Tired of manual materials tracking and outdated spreadsheets? Mobile inventory management software allows you to track stock anywhere in real time with a user-friendly smartphone app (iOS or Android). Eliminate the need for expensive barcode scanners and spreadsheets, and experience significant improvement in the efficiency and productivity. A mobile app simplifies field materials tracking, minimizes errors with barcode or QR code scanning, and is linked to a cloud software for the real time updates.
What Is Mobile Inventory Management Software
A mobile inventory management software is a system that consists of:- A smartphone app for field and warehouse inventory tracking with barcode or QR code scanning.
- A cloud software that stores and distributes real time data and produces reports.
With the mobile inventory management software you can track supplies and materials in real time from anywhere, and always have access to the live data. Avoid wasted time, double entries, outdated data and errors associated with the manual tracking.
Mobile inventory management system is especially helpful for field service and construction businesses, who have supplies and materials on the multiple dispersed job sites and on the service trucks. A smartphone app allows them to record stock updates on the spot, in the field or on the job site, and instantly update data in the central database.
Real time data allows you to optimize stock, avoid over stocking or shortages, prevent delays, do a better demand forecasing and purchase planning, greatly improving your efficiency and ROI. Mobile inventory management software puts you in control of your stock, transforming it from a burden to a strategic advantage.
Top Benefits Of A Mobile Inventory Software
Boost efficiency and accuracy with the mobile app linked to a cloud software.A mobile inventory management system allows businesses to replace outdated manual processes and spreadsheets with the user-friendly apps on smartphones or tablets. Smartphone apps give users options that were not available with the traditional hardware. In addition to barcode or QR code scanning, you can scan more advanced tags, such as NFC or BLE, take photos for visual documentation, capture signatures, capture GPS location, fill out forms, and more. Here's how a mobile inventory management system can transform your process:
- Real time data Instantly access accurate stock data, eliminating the need for manual updates and ensuring everyone has the latest information. This can save hours per week previously spent on manual entries and reconciliation.
- Cloud connectivity A mobile app is connected to the back end cloud software. This creates a centralized inventory system with real time data access for all software users.
- Improved Efficiency A smartphone app streamlines inventory management tasks, saving time and effort as compared to the traditional methods. These tasks include stock checks, recording materials receiving, transfering and usage, inventory counts, and more.
- Improved accuracy By eliminating manual data entry and automating tasks, mobile inventory management software minimize errors that can occur with manual processes.
- Collaboration and data sharing. Mobile inventory management system facilitates connection and real time data sharing among various teams within a business: warehouse personnel, field technicians, managers and office employees. Such collaboration, in turn, improves work efficiency and ensures that all team members are on the same page.
Types Of Mobile Inventory Management Systems
Mobile-Optimized Inventory Software
If you are subscribed to a web based inventory management software, you can likely use it on a tablet without any special changes. However, if you want to use a web based inventory management system on a smartphone and the web pages are not mobile-optimized, the software will be very hard or impossible to work with.Some software vendors solve this problem by providing a mobile-optimized software version. If this is the case, you will get the same functionality in the mobile and desktop versions of the software. You will need to use a smartphone browser to access the inventory management application, type in a web address or use a bookmark. Importantly, you will not be able to take advantage of the smartphone hardware capabilities that are useful for the field inventory management. These capabilities include barcode and QR code scanning, taking photos, capturing GPS location and collecting electronic signatures, just to name a few.
Native Mobile App For Inventory Management
Native mobile apps are written for a specific smartphone platform (Android, iOS, windows phones). You download native applications from a respective application store (Apple App Store, Google Play). Once the mobile app is downloaded to your device you can open it by clicking on its icon. Native mobile apps tend to be faster and more responsive than the mobile-optimized web sites. There are several types of the inventory management mobile apps that you can encounter.Hybrid Inventory Mobile App
Hybrid applications generally mix native functionality with the mobile-optimized web pages embedded in the application frame. Some inventory management mobile apps will simply include mobile-optimized web site into the framework of a native application, without including any native functionality. In essence such application works as a mobile-optimized web site. The only difference is that you will download a mobile app from the respective application store and open it by clicking on the icon.You may encounter quite a few inventory management mobile apps like this. It is simply much easier and cheaper to produce a mobile-optimized version of a web based software and embed it in a native application "frame" on all smartphone platforms. As with the mobile-optimized web sites, these apps will usually lack native smartphone hardware capabilities.
Stand Alone Native Mobile App For Inventory Management
Stand alone inventory management mobile apps are the ones that you can download and use on their own. They are not connected to a cloud software or a central database. Due to the absence of the server-based capabilities these mobile apps are very basic, and cannot cover the needs of an average business. They can suit a single person company which needs very limited options, such as entering data into the system and updating stock count.It is also important to understand that although it is convenient to be able to enter and lookup stock levels on a smartphone, some functions of the inventory management software are simply not suitable for the smartphone app.
