If you own or run an SMB in the agricultural supply sector, you know better than most that efficient inventory management is essential to your ongoing success. Especially when time-sensitive orders arise, your team must work fast to satisfy your customers.
That’s why you need to ensure that your inventory management system is up to the task. And the latest cloud-based options make accessing your chosen system faster, easier, and more convenient from virtually any device.
In this post, we’ll explore seven great benefits that your agricultural SMB can get from cloud-based inventory management software.
The benefits of inventory management software for agricultural SMBs
Increased efficiency
The top benefit of high-quality agricultural inventory management software is that it helps you boost efficiency.
No matter how big or small your team is, achieving more in less time is fundamental. And great software allows you to avoid those time-consuming manual processes with cutting-edge automation.
It also centralises data in one place, so you don’t need to keep different tabs and windows open to explore key information. Just head to your dashboard for instant access to all the data and features you need.
That means no more double-keying data into multiple spreadsheets — just think of all the time you’ll save!
Plus, innovative software frees up valuable time here and there to dedicate to a better customer experience. So, your team can forget about being bogged down by repetitive manual tasks and clunky tools. They’ll have more flexibility to give buyers the best service, whether they’re enquiring about a new piece of machinery or bulk-buying grain.
See your whole operation
How do you know what products or machinery parts you have in stock? How many of each type do you have? Is your warehouse almost at capacity, or do you have space to introduce new products?
These and similar questions might be challenging to answer without the latest agricultural inventory management software. You may need to physically explore your warehouse or at least chat with your warehouse team to find out. Either way, it will take time to get the information you need.
But comprehensive software makes it simple. It gives you a detailed look at:
- Your current stock via automatically generated stock reports
- Your entire inventory with up-to-date product lists, prices, and other key details
- Your warehouse space, so you can optimise your facilities and make the most of your available space
As a result, inventory management software helps to lower your risk of over or under-ordering stock. You can use it to stay updated on all orders coming into your agricultural SMB and take full advantage of your storage space, too.
Plan for what’s to come
The sheer amount of data at your fingertips with agricultural inventory management software empowers you to forecast accurately. Crucially, historical data offers insights into customers’ past buying habits and potential stock procurement issues. You can quickly and clearly assess what products you need to order and when.
For example, farmers tend to focus on general maintenance during January. As a result, an agricultural SMB may receive more orders for machinery and parts around that time. Assessing historical data will reveal which machinery and parts you need to keep in stock to meet demand.
Make order fulfillment easier
When orders come into your agricultural SMB, your team needs to work fast to deliver the most efficient customer experience. That means locating the product (e.g. a part for a tractor), packing it, and sending it out as soon as possible.
Fortunately, agricultural inventory management software helps order fulfilment teams easily find items in your warehouse. Use the in-depth search and filtering functions to locate products in a way that suits you. No more wandering up and down warehouse aisles trying to pick one item out of thousands!
Understand your supply chain
Maintaining a strong supply chain is one of the most important aspects of running any successful agricultural SMB. Since agricultural inventory management software gives you an insight into your entire operation, it provides visibility and clarity on your supply chain. You’ll be able to understand it better than before, and make smarter decisions.
A key element of supply chain management is pinpointing gaps and plugging them to avoid disruptive, costly delays. With improved supply chain visibility and clarity, software helps you solve issues as they happen — fast.
Configure the right agricultural inventory management software for your SMB
Worried about being overwhelmed by hundreds of features? Some inventory management software forces you into a one-size-fits-all solution, which can be tough to handle. It may even slow you down when it should do anything but.
That’s not an issue when you choose a flexible inventory management system with a customisable setup. You can configure the software to suit your operations and goals, then leave the rest of the features hidden to keep things simple. Only pay for the features you really need, and add others later to suit your changing requirements.
Reduce waste and make your business more eco-friendly
Avoiding over-ordering can be difficult when supply chains are unpredictable. But it’s important to only order what you need to avoid waste and unnecessary shipping, both of which can harm the environment.
Better inventory visibility and management can help your agricultural SMB reduce waste. That benefits the planet and your bottom line!
How Workhorse can help
You’ve read about the benefits of agricultural inventory management software. And now you can experience them for yourself with Workhorse.
Workhorse offers an incredible range of features to help you monitor and manage your inventory with a customisable configuration. We’re a small company, so we know how important a personal approach is.
And we understand how critical each business decision you make can be to your entire operation. That’s why we offer a flexible platform designed to help you make the right choices again and again.
Ready to see for yourself? Try Workhorse for free today!