To explain the point mentioned above, let us take the scenario of Company A and Company B, both of which are let us say, in Home Appliance industry. Both A and B would have multiple distribution centers, and the objective of both would remain the same- shorten the delivery time to the customer and earn maximum profit.

While A recognizes the importance of managing inventory in the following ways, it stresses on keeping an automated track on its inventory:

• Cost of storage space
• Cost of stock movement
• Cost of time spent managing the inventory
• Any cost of damaged or stolen inventory
• Type and quantity of stock in-hand
• Type and quantity of stock lying at the secondary and tertiary level
• Type and quantity of stock-out and over-stock

So Company A knows WHAT its sales distribution channel has and WHEN. The customer satisfaction ratio hence increases and so does the ROI.

Company B, on the flip side, rests on the idea that it can manage inventory through emails and excel sheets. It sets the Minimum Stock Level (MSL) at every distributor and stockiest level manually. Unlike Company “ËœA’, there are no reminders or alerts to upgrade the inventory level, so “ËœB’ places a dedicated employee that checks the MSL and updates the sales head. There are also no real-time inventory updates, which company “ËœA’ experiences by automating their inventory and sales management. Maintaining excel sheets may also be error-prone, while Company A enjoys 100% error-free and real-time updates about its inventory.

“ËœB’ thus loses its focus on Inventory Management, which results in ordering too many of one thing, or too little of something else.

What does “ËœB’ need to manage effective inventory?

We clearly see the pitfalls that “ËœB’ could have avoided with detailed and dynamic automated sales reports. They let you easily track your inventory, see what is on stock, spot sales trends, and use historical data to better forecast your manufacturing needs. These reports also alert you when it is time to reorder for stocks that are running low, or manage the stock that is lying in excess.

Like “ËœA’, if you also feel the push to manage your sales processes and streamline your inventory, you ought to know and implement the 2 important things- “ËœWhen to Order’ and “ËœHow Much to Order’. Give your business a chance to experience excellence by automating your service and repair processes!

Seema is an online marketing enthusiast & futurist. Zed Serviceâ„¢ is a leading service management software in India. For more information about service management software & after sales service management software solutions visit Zed Serviceâ„¢ website http://www.service-management-software.net now

Visit the Author's website: http://www.service-management-software.net

The post How well are you managing Your Inventory? appeared first on Submit Articles.

Scheduling and Assigning Work Orders- Scheduling, assigning and handling work orders to service centers and engineers is the most crucial part of the service operations. If you rely on tools like Whiteboard, Excel and Outlook for this, you must be losing out on your business. These tools can help you disseminate the information like assigning work orders and updating repair status, but fails in â€Å“trackingâ€Â the minute-by-minute status of the work order(s).

Warranty Management- In many situations, it is more than likely to show out-of-warranty calls as in-warranty and claim the service. Manual tracking by viewing the POP (proof-of-purchase) does not help to prevent such practices. Warranty Management becomes a neglected source of competitive advantage, where it can be an important factor in the manufacturerâ€â„¢s cost-reduction strategies.

Service and Part Claim Management- Invalid claims, repeat claims, non-reimbursed and forfeit claims are common in the service industry. When thousands of work order calls run simultaneously, it gets a tad too difficult to distinguish between the valid and false claims. If not taken care of, service and part claim can become an irrevocable expense for the company. An automated tool like Service Management System can rationalize the service and claim management system, helping to keep the invalid claims at bay.

Escalation of Work Orders- When a product is escalated to the higher service level center, tracking becomes all the more important. Since these centers do not have customer walk-in, it is important for the management to keep an eye; so that the next time the customer asks for the status, he/she should be given due clarity. Manual tracing in this case just increases the communication gap (and therefore repair TAT), leaving your customers unhappy and dissatisfied. Service Management Software can track and manage all the escalations during the service process in real time.

Product and GAP Analysis- The best part about the service and repair industry is that it can be its own performance analyzer. With Service Management Software, you can measure the product performance on the basis of complaints and faults in particular models. Which product is failing the most and which product is facing the same problem all over again. Along with this, you can also analyze the service centerâ€â„¢s and engineerâ€â„¢s efficiency level.

If you have experienced these pain areas before, automate your service operation processes before it eats up your bottom line. Getting a Service Management Software in place could help you streamline the processes. Companies that use a best-practice approach to manage service and repair operations with the help of Service Management Software can provide better value to customers while improving the bottom line and increasing customer loyalty.

Seema is an online marketing enthusiast & futurist. Zed Serviceⓞ¢ is a leading service management softwareÃ, company in India. For more information about service management software products & repair management software solutions visit Zed Serviceⓞ¢ website now !

Visit the Author's website: http://www.service-management-software.net

The post 5 Key Reasons Why Your After-Sales Service Operations can be a â€ËœLoss Centerâ€â„¢ to the company appeared first on Submit Articles.