May 2022 - Cin7

A detailed guide to preventing inventory shrinkage

Posted on May 31, 2022 | by chrisqureshi | Leave a Comment

What is inventory shrinkage?

If you own a retail business, you’ve likely experienced inventory losses. Unplanned inventory loss, known as inventory shrinkage, results from a myriad of causes including theft, shoplifting, and damage both in-store and in-warehouse.

For example, Rio Shoes, Ltd., had 4820 pairs of shoes, but, upon a physical count, the inventory was only 3980.

According to the 2020 Retail Security Survey published by the National Retail Foundation, inventory shrinkage cost the retail industry $61.7 billion in 2020. Retailers need to take steps to prevent unwanted loss that results in decreased profitability.

“In a business where we only make a penny on every dollar that comes in, it is especially important that we control our shrinkage.”

Fred Klein, VP Loss Prevention, Big V Supermarkets

Here, we will learn why it’s important to calculate inventory shrinkage rate, how to calculate the rate, and how to prevent or reduce inventory shrinkage.

What are the leading causes of inventory shrinkage?

There are several reasons that contribute to inventory shrinkage. However, the top reasons include shoplifting, employee theft, administrative and paperwork errors, and vendor fraud or error.

According to the 2021 Retail Security Survey, participating retailers indicated that these loss risks and threats have become more of a priority for their organization over the last five years:

Why is calculating inventory shrinkage important?

It is well-known that physical inventory in the retail business consumes an enormous amount of working capital.

Inventory is money that is stashed in your warehouse.

This only highlights the importance of identifying the sources of inventory loss and stopping or decreasing the causes.

A certain amount of inventory loss will be attributed to damaged goods. However, concerted efforts and corrective actions must be taken to eliminate unethical reasons such as theft.

“Not controlling shrinkage is taking a shortcut to bankruptcy.”

John L. Pagliaro, President of Dana Associates

How to calculate inventory shrinkage

Inventory shrinkage and rate are determined for a specified period, such as the fiscal quarter or year. Inventory shrinkage is calculated by subtracting actual inventory value by recorded inventory value. The shrinkage rate is calculated by dividing inventory losses by the amount of inventory you should have, and multiplying that number by 100 to determine the rate.

To calculate the rate, you’ll need to determine the following:

A physical count of actual inventory and its value.
The recorded inventory, or inventory you should have, and its value.
Deduct the value of actual inventory from the recorded value to determine inventory loss (inventory shrinkage).
To calculate the rate, divide inventory loss (inventory shrinkage) by the recorded inventory and multiply by 100.

Inventory shrinkage = recorded inventory value – actual inventory value

Inventory shrinkage rate = inventory shrinkage / recorded inventory value * 100

For example: Joe’s Accessories has $5200 mobile accessories. After conducting an actual inventory count, they determine the value on hand is only $4900. Joe’s Accessories realized inventory shrinkage of $300 with a rate of 5.7% over a specified period (fiscal quarter or year).

Inventory Shrinkage = $300 ($5200 [recorded inventory] – $4900 [physical inventory])

Rate = 5.7% ($300 [inventory shrinkage] / $5200 [recorded inventory] * 100)

How to prevent inventory shrinkage

A combination of safety measures can be implemented to reduce or prevent inventory shrinkage. Some of those include:

1. Implement a two-person checks and balances system

A checks and balances system is a system that can be implemented at crucial inventory management stages like signing invoices, accepting stock, and recording stock.

Having a second person verify records prevents inaccuracies and omissions. It can identify loopholes contributing to stock shrinkage so that measures can be implemented to control fraud.

2. Safeguard expensive inventory

Inventory shrinkage is measured in terms of value. Safeguard expensive items by assigning employees with special privileges to handle that inventory, or store expensive items under lock and key in a separate location.

3. Prevent vendor and purchase order fraud

Follow-up with vendors to ensure your purchase manager isn’t involved in transactions that are questionable or unethical in nature. Double-check damaged goods that are filtered from purchase orders. Employ inventory management software like Cin7 that provides trackbacks and purchase order history.

4. Eliminate loopholes and improvise process

Identifying loopholes to prevent employees from exploiting inventory can significantly reduce inventory shrinkage.

5. Increase pre-employment screening

Small items such as truffles, caviar, gemstones, and small electronic devices are high value and easy to steal. Boost pre-employment screening to include:

Background checks
Criminal history
Credit history
Education verification
Past employment history

6. Employee training and incentives

Proper loss prevention training will reduce shrinkage. In addition to loss prevention training, employee incentives. Create a strong company culture that fosters honesty and integrity.

7. Invest in a security system

A lot of hardware systems with software support are available on the market to safeguard inventory from being stolen. These systems include CCTV cameras, intrusion detection, door auto lock systems, and door access control.

Alternatively, you can install a custom system according to your needs and budget to reduce theft as well as unauthorized access to your warehouse.

8. Track your inventory

Using the latest technology business owners can track inventory as it moves from procurement to sale. Examples of tracking devices include radio frequency identification (RFID) tagging and bar codes.

9. Invest in an inventory management system

The role of an inventory management system is to monitor movement of products from procurement through production to sale. A good system will allow you to track inventory to a specific location whether that is a bin in a warehouse or a store shelf.

An inventory management system ensures that you have enough inventory (stock) to meet demand without overstocking.

What if inventory shrinkage goes unnoticed?

Missing inventory will adversely affect your profits.

“Shrinkage is the single greatest threat to profitability in our industry.”

Alasdair McKichan, President, Retail Council of Canada.

Here’s an example: Joe’s Accessories sells accessories at a 20% profit. When inventory valued at $1000 is missing (inventory shrinkage), his profit loss is $1200 ($1000 + 20%). Joe’s Accessories loses the actual value of the inventory ($1000) plus the profits that would have been earned by selling the lost inventory (20%).

Ultimately, shrinkage will need to be reconciled in your books. These are recorded as business losses. Significant inventory shrinkage is a monetary loss. Inventory has value – even stock that has been sitting around a while or was acquired through trade or barter.

Final thoughts

Inventory shrinkage can affect your bottom line – at the very least. It can also have deleterious effects on business and employee relations. To boost profits, business owners need to lower their inventory shrinkage rate. The most efficient way to do so is to use the latest and most efficient method of inventory management.

With the use of software systems like Cin7, inventory shrinkage is readily caught and resolved efficiently.

Book your demo now.

What fashion retailers can learn from H&M

Posted on May 31, 2022 | by chrisqureshi | Leave a Comment

Fashion trends come and go — and more fashion retailers should take advantage of them. Most companies spend hundreds of thousands of dollars on their business each year, often using the same strategy over and over again. The truth is that, without experimentation, these businesses are losing out on a plethora of opportunities that come from innovation. This is one of the many things that fashion retailers can learn from H&M.

Factors that determine the success of an online fashion store

Buying fashion online is a different experience than buying from a mall or department store. Considering this, online business owners need to be able to attract, engage, and satisfy potential consumers who might be more comfortable buying offline.

H&M builds trust with customers

Online shopping is quick and easy, but many retailers find it difficult to create trust among potential customers. It can be difficult to discern fabric quality, color, texture of the clothing you’re buying — especially when compared to trying clothes on when you shop in person. H&M is able to build trust online, which is one of the reasons why they remain successful.

Background

H&M’s first store opened in Sweden in 1947, and today there are over 4,000 stores in 62 different markets including Africa, Asia, the Middle East, North and South America, and Europe.

