...if there are any Analysis of Alternatives Detailed Recommendations Answer to Case Questions Learnings II. SUMMARY OF FINDINGS: As seen in the case of Austin Wood Products, although the company is profitable and offers a variety of high quality products, there are a number of flaws and problems that the company face in different functional areas related to purchasing and supply management. One dilemma would be that the inventory and stock room operations are having a hard time keeping track and managing inventory and stock. There is no system that efficiently keeps track of how much inventory is at hand, what kind of lumber or materials are available in the stockroom, how much of the inventories are being taken by the workers, where they are, and whether or not certain inventories are missing. In other words, there are no records of the movement and breakdown of different materials and inventories with its exact quantity that will help the company easily determine its remaining inventory. It also takes two tedious days to count inventory which takes up the time and effort of 47 workers for 10 hours. Another dilemma is that the demand of different materials of wood varies per year. This makes it difficult for the company to...
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...individually. Software/internal information flow First factor which gives Zara competitive advantage according to me is their software. The fact that all the software (PDA) used currently by Zara is developed by them gives them huge competitive advantage. Having the software developed internally makes it much more efficient and user friendly because it is compatible with the companies daily operations. Everything starting from the operational procedures, performance measures, and even office and store layouts are designed to make information flow simple. Making the internal information flow faster and more efficient is one of the key success factors for Inditex. The fact that all the stores are directly connected to the main system which in collects all the data is a great way for analyzing things that are going on in different stores. But all in all we would say that this factor is...
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...Businesses and Inventory Systems Inventory Systems Inventory systems are tracking systems designed for companies to maintain an accurate accountability of products in stock or on hand. Each time items are added or removed from inventory items on hand either decrease or increase in number. This paper will review inventory systems within Starbucks, Wal- Mart, Dell, Arby’s, and Starbucks. The paper will also provide information regarding the success of the inventory systems and if the companies are happy with the current systems. Businesses and Inventory Systems Dell is a leading global software company that manufactures desktop computers, notebook computers, network servers, work stations, and storage products. Dell uses the Just-In Time inventory system. Just-In-Time means a company can receive raw materials just in time to go into production and complete and assemble manufacturing parts just in time to ship to customers (Accounting 4 Management, 2012). The advantages of the Just-In-Time system are that it permits Dell to reduce overhead and have certainty that products are available. The Just –In-Time inventory system reduces the cost of doing business. For example, Dell does not have to spend an enormous amount of funds on the cost of warehouse storage and the customer receives the benefit of lower cost for products. The company has a high satisfaction rating because of their ability to produce products at a fast rate. The challenge includes the possibility...
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...Systems Build Project MGT222 – Management Seminar Inventory Management Buehler’s Fresh Foods grocery store in Ohio, founded in 1929 by E.L. (Ed) Buehler and his wife, Helen, has a long and successful history, mainly due in part to Ed’s vision and his experience as an A&P employee. After opening their first store in New Philadelphia, the Buehler family moved the business to Wooster in 1932 and opened a store near the northeast corner of Public Square. Today, Buehler’s Fresh Foods is still owned by the Buehler family and operated by its “third generation” from the store’s Wooster headquarters. The Buehlers’ innovative and creative spirit has made the Ohio grocery store chain a pacesetter for independent grocers nationwide. (Buehler’s Fresh Foods) Needs Analysis Unfortunately, Buehler’s Fresh Foods is lacking the technology needed to compete with the market today. Currently, the company tracks inventory with a simple pen and paper technique. This system requires hours of unneeded manpower and is very inefficient in determining the perishable dates of many grocery products. Proper inventory management will allow the company to track the products they sell. The company can see at a glance what items they sell the most, what time of the year that more are sold, and have a chance to see what patterns develop so they can plan buying accordingly. It will also help them track products that don't sell as often, or at all, so they can either not order as much as they would routinely...
