Scaling Your eCommerce Inventory Management: Lessons from Successful Brands

 Pick your favourite e-commerce brand. Whether it is a local store or a famous retailer, ask yourself these questions:

• Do they store goods both online and in-store?
• Do they always have the products in stock that you are searching for?

If you get a Yes in answers, chances are these brands are great at inventory management. So, the key to every successful business is Inventory Management. In order to always be ahead of the competition, wisely choose the right software to manage your inventory. At HappySellers you can find the right Inventory Management Software which is customised to fit your ecommerce business needs.

In the following section there are several inventory management tricks you can learn from successful brands out there.

What is E-commerce Inventory Management?

Inventory management is a crucial component of the entire supply chain management. It is referred to as the process of keeping track of existing stock levels as well as the movement of goods -whether it is about delivering raw materials or fulfilling orders for finished items. 

Inventory management serves to be the building block to ensuring longevity -assisting e-commerce businesses to minimise costs, enhance cash flow, and increase profitability. Solid inventory management practices help your e-commerce business gain access to improved opportunities to improve the overall sales, manage out-of-stock notices, and control the cash flow effectively. Moreover, excellent e-commerce inventory management offers the guarantee that your business is capable of maintaining healthy stock levels and controlling your inventory. 

Some quick ways to scale eCommerce inventory management:

Scaling an eCommerce business requires efficient inventory management. Here are some lessons from successful brands that can help businesses:

• Review inventory strategy regularly.
• Buy inventory software.
• Prioritize high-value items.
• Kit slow-moving items.
• Data-driven inventory estimates.
• Redesign warehouses, factories, and stores.
• Maintain stock with good inventory management.

Examples of a Few Successful Brands Scaling eCommerce Inventory Management: Successful eCommerce organizations have scaled their operations by implementing efficient inventory management systems. Here are a few instances:

• GoDaddy advises investing in inventory management software to create a sustainable, lucrative, and scalable eCommerce business.
• Invensis advises concentrating on the most valuable products to streamline inventory management for eCommerce.
• TheEcommManager compiles a list of the top ten inventory management solutions for eCommerce businesses in 2023.
• Kliken advises reevaluating inventory strategy to expand inventory management for eCommerce when scaling the online store.
• BigCommerce defines eCommerce inventory management as a system that enables retailers to streamline warehousing operations and make better financial decisions.
• Business.org recommends QuickBooks Commerce as inventory management software that integrates with eCommerce platforms, stores, and multiple marketplaces to help sell goods.

Important E-commerce Inventory Management Tips

1. Forecasting Demand by Diving into Historical Data
   Once you make a decision on the best inventory process for your e-commerce business, you should move ahead with predictive analytics to obtain an in-depth understanding of the ongoing demand for your products.
   While it is crucial to be agile while reacting to changing industry and market dynamics, having a great grip on the respective sales cycles, lead times, and historical demand will enable you to make improved inventory management decisions.
2. Understanding the Concept of Minimum Available Stock Levels
   In most cases, par levels offer protection to e-commerce retailers by delivering the assurance of a minimum amount of stock under all circumstances. All e-commerce retailers and business owners, assuming that they are not dealing with perishable items and consumables, are expected to maintain a minimum sustainable level of stock.
3. Auditing the Supply Chain
   E-commerce businesses requiring ample assembly might feature several manufacturers or vendors from whom they can acquire raw materials or items. Some of the common instances are electrical appliances, handmade jewellery, and secret recipes.
   Even when your supply chain might feature one or two supply chains, this process is worthwhile. You can think of setting a regular reminder every half a year to scan all the essential components of the supply chain while assessing their individual contributions to your business.
4. Using a Reliable Scanning System
   If you wish to automate a process while eliminating the need for manual labour, it should be the scanning system. Barcodes serve to be highly inexpensive scanning processes. It is because human errors can turn out to be expensive for your e-commerce business.
   Scanning items wherever they are received, altered, shipped, or moved is a recommended practice in e-commerce inventory management. Without the presence of a reliable scanning system, your business is prone to several mistakes, inaccurate inventory data, and mistyped SKU numbers.