H&M offers basics for men, women, and teenagers. However, they’re also known for offering “fast fashion” clothing collections from popular names including fashion designer Karl Lagerfeld, pop star Madonna, Italian designer Robert Cavalli, and Japanese Vogue editor Anna Dello Russo. Here’s what fashion retailers can learn from H&M:

Leveraging influencers and fashion shows

Buying clothing online requires that customers both trust and accept your eCommerce brand. A good example is this H&M Image gallery, which showcases H&M’s collection through events and fashion shows that are picked by key influencers in the fashion world.

Connecting your brand and products with local fashion shows and events can make your brand stand out to consumers who already shop for clothing online. You can also collaborate with local fashion brands that are known throughout your community to get a boost, too.

Leveraging great content marketing strategy

Using social media to promote your brand and products helps build your audience. However, the way you market your products and styles determines your customer base. H&M Magazine is a good example of content marketing that keeps customers updated with fashion, beauty, and cultural tips and trends.

A good content marketing strategy will intrigue your audience and make consumers spend more time on your site. It allows them to stay informed about your brand and products, and ultimately pushes them to spend more time and money on your eCommerce site.

Having an international presence

Marketing is essential for creating your audience. So, how can you generate excitement about your brand?

H&M Stores allows customers to gain access to deals and announcements from all over the world. For example, H&M India’s site just announced the grand opening of their Mumbai store and promoted steep discounts for early shoppers. Specials and press like this encourages fashion-forward shoppers to take notice of your store.

Selling across multiple online channels increases your sales; however, creating a buzz about your brand can enhance your visibility among potential audiences — both domestically and internationally.

Guiding your customers

With so many options available, online shopping can be overwhelming for many people. Giving your customers the opportunity to learn about your products can be a great way to increase site traffic and generate brand awareness.

H&M Editor’s Picks gives consumers the chance to learn about a mix of relevant product combinations. It also helps guide them to make informed decisions when shopping online.

Having a dedicated magazine or “editor’s pick” selection not only educates your customers, it gives them a chance to see products they might not have considered before. These guides are a great way to boost sales and make a name for your eCommerce brand.

Making customers feel secure

Consumers who shop online want to feel secure about their purchases. Giving your customers information about your brand’s reliability can help eliminate any second thoughts, and have them feeling good about buying clothing from your store.

H&M customer service also ensures consumers feel secure by answering any and all pre-purchasing questions. These include details about returns, payment, size-guides, contact information, product, and fabric quality.

Having a knowledge base like an FAQ goes a long way in making customers feel safe, secure, and confident when purchasing from your site.

Partnering for good causes

In addition to clothing, H&M also participates in campaigns that add value by aligning with causes that people care about.

For example, H&M partners with the WWF (World Wide Fund for Nature) to be a leading water steward in the industry, does good work for animal protection, and makes cotton from more sustainable sources. All of these campaigns endear H&M to its customer base and help inspire brand loyalty. It also has the chance to expose your brand to audiences who might not have heard of you.

The importance of inventory and order management software

As you can see, there are many ways to look at H&M as a source of inspiration. As you implement these tactics, it’s important to measure where you are now, and what changes happen as a result of your efforts. That’s where having the ability to track your customer’s shopping behavior becomes extremely important. If you know your brand and audience, it’s just a matter of time before you match the correct audience with the correct products. Get a demo of Cin7’s inventory and order management software today.

Why denim retailers need better order mgm

Posted on May 31, 2022 | by chrisqureshi | Leave a Comment

Denim retailers and the importance of order management systems

The global fashion market is worth over $3 trillion dollars, and 2% of that market is made up of denim retailers. Massive denim companies like Levi Strauss & Co. have recently realized they could be saving huge amounts of money with better order management software — so they’ve decided to upgrade. Here’s why great order management software makes a massive difference for denim retailers — and why it might make a massive difference for your company, too.

Understanding top denim companies’ market value

What’s the market value of Levi’s and others, and what kind of sales are they doing? Let’s explore the top 5 denim companies in the world:

Levi’s
- Market Value: USD $7.6 billion
- Sales: USD $4.75 billion
DIESEL
- Market Value: USD $4.4 billion
- Sales: USD $2.1 billion
G–Star Raw
- Market Value: USD 1.65 billion (market value) –
- Sales: USD 810 million (sales)
Pepe Jeans
- Market Value: USD $1.1 billion
- Sales: USD $575 million
True Religion
- Market Value: USD $925 million
- Sales: USD $470 million

With these kinds of numbers, even the smallest inefficiencies can make a huge difference. Let’s see why Levi’s might have decided to make a change in their order management systems.

Analyzing the denim fabric market through 2025

Let’s take a look at some numbers, according to the Global Denim Market Report:

“The global consumption of denim fabric increased from 5.5 billion meters in 2012 to 6.6 billion meters in 2016, at a CAGR (compound annual growth rate) of more than 4.77%. In 2016, the global denim fabric market was led by China, India, Europe, and North America. Today, the major manufacturers of denim fabric are concentrated in China and India.

In terms of volume, the global denim fabric market moved 6.6 billion meters in 2016 and is predicted to reach 9.1 billion meters in 2023, with a CAGR of 4.7% from 2016 to 2023.

Denim fabric is used in various types of clothing, household items, cowboy accessories, and more. However, the global denim fabric market is mainly driven by a growing demand for clothing.

The global denim fabric market was valued at $19.7 billion in 2017 and will reach $25.4 billion by the end of 2025, growing at a CAGR of 3.2% during 2019-2025.”

The key suppliers of denim who are associated with denim giants like Levi Strauss & Co. are from all around the globe. Here’s a list of some of the biggest ones:

Vicunha, Canatiba, Isko, Arvind, Aarvee, Nandan Denim Ltd, Santana Textiles, Weiqiao Textile, Partap Group, Black Peony, Orta Anadolu, Jindal Worldwide, Etco Denim, Raymond UCO, Bhaskar Industries, Sangam, Oswal Denims, Suryalakshmi, Xinlan Group, Artistic Fabric Mills, Foshan Seazon Textile and Garment, Cone Denim, Zhejiang Sitong Textile Fashion, Weifang Lantian Textile, Bafang Fabric, and KG Denim.

Since these companies are from all over the world, it’s important that the supply management system of these retailers remains resilient. With so many players, and such massive quantities, it’s very important to be as precise and transparent as possible.

On top of that, denim retailers also divide fabric into multiple categories: light denim fabric, medium denim fabric, and heavy denim fabric. This means that order management systems need to help keep track of product type, product development stage, and varying processing techniques. So, how do these companies keep track of all kinds of stock levels, replenish their warehouses in a timely fashion, and make sure everything runs smoothly? That’s where fantastic order management software is extremely beneficial.

Reducing waste with textile circularity

Historically, fashion companies have been very wasteful. Recently, Levi Strauss & Co., along with many other large denim companies, have started to emphasize sustainability. Concepts like textile circularity cut down on waste by using recycled materials.

The term ‘textile circularity’ is closely related to “circular economy” – where inefficiencies and waste are greatly reduced. Essentially, textile circularity allows denim to be reused, giving clothing a ‘second life’. However, In order to have true textile circularity, it’s very important to be organized. Once again, that’s where great record keeping and fantastic order management software is necessary.

So, why did Levi Strauss & Co. switch management systems?

