How Do I Track Inventory in Multiple Locations?

Last week I discussed how to manage a single warehouse. Today I’m going to take it a step further and talk about how to manage all of your inventory in multiple locations. The answer to the question “How do I track inventory in multiple locations?” is actually quite simple: Use inventory tracking software. That might seem oversimplified, but the fact is that pretty much everything you need to handle the complexity of multiple locations is found in advanced inventory tracking software. This software allows you to:

• Check inventory levels at each location.
• Integrate with UPS, FedEx, USPS, and other major couriers to get shipments out the door fast.
• Transfer items from one place to another if one warehouse has a shortage and the other has an excess.
• Monitor long-term trends to see which locations sell more of a certain product and, thus, where more of that product should be stored.
• Ensure shipments arrive at their destinations on time. If a supply chain gets disrupted, you’ll hear about it quickly so you can resolve the problem.
• Use wireless barcode scanners to order, receive, and cycle count inventory in each location.
• Instantly update your inventory data on a per-location basis so you always know where it stands at any given moment.
• Automatically update your accounting records in QuickBooks when transactions are made.

In summary, to track your inventory in multiple locations, all you need is a good inventory tracking solution, some training on how to use it, and elbow grease to put it into practice. Come back next week for another answer to a big inventory management question.