Being In Charge – Inventory Control Management

After several years of being a forklift driver or stocker, you’ve been promoted, and now you are in charge. What this means for you is more than a raise – it also means an incredible responsibility for inventory control management. Now, it’s your job to see that stock levels are maintained in a reasonable fashion and that all items are accounted for when inventory checks are made. It means that the organization of inventory for an entire department or warehouse is now your responsibility. What can you do to ease the burden of such a hefty load? Here are a few dos and don’ts to get you going.

• DO employ individuals who are willing to accept a great deal of responsibility. You cannot be present at all times, and it is vital that you have a staff you can trust to follow proper stocking procedures and maintain operations honestly when you are not around.
• DON’T depend completely on another individual. You are the manager, and inventory control management is solely your responsibility. While it is perfectly acceptable to delegate some of that responsibility to others in your employ, you should not place all the burden on the shoulders of another or even several others.
• DO perform regular reconciliation checks of your inventory in between formal inventory checks to verify that no items are unaccounted for. This will also help to check for any errors in the placement of items within your warehouse space, as well as in the documenting of incoming and outgoing items.
• DO regularly rotate the stock and teach your employees to do the same. Leaving older items tucked beneath new stock of the same product is poor inventory control management that results in the eventual loss of the older items due to expiration.
• DON’T overextend the budget. Part of good inventory control management is ordering smartly. Never purchase too much of a single item, even one that sells quickly. Especially if the stock is of high cost to you, make sure you only keep on hand what is necessary for any period of time. This also holds true with perishable goods.
• DO track the sales of items and determine what brings in the most profit for your department. These are the items that you’ll want to make sure you never to deplete in your inventory, always having enough on hand to meet the demand for the product. On the other hand, slow sellers should be maintained at bare minimum levels.
• DO make sure everything is properly organized and labeled for easy location within the warehouse. The larger your warehouse, the more important this level of organization is to the success and smooth functioning of your department.
• DON’T let employees get lazy; keep them motivated, and refresh their knowledge with brief training classes that provide an overview of the inventory policies in your department.
• DO be regimental and habitual about following guidelines, and set a fine example for others in your adherence to these regulations. They are provided to make your job and the job of your employees easier to do.