“The previous order management system for Levi’s was reducing the company’s customer service options. The limitations of the system meant that Levi’s often couldn’t help a customer until post-shipment, which is potentially problematic for customers that wanted to alter their order or payment before it shipped,” says Chane Steiner, CEO of Crediful.

Steiner further added, “With the need to reach global markets, Levi’s needed a system that would allow for global integration. Third-party retailers, distributors, and shipping companies needed to be compatible with Levi’s in order to address their fulfillment needs.”

What order management software did Levi’s choose?

Ultimately, Levi’s chose an order management software called Manhattan, Still, however, there are many questions as to whether this software will be able to fulfill their requirements. Manhattan doesn’t offer as many features as Cin7, and they also don’t offer a free trial — so it would be hard to tell whether or not it would be the right order management software for you.

With Cin7, you can add automation to your most complicated processes and seamlessly operate your online selling business. We offer real-time updates and order synchronizations — so you’ll always have precise and actionable data at your fingertips. Plus, we provide a number of vital integrations (shipping, orders, supply chain, accounting, customer support, etc.) to make sure everyone in your company is always on the same page.

Should Levi’s have gone with Cin7? We might be biased, but we definitely think so! Get a demo of Cin7 today and see how a partnership with us can help save you money, time, and effort.

4 factors to choosing a high-performing software implementation expert

Posted on May 18, 2022 | by chrisqureshi | Leave a Comment

Cin7 Experts are specialized consultants who are vetted by Cin7 and are committed to providing resources to help brands, retailers, wholesalers, and manufacturers with a wide range of business needs. Experts can handle anything from data migration, technical training, ecommerce, process development and automation, and financial planning.

Since the Cin7 Expert directory went live, UK software integration company Bluehub has zoomed to the top of the rankings, spurred on by five-star reviews from enthused customers. We asked them how they ended up as the top-reviewed Cin7 Expert, and what customers should look out for when choosing a software implementation partner to help them on their inventory management software journey.

Here’s what they told us:

Take the time to understand where your customers are at
Specialize in top inventory management apps
The best experts hire from industry
Top experts build custom integrations and make use of APIs

Bluehub began as a Xero ecosystem consultancy and custom software development house, helping customers identify which apps would be right for their business, setting up those apps, and then providing ongoing support. But after a couple of years, they realized that the customers who needed the most help were almost always product-based businesses looking for an inventory solution — so they pivoted hard into that space.

“Over the last six years, we’ve been solely focused on helping product-based businesses,” says Bluehub founder Guy Earnshaw. “We help customers either build on a foundation of an existing cloud system — like Xero or QuickBooks — or we help people who are on legacy, server-based systems take that first step into the cloud with online accounting, plus one of the inventory apps.”

#1 Top Experts take the time to understand where customers are in their journey

Most of Bluehub’s clients fall into one of two categories. The first is established businesses that are looking to move online — to migrate from an existing ERP, or an offline inventory management solution (such as Sage, or even spreadsheets.) Others are those who have already begun their cloud journey, with accounting software like Xero or QuickBooks Online. Bluehub says it’s vital for Experts to understand where a customer is on their journey, what their current level of expertise is, and where they want to go.

“All the clients that we speak to have already started their own journey of looking at software,” Guy says. “So they’re coming to this with some level of education of what they want to do, the sort of problems they’re trying to fix and what their options might be in this space. So the way we describe ourselves to those people is that we are software consultants and developers who specialize in product based businesses going through this transition.”

From a platform of mutual understanding, Bluehub is well placed to help their clients transform their businesses for the better.

“We help with system selection and implementation, which includes everything like training, data migration, and a bit of support,” Guy says. “And then we have ongoing relationships with our clients where we provide basic user support to big integrations, too. So we’re an end-to-end service for businesses just like theirs looking to make exactly this transition.”

#2 The most effective Experts focus on just one or two inventory apps

Early in their journey, Bluehub supported all the inventory software solutions they could. But now they do most of their inventory management consulting work with just two apps: Cin7 and DEAR Systems. Why is that? Zeroing in on just a couple of best-of-breed apps means you can provide better services to customers, faster. There’s less overhead, and fewer learning requirements. You can just get on with the job, confident in the knowledge that your clients are on the best possible system for their needs.

“A big part of that shift is we’re working with more and more complex and larger businesses. From an accounting and a production perspective, DEAR is really quite advanced for products in this range,” Guy says.

Bluehub reckons that the partnership with DEAR is what helps drive great outcomes with their clients.

“[Partnership] gives us an incredible product that we get to sell to our clients and build on that.
Guy says. “And your service can only be as good as the system that you are implementing. Thankfully DEAR gives us a whole heap of tools in our hands that satisfy our clients — we have so many ‘wow’ moments when we’re giving demos or even when we’re working with clients during consultancy.”

#3 The best Experts hire staff from industry

All over the accounting, bookkeeping, software-coaching and implementation world, Experts are finding that one of the best ways to support customers in a particular industry is to hire from that industry. Hiring from industry confers a huge advantage for Experts — it builds credibility amongst their customer base, and enables them to either double down on support for a particular niche, or easily expand to related industries.

“In recent years we’ve hired more people that actually worked in our client’s industries,” Guy says. “We’re taking people out of the manufacturing sector, out of the wholesale and distribution sectors, who’ve worked in industry for over a decade.”

Usually, the industry professionals Bluehub has been hiring have experience in working with large, bespoke ERP implementations. This experience has proved invaluable, as they’re now able to help companies implement a much more nimble and yet highly extensible and inexpensive ERP, in the form of DEAR Systems.

“We’ve brought them into our team to help our clients transition their processes and really fully adapt to the system,” Guy says.

#4 High-performing Experts don’t implement unwieldy ERPs. Instead, they build bespoke integrations and make use of APIs

Top software implementation experts know that the best way to help small and medium businesses thrive is to get them online as soon as possible. For companies that ship physical products, inventory management software is a must-have. But even for SMEs with specialist requirements, they don’t recommend high-maintenance, expensive legacy ERPs.

Instead, they say to get on software like Cin7 or DEAR Systems, as a good Expert partner will be able to make use of APIs to build all the bespoke integrations and app bridges they could ever need.

Bluehub began as a software development house first and foremost, and that legacy comes to the fore when a customer needs something custom-built.

“We still have development at our core, and we build a lot of integrations — often with third party logistics (3PL) companies, but also with eCommerce websites, and a few custom apps for people who have unique requirements,” Guy says.

When a Bluehub client gets set up on DEAR, they end up with a fully-customized system, purpose-built for them out of off-the-shelf components. This app stack often beats the capability of a legacy ERP, at a fraction of the cost.

About Bluehub

Bluehub is a top-ranking software implementation company and DEAR Expert partner. They provide innovative system integrations and solutions that support their client’s businesses operations and growth. From initial discovery into client needs, to set-up, training and roll-out, Bluehub provides a fully managed service from start to finish.

About Cin7 Experts

Cin7 Experts experienced with DEAR are an essential part of the Cin7 inventory and order management community. No matter what kind of product business you’re running, where you’re located, or what you’re trying to achieve, there’s a Cin7 Expert on DEAR who can help you achieve your ambition while saving your money and time.

Sell more with unified commerce

Posted on May 15, 2022 | by chrisqureshi | Leave a Comment

Product sellers who have reached a high level of success and are still bogged down by manual processes need to adopt a unified commerce software solution that allows them to interconnect each critical aspect of their operation. Many of the 8,000 product sellers we work with here at Cin7 have experienced explosive growth since the start of the pandemic made online shopping a necessity.

