INVENTORY CONTROL SYSTEMS

Inventory control systems are technology solutions that integrate all aspects of an organization’s inventory tasks, including shipping, purchasing, receiving, warehouse storage, turnover, tracking, and reordering. While there is some debate about the differences between inventory management and inventory control, the truth is that a good inventory control system does it all by taking a holistic approach to inventory and empowering organizations to utilize lean practices to optimize productivity and efficiency along the supply chain while having the right inventory at the right locations to meet customer expectations.

Main Inventory Control
System Types:

  • Perpetual Inventory System
  • Periodic Inventory System

Types of Inventory Management
Systems within Inventory Control Systems:

  • Barcode System
  • Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) System
Inventory control systems help you track inventory and provide you with the data you need to control and manage it. No matter which type of inventory control system you choose, make sure that it includes a system for identifying inventory items and their information including barcode labels or asset tags; hardware tools for scanning barcode labels or RFID tags; a central database for all inventory in addition to the ability to analyze data, generate reports, and forecast demand; and processes for labeling, documenting, and reporting inventory along with a proven inventory methodology like just-in-time, ABC analysis, first-in, or first out (FIFO), or last-in-first-out (LIFO).