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...Inventory Systems Summary With the increasing demand to cut cost and increase revenues, developing the right inventory systems have become essential to compete in business. According to the Counselors to America’s Small Business, “Control of inventory, which typically represents 45% to 90% of all expenses for business, is needed to ensure that business has the right goods on hand to avoid product shortage and meet the consumer’s needs” (Counselors to America’s Small Business, p. 1). To ensure proper business practice Team A will evaluate four inventory systems and provide advantages and disadvantaged to ensure businesses can be cost-efficient, profitable, and provide for consumer’s needs. At the end of this report, a system will be suggested to meet the above criteria. Adria System Retailers are consistently faced with the challenge of properly managing their inventory to maximize profit for the company. As the second largest retailer in the United States, Target Corporation has implemented successfully an inventory system that works well for their business. Target currently uses the RFID program, also known as the radio frequency identification program. With this program, small tags are attached to each carton or pallet of merchandise delivered to the stores. “Many regard RFID tags as the new barcode to help businesses track and trace goods through the supply chain” (2011). Once the merchandise arrives at the store, the entire carton or pallet is scanned and the inventory...
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...INVENTORY MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS Joshua Crisp Prof. Raman Marwah CIS210 10 October, 2012 Manually tracking items in a store can be a waste of time and money. Most small businesses today use some type of automated inventory system that automatically updates inventory after point of sale (POS). This is especially important on high demand items that need to be reordered in a timely matter. First we need to look at the equipment, cost, and maintenance involved in adding an automated business system to the store. The vendor I choose was Wasp Barcode Technology Systems. EQUIPMENT First, we will look at the equipment necessary to implement a new inventory management system. To keep it simple we will need: * Software * UPC barcode printer * Labels * Scanner The software will tie into the POS system and automatically track sales, returns, and inventory levels. The software I suggest will alert you when inventory levels are low and need to be reordered. Every product will have a barcode that tells the software an item has been removed from the inventory or added to the inventory. Initially we will have to load the software with data about what products are associated with each barcode and print the barcodes to attach to the products. The scanner will be used to tell the software what items are being purchased or inventoried. COST After identifying what equipment we will use we can see how much the equipment and implementation will cost. * People-...
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...provides. These would include the pressure washers and the coin operated car wash systems, as well as any others that the company may maintain. Second, each piece of inventory should have a valid bar code so that the inventory can be deducted from the inventory system. “Good inventory management is important for the successful operation of most businesses and their supply chain. Poor inventory management hampers operations, diminishes customer satisfaction, and increases operating costs” (Stevenson, 2009). Bar codes will allow for automatic identification as soon as it is scanned. Obviously, prior to obtaining these inventory bar codes, you will need to have an inventory software system to track these bar codes. These bar codes will then go into the computer system. Thereafter, it should allow you to automatically order inventory when it is necessary, as opposed to being automatically ordered. Further, you will be able to write off inventory that might be defective or used to repair the car washes or the pressure washers. Although you will expend the cost of the software, bar codes, and the requirement of the company to place these bar codes on each product, it will save money in the end as far as missing parts or parts that cannot be accounted for because no paperwork was kept regarding the same. This type of inventory control will ensure that the company has control of the inventory and will prevent the company from running out of stock that is required to conduct...
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...Rocky's store became built up into a quite prosperous neighborhood. Strip malls developed, and The Sports Guy is now located in a busy commercial area. Problem Statement and Objectives Problem Statement The sales growth of the store is relatively slow and at the same time the level of debt is rising so are the inventory, Rocky is not sure what to do and is looking for suggestions as to how he can improve the financial performance of the business. Objectives The main objective is to improve the financial performance of the business by increasing the amount of successful sales, which will lead to solid profits. The store also needs to implement more sophisticated purchasing techniques and a computerized inventory control system to increase the inventory turnover rate, thus reducing short-term debts and interest expenses. Rocky also wants to expand and grow his business with the town but to do so he will require external finance and investment, but to do so he needs to improve the stores profitability as mentioned earlier. Situation Analysis Current Business Situation At the moment we believe The Sports Guy is not performing well with its declining inventory...
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...Inventory Management Systems CIS 210 Nathan Heil 10/17/14 Prof. Kurt Brandquist In a changing and growing market, many businesses are turning toward automated systems to perform not just inventory, but many tasks that are in their everyday routine. Automated systems can replace the cost and time consuming processes that were once completed by hand while providing companies with more accurate data. This system is used to track the merchandise and goods of retail stores, grocery stores, hardware stores, etc. In this paper I will discuss the background of automated inventory systems, including what they are, how they work and what type of data and what goes into the implementation of such a system. Automated inventory systems play a large role in today’s businesses, especially the retail industry. This is because businesses want the ability to access and organize data in a quick and efficient manner. With an automated inventory system, businesses can rely on computers to do tasks that were once performed manually, such as inventory checks and product sales. These tasks can be very overwhelming for businesses to do manually because of their size, number of stores, and their product diversity. This can all be changed, though. With automated inventory systems these processes can be handled in a timelier manner and also be more accurate and reliable than ever before. Automated Inventory Systems are specialized software that allows businesses to input their inventory...