Often, these companies find their reliance on manual stock counts and data entry has become unsustainable and increasingly prone to human error. We find that when a company begins searching for IT help to modernize their software stack to keep up with their growth, they’re ready for the power of unified commerce.

Cin7 provides a unified commerce solution like no other on the market today. Cin7’s all-in-one unified commerce solution automates all your workflows – how and where you sell, how you manage all your inventory, how you fulfill orders and how you manage your finances.

Bring critical business functions together

Adopting and paying for disparate software programs to manage individual business needs is certainly one approach to consider, but leads to the “swivel chair” approach of having to toggle between accounting programs, spreadsheets, ecommerce backends and shipping applications. It may seem like progress, but this approach is costly in both monthly fees and staffing resources.

By bringing all of your business functions together, across sales and operations in a unified and automated workflow, Cin7 helps sell to more customers through more sales channels and process more orders – more efficiently and faster than ever before.

How unified commerce creates a top sales operation

Here’s a scenario that illustrates the concept of unified commerce:

Your company sells products to consumers both online and in brick-and-mortar locations. You also have a healthy wholesale distribution division that sells in bulk to major retailers. Over time you’ve grown to 3 branded online marketplaces, Amazon, Walmart and Ebay, 4 custom ecommerce sites and 10 physical store locations.

Adopting an end-to-end software solution that connects to marketplaces and enables you to manage your ecommerce sites combined with overall inventory management and sales tracking will streamline your operations and save thousands with the efficiencies it creates. The solution should allow you to track store inventory, transfer orders to other locations, ship orders from your stores and warehouses, and manage customer loyalty programs.

It should also let you work with the third party logistics provider (3PL) you have contracted with to manage your warehouse operations, fulfill orders, and process returns.

Because you are a fashion retailer, and fast changing trends dictate what products are popular at the moment, you require real time sales performance analysis so you are not tying up too much capital in overstocked inventory.

Unified commerce brings together all aspects of a product seller’s business. When orders are placed, either by consumers or in bulk by major retailers, transactions are automatically recorded to accounting programs like QuickBooks and corresponding adjustments are made to inventory quantities. Ongoing management of each sales outlet is maintained within the Cin7 platform.

Workflow automation is a key benefit of unified commerce. Purchase orders can be set to generate when stock levels hit a predetermined threshold. Wholesale orders can be placed directly into your system by major retailers who have established an EDI connection with you. The fulfillment process is triggered automatically, sending orders to your 3PL. Stock can be shifted from one warehouse or store location to another. A dedicated payment portal is also provided so wholesale customers can easily keep their account current.

Perhaps most importantly, the customizable analytics reporting capabilities of Cin7 give management visibility into real time, accurate financial data both in dashboard views and pivot-table ready reports.

Our research conclusively confirms that product sellers thrive, grow sales, and reduce costs when they adopt a modern tech stack with a cloud-based inventory management solution that embraces the unified commerce approach to selling.

A complete selling solution

Product sellers that capitalize on unified commerce, a holistic solution that interconnects every critical business process across sales and operations, realize several benefits:

Sync sales, accounting and inventory control in real time
Design branded B2C and B2B websites to sell to consumers and major retailers
Completely integrate your Shopify site and your retail location with included POS app
Set order thresholds to automate purchase orders when stock runs low
Refer to sales dashboards or customize demand forecast reports
Assign orders to your 3PL for accurate fulfillment and shipping
Maintain a modern cloud-based tech stack
Maximize warehouse space
Cut overhead and keep headcount trimmed
Quickly process invoices and payments from wholesale customers

About Cin7

Cin7 helps over 8,000 product sellers benefit from unified commerce to move more orders with greater accuracy to more satisfied buyers. Efficiencies created by unified commerce save on overhead and provide a great customer experience. Cin7 simplifies your ability to sell by bringing together over 700 established connections with online marketplaces, major retailers, shippers, third party logistics providers and accounting programs. At a fraction of the monthly subscription fee for a bloated ERP solution, Cin7 delivers all of the key functionality a modern product seller requires.

Gain the unified commerce advantage over your competitors. Request a Cin7 product demo and get unified.

What every fashion retailer can learn from Zara

Posted on May 15, 2022 | by chrisqureshi | Leave a Comment

If you’re running a fashion store, you need to keep up with the latest product and service trends in the market. Zara has been one of the most successful (and most copied) brands in the fashion industry, and companies can find both inspiration and business ideas by taking a closer look at how they operate.

Zara is a leading Spanish fashion retail brand owned by the distribution group Inditex. Founded in 1975, Zara works in textile design, manufacturing, and distribution. With over 1,700 stores across 86 countries, Zara’s profitability is still among the highest in the industry.

So, what makes Zara so successful? What operational strategies do they use? And finally, what can other fashion retailers learn from Zara? The answers to these questions can help you as you make your way towards retail success.

Zara capitalizes on fashion trends

For Zara, its competitive advantage is its supply chain. Zara designs fashionable products inspired by trade fairs, catwalks, magazines, and more. Their designs are unique, and they are able to meet the demands of fashion-centric customers from all age groups. Whenever a new style is seen in the market, the talented designers at Zara can move quickly and capitalize while trends are at their peak.

This flexibility means that Zara is associated with new trends in the industry, and that recognition leads to higher demand. So, how do they move so quickly? It’s obvious that Zara’s processes are very efficient. They surely have a great inventory management system that helps them automate and streamline their processes.

Zara has a clear, defined, and consistent system

Zara designs thousands of products every year, and they deliver new products to their stores twice a week. They have a precise inventory management tool that makes it easy for them to determine which products they have in stock, how many of those products are available, and which sizes need to be delivered to what stores.

Looking at Zara, it’s clear that having an inventory optimization model in place is essential. Zara is able to make sure that each store receives only the products they need, and no more. This way, Zara is able to stay efficient and avoid wasteful over-stocking.

Zara can go from idea to shipped product in 15 days

Zara’s stores place two orders per week, and they do it on a scheduled date and time. The shipping carriers are scheduled to leave and deliver shipments at specific times. This level of attention to detail and organization allows Zara’s staff to have clear expectations and processes.

With an organized logistic system in place, Zara also has the ability to go from idea generation, to design, and finally stocked in stores in only 15 days. The industry standard, on the other hand, is 6 months.

Zara’s distribution process is extremely efficient, too.They’re able to deliver products to their European stores within a day, and to their American and Asian outlets in 2 days or less.

Zara’s supply management sets it up for success

Zara’s flexibility, efficiency, and organization make it an outstanding organization, and a great model for fashion retailers around the world. Their cross-functional operations strategy, efficient supply management, and organized distribution methods result in well-managed inventories, lower prices, higher profits, and fantastic brand value.

Want to get organized like Zara? Request a demo here and speak to a specialist who can discuss how Cin7 increases operational efficiency and overall productivity for all kinds of retailers and wholesalers.

Traditional ERP systems vs cloud-based ecommerce software

Posted on May 12, 2022 | by chrisqureshi | Leave a Comment

Ecommerce, also called electronic commerce or internet commerce, is a business model that lets you buy and sell goods and services over the Internet. So, ecommerce software allows your online store to operate. The transaction of money (funds) is also a part of ecommerce.

ERP systems are a type of software used to manage enterprise data. ERP systems help different organizations in dealing with various departments of an enterprise. It takes care of departments like inventory management, customer order management, production planning, shipping, and accounting.

