Efficiently storing and handling the inventory represents one of the most relevant goals of supply chains in any industry. To attain this objective, organizations should always be supported on a Warehouse Management System (WMS) that enables users to control the stock, tracks physical units across storerooms and guarantees the traceability of the entire process from goods receipt to finished products delivery.
This blog is intended to introduce you to some of the tools available in the Inventory and Warehouse Management modules of Microsoft Dynamics 365 Supply Chain Management and to provide evidence on how these functionalities can strengthen the warehouse activities of companies operating in the aquaculture sphere.
- Warehousing: From beginning to end
Physical flow of materials demands strict control of all the transactions across the supply chain, referring not only to the inbound materials and supplies needed in the production process, but also to all the element movements within the warehouse, such as changing storage location of fish-feed to the tanks as part of your farming activities, or transferring the chemicals used in the water treatment from their stockroom to the needed place. Handling all your production batches till harvesting, picking, packing, and delivery to customers are stages in your process that should be also assisted by the WMSwhile ensuring traceability.
By implementing Microsoft Dynamics 365 Supply Chain Management, you will be able to administer and track all those inventory transactions and the associated costs from end to end, giving you complete visibility of the exact location of your items, controlling quantities and managing the transfers carried out during the goods receipt, the production process and the delivery of your finished products. You can even assess the accuracy of your on-hand records in the system and your physical stock through inventory counting, and apply adjustments when discrepancies arise.
- Following the traces of your inventory
So far, I have presented an overview of the business in regard to warehousing and inventory handling, but, which are the actual tools available in Microsoft Dynamics 365 Supply Chain Management that enables you to have this level of control and flexibility? We can start by the Tracking and Storage Dimensions, which give you the possibility to trace batches (along with manufacturing and expiry dates) and serial numbers across sites, warehouses, and locations within them. In the system, you can create different zones for your storage areas, allowing you to put similar locations together and to have a layout that represents the physical distribution of your warehouse. Plus, the advanced Warehouse functionality has a mobile device application fully integrated with the web interface, which incorporates diverse inventory transactions to be executed on a handheld device or even on your mobile phone. For instance, you can have configured menu items for receiving purchase order lines, conduct inventory transfers from one location to another, do inventory counting and adjustments, and process your sales orders. You can also link your mobile device app to a printer and get the labels to identify your materials and products, incorporating barcodes, detailed product information such as batch numbers, expiration dates, and more.
- Storing useful data while storing goods
Managing the inventory and warehouse transactions within the modules of Microsoft Dynamics 365 Supply Chain Management, gives you the possibility of centralizing all your data to generate reports that provide you with valuable information. For example, you will be able to control the occupation of locations and warehouses, know the inventory rotation, analyze the inventory levels based on criteria such as volume or value, track inventory associated costs to find savings opportunities, or supervise the product expiration dates to avoid obsolescence of the inventory. Thus, you will have the capability to create reports for further analysis and decision-making in all the operational activities within your warehouse, targeting the strategic goals of your organization.
Along with Inventory and Warehouse Management, the system has complementary modules to integrate your processes, such as Quality Control to comply with all the requirements of your quality department, Master Planning, to manage your inventory policies and ensure the availability of the right quantity in the right time to meet your customer needs, and the Enterprise Asset Management, which will enable you to control the inventory of spare parts and consumables spent in your maintenance activities.
To conclude, Inventory and Warehouse Management modules of Microsoft Dynamics 365 Supply Chain Management have a wide range of features and capabilities that adapt to your business processes and let you fulfill all the traceability standards in the aquaculture industry. Having a controlled flow of materials is also part of the finished goods added value and generates end-consumers trust in your product and, consequently, in your company.
I hope you have enjoyed reading this blog and found it useful as an introduction to the main functionalities that Microsoft Dynamics 365 Supply Chain Managementhas for your warehousing and inventory operations.
If you want to learn more about the benefits the aquaculture industry can obtain with Microsoft Dynamics 365, please download our case study on Atlantic Sapphire’s implementation
And if you want to learn how the solution applies to your business’ specific needs, please contact us