Functions such as reports, system set up and data import / export require large data entries, and are better suited for the office computer with a big screen and a keyboard. Stand alone mobile apps also have the same drawback as the desktop inventory management systems - lack of collaboration and data sharing. Data are entered and accessed by a single person on his smartphone, and are not accessible by other team members.
Native Inventory Mobile Apps Linked To A Cloud Software
The best and most effective approach for the teams is a centralized inventory management system with a cloud software and a mobile app. It is best when an inventory management mobile app has its own functionality, and does not simply copy web based interface of a cloud software to the mobile device. A mobile app works best for the field employees who handle supplies, materials and equipment. It gives them a tool to quickly record materials and parts deliveries and usage, check stock, access equipment specs and fill out forms. These functions naturally belong to the mobile app on a smartphone. Smartphones' capabilities of the QR code or barcode scanning, taking photos, capturing GPS location, capturing signature, sending data to the cloud and availability of the mobile forms for data collection are all used to enable real time efficient asset and inventory tracking.Functions that are usually done in the office - setting up the inventory management system, importing / exporting data, reviewing reports - are done using a cloud software web dashboard.
Such centralized inventory management systems work effectively for both field and office employees, and provide an opportunity for the real time data sharing and collaboration.
Mobile Inventory Management In The QR Inventory Software
A QR Inventory software provides a centralized inventory management platform. All devices in use by the company employees - smartphones, tablets and office computers - are linked to a central cloud database. This allows for the real time data updates and look up by all team members.
How QR Inventory Software Streamlines Inventory Management Tasks
A QR inventory software streamlines inventory management tasks by avoiding redundancy. It perfors each task on a most suitable platform, instead of repeating the functionality of a cloud software in the mobile app. A mobile app is used by field employees for supplies and materials tracking and data access. A cloud software provides a central hub for the office staff. They use it for system setup, managing user permissions, and generating real time, historic and statistical reports.QR Inventory Mobile App
Here are the tasks that field and warehouse employees can perform using a smartphone app:- Materials tracking Recording materials receiving, transfer, and usage with the QR code or barcode scanning.
- Stock check Check stock of supplies and materials in all locations with a QR code scan.
- Check equipment specs Check equipment specs, images, documents and past service records with a QR code scan. They can instantly get all info on the equipment they need to perform their job.
- Fill out forms Fill out all types of field paperwork, such as equipment maintenance forms, quality control forms, inspection checklists, field daily logs and reports, safety audits, and more.
- Place materials orders Order supplies and materials to the job site in the smartphone app. Track order fulfillment and job site deliveries.
- Inventory count Reconcile stock by performing periodic inventory counts. It is fast and efficient with the mobile app and QR code scanning.
QR Inventory Cloud Software
Administrators use a cloud software web interface on the office computers for the administrative tasks, such as:- Software setup Setting up software based on the company needs and workflow.
- Data import Importing initial data, such as inventory list, current stock, locations and users of the system.
- Managing users Managing users of the system and their privileges.
- Reviewing reports Reviewing real time, historic and analytical reports for better decision making and useful insights.
- Checking and approving field materials orders Field requisition orders submitted via a mobile app go through the approval and fulfillment process.
- Reviewing completed forms Review forms completed in the field, such as equipment maintenance logs, with the option to add or edit data.
QR Inventory Mobile App and Cloud Software Features
A QR Inventory software and a mobile app has just the right set of features to get the job done.Main Features Of Inventory Management Mobile App
- Barcode and QR code scanning
- NFC and BLE tags scanning
- Batch inventory processing
- Custom data entry
- Capture images and sigatures
- Obtain GPS location
- Create pdf documents, email them from the smarphone
- Order supplies and materials
- Check stock
- Check equipment details with a QR code scan
- Do inventory count and asset audits
- Fill out maintenance logs and other forms
- Check and complete equipment work orders
- and more
Main Features Of Inventory Management Cloud Software
- Set up a software system
- Create custom fields and properties
- Create custom inventory transactions
- Import and export data
- Review reports and completed forms
- Create and dispatch equipment work orders
- Update completed mobile forms
- Manage software users
- Manage bill of materials and assemblies
- Review traceability reports
- Check and process field materials orders
- Create pdf documents, email them internally, to the clients or external auditors
- and more
Inventory management and asset tracking with mobile devices and barcode scanning.
Track inventory and assets in the field, warehouse or office in real time. Always know what you
have in stock, where your assets are, what projects they were used for. Review usage history and trends,
analyze data to improve business process.
Mobile data collection and workflow tracking. Collect data in the field, on the shop floor or
on the job sites using mobile forms. Link mobile forms to your process / workflow. Store
digital documents in the secure cloud, give all stakeholders immediate access to collected data from anywhere.
Physical inventory count and asset audits. Do planned and ad hoc counts using mobile devices for barcode scanning.
Complete inventory counts and asset audits in
hours rather than days or weeks, eliminate errors and miscounts. Immediately identify discrepancies with "on the books" inventory.