You're facing inventory flow bottlenecks. How can you streamline operations and eliminate delays?

While I was working At Flipkart's Large Verticals Fulfilment Centre, encountering inventory flow bottlenecks was not uncommon, especially during peak seasons or when dealing with high-demand products. During a recent peak season, our data analysis revealed a potential bottleneck in the processing of ACs in Home Appliances due to anticipated surge in orders caused by summer sale offers in that vertical. However, we quickly reallocated resources and adjusted picking schedules based on real-time data insights, which allowed us to smooth out the workflow and maintain efficient operations.

Implement a real-time inventory tracking system with automated reordering to maintain optimal stock levels. Adopt Just-In-Time (JIT) practices to reduce holding costs and prevent overstocking. Enhance warehouse organization with efficient inventory layouts and regularly train staff for optimal handling. Establish strong communication channels with suppliers to ensure timely deliveries. These strategies will create a smoother, more responsive inventory flow and minimize delays.

In other words look for root cause causing the inventory to be short- supply or demand ir both? Then drill down or use a fish bone approach.

Historic data tells you the trend and pattern of the inventory flow. Smartly review and analyse the data for decision making. Not only from procurement to delivery, but before procurement, inventory planning / ordering frequency / economic order quantity is very important. What to procure, how much and when is critical. And then once product arrives in your facility, a complete time study of all the operational activities from goods receipt note (GRN), to storing, to issuing to WIP area, packing and shipping. Eliminating waste from the processes and information flow will help remove the bottleneck.

Uma revis?o completa sempre será a melhor solu??o, independente do resultado do processo. Atraves de uma revis?o se descobri várias vertentes, e pode te servir como exemplo para ser aplicado em outros locais, setores ou produtos.

Tech integration is crucial for streamlining operations and eliminating inventory flow bottlenecks. By adopting AI-powered inventory management systems, you can gain real-time visibility into stock levels, demand forecasts, and supply chain disruptions. These systems automate routine tasks, reducing human error and ensuring that inventory data is always up-to-date. Additionally, integrating technology across various departments allows for seamless communication and coordination, further preventing delays. Embracing tech integration not only optimizes your inventory flow but also enhances overall operational efficiency, leading to timely deliveries and increased customer satisfaction.

Technological integration is essential to optimize processes in order to increase productivity, reduce errors and minimize operating costs in the medium and long term.

Staff training is essential as well as staff buy-in. Many scenarios of errors leading to bottlenecks or increase spend to rectify errors is caused by a staff that ultimately feels they are doing the right thing, trying to make something right, or do a good job; however due to a lack of training make errors without knowing. The also are not aware of the impacts of the errors that they create including further bottlenecks, inventory inaccuracies, and customer service issues. Staff training does slow some initial results but make for steady performance and steady becomes fast.

It’s pretty difficult to line up inbound freight to fill inventory short falls. The key in my opinion is to know what it takes to make a finished product, track work in progress, and forecast based off of your outbound freight or orders. Setting a par level and sticking to it will make a load of difference. The par level will change from product to product and will not be uniformed across the board. There’s no need to have the same amount of your slowest moving product as your fastest. Having a correct par level that can be trusted will only help production and sales. Inventory and warehousing’s customer are production and sales.

As in any business process, optimizing supplier management will result in better business performance, which, in one way or another, will translate into increased profits. And the fact is that if the merchandise is acquired under better conditions (price, delivery, warranty, etc.), for example, or its processing and sale requires the use of fewer resources or other more economical ones, it is evident that it will a notary in the profit and loss account.

Improvement is aways necessary Improvement on intern process as well the the improvement on chain process together with stakeholders

According to me, Implementing below strategies can help reduce inventory bottlenecks, streamline operations, and improve overall efficiency 1. Implement inventory management software 2.JIT techniques 3. Employee awareness for inventory management 4. Proper inventory forecasting 5. Lean Sigma techniques for inventory management 6. Regular Audits and Cycle Counts 7. Supplier Performance Management Etc. .