6 tips to ensure your real-time system is genuine

by Guest Posting on 2010-10-29 00:44:07

By Mike McCarthy, Director - Sales & Service eStock (NZ) Limited.

Phony real-time systems are a common but costly trap for business.

For those in the warehouse management business there is an emerging trap to look out for, and that’s the difference between real-time systems and data syncing – getting it wrong could lead to some costly and embarrassing outcomes.

Real-time refers to an online interface directly connected to a Warehouse Management System (WMS).

When an order is processed online, or manually from within the WMS, in real-time the stock on hand will instantly count down online. However, a system that counts down is not necessarily operating in real-time.

The most common, not to mention the cheapest, method of managing online orders is with data syncing. Orders are received and are synced with the WMS either nightly or during the day.  The idea is to ensure the stock held within the WMS is reflected as accurately as possible online.

This can be a trap for those looking for real-time systems as web developers can simply enable a function called “stock countdown”.

The potential for problems when syncing includes users ordering stock that is in fact no longer available, delays in dispatch and in data changes as well as in reporting times.

Real-time ordering means the user can be 100% confident a product listed as available, is indeed available. If the user orders the product seen online, that product will be dispatched.

Real-time reporting means administration reports include all orders up to the second of reporting. When products are added or pricing, descriptions or inward goods are updated, real-time data ensures the WMS online data is also instantly updated.

With real-time ordering any inbound phone, fax and email orders received, and entered manually, are reflected online and stock on hand is instantly adjusted. Real-time Inventory Management means stock the warehouse manager is working with is exactly the same as that shown online.

How to spot a phony real-time system

There are a few tricks you can try to test a system you suspect may not be real-time.

1. First check whether the WMS is linked directly to the internet.

2. Next you will need to phone the person charged with updates and request a change to a product name. If the change does not happen instantly, it’s likely the system is syncing.

3. Now phone and ask for a manual order and request an order reference along with a copy of the packing slip. If the company can not provide you with a copy of the packing slip then it is possible the packing slips are being generated when the stock is being pulled from the WMS. This is not real-time.

4. If you are unable to see your order history instantly – even while it is being processed – the system is syncing.

5. If you download a report and your current order history is not showing, your order is waiting to sync.

6. If the online order reference does not match that of the packing slip you receive, your order is probably being re-processed in the warehouse and therefore not in Real-time.

www.estocknz.com

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About eStock (NZ) Limited

eStock is a relational database driven application that makes it very easy to manage, control and manipulate data into reports. There is no limit to how many customers or products are added and the product carries out measures to ensure reporting maintains its integrity.

“We are developers, not resellers. Therefore we control development, therefore we can ensure the system evolves in line with your business needs.” – Mike McCarthy

Contact

Mike McCarthy
Director - Sales & Service
eStock (NZ) Limited
Email: mike@estock.co.nz

ph: 09 377 2423 - cell: 021 364848
http://www.estocknz.com