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Inventory is likely to be a distributor's largest financial asset. Enspire helps a distributor improve their return on this asset through more effective inventory management and operational practices. |
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A distributor's inventory contains several different item types. Ensprire's Item Type Master File provides the flexibility to maintain very detailed information on any item and organizes the information with tabs for convenient and easy access. Item numbers of up to 32 characters provide maximum flexibility to accommodate all types of inventory. |
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Defining item number prefixes and suffixes, which are used for lookup keys, can easily accommodate unique lookup requirements. Standard lookups are also available by item number, PSR or UPC number. Additionally, item description, keyword, manufacturer code, item or customer cross reference, and promotional item codes can be used in combination using Boolean logic to search and find items. |
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The importance of inventory accuracy has long been underestimated. Errors such as wastage and attrition in the warehouse must be monitored to insure effective inventory management. Understated inventory can cause premature replenishment orders leading to excess inventory, shortages of space, and unnecessary costs. Overstated inventory can result in shortages, delayed orders, a reduction in customer service and potential expediting costs.
To help prevent these issues, Enspire creates a worksheet to be used for performing a physical count of inventory. A physical count in Enspire is based on the philosophy of "a day's work in a day." The worksheet contains items retrieved based on any of a variety of filtering criteria, allowing for both extensive physical counts or on-going cycle counts depending on a distributor's business philosophy. And with the Enspire Mobile Data Management SnapOn, inventory adjustments can be entered into the system on a real-time basis. |
| Inventory Transfers and Requisitions |
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Enspire maintains a warehouse location for each stocking and shipping locations utilized by a distributor and identifies general ledger accounts used for transfers between warehouses. All assigned warehouses can be viewed for each item, providing complete warehouse transfer capability, drop ships from alternate warehouses and replenishment through central or remote branches. Transfers initiate and control the movement of stock between warehouses. Enspire can generate transfers automatically during order entry, purchasing, or replenishment.
Requisitions allow a distributor to acquire goods, such as supplies and equipment, for internal use. Requisitions can be filled by pulling a stocked item directly from inventory, initiating a purchase order to purchase the item from a vendor, or by authorizing a transfer from another warehouse location. |
| Lot Tracking and Serial Control |
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In addition to standard tracking methods, Enspire provides the option to track inventory by lot and by serial number. Enspire maintains information for the lot including vendor number, vendor lot number, PO or work order number, and bin number. As lot-controlled items are sold, Enspire tracks the available lot numbers and history for each transaction, including customer or warehouse, date, document number, and quantity.
With the serial control option, Enspire tracks information for each serial number, including the date the item was received, the source, cost, and the document number. As serial-controlled items are sold, Enspire monitors the available serial numbers and history for each transaction, including customer, date, document number, price, and salesperson. |
| Assembly Orders and BTO Kits |
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Distributors with light manufacturing or item component assembly requirements will find Enspire is a robust solution for their inventory control needs. The Kits section of the Item Master allows a distributor to add or modify stocked and build-to-order (BTO) kits. Kits are combinations of items sold as a single item and can include extra costs for labor, packaging, and overhead. Enspire provides the ability to sell a stocked kit as a Build-to-Order (BTO) kit in Order Entry for situations where the distributor needs the ability to add, subtract, or change the parts in a stocked kit at the point of sale.
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The StockAid feature in Enspire manages a special category of inventory items and helps the distributor maximize the return on these items. StockAid items can include one-of-a-kind items, special purchases, returned items, close-outs, unsold special orders, damaged goods, and refurbished items. Virtually any inventory that does not fit into the typical sales, purchasing or inventory management process can be handled with StockAid. |
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The Kardex feature of Enspire provides useful information in a snap-shot format for various areas of the system. In the Item Master, the Kardex tab provides the transaction history for a particular inventory item at a specified warehouse. Kardex displays the quantity of the item that is currently available to be sold, the total quantity of the item on-hand, and other useful information for making real-time |
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