NetSuite Inventory: Tips for Consumer Packaged Goods CPG Companies

The consumer packaged goods (CPG) industry is a fast moving, highly competitive industry that  provides frequently replaced items like makeup, household products, clothes, and food and beverages. CPG companies, including manufacturers, distributors, retailers and e-Commerce enterprises, need real-time, accurate inventory data to effectively manage stock levels, ensure slow moving inventory can easily be identified, and accurately track order statuses.

The consumer goods industry is marked by rapid change and complex demand patterns, which are primarily driven by seasonality trends and customer buying behaviors. Unable to keep up with the additional SKUs to meet these demands, many companies regularly experience longer lead times, poor responsiveness and stock-outs. This is only magnified with a paper-driven processes, which can be slow and error-prone.

Why Automation is Critical

Automating these processes can ensure your team has up-to-date information at all times. By departing from a paper-driven process to scanning barcodes throughout your operation, you reduce errors and improve the productivity and accuracy of your workers.

CPG companies that don’t adopt real-time data collection typically encounter:

• Excessive time identifying and rectifying manual capture errors
• Warehouse workers relying on tactic knowledge for product location
• Obsolete inventory or slow moving being neglected – taking up space and accruing costs
• Inventory discrepancies from stock counting causing adjustments

Why mobile technology contributes to your success

Using a mobile NetSuite WMS means you can automate manual processes in picking, packing, shipping and inventory counts. With a SuiteApp like RF-SMART, your staff are prompted to the location to putaway or pick inventory in a fraction of the time without having to rely on tacit knowledge. Even better, these inventory movements are recorded in real-time in NetSuite with every item accounted for in the correct location - saving time, effort and optimizing your operations.

Consider your counting process. Mobile Cycle Counts save time and money by eliminating full physical counts; which eliminates operations from shutting down or incurring additional man hours. As CPG businesses struggle to keep track of stock levels, mobile technology allows you to complete counts regularly knowing your inventory is always accurate.

Automation in your warehouse can be applied to:

• Purchase Orders, Transfer Orders, Sales Orders, Work Orders
• Receiving
• Picking
• Inbound putaways
• Stock counting
• Inbound License Plating
• Bin Replenishment
• Pack Station

Download our free tool to identify the ROI on mobile technology

Think Beyond Barcoding

To effectively manage your inventory, you will also want to leverage advanced mobile tools to further automate your operations and increase inventory accuracy up to 99.9%:

• Automated Pick Planner: One way to reduce the time spent on administration and paperwork while gaining faster pick times for orders is by planning picking tasks. With tools like RF-SMART’s Pick Planner, you can do this directly in NetSuite for multiple order types (criteria like Tote picking or wave picking). Then, send the tasks to a mobile device instantly to guide your workers on the most efficient route through the warehouse.
  
• Work Order Reporting: You want your shop floor workers working quickly and accurately. Work Order Reporting helps your workers easily report labor and quantities using an intuitive touch screen interface or scanning straight from the shop floor. 

A CPG e-Commerce Leader - Setting the Bar

“We can confidently say that RF-SMART has provided us with the most clarity in our warehouse functions. It allows us to run our business better.” Joey Rosati, Chief Operating Officer

BarProducts.com is a leading online retailer for the bartending and bar supplies. Operating from two warehouses and as well as an inprinting facility for their products, with more than 10,000 product SKU’s. These products are picked, packed and shipped all over the world.

GOAL

Gain better inventory visibility, eliminating manual errors and spend less time chasing paper in the warehouse

APPROACH

Wanting real-time, accurate inventory data they implemented RF-SMART Pick, Pack and Ship with NetSuite

RESULTS

Shipping errors have decreased more than 50%, volume has increased by double digits, customer complaints have gone down by more than half.

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