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...main weakness that can be found with in Riodran Manufacturing’s system is the current inventory system that is in place for the manufacturing facilities. In order to run as a more efficient system and provide the best support and care to its customers Riodran Manufacturing’s inventory systems needs to be altered from the very start, i.e. raw materials receiving. In the current system Riodran Manufacturing plants around the country use outdated computer systems to run orders and inventory control for the entire facility. In order to improve the efficiency of the receiving area of these plants this system needs to be altered. The first thing that can be done is to add industrial scales that the supply trucks carrying raw materials to pass over when entering the receiving area of the plants. The scale will be calibrated and connected to a computer system that will give exact weight and amount of the raw material that is being delivered from the supplier. This will allow for a more accurate count of the amount of raw material in the inventory. Once that information is in the computer the delivery will be marked as complete on the schedule and a report will be automatically generated and linked to the supervisor and the inventory clerk for review. Once the delivery trucks have been weighed they will move into the unloading area. At its current form the unloading is done by the receiving area team. An update to the system will include a separate unloading zone for each type of raw material...
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...DESIGNING AN INVENTORY SYSTEM WEEK 2 – ASSIGNMENT 1 INVENTORY MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS Designing an effective inventory system for a small business can have a rewarding effect on a business with proper planning and implementation to provide employees and management a way to manage inventory. Having a proper plan in place it will save the company money, time, and provide a balances way of having stock available for customer. Assigning product code numbers on clothing merchandise upon delivery from vendors allow the item to be accounted for and to re-ordered the item and ensure that it will always be in stock and not create overstock that hurts company profit. Not meeting customer demands for a product by not keeping it in stock lessens the chance of repeat customers. There are a few disadvantages to having an automated inventory system such as human error due to inventory not being logged properly, software issues such as power outages, and software errors. Viruses and hacking can be an issue as well. Providing a backup of the inventory is a great way to ensure no total loss of inventory information. Policy and Procedures will need to be developed for employees and management to ensure everyone is being consistent with documenting inventory and to reduce errors. A case study done on the Herman Goelitz Candy Co. showed the difference having an automated inventory system had on the operations of the company. By utilizing this time of inventory control it gave them greater control...
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...Inventory System Background of the Study Effective inventory management is an important part of a manager’s job. Managers are tasked to make consistent, reliable, and timely decisions under the challenges of uncertainty, pressure, and lack of information. It is often that managers do not have enough time or information to make a perfect decision but they are forced to solve problems using resources within their control. Effective inventory control requires managers to ensure inventories of the right items in the correct quantities. When an organization overstocks, money is wasted since procuring, storing, and accounting for unneeded items require time, space, and money which could have been used on more critical assets. Likewise, when understocking occurs the organization will more likely to only partly meet their mission or possibly not meet the mission at all. Also, a weak inventory control system is more prone to errors and fraud. Statement of the Problem 1. How can our system generate quality use for the user? 2. Is our proposed system effective in processing needed reports? 3. How can our system guarantee the safety of the information stored? 4. How can our system reduce servile works for the staff involved in the type of field of work? Objectives of the Study This study tries to improve, introduce, and develop the use of inventory system for the ASIA GOLD CORPORATION. The system reduces work for the staff can make inputting of data at easier and faster generating...