ERP systems combine all databases across the company into a single database and can be accessed by all employees of the enterprise. It helps you in the automation of the tasks involved to perform a business process.

We will learn about the fundamental differences between the two systems in this article to help you make a better choice.

What is an ERP system?

Running a business is all about juggling things from finance to operations, and sales to marketing. ERP systems aim to consolidate back-office processes into one system. They help you track, share and store information across various departments, and ensure that all the employees rely on the same data.

Popular ERPs like NetSuite, Oracle, SAP, and Microsoft Dynamics are traditional business management systems with accounting at the core. To keep up with the changing tide of retail, there are many integrations for ecommerce solutions like:

Warehouse Management Systems (WMS)

Order Management Systems (OMS)

Inventory Management Systems (IMS)

Supply Chain Management (SCM)

Product Information Management (PIM)

Product Lifecycle Management (PLM)

Customer Relationship Management (CRM)

Business Intelligence (BI)

Customer Experience Management (CX)

Human Resources Management (HRM)

Shopping carts like Shopify

Challenges of ERPs in ecommerce

ERP monoliths are not tailored to a specific industry or line of business, so the quality of ecommerce integrations often fall short of expectations. ERPs were built based on older technology and have not kept up with the ever-changing marketplace requirements or the level of innovation that ecommerce software regularly delivers.

Most ERPs are built for back-office purposes. They are not meant for customer-facing sites like a web store that require real-time transactions and analysis.

By hinging your whole multi-channel business on an inflexible system like this, you risk non-compliance, listing errors, and other mistakes. It could cost you the right to sell on marketplaces like Amazon.

ERPs require major financial and time investments. Apart from annual subscription fees, you may face up-front and support costs running into hundreds of thousands of dollars. Plus, it may take years to implement an ERP system fully and that could lead to disruptive changes to your business.

What is ecommerce software?

Ecommerce software is the system that allows your online store to operate. Ecommerce software may include business tools like inventory management, accounting, and email marketing.

Put simply, ecommerce software lets you list products for sale and accept payments online. But, most online businesses usually need more than the bare minimum, and ecommerce software adds other business management tools.

The best ecommerce software has all the basic tools you need to get started, with an ecosystem of upgraded tools and platforms that you can use as your business grows.

Types of ecommerce software

There are mainly three types of ecommerce software:

1# Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) and Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS)

Both of the above offer ecommerce solutions via the Internet. SaaS provides solutions through cloud-based software, and if adding hardware, it becomes a PaaS. These are both straightforward options for those who are not tech-savvy.

Additional design and custom features may require some developer skills. But, patches, updates, and new features are dealt with automatically.

These services charge on a monthly basis and may include transaction fees, but provide full support when required.

2# On-premise platforms

These solutions are hosted locally on servers by the retailer and managed by their IT department. On-site professionals are required to fix any problems as they occur, add new features, and do manual updates.

If you have your own internal IT team, then on-premise may be an excellent option for you. It allows firms to gain more control over their site and create their custom storefront solution.

ERP vs ecommerce software

Let’s compare ERP systems with inventory management software (an ecommerce software) as an example to get a better idea.

While researching inventory management software online, you may end up on a site that aggregates a list of providers like Capterra or GetApp that helps you compare features, benefits, and prices.

So, you can usually group your options into two main categories:

All-in-one platforms such as a supply chain management platform or an ERP

Dedicated warehouse and inventory management software

An all-in-one solution may sound enticing as it offers “full stock” in one place and can manage multiple systems and processes using one software solution. A dedicated inventory management software specializes in specific sales and accounting functions and integrates with a wide range of other software.

So, the choice depends on either using software that does everything but doesn’t specialize in a specific area or using a stack of specialized software with integrations to one another.

Conclusion

Businesses often choose to use an all-in-one or ERP as it offers the ability to manage all administrative tasks in one place. But, as all-in-ones are so focused on managing so many things at once, they often lack the level of granularity required to fully handle inventory and warehouse processes like ecommerce software can.

If the idea of a cloud-based SaaS solution for inventory and order management is one that appeals to you over an ERP, schedule a demo of Cin7 here and we’ll show you how it can be your centralized resource for managing sales, inventory, accounting, warehousing and fulfillment.

A complete guide to robotics and warehouse management

Posted on May 10, 2022 | by chrisqureshi | Leave a Comment

The word automation was first coined and used by Ford Motor Company then Vice President, Delmas Harder in 1948 when he commented that, “What we need is more automation.”

He realized that there was a need to improve material handling in-between the various production stages to compete in the market with companies like Chevrolet.

Why this is significant is because it was the first time anyone thought of automating a process in a manufacturing unit. This led to the creation of robots that are now used in the manufacturing plants, warehouses, to ease and quicken the processes.

Let’s dive into the history of how the robots came into existence.

History of robotics in warehouses

However, it was not until 1954 that George Dovel filed for a robotics patent when he created the first industrial robotic arm, Unimate.

This robot was capable of moving the materials around 12 feet away within the manufacturing unit. This also earned George Dovel the title – Grandfather of Robots.

It took until 1961 for a patent to be granted due to concerns about laborers losing their jobs. General Motors was the first company to make use of the first of these robot arms in manufacturing at their New Jersey plant in 1962.

Then came the Stanford Arm in 1969 created by Victor Scheinman. It was technically a first of its kind, electrically-powered, an automated robot arm that could move around accurately. The arm was powerful enough to assemble the Ford water pump by itself with optical and contact sensors.

This marked the beginning of a new era of using robots in the manufacturing process for achieving higher efficiency and improving lead time in the production of items.

By 1990, the use of robots started in households as well with the advent of Roomba robots developed by iRobot. Roomba was a first-generation vacuum cleaning robot that became a huge success.

Since then, there has been no looking back and the usage of robotics has come a long way in a short span of time.

In 2003, Kiva systems started creating AMR (Automated mobile robots) which were used in moving goods around warehouse and distribution centers using a conveyor system or by forklifts.

Kiva robots were so effective that Amazon bought the company itself in 2012 and now uses them across all their distribution centers.

Amazon is at the forefront of warehouse robotics development with 100,000 robots operating in their fulfillment centers across the globe.

Types of robots

As mentioned earlier, there was no looking back once the Roomba robot and Kiva robots were introduced and hugely successful in the market. Various types of robots came into existence that served various purposes.

However, for the warehouse, 5 major types of robots are used:

#1 Automated Guided Vehicles (AGV)

The Kiva robot that we are so familiar with is actually an Automated Guided Vehicle robot. This robot helps in transporting products and materials from one place to another by using magnetic stripes, sensors, or a track embedded in the warehouse floor. They are the best alternative to the manually driven forklifts and picking carts.

#2 Autonomous Mobile Robot (AMR)

AGVs have developed a lot over the years and now they can function without magnetic stripes or sensors. These are known as Autonomous Mobile Robots (AMR) loaded with warehouse maps and the location of all the inventory stored in it.

AGVs also have safety scanners embedded in it such as 3D cameras, lidar, infrared, front and rear sensors, etc. which allow them to navigate without any mishaps following maps and the established routes within the warehouse. These are also known as self-driving forklifts.

#3 Cobots or collaborative robots

As the name suggests, these are robots that work collaboratively with human workers at the warehouse. However, these are quite efficient as they are semi-autonomous mobile robots that can move around a warehouse with their human pickers.

