May 31, 2022

Choices are often said to define an individual. Such a principle may be one of the many explanations behind the increase in SKU proliferation. Today’s customers may select from several variations of the same product, which means warehouses must now carry, track, and manage many different renditions of a product without confusing workers or creating surprise out-of-stocks. In other words, the more variations are available, the more products warehouses must track.

Increasing SKU proliferation becomes even more challenging with new reports of slowed transportation workflows, which can reduce outbound volumes by 20 to 25%. As fewer shipping containers and greater SKU proliferation are making their way to the United States, warehouses cannot achieve fast replenishment. This forces them to make important decisions on which products they want to get. To properly manage SKU variety with fewer resources, warehouses have turned to the following solutions:

• Real-time inventory tracking
• Expanding warehouse capacity vertically
• Implementing predictive analytics to pinpoint old inventory and dead stock

 Enhancing inventory management with Heartland.

Implementing real-time inventory tracking, managing your old stocks, and optimizing your warehouse can be difficult because it requires a lot of energy and expenses. Fortunately, to help control your inventory amidst SKU proliferation, Heartland provides businesses with effective stock control with:

1. Automated shipping and receiving - Increasing the efficiency at which you receive incoming shipments improves overall operational throughput and lowers labor costs. Capturing receiving activities enables real-time traceability and improves the overall accuracy of your inventory and stocking, which prioritizes product variety. Improve throughput, reduce errors, increase efficiency, and take advantage of the best rates with HEARTLAND’S SHIPPING AND RECEIVING SOLUTIONS.
   
   
2. Streamlined control of your inventory - Efficient Warehouse Management Systems can help you gain real-time data visibility of your assets to streamline inventory management. Implementing Heartland’s experienced WAREHOUSE MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS (WMS) helps you gain data visibility to manage your inventory and also integrates upgraded supply chain logistics to optimize your warehouse capacity. Heartland’s experts help you maintain effective inventory management to meet the demands caused by fewer shipping containers and greater SKU proliferation.
   
   
3. Real-time, accurate data capture tracking - Innovative and automated data capture capabilities from barcode scanners, like Heartland’s BARCODE AND RFID SOLUTIONS, can efficiently track capture data and maintain visibility to streamline stock control and enhance inventory management. This implements a proper inventory management process to add new SKUs to your operations. Improved asset tracking with faster read rates and expanded scan ranges maintains visibility throughout the supply chain.

SKU proliferation allows businesses to empower consumer choices, yet if left unmanaged, it will create delays and order errors. Contact us today to learn how you can prepare your operations for greater product variety with minimal worker stress.