. Overall, a good inventory system will increase the value of your business, satisfy your customers and create more freedom in your life. In this paper, I will describe all the necessary equipment for a low-cost automated inventory system for a small clothing store. I will also explain the costs involved in the creation of the system, describe the ongoing maintenance that will be required and provide a workflow diagram to illustrate how the system will work. An inventory control system that I feel best provides the need of a small clothing store consists of a PC (laptop), backup/recovery and archive device, wireless router, inventory control software, mobile scanning device, and barcode printer. The system shall provide versatility and reliable performance application demands. This system will make tracking inventory simple and intuitive. This system will allow for flexibility to scan and track inventory away from the PC, enabling inventory records to be updated and perform transactions on-the-go. Updates and changes made are instantly shown in the main database, providing real-time visibility of inventory levels. The necessary equipment needed is a PC (laptop), system requirements, (32-bit or 64-bit Windows 7 Professional, Windows Visa Premium, Windows XP (SP3) Professional, 4 GB RAM, 320 GB disk, DVD), backup/recovery and archive device, wireless router for mobile device use, inventory control software for tracking point-of-sale purchase, a mobile scanning device that allows for wireless integration of data, and barcode printer for labeling and tracking inventory. The initial cost of the system, includes the purchase of the hardware and software needed to effectively label and track inventory. Required hardware: †¢PC (laptop) (Dell Latitude E6420 (32-bit – 4 GB RAM – Windows 7 – 320 GB disk – Intel CPU – 2.66 GHz CPU – NVIDIA GPU – With DVD Drive – 1280 x 800 – Touchpad) purchased from www.dell.com for $669.00 †¢Backup/recovery and archive device (Dell PowerVault RD1000 – Removable Disk Storage) purchased from www.dell.com for $409.00 †¢Wireless router (Linksys E3200 High Performance Dual Band Router) purchased from www.tigerdirect.com for $149.00 †¢Mobile scanning device (Metrologic ScanPal 2) purchased from www.barcodediscount.com for $503.90 †¢Barcode printer (Zebra LP 2824 Plus) purchased from www.barcodediscount.com for $223.10 Required Software: †¢Inventory software, Microsoft Business Solutions Point of Sale Software (single user license), purchased from www.barcodediscount.com for $12.20 The total cost of the inventory system is $1966.20. This is an extremely affordable solution for a small business. Computer preventive maintenance means the operating system is more likely to be cleaned, fine-tuned and better prepared for the unexpected. If routinely scheduled maintenance tasks are not implemented, computers/servers become infected, tweaked and not ready for whatever happens. While every mishap cannot be avoided, even small efforts made in this area increase a computer operating system’s performance. This is what makes preventative maintenance important (www.ehow.com). Ongoing maintenance of the inventory system includes preventative maintenance as well as vendor supplied updates and patches. Vendor supplied patches are updates from the provider to effectively repair a bug in the system. Vendor supplied updates provide the latest software updates provided by the vendor. Both patches and updates must be applied to the system to function properly. Routine maintenance will be performed every 90 days. Routine maintenance includes: †¢Keeping devices properly patched and configured to reduce risk †¢Device health checks to keep systems up and running †¢Minor configuration changes †¢Running scheduled tasks such as defragmentation and disk cleanup on devices †¢Driver updates †¢Increase computer/server memory as needed †¢Patch, monitor and manage security devices It is extremely important that all hardware and software stay up-to-date and completely integrated. Failing to do so, can give you false data which can result in an overstock or under-stock of supplies and cause the business a loss. Below is a flow chart diagram of each piece of equipment used, along with how to the inventory control system integrates with one another. Companies can build their own custom retail inventory systems based upon their needs. In today’s business environment, it is almost vital that businesses switch to an automated system for inventory management because manual inventory can lead to a number of errors, which will hurt the company in the future. An automated inventory system increase companies’ productivity and sales and gives them a competitive edge against their competition.