When it comes to inventory management, errors are inevitable. The good news is they are also avoidable. In this blog post, we’ll be talking about three fool-proof ways to minimize or completely eliminate inventory-related errors with the HandiFox Online inventory management automation software.
Automated stock intake
The process of receiving incoming inventory into a warehouse is susceptible to human error for at least two reasons - either your supplier has mis-shipped or your warehouse personnel miscounted what’s been shipped. In either case, your inventory records are tampered with and could (and likely will) give a false idea of what’s on hand. HandiFox Online eliminates this possibility by introducing an automated barcode-enabled process of inventory intake. Here’s how it works.
In the HandiFox Online mobile app, find the PO linked to the shipment you are receiving and start scanning the items’ barcodes. If the wrong item or quantity is scanned, the system will show an error message:
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| Wrong quantity | Wrong item |
This process serves as a preemptive measure against compromising the accuracy of inventory records and helps catch small errors before they grow into big problems.
Inventory auditing
It’s not a rare occurrence that the quantity on hand records in the app and those in real life do not match up. This could be caused by errors during manual stock-taking, items being placed in the wrong bins, incorrect labeling, unreliable data records, and other mishaps related to inefficient and faulty inventory management. The cycle counting and full inventory count features of HandiFox help increase the frequency and quality of regular inventory checks to locate discrepancies in a pro-active as opposed to reactive manner.
In HandiFox Online, you have the flexibility of using the web app or the mobile app for inventory counts. In either case, start by selecting a group of items for counting or, in case of a full inventory count, choose to zero out all quantities and start counting from scratch.
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| Selective counting | Full inventory count |
Shipment verification
Shipping accuracy is one of those things that either elevate customer experience or ruin it. The Picking and Packing procedure has become the main pillar of order fulfillment for all inventory-centered businesses no matter the size. HandiFox Online enables warehouse personnel to verify shipments with barcode scans twice, keeping errors out of the last mile.
The web app allows generating a pick list for multiple orders that you can print out and scan with your phone to open each order individually.
HandiFox can scan the order’s barcode from the pick list or you can find it on the list of open SOs in the app.
Scanning a SO’s barcode with a phone’s camera
When HandiFox pulls up the order, you can start planning your picking path based on the bin addresses. Next, start scanning the items’ barcodes. If you scan the wrong item or end up having fewer or more items than you were supposed to, the software will trigger a notification.
After saving your progress, get on to packing. Here you can skip scanning each item again and tap “Pack All” or, stick to the procedure and verify what goes into this order again. Next, save your work and print out the packing slip or go straight to the invoice that was automatically generated after the pick/pack was done.
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If you have any questions, contact us at support@handifox.com.