It’s widely acknowledged that inventory stock accounts for a considerable portion of a business’s assets. A company’s greatest resource however, is not as easily recognised and much harder to measure.
That resource of course, is your staff and the contribution they make to your organisation. So how do you connect the two to get the most benefit from your primary asset and your primary resource?
Training
Having good, competent staff can make all the difference to a company’s success. Inventory management training equips your employees with the latest ideas and best practice methods of inventory control. Providing your employees with inventory management training is essential if the objectives of an organisation are to be suitably met. By investing in inventory training, you can ensure that your employees are being given the necessary tools to do their jobs effectively. Training helps staff to improve their knowledge, skills and capabilities, enhancing their overall efficiency and reducing inventory waste. This in turn will lead to greater quality performance. Successful training can also accelerate the dissemination of information as it teaches staff how to optimise inventory control processes and to proactively respond to the dynamic trends of consumer demand. Similarly, proper training will guarantee that staff are correctly taught in and understand the company’s inventory control practises and procedures. This makes it easier to enforce company policies, undertake assessments and to facilitate prompt action when compliance is not meet.Life-long Learning
We are all aware of how rapidly technology changes and updates, making it necessary to maintain staff training in line with these variances. If you are implementing new inventory control software, or updating versions of existing software programs, then it is important for training to be provided in response to these changes. In fact, training should never be a one-off but as a continual process within your business operations. Providing ongoing professional development opportunities allows staff to refresh their skills, to retrain or to update their competencies and experience.The Benefits of Well-Trained Staff
Effective inventory control is at the heart of supply chain excellence. The benefits of proper guidance and training is ultimately to manage inventories effectively in terms of stock levels, operational efficiencies and customer service delivery. Inventory management training makes good business sense because it improves the productivity and efficiency of your employees. Properly trained staff are not only more capable, but less likely to cause accidents or make costly mistakes. A well-trained employee is better acquainted with the intricacies of their job and will require less supervision, allowing employers to redirect time and effort into other areas. In addition, training has been shown to improve an employee’s job satisfaction and boost morale because access to training makes employees feel more valued and appreciated. For the business, it is a vital part of succession planning, trained employees feel better prepared to step up and take on new responsibilities of the job.The Key to Success?
Staff training is crucial to the success and growth of any endeavour and should be a key component of any business strategy. With a perfectly performing inventory system, operated by your perfectly trained staff the result will be quickly evident; increased inventory turnover, reduced operational costs and ultimately greater profitability. Achieving best practise inventory management increases your capacity to maximise financial performance and customer service expertise. Done well, it can provide a powerful competitive advantage for your business.Want to learn more about inventory management?
Read our comprehensive guide