In conversations around the challenges of inventory control, two common themes that tend to pop up are limited visibility and inventory loss. Difficulty finding the right stock fuels inefficiencies in the warehouse, while the manual mishandling of stock can lead to irreversible damage. While the scenarios are unique, a less productive and less profitable supply chain is the end-all result.

Compounded by the supply chain disruptions of the COVID-19 pandemic, companies are under pressure to find ways to improve inventory control and maintain efficient warehouse operations. While this need has sparked investments in technology to maintain better oversight of inventory, there’s also the case to be built for tangible products that support streamlined operations on the warehouse floor.

This leads us to the focus of today’s blog post: custom-designed inventory control cases.

How Inventory Control Cases Provide Better Visibility

Sifting through rows and rows of stock in a warehouse is a less-than-ideal way for personnel to locate what they need. These physical checks not only tack on unnecessary labor costs and can delay shipments, but the burdensome process can create dissatisfaction among employees.

To put this into perspective, 64% of companies reported their operations personnel conducted at least one search for assets or inventory each day, while 27% performed over 10 searches a day. Of these companies, 47% said the searches take up to one hour. To that end, if a worker spent just 10 minutes a day searching for required items, they would lose the equivalent of a 40-hour work week.

With color-coded inventory control cases, personnel can more easily identify stock at a glance. For instance, if you have an automotive part that comes in three sizes, you can denote each by a unique colored case. That way, individuals can quickly pull the size they need from warehouse shelves, as well as have visual cues into the part sizes that have low stock levels and those with an excess of inventory. 

How Inventory Control Cases Reduce Inventory Loss

Product damage at any point in the supply chain comes with a significant price tag. In the case of warehouses and distribution centers, product loss can cost up to $3.20 per pallet each year.

One of the easiest ways to reduce product loss in warehouses is to minimize manual handling. The same custom-colored cases that house your inventory can also act as a buffer between the hands of personnel and the product itself. While a better grip on the product lowers the potential for accidental drops, the case also functions as a barrier for products that are highly sensitive to the impact of scratches and debris — with medical instruments and implants as two examples.

Let Cases By Source Help Improve Your Inventory Control

The COVID-19 pandemic has altered nearly every part of the supply chain, including the way that businesses manage inventory. While lean manufacturing remains a best practice, we’ve seen companies invest in more stock to have on-hand as a backup measure, and that means more inventory for personnel to oversee.

At Cases By Source, we enable more effective inventory management in a few different ways. 

The first is by designing and manufacturing custom cases for production and warehouse floors. Built for both durability and ease of transport, these color-coded storage cases make it easy for personnel to locate respective inventory and move it safely from one place to another.

Alongside our custom case solutions, we also offer customers warehouse and logistics support. From blanketed releases to just-in-time production to vendor-managed inventory, we’ll work with you to ensure you have the right number of cases on-hand to support your needs, without compromising your budget or taking up unnecessary warehouse real estate.

To learn more about how we can support your inventory management processes, request a free consultation today.