Good e-commerce inventory management is fundamental for any business that wants to differentiate itself from the competition and maximize its profitability. With accurate inventory control , businesses can ensure availability of goods and timely shipment of orders to customers.

For e-commerce, effective inventory management is essential to avoid stock-outs and ensure prompt deliveries to customers. Inventory management involves defining the quantity of items required to meet demand and determining when to replenish goods.

Accurate inventory management for e-commerce businesses is essential to avoid delays and errors

When setting up an inventory management process, it is essential that products are available before sales take place. Companies in the sector generally carry out demand planning , or in other words, an estimate of the sales that can be made in order to organize production processes and warehouse operations while maintaining appropriate inventory levels.

Once the e-commerce has the necessary merchandise in its warehouse, inventory management involves the following five steps:

1. Organize e-commerce warehouse stock efficiently

The good organization of the stock is essential to the success of an e-commerce. This process consists of putting products in the warehouse in a consistent way, which facilitates the preparation and dispatch of orders. The operation, also called slotting , makes it possible to determine the optimal location of a commodity in the warehouse.

In an e-commerce warehouse, items can be organized according to different criteria such as ABC or FIFO (first in, first out) method . The good organization of stock is one of the cornerstones of e-commerce logistics , as it allows orders to be dispatched more quickly and to respond to peaks in demand such as Black Friday or the Christmas campaign .

2. Install warehouse management software with e-commerce features

Warehouse management software is an indispensable tool in an e-commerce warehouse because it allows good inventory management, strict control of goods and efficient organization of operations .

Using advanced algorithms, the system identifies incoming items, assigns them a location and records products shipped to customers. In this way, the traceability of the products is very precise.

Warehouse management software also organizes all order picking, telling operators where to go (it does this by designing a route that allows them to cover the shortest possible distances) or supplying the posts. of picking in goods necessary for the preparation of orders.

3. Use radio frequency mobile terminals for better inventory control

To ensure good inventory management and fast order picking, e-commerce warehouse operators use radiofrequency mobile terminals . These devices support operators in their tasks: they facilitate the entry of data into the warehouse management software (for example, indicating the incoming items in the warehouse) and the receipt of instructions (for example, the location where store each item).

One of the most notable benefits of communication between radio frequency terminals and warehouse management software is the reduction of errors . The tasks of the operators are much simpler, they only have to follow the indications of the terminal.

If you want to simplify the work of operators even more, warehouse workers can use wearable devices , i.e. electronic devices worn on a finger or on the arm that completely free the hands and facilitate retrieval. some products.

The Mecalux Marketplace & E-commerce Platforms Integration module is the ideal tool for synchronizing warehouse stock with that indicated on the online sales site.

The Mecalux Marketplace & E-commerce Platforms Integration module is the ideal tool for synchronizing warehouse stock with that indicated on the online sales site.

4. Synchronize the warehouse stock with the offer available on the site

The warehouse must be integrated with the online sales platforms where the products are marketed , such as eBay or PrestaShop . Thus, when a customer buys a product, operators can prepare the order immediately and ship it as soon as possible.

The connection between the warehouse and the online shops can be done automatically using management software. Mecalux’s Easy WMS has the Marketplace & E-commerce Platforms Integration module , a feature that synchronizes the online catalog with the physical warehouse.

This module is used by Global Freaks , an e-commerce specializing in collectible figurines, to connect its warehouse to the marketplaces on which it sells its items: eBay, Amazon and PrestaShop.

5. Simplify cross-channel inventories with an omnichannel model

E-commerce companies present on multiple channels adopt omnichannel logistics , that is, they offer consumers the possibility of combining several channels of communication with the company, such as the store, the mobile phone or the website.

The rise of omnichannel affects all warehouse operations as it requires having a large number of SKUs and handling a high volume of orders. In this case, good inventory management using technology helps to avoid delays and errors.

Mecalux offers solutions for companies to benefit from efficient omnichannel logistics such as WMS for e-commerce , the Preparation and management of multi-carrier shipments module or the Store Fulfillment module .

Inventory management: a key e-commerce operation

Inventory management is an essential operation for any e-commerce activity. Errors and delays have a very high cost  : customer dissatisfaction. Proper inventory management with the help of technology allows companies to prepare a high volume of orders in the shortest possible time and ensure delivery times in order to offer quality service.

At Mecalux, we have significant experience in equipping e-commerce warehouses with storage and management solutions. Thanks to Easy WMS, e-commerce monitors the state of its stock and optimizes all its operations, including order preparation. Contact us , together we will find the solution that best meets your needs.