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... An Inventory Control System Just Seeds Unlimited Co. 4105 Stuart Andrew Blvd Unit #3 Charlotte, NC 28217 704.222.2222 Distribution List (TBD) Linnea L. Williams lwilliams.lwilliams@gmail.com PM598 – May 2011 TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. INSTRUCTIONS TO BIDDERS 5 1.1. General Description of Work 5 1.2. What Must Be Included with Bid 5 1.3. Schedule of Bid Period Activities 6 1.4. Location of Work 6 1.5. Pre-Bid Meeting 7 1.6. Owner Contact for Questions 7 1.7. Pre-Award Surveys 8 1.8. Sealed Bid Requirements 8 1.9. Basis for Bid Evaluation 9 1.10. Ethical Standards 10 1.11. Responsibility for Surety Bonds 10 1.12. Proposal Format 10 1.13. List of Bidders 12 1.14. Letter of Acknowledgment 13 2. DESCRIPTION OF WORK 13 3. PROPOSAL 15 3.1. Breakdown of Bid Price 15 3.2. Revisions and Extra Work 15 3.3. Scheduled Completion Dates 16 3.4. List of Subcontractors 16 3.6. Key Supplier or Contractor Personnel 17 3.7. List of Bid Document Addenda Reviewed by Bidder 17 3.8. Notice of Conflicts or Errors in Bid Documents 17 3.9. Bidder Signature 17 4. SPECIFICATIONS AND DRAWINGS 18 5. GENERAL CONDITIONS AND CONTRACT AGREEMENTS 18 Appendix B 21 Supplier/Bidder List 21 1. INSTRUCTIONS TO BIDDERS The following section entails information that Just Seeds Unlimited Co. requires of bidders when preparing the response bid proposal: 1.1. General Description of Work Provide Just Seeds Unlimited Co. with a fully designed solution for an inventory management...
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...Inventory Systems Michael Asibu, Woodrow Lemon, Laura Moll, Jenessa Nagozruk, Brian Norton QRB/501 May 21, 2012 Ohidul Siddiqui Inventory Systems With the increasing demand to cut costs and increase revenues, developing the right inventory systems have become essential to compete in business. According to the Counselors to America’s Small Business, “Control of inventory, which typically represents 45% to 90% of all expenses for business, is needed to ensure that business has the right goods on hand to avoid product shortage and meet the consumer’s needs” (Counselors to America’s Small Business, p. 1). To ensure proper business practice an evaluation of inventory systems is necessary to ensure businesses can be cost-efficient, profitable, and provide for consumers’ needs. Top and Bottom System The top and bottom inventory system seems simple at first glance. “In this system, [the company] puts limits on how high and low [the company] inventory levels can go for each product (Fishbowl, 2012). The company sets two levels for the stock. The first is the level the managers know that they need to order, and the other is the level that the managers need to bring the stock back to. So if the top level was 15 and the bottom level was five the managers would order 10 more when the company hit five products left. This works to an extent but if the products were snow shovels, then keeping 15 on hand yearly would not make sense. The business would be losing valuable storage...
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...Request for Proposal An Inventory Control System Just Seeds Unlimited Co. 4105 Stuart Andrew Blvd Unit #3 Charlotte, NC 28217 704.222.2222 Distribution List (TBD) Linnea L. Williams lwilliams.lwilliams@gmail.com PM598 – May 2011 TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. INSTRUCTIONS TO BIDDERS 5 1.1. General Description of Work 5 1.2. What Must Be Included with Bid 5 1.3. Schedule of Bid Period Activities 6 1.4. Location of Work 6 1.5. Pre-Bid Meeting 7 1.6. Owner Contact for Questions 7 1.7. Pre-Award Surveys 8 1.8. Sealed Bid Requirements 8 1.9. Basis for Bid Evaluation 9 1.10. Ethical Standards 10 1.11. Responsibility for Surety Bonds 10 1.12. Proposal Format 10 1.13. List of Bidders 12 1.14. Letter of Acknowledgment 13 2. DESCRIPTION OF WORK 13 3. PROPOSAL 15 3.1. Breakdown of Bid Price 15 3.2. Revisions and Extra Work 15 3.3. Scheduled Completion Dates 16 3.4. List of Subcontractors 16 3.6. Key Supplier or Contractor Personnel 17 3.7. List of Bid Document Addenda Reviewed by Bidder 17 3.8. Notice of Conflicts or Errors in Bid Documents 17 3.9. Bidder Signature 17 4. SPECIFICATIONS AND DRAWINGS 18 5. GENERAL CONDITIONS AND CONTRACT AGREEMENTS 18 Appendix B 21 Supplier/Bidder List 21 1. INSTRUCTIONS TO BIDDERS The following section entails information that Just Seeds Unlimited Co. requires of bidders when preparing the response bid proposal: 1.1. General Description of Work Provide Just Seeds Unlimited Co. with a fully...
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