The ability to track stock consumption is essential for businesses of all sizes. And, when your workers are mobile and rely on having stock to hand in order to complete their daily jobs, it’s vital to be able to accurately monitor and manage inventory levels. In this blog post, we’ll take a look at the different ways you can track stock consumption when your workforce is mobile, as well as some tips for making the process easier.

What is Stock Consumption?

Stock consumption is the process of tracking how much inventory a business has used up over a certain period of time. Tracking stock consumption helps businesses understand their current inventory levels and plan for future needs, as well as preventing ‘leakage’ through theft and damage. It also helps those with mobile workers ensure they always have the right stock on hand at any one time. A great example of the importance of tracking stock is sky installations partner, ABCA Systems who had a requirement to monitor goods in and out of their warehouses and their engineers’ vans.

Why Is It Important to Track Stock Consumption When Your Workforce Is Mobile?

When your workforce is field-based, it can be difficult to keep track of inventory levels in real-time. This makes it hard to make informed decisions about ordering new supplies or adjusting workers’ schedules. Additionally, if you don’t have an accurate picture of your current stock levels, you may end up overstocking or understocking certain items, which can lead to lost time or wasted resources. Tracking stock consumption when your workforce is mobile helps ensure that you always have the right amount of inventory on hand exactly when you need it.

How Can You Track Stock Consumption When Your Workforce Is Mobile?

There are several different ways you can track stock consumption:

• Use barcode scanners: Barcode scanners are an easy way to quickly scan items and keep track of inventory levels in real-time. They’re especially useful if your employees are constantly on the move and don’t have access to a computer or other device with an internet connection. Mobile computers with built-in scanners such as the Zebra TC26, or Android smartphones or iPhones which can use the camera to capture barcodes are ideal.

• Use cloud-based software: Cloud-based software makes it easy for employees to access inventory data from any location with an internet connection. This allows them to quickly check on current stock levels and place orders for new supplies without having to physically go into the office or warehouse.

• Use RFID tags: RFID tags are small devices that can be attached to products and scanned using special readers. They allow businesses to track individual items in real-time, making it easy to monitor stock levels even when employees are out in the field or working remotely without the need for manual scanning.

Tips for Making Stock Management Easier When Your Workforce Is Mobile

• Automate processes: Automating processes such as ordering new supplies or tracking shipments can help make tracking stock consumption easier. This will free up time for employees so they can focus on more important tasks instead of manually entering data into spreadsheets or other systems.

• Utilise analytics: Analytics tools can help you identify trends in your inventory data so you can make better decisions about ordering new supplies or adjusting work schedules based on current demand patterns and stock levels.

• Invest in technology: Investing in technology such as barcode scanners, RFID tags, and cloud-based software will make tracking stock consumption easier and more efficient.

Conclusion

By following these tips and utilising the right tools, you can ensure that you always have accurate information about your current inventory levels even when your workforce is out in the field or working remotely. This will help ensure that you never run out of supplies while also avoiding unnecessary costs due to overstocking or understocking certain items.

Alternative Logic’s fully configurable stock and asset tracking functionality allows users to track goods and consignments in and out, providing real-time oversight of stock locations and consumption along with a time-stamped audit trail of stock movements. Our solution is hardware and operating system agnostic, so you can use whatever hardware you choose, and can be configured to use either barcode scanning or RFID.

Benefits include:

• warehousing system for both serialised and consumable stock items
• track goods and consignments in and out of depots and vehicles
• job completion workflow permits stock item consumption for real-time stock levels
• consignment quantities can be digitally signed for at the point of delivery

To find out more about how Alternative Logic can digitalise your mobile workforce, why not call our team on +44 (0)1829 770956 for help and advice, or book a demo here.