April 2024 - 45

TECHNOLOGY
" We use a combination of inventory management
systems, " she said. " One thing we don't do here is use
the purchase order system. There are many suppliers
who now offer pre-pricing, so you can get things through
your receiving process much faster and still manage
your inventory. The suppliers are trying to ensure their
spreadsheets can be uploaded quickly, which makes
things better for everyone. "
Integrated Systems
It's vital to have an integrated P.O.S. and inventory
management system, Pinnell explained. Bylands' P.O.S.
system integrates with their inventory management system,
eliminating the need to keep on top of inventory by hand.
" I've witnessed a very good example of what happens
when your P.O.S. and inventory management system
aren't integrated, " Pinnell said. " A company was shocked
at how understated their inventory was because they
weren't keeping up with their inventory despite running
sales through the system. "
Pinnell said it can be challenging for some people to adopt
an integrated P.O.S. and inventory management system
because it's tempting to want to simply get product on
the floor as soon as it arrives. Patience, she said, is a virtue
in this instance. With an integrated system, inventory is
INVENTORY
MANAGEMENT TIPS
There's no shortage of ways to manage your
inventory. Here are a few inventory management
techniques that garden centers can use:
* Perpetual Inventory Management works by
updating your inventory count on a continuous
basis as inventory increases or decreases.
Perpetual inventory management records all
product sales and all incoming inventory in real
time, eliminating the need for manual inventory
counts. With this technique, retailers can forecast
demand for products and set up automatic
product orders when stock gets low.
* Safety Stock Inventory is an inventory
management technique involving stocking extra
product to prevent out-of-stock events. Under the
safety stock inventory method, approximately
50% of your average order size is kept on the
premises at all times to ensure there is always
stock on hand.
* Just-in-Time Management involves
ordering goods from suppliers only as
they are needed. This method is ideal
for minimizing inventory holding
costs, increasing warehouse
space and boosting
inventory turnover.
A screenshot of ACCEO Smart Vendor's sales summary.
Photo courtesy of ACCEO Retail Solutions.
deducted as soon as it sells, and commitment to proper
receiving processes ensures accurate counts.
Beyond having an integrated system, though, she
explains that choosing a P.O.S. vendor is about more than
just features.
" The relationship with your P.O.S. provider is a critical
piece, " she said. " You need to be able to put in tickets for
service. You need to have a company that can help you if
your system crashes. "
Inventory on the Fly
Ajay Singh is the marketing manager for ACCEO Smart
Vendor, a point-of-sale system for small- and mid-sized
retailers designed by ACCEO Retail Solutions. ACCEO
Retail Solutions provides garden retailers and hardware
centers across the U.S. and Canada with accounting,
enterprise resource planning (ERP) and P.O.S. solutions.
Singh noted that when it comes to garden centers,
one of the most important features for an inventory
management and P.O.S. system is the ability to remotely
report and look up inventory while in the field.
" When garden center owners are in the field, they can
synchronize their inventory using remote access to the
system based on their main computer and across the
store through their local intranet, " he said.
He said Smart Vendor differs from other P.O.S. solutions
in that it's an entirely on-premise system, which is a
strong benefit for stores where internet service is poor.
He said the P.O.S. system is designed specifically for
the northern climate, ensuring smooth operations in
challenging environmental conditions. " We also have
automated delivery systems, which helps with seamless
operations. Plus, we're scalable, and we can tailor our
system to garden centers' requirements. "
Mike Straus is a freelance writer based in Kelowna, Canada.
His work has appeared in publications such as Massage
Therapy Canada, Nutritional Outlook, Pharmaceutical
Executive and others.
LGRMAG.COM | 45
http://www.LGRMAG.COM
April 2024

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