ERP Consultant Blog

How RF Guns Help During Physical Inventory

Written by Jaleidy Tannenbaum | Fri, Feb 26, 2016
While it’s a necessary task, the annual wall-to-wall count of every inventory item in your facility is a disruptive process — and probably one that neither you nor your employees enjoy.
 
Therefore, anything that can ease the physical inventory process would be a welcome addition to your technology portfolio. If you agree, and if your company hasn’t considered implementing radio frequency (RF) guns and integrating them into business software platforms such as Sage X3 or Sage 100, you’re missing opportunities to make physical inventory less tedious.
 
RF guns and their software make physical inventory easier, more effective, and more efficient. Here’s how.
 
RF Guns Save Time
 
When you’re taking a physical inventory count, you need to work fast, because your productivity is stalled during the counting process. RF guns speed up the process by eliminating manual data entry.
 
Without RF technology, your company most likely creates inventory sheets and then painstakingly enters each storage location and bin number, along with the inventory counts for each.
 
If you have a solution like Sage X3 or Sage 100 with integrated RF guns, your staff simply scans barcodes at each storage location or bin, then uses the gun to key in the number of items counted in that location. This saves the time associated with creating count sheets, writing data down, and then keying it into your WMS or ERP application.
 
RF Guns Reduce Counting Errors
 
Every time a member of your team makes an error during physical inventory, the process is delayed and the accuracy of the count is compromised. And even with a sophisticated business management platform like Sage X3, the manual data entry necessary if you don’t have RF guns leaves plenty of opportunities for errors. Typical errors include:
 
  • Miscounting items.
  • Incorrectly recording a location or bin number.
  • Typos, such as entering a “k” instead of an “j.”
  • Misreading illegible handwriting and, for example, mistaking an “8” for a “3.”
 
While RF guns can’t fully eliminate errors, they reduce the amount of manual labor and the number of times you have to enter data into the system. This substantially lowers the opportunities for errors. In addition, RF gun data enters your software system in real-time, so it’s easier to spot discrepancies and order recounts or investigations without delay.
 
Reduce Your Recounts with RF Technology
 
When you add RF guns to your physical inventory process, your staff can count faster, more accurately, and more proficiently – leaving you with no need for time-wasting recounts. Like any steps you take toward process automation, integrating radio frequency devices and a business management system eliminate inefficiencies and make your operation more productive and profitable.
 
Southeast Computer Solutions can help your company plan, procure, and implement solutions to automate your inventory management processes and improve your bottom line. To learn more about the resources we offer, please visit our website or contact us for more information.
About Southeast Computer Solutions
 
Southeast Computer Solutions is based in Miami, Florida, and has additional operations in Mexico. For over 30 years, we have positively impacted the success of small and mid-sized businesses with effective business management implementations that improve our clients’ operations. We listen, we are accessible, and we care. Learn more by visiting our website or calling 305-556-4697.