The Significance of a Back Office System
Convenience stores are tricky retail spaces to manage. In one sense, you have all the complexities and diversity in products on offer as most big-box retail operations. On the other hand, you’re having to manage all of those products in a space a fraction of the size of big-box retail. You have constantly shifting inventory, with significant levels of seasonal and promotional materials coming and going. You’ve made the point of automating the inventory management systems and integrated all of this in with your POS system. You’ve automated your inventory and ordering processes. But now that you have product coming in on a regular basis, it’s time to make sure that you’re managing the most important space in your retail operation: your back office storage space. This is easily accomplished by installing a back office system.
Have a System and Stick (A Label) To It
Just as your sales floor has a schematic that maximizes traffic flow and ensures enough shelf space for products to be displayed for guests, your storage area has to have the same level of organization. Using your back office software and pricing book, determine your major product categories and organize the storage area around these categories. Once you’ve established a schematic, you should label the shelving, allowing for some flex space, and most importantly, follow your layout. An organized space maintains product onhand accuracy and ensures your inventory controls remain effective.
Organize with Flow of Product in Mind
When laying out or revamping your storage space, it’s best to do so with data on hand as to sales volume of products, so that not only can you follow the normal storage rules, such as heavy items on lower shelves for ease of access, but you can also adhere to the most important rule of stock organization: items with a high volume of sales should be stocked closest to the entrance to your retail space for ease of access and restocking.
Perform Regular Audits of Your Inventory To Ensure Accuracy
Automation in your inventory system can be great, but it can also be tricky. It’s important to schedule a regular calibration count, especially on high sales volume items, or items considered to have a high risk of being stolen or damaged. This ensures your actual on-hand counts match the on-hand counts in your automated inventory system and prevents “garbage in, garbage out” orders flooding your back of the house with unnecessary products or product shortages.
Back Office System Solutions For All Occasions
Inventory management at all levels of your operation is a practice that owners and managers must master in order to maximize profitability and prevent losses and waste. While back-office software solutions help with the ordering and inventory controls, they can also be great tools to ensure your back office area remains organized and properly stocked to meet customer demand. Success Systems provides several forms of inventory management software packages that support exactly this philosophy. Learn more about our products and what sets us apart from other convenience store solutions providers, then contact us for more details.
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