Streamline your manufacturing inventory with Zoho Creator

In the world of manufacturing, inventory management plays a pivotal role in ensuring smooth operations and timely production. Efficient inventory management helps manufacturers keep track of raw materials, finished goods, and other components that are necessary for producing their products. A well-organized inventory system is crucial for timely production and delivery, enabling companies to meet customer demands and maintain their competitive edge. Furthermore, an effective inventory system can reduce costs and improve overall operational efficiency. In today's fast-paced and competitive business environment, companies must prioritize effective inventory management to stay ahead of the curve and maintain a strong market presence.

In the first post of this series with BSP, we delved into the high-level application of low-code in the manufacturing sector. In this one, we aim to highlight the common challenges faced by manufacturers in managing their inventory, and explore how Zoho Creator can help address them. We'll also be sharing how manufacturers can make informed decisions about optimizing their inventory management processes and achieving sustainable success by combining the capabilities of Zoho Creator with BSP's domain expertise.

Inventory management challenges in manufacturing

Manufacturing companies often face challenges when it comes to inventory management. Common issues include overstocking, stock-outs, and inaccurate tracking, and there are different business implications to each.

Overstocking can lead to higher carrying costs and wastage, while stock-outs may result in lost sales and unhappy customers. Inaccurate tracking, on the other hand, can contribute to both these problems, by providing misleading information about inventory levels.

These challenges can significantly affect different aspects of the manufacturing process, such as planning, procurement, and shipping. For instance, inefficient inventory management can make it difficult to schedule production, source the right materials at the right time, and deliver products to customers promptly. In addition, poor inventory management can lead to longer wait times, lower order fill rates, and decreased customer satisfaction. Ultimately, these issues can result in customer dissatisfaction, production delays, and financial losses for the company. To address these common inventory management challenges and drive operational efficiency, manufacturers can turn to advanced software solutions like Zoho Creator. 

Benefits of using Zoho Creator for inventory management

Zoho Creator is a low-code platform that enables manufacturing companies to create customized inventory management solutions tailored to their specific needs. This powerful tool can help address the challenges of inventory management by offering features like real-time tracking, automated alerts, and custom reporting. By using Zoho Creator, manufacturers can optimize their inventory levels, reduce waste, and enhance production efficiency.

Additionally, Zoho Creator offers increased visibility into inventory data, allowing manufacturers to make informed decisions and better forecast demand. This improved forecasting can lead to more accurate production planning and procurement, further streamlining the manufacturing process.

Key features of Zoho Creator for inventory management

Zoho Creator offers a range of features that can help build a comprehensive inventory management system for manufacturing companies. Some of these key features, along with manufacturing scenarios where they can be effectively used, include:

Barcode scanning

Scenario: A manufacturer of automotive parts needs to keep track of their inventory in real time, as raw materials arrive and finished goods are shipped out.

Solution: Zoho Creator's barcode scanning feature streamlines the inventory tracking process, allowing users to scan barcodes on incoming materials and outgoing shipments, to instantly update inventory records and maintain accurate information.

Automated reordering

Scenario: A manufacturer of electronic components experiences seasonal fluctuations in demand, leading to stock-outs during peak seasons and overstocking during slow periods.

Solution: Using the platform, users can set custom reorder points based on historical demand data and automatically generate purchase orders when inventory levels reach a predetermined threshold. This helps prevent stock-outs during high-demand periods and reduces overstocking during low-demand times.

Integration with other tools

Scenario: A manufacturer of industrial equipment struggles to synchronize their inventory data with their financial records and order management systems.

Solution: Applications built on the Creator platform seamlessly integrate with other Zoho applications—such as Zoho Books for financial management or Zoho Inventory for order management—simplifying and automating various business processes and ensuring consistent data across all systems.

Multi-location inventory management

Scenario: A manufacturer of consumer goods has multiple production facilities and warehouses, making it difficult to maintain a centralized view of their inventory.

Solution: The platform allows manufacturers to track inventory across multiple warehouses or production facilities, providing real-time visibility into inventory levels and ensuring accurate, centralized inventory management.

By utilizing these features in different manufacturing scenarios, companies can improve inventory control, reduce costs, and optimize their operations. The adaptability of Zoho Creator ensures that manufacturers can tailor the platform to address their unique challenges and enhance overall efficiency.

BSP's footprint delivering custom manufacturing solutions on the Creator platform

At BSP, we take pride in our role as a Premium Zoho reseller and implementation Partner, specializing in helping manufacturing companies optimize their operations. Our in-depth understanding of the industry helps us work closely with clients to pinpoint their unique challenges and develop tailored Zoho Creator solutions that address their specific needs.

Our expertise allowed us to make a positive impact for Armoires AD Plus, a family-owned, Quebec-based company specialized in designing, manufacturing, and installation of custom kitchen and bathroom cabinets, with close to three decades of experience.

Before our engagement with them, they were facing several operational challenges. For instance, their technicians and installers had limited access to important information, which hindered their efficiency and productivity. To address this issue, we help them build a mobile application using the Creator platform, which allowed them to access all the information they needed in real time, directly from their mobile devices, helping streamline their work processes and improve their overall performance.

Another challenge the company faced was that their supplier purchasing module was not linked to production, resulting in improper inventory planning. To resolve this issue, we implemented an inventory and stock management system, as well as a vendor portal.

This solution allowed the company to keep track of their inventory levels in real time, and ensured that the purchasing process was properly integrated with production. The result was a more efficient and streamlined operation that allowed the company to manage their inventory better and plan for future production needs.

This success story exemplifies our commitment to delivering effective and customized solutions to our manufacturing clients. 

Conclusion

Zoho Creator presents a robust and customizable solution for addressing inventory management challenges in the manufacturing industry. Its wide range of features— including barcode scanning, automated reordering, and integration with other tools—empowers manufacturers to tackle common inventory issues and improve overall efficiency. Furthermore, the platform's capability to manage multi-location inventory enables companies to maintain centralized control over their entire inventory landscape.

We believe in providing manufacturing companies with customized inventory management solutions that cater to their specific requirements. Our collaboration with Zoho Creator allows us to empower manufacturers to unlock its full potential and achieve a more efficient and effective inventory management process.

As you navigate the landscape of available inventory management options, consider the advantages of Zoho Creator and its partnership with BSP. By choosing a solution that aligns with your specific needs, you can lay the foundation for the long-term success and growth of your manufacturing business.