Usually, these cobots follow the human pickers so that they can drop picked items in the bins carried by these robots. This improves efficiency amongst warehouse workers and also reduces or eliminates the effort of physically carrying products.

Cobots have sensors so that they can identify any obstacle or boxes in their way and enable them to navigate carefully through the warehouse. Cobots are picker staff best friends as they can speed up their order fulfillment capabilities.

#4 Automated storage and retrieval systems

Automated storage and retrieval systems (AS/RS) are automated technologies used in warehouses for speedy storing and retrieving of goods. This system consists of multiple technological machines such as shuttles, cranes, carousels, vertical lift modules, unit loads, and mini loads.

Since all AS/RS are computer-controlled systems, they are integrated with the warehouse management system so that it can process order fulfillment as soon as orders are received. AS/RS systems are used for moving a high volume of loads from in and out of storage.

AS/RS systems save time and effort of picking staff since in this “Good to Person” order picking, the worker does not have to physically move from one place to another to pick items. A mini-load crane, shuttle or AMR retrieve the products as per order and deliver it directly to the worker for packing and shipping.

#5 Aerial drones

We have been fascinated with the idea of drones delivering packages to our doorstep ever since Amazon began this practice. Drones have greater capabilities and we still have not fully explored their usage.

Drones are already being used in warehouses for locating and tracking inventory. They make the work much easier, quicker and can reach any nook and corner easily. In addition, a drone can be easily integrated with your warehouse management system making it an effective technology for tracking inventory and also lifting lightweight products for easy picking and packing.

Drones are autonomous and customizable, and with their cameras and RFID, drones can easily scan products, do inventory checks, conduct tracking, and map inventory.

Benefits of using robots in the warehouse

“To be or not to be” is a challenge faced for the usage of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the manufacturing industry. Some are uncomfortable with the overall implications of AI taking over manual tasks, but recent statistics of intelligent automation capabilities are gaining attention, and therefore, cannot just be ignored.

“85% usage of intelligent automation will be seen in Supply Chain Management by 2021,” as per an IBM Report.

It is essential to stay globally competent in today’s dynamic market and using robots and artificial intelligence in the warehouse is the way to go! Here are a few of the benefits of using robots in the warehouse.

Reduces manual labor

Robots can take over work that is dangerous or time-consuming and thereby help warehouse workers to stay safe while working in coordination with robots.

Robots also help save time and effort by replacing manual scanning, picking and packing, and inventory counting. Also, it can be a very strenuous activity for the warehouse workers to keep on moving one rack to the other to fetch items ordered by customers. But autonomous mobile robots can perform these physical tasks and help workers to focus more on other order fulfillment tasks that require human intervention.

Improves warehouse accuracy and efficiency

Artificial intelligence helps in reducing human error and improves the customer experience which is the key to success for any business.

Since robots are customizable and can be programmed for a specific purpose, there are few instances of mistakes. Robots are not prone to human error and thus they eliminate wasted time and effort in redoing an incorrect task.

Accuracy in tasks like product scanning, picking, storing, and transporting products positively affects the overall performance of the warehouse. Warehouse robots work with precision and allow operators to automate the most mundane and laborious tasks.

Reduces warehouse costs

As per U.S. Census Bureau data, an average warehouse worker spends almost seven weeks per year in unnecessary motion within the warehouse. The costs of such futile activity costs the industry more than $4.3 billion USD in annual revenue.

Also, robots perform dangerous tasks efficiently in the warehouse, resulting in reduced costs spent on worker’s compensation for safety issues. There are fewer chances of workers getting injured since robots are performing the tasks instead.

The number of workers required in the warehouse also decreases as robots can fulfill most of the tasks with accuracy, creating less wastage.

Efficient picking capabilities

One of the foremost usages of a robotic arm was to move materials from one place to another up to 12 feet away. But with the technical advancements, the robotic arm has now been developed into an autonomous mobile robot that can travel far and wide in the warehouse and pick items automatically.

Some well-known companies like IAM Robotics, 6 RiverSystems, and GreyOrange, have introduced their powerful mobile robotic picking solutions in the market increasing warehouse efficiency requiring limited human resources.

These machines are programmed to travel established routes and they typically carry carts in which the products can be stored and transported to human workers.

Conclusion

We hope this article has helped you understand how robots are changing the supply chain within warehouses. At this point in time, robot technology is just scratching the surface. In the future, robots will prove to be much more useful and advanced as technology advances.

To learn more about Cin7 inventory and order management software and to find out how our warehouse management system can help automate your operations, request a demo here.

7 core benefits of AI-powered supply chains

Posted on May 10, 2022 | by chrisqureshi | Leave a Comment

The global supply chain is filled with several variables that add to its complexity: government regulations, ever-changing customer demand, rising transportation costs, and international events such as pandemics. Any innovation that helps improve the supply chain’s efficiency can help increase your bottom-line profit.

Artificial intelligence (AI) is one such innovation that helps optimize the supply chain by better forecasting customer preferences and cutting costs by automating some repetitive manual tasks.

IBM defines AI as, “leveraging computers and machines to mimic the problem-solving and decision-making capabilities of the human mind.” In common parlance, AI is a technology that can think like humans to solve problems.

A survey by PricewaterhouseCoopers New Zealand (PWC) suggests that AI-based applications could potentially contribute up to $15.7 trillion to the world economy by 2030.

Artificial intelligence is soaring in popularity — in fact, Gartner predicts that by 2023, 50% of IT leaders will move their AI projects from proof of concept to maturity.

Giant conglomerates such as Amazon already leverage AI to better control the supply chain. For example, Amazon has already transformed the ecommerce business through free shipping and 1-day delivery practices. It is now devising systems using AI and machine learning (ML) to automate its warehousing processes and drone delivery.

If you are considering AI-powered supply chains, here are seven benefits that could help transform and evolve your business:

#1 Warehouse automation

The warehouse should not be treated simply as a place to store goods. Furthermore, if the items in the warehouse are not properly stored, there could be difficulty in retrieving the items when required. This in turn can increase your fulfillment time, not to mention your customers’ frustration. Instead, the warehouse should be regarded as a strategic asset that can help with storage and faster fulfillment of goods, thanks to automation.

Automation can help with the timely retrieval of goods from the warehouse and facilitate a smoother fulfillment of orders. As you keep purchasing inventory, the algorithm continues to learn from the data, and – based on this purchase and supplier data – the AI can provide stocking recommendations.

Lack of real-time information can lead to inefficient warehousing. Using a warehouse management system can offer much-needed clarity and help in streamlining your operations. A warehouse manager can get real-time insights about the various parts, components, and finished inventory stored in the warehouse, since the technology takes virtually no time to process and analyze large swaths of data.

Drones are also helping to automate warehouse operations. In movies and wedding ceremonies, drones are often used for videography from a higher altitude. At the warehouse, drones scan and capture information from barcodes and RFID tags, as well as reconcile data with your warehousing software.

Apart from scanning, the drones can also pick up inventory and aid with quicker shipping. Using drones to fetch items from higher shelves also mitigates the risk of warehousing staff injuries caused by falling from height.

Helpful hint: Apart from speeding up the work and saving you time, AI automation can reduce the otherwise required number of warehousing staff and save money that would have been devoted to payroll.

#2 Minimize operational costs

Plant managers deal with several challenges in running business operations. There can be inventory shortages, unplanned machinery downtime, or a rise in raw material pricing. All these can increase overall operational costs. If you are operating on lean margins, any activity that helps with cost-cutting can be crucial for your success. To combat such supply-demand mismatches, businesses have started implementing AI technology, leading to cost minimization and delivering a better customer experience.

Research from McKinsey suggests that after introducing artificial intelligence in their supply chain, 44% of executives reported cost reduction, and 63% had increased their overall revenue.

Helpful hint: Unlike humans, technology can run 24/7 with maximum productivity. It is free of human error and reduces workplace accidents.

#3 Predicting trends

It can be challenging to plan for the supply chain due to globalization, competition, increasing product varieties, and varying customer preferences. Unplanned events such as pandemic-related lockdowns and logistical issues can fuel the fire.

When final production relies on the timely availability of several spare parts and critical components, their unavailability can create bottlenecks in the supply chain. With a robust AI-powered forecasting system, businesses are equipped with the necessary intelligence to prepare themselves before such events disrupt production.

Along the lines of AI, there is a buzzword called “Big Data” that is commonly used. As the name suggests, Big Data refers to data that is huge in volume and keeps compounding over time. For example, when customers purchase items from Amazon, they browse through many products that can yield insights into their consumption patterns.

Analyzing such a massive dataset may seem unfathomable by humans, but it can be done through AI-driven tools. Intelligent systems can analyze data and guide the forecasting of supply and demand. This can prevent your business from accumulating excessive stock. A study by McKinsey suggests that implementing artificial intelligence and machine learning can reduce supply chain forecasting errors by up to 50%.

Through machine learning, businesses can also leverage predictive analytics. This way, companies can spot patterns from historical data and current buying patterns for better forecasting.

#4 Better fleet management

The term, “fleet,” refers to a group of vehicles owned by businesses used for transportation. Fleet management is crucial for the smooth functioning of the supply chain as it links the manufacturer (supplier) to the customer. From rising fuel costs to labor shortages, fleet managers need to tackle many challenges. Managing a large fleet can be an arduous task if the necessary information is not available in a timely manner.

Using AI in logistics can offer real-time tracking and vital information for shipments. AIcan also assist in reducing the losses arising from fleet downtime and make the most of the fuel capacity.

AI-powered autonomous vehicles are also gaining popularity. Utilizing self-driving trucks can help reduce the cost of drivers and improve efficiency. Although it is a relatively new technology, the trend for autonomous trucks is gaining traction in the US logistics market, and it will continue to expand over the coming years.

#5 Improve inventory management

Inventory management lays the foundation of proper supply chain management. Effective inventory management can ensure a logical flow of goods in and out of the warehouse. With so many variables to consider – like order picking, packing and fulfillment – manual inventory management is time-consuming and prone to errors.

Inventory bottlenecks lead to delays and reductions in revenue. With the help of AI, businesses can gain complete visibility of supply chain variables and identify the processes that act as bottlenecks. Upon identifying bottlenecks, you can quickly eliminate them by strategically finding opportunities for improvement.

Apart from bottlenecks, understocking and overstocking are also issues that adversely affect your business. Understocking leads to losses arising from missed sales opportunities and risks reducing customer loyalty. Conversely, overstocking poses the risk of loss due to not being able to sell the inventory. Businesses can use demand forecasting (through AI) to avoid overstocking and accurately predict trends. Based on the data, the production and stock levels can be calibrated to maintain optimum inventory.

Cloud-based inventory management software can provide a centralized view of all inventory across multiple locations. With accurate information about their inventory, purchase managers can determine when to place new orders.

Thanks to technological advancements, even the purchase order process can be automated. By customizing quantity thresholds, a purchase order can be automatically generated and sent to suppliers to avoid stockouts.

Helpful hint: Machine learning algorithms can also mitigate fraud by automating auditing and inspections. Audits help to spot any deviations from common product patterns. Privileged credential abuse is another challenge that causes a breach in the supply chain, but with the help of AI technology, such misfortunes can be prevented.

#6 Speedy shipping

What good is producing excellent products and services if you cannot deliver them to your customers in a timely fashion? Even after using state-of-the-art technology to improve your warehousing and operational processes, if you cannot ship products on time, your profitability will suffer.

Using AI in the supply chain can not only assist you with forecasting the products’ demand but can also lead to better shipping control. It factors in customer’ locations to deliver the products, along with the time it takes to ship them.

Your operations managers can get real-time information about the delivery schedules, and the team can be warned upon detection of a discrepancy. You should not overlook last-mile delivery as it constitutes around 28% of delivery costs.

#7 Enhance customer experience

Offering a stellar buying experience is essential to fostering a better relationship with your customers. Happy customers not only lead to repeated sales but also act as ambassadors to promote your brand through positive word-of-mouth.

It is plausible that your customers have questions about your product and will contact the company. If your support team makes them wait too long, the chances of them switching to your competitor are all but guaranteed to increase.

Implementing AI-based chatbots on your website can help you tackle such issues. Chatbots are available around the clock, and studies suggest they can answer up to 80% of routine questions. As the answers are already installed in the system, the bots can quickly solve the queries, allowing your support team to prioritize other projects.

Apart from answering questions, chatbots can also act as sales agents allowing potential customers to interact with and submit purchase orders.

Amazon has a fine example of machine learning to offer a better customer experience. Their algorithm helps them to provide better product recommendations based on previous orders and searches made by the customer. They also use chatbots to offer assistance regarding purchases, returns, and refunds.

In summary

Based on the benefits examined in this article, it is evident that AI can make a breakthrough impact on the supply chain. From reducing costs to optimizing operations, it can help your business outpace the competition.

As challenges in the supply chain increase, businesses will welcome the opportunity to upgrade their technology and better serve their customers. While external variables might accelerate the adoption of AI, it is already transforming from a nice-to-have to a must-have item that will help your business stay relevant and represent the standard in supply chain management.

Cin7 inventory and order management software should be your go-to solution as you pivot towards AI for your sales operations. Gain the same advantages as the top product sellers who have already discovered Cin7’s connected multichannel solution. Book a demo with one of our consultants and take a step closer to adopting the efficiencies that await.

Thanks to Intuit, your move to the cloud is easier, more rewarding, and costs less

Posted on May 6, 2022 | by chrisqureshi | Leave a Comment

What do product sellers feel when they move from desktop-based accounting and inventory management software to the cloud? Most business owners say they feel happiness and relief, but the next most common emotion reported is regret — that they didn’t do it sooner!

Happily, DEAR Systems and Intuit have worked together to make it easier than ever for product businesses to move online. Thanks to Intuit CEO Sasan K. Goodarzi’s commitment to moving product based businesses to the cloud, we’ve entered a close collaboration. We share a passion for solving product sellers’ most challenging and important problems. After working closely with Intuit’s QuickBooks’ leadership team for six months, we released our DEAR Advanced subscription plan on April 13th 2022.

The DEAR Advanced plan is a perfect pairing of DEAR and Intuit’s QuickBooks Online Advanced Edition in an all-inclusive, easily-affordable DEAR Advanced plan subscription.

The reason behind offering this bundle is simple. For more than 10 years, we’ve helped thousands of product sellers move their operations online. They run their businesses more efficiently, add new sales channels more easily, and eliminate costly operational mistakes. The happiness they experience is contagious, and it inspires our mission to make it easier than ever before for thousands of desktop-bound product sellers to start enjoying the benefits of modern accounting and inventory management software. The most rewarding thing? The gains are substantial, wide- reaching, customer-pleasing, and happen very quickly.

A sharp reduction in errors is the first big gain from moving to the cloud

Product sellers who move to online accounting and inventory management tell us it’s a huge leap from where they were pre-DEAR, when they tracked all pre-orders on a spreadsheet. Both the time to complete tasks and human error are vastly reduced. Automations and filters catch any issues that would have otherwise slipped through and are automatically flagged for attention from the right, responsible manager.

Simon Coward, at outdoor equipment retailer AQ Outdoors, puts it this way: “Today, all the information is live, and all staff have access to it, and that’s been fantastic. In the last six weeks, there has been more progress in operating our business in the last nine or ten years combined. It’s pretty sick,” Simon grins.

“DEAR is a fully featured inventory software that’s simple to use – and with the right partnerships, it’s easy to make work for your particular use case,” Simon says. “Overall, the time that it saves you is way more than the price. It simplifies work processes, it automates things that otherwise can’t be automated, it reduces errors, and it’s simple for staff to use.” Simon learned a lot from moving to the cloud, and we’ve captured it for you to read.

Check out Simon’s AQ Outdoor story.

Seeing the big picture enables growth: the second big win from moving to the cloud

“Before DEAR, I was always just guessing – the number of boxes in front of me, what’s going to be used for production that day,” Hannah, co-founder of Royal Essence, says.

“After DEAR, the instant win for us was we were able to see the big picture. You can definitely see the movement of the raw materials, and I was able to do our reorders in time. That’s a really big thing for a small business, especially because during that time we were growing so fast.”

After Royal Essence migrated from spreadsheets and made sure their starting inventory information was correct and in sync with their online accounting, Royal Essence immediately gained confidence and efficiency. Things that had been excruciatingly difficult — like reordering in time for the next batch of production — were suddenly easy. With DEAR implemented and day-to-day inventory tracking enabled, things improved all across their business.

What’s more, Royal Essence could track their product through every stage of production and sales: from manufacturing, to freighting and landing, to selling and shipping. The increased transparency and reduced workload meant they could grow — and so they did.

To learn more about their process and the benefits of moving to the cloud, check out the Royal Essence story.

Leaving inefficient, time-consuming, manual inventory management behind: The third big gain from moving to the cloud

Before adopting DEAR Systems, Ovira had no effective inventory control. They had multiple sources of truth, relying on spreadsheets, warehousing partners, and emails to track inventory. “We were literally sending emails to order stock. We were manually tracking orders and spreadsheets. Everything was very much manual, in terms of the accounting backend as well. We were managing inventory in the most shallow way you possibly could,” Tyron Gyde, supply chain manager for Ovira, said.

After only three months with DEAR, Ovira assessed their operations were 75 percent more efficient as a result of DEAR’s automations and ability to be the definitive single-source-of-truth. And, thanks to DEAR’s accurate inventory control, Ovira has supercharged its growth ambitions. They’ve launched into the UK market with a new warehousing presence there, and at the same time, they’ve been able to launch a micro-fulfilment model in the US that offers same-day delivery. “If you’re a customer in central New York, we can get you your product within two hours,” Tyron says. “There’s a lot of other really valuable initiatives we’ve been able to really dedicate time to, just from the extra time we’ve got back from using DEAR.”

To learn more about removing inefficient manual work by moving to the cloud, check out Tyron’s Ovira story.

The fourth big gain from moving to the cloud: Everything is integrated, from shipping to payments to accounting

Before adopting DEAR Systems, Intalite was facing rapidly escalating supply change troubles and struggling to add new product lines and connect their systems.

“We didn’t have an ERP system at all, really — just an accounting program that we used pretty much to the limit of what it was able to do. And the vast majority of the actual business processes were all paperwork. So for every sales order we received, we then had an invoice pad, we wrote the invoice out and had a blind carbon copy to it,” says Luke Gaffey, IT Manager at Instalite UK.

Anywhere there was an inventory process, there was duplication of effort, multiple errors, and tedious manual labor at every step. “At one point, we had more people working in accounts than working in sales,” Luke said.

This sort of approach is far from uncommon at long-established companies, but it meant Intalite were operating at their limit. Just keeping up with the day-to-day was hard enough, let alone planning for the future. To make matters worse, their desktop accounting could not integrate with their online Shopify store or any of their other online solutions they needed to run their business. As a result, their operations were manual, time-consuming, and error-prone.

Like many other businesses moving from desktop to online, Intalite soon discovered that DEAR has comprehensive native cloud integrations for everything they needed. They also found that DEAR is customizable to a remarkable degree, thanks to its comprehensive APIs.

Once DEAR was in place, Intalite hired a consultant to use DEAR’s APIs to create a script that completely automated a previously difficult and costly job. “We were able to automate that job, and save hours and hours and hours. It was someone’s full-time job at one point, just converting this particular manufacturer’s purchase orders.

Intalite many large positive impacts on the bottom line in their move online from desktop. To learn from Intalite and Luke’s experiences, check out Luke’s Intalite story.

With so much to gain from moving to the cloud, why do product sellers still use desktop accounting and outdated inventory management?

Many product sellers are fearful of change. They dread replacing their systems so much that they live on with painful, inefficient, outdated, and non-competitive ways of working. It’s only when confidence in the large gains from moving to modern online inventory management and online accounting outweigh the perceived costs of changing systems that people start moving to better technology.

As a result, for Intuit and Cin7 to help product-based businesses to experience the dramatic benefits — even life-changing benefits – of modern accounting and inventory management, we‘ve teamed up to:

Make it easier to pick the best online solution to move to, and
Increase awareness and confidence in the benefits of moving from desktop to online.

First, we need to reduce the perceived difficulty, uncertainty, and costs of moving to the cloud. Our collaboration with Intuit on the new DEAR Advanced plan provides a large step forward — by demonstrating DEAR and QuickBooks Online are so closely and well integrated that a bundle is a natural approach.

As one accountant said recently, “DEAR’s Advanced plan is like buying a car. Naturally, you expect a car to have tires. Before this DEAR + QuickBooks Advanced plan, people had to decide on which online accounting to use (which tires to buy) and what online inventory management to use (which car chassis to pick). It took weeks to make two separate decisions and increased the fear of something not working well. Now, DEAR and QuickBooks Online are together in one offering. One smart decision to move to the cloud which involves very little risk given the leading products and brands are together in the DEAR Advanced Plan.”

Second, we need to educate desktop-using product sellers about everyone who is already thriving, thanks to running their business on cloud accounting and online inventory management. The product seller comments in this blog are illustrative of what’s happening in the marketplace. We’re inspired by the success stories we hear everyday and will be doing more to share these desktop to cloud transformation success stories.

Who is the new DEAR Advanced plan for

The new DEAR Advanced plan is available for all product sellers in the United States interested in quickly boosting the success of their business. It’s available to anyone eager to try us or to jump in to get started moving to the cloud right away. Presently, the new DEAR Advanced with QuickBooks Online Advanced edition is not available outside the United States. Many product sellers outside the US are asking for it and we are collaborating with Intuit to make it available in the future.

What should product sellers outside of the United States do if they want to move to the cloud

You should move to the cloud now. You can easily do this by subscribing to QuickBooks Online or Xero. Then, sign up for DEAR or Cin7 separately. It’s that easy. We also have incredible DEAR Experts all over the world who can help you seamlessly move your operations online. Nearly 8,000 product sellers are already enjoying the many benefits of running their business in the cloud. Don’t hesitate — join the many successful product sellers who’ve already made the move today.