Steve Birch provides an in-depth, incisive look at the importance of stock control, and points out that nearly half of all small businesses don’t track their stock levels or use manual processes to do so.

WHAT is stock control? Stock control is the process of knowing how much stock you have available to you at any given time, as well as the methods you have in place to keep track of stock. The term stock refers to any single item that you use as part of your product or service; ranging from raw materials to finished goods.

Did you know more than 43% of small businesses don’t track their stock levels or use manual processes to do so? This is an alarming statistic because effective stock management is crucial for any successful business. Like a stone being dropped into a pond, poor stock management will send ripples of repercussions throughout your business.

Having stock sit idly on the shelves will pile up the storage and maintenance costs, risk wastage and even be susceptible to theft from staff. Conversely, not having enough stock will put your business on the backfoot as you won’t be able to keep up with sales, forcing customers to purchase from your competitors. What does all this have in common? Lost profits.

Effective stock management is the linchpin of success for any business and its importance is growing. As we enter the exciting new digital era, businesses now have to fight it out in an arena of exceptionally high standards. All it takes is a mere whiff of intrigue and a few buttons pressed on the smartphone to receive a product within 24 hours.

Here at ADP we have 50 years of combined knowledge and experience in the distribution industry, we now offer a cost-effective and efficient order fulfilment service including warehouse and inventory management.

Our convenient fulfilment centre in central England and excellent warehouse management and tracking systems support our fully trained staff in giving you the very best order fulfilment service available.
As a trusted fulfilment centre in the UK, here are just a few other things that we offer:

• Fulfilment solutions – same day, overnight and international
• Warehouse and Inventory Management
• Excellent customer service
• Fully tracked delivery options
• Easy online ordering

Why choose a fulfilment service?
With ADP Distribution, we optimise your eCommerce fulfilment order processes while you can focus on increasing your profits. You can now forget about spending long, tedious hours packing parcels, keeping track of all the support tickets and overseeing all things at once. With a fulfilment service, you only have to focus on maximising your profits, while we take care of your orders – from the moment someone orders from your shop, to the delivery stage.

• When orders keep coming, we’re already taking care of them
• We love being fast and accurate and your customers will come back to you again for a smooth customer service
• Stock control and inventory management won’t be a problem for you – we make sure everything is where it’s supposed to be

The benefits of choosing our fulfilment solutions
Choosing the right company can be difficult: you want someone who can be reliable, fast, accurate and simplify your internal processes. Price could also be something that you’re concerned with but at ADP Distribution, we offer top quality services for affordable prices. Regardless of where your business is, we can help you with your journey:

1. Warehouse and inventory management
Big or small, we’re going to safely store your items at our warehouse. We are also going to track the availability of your items, making stock and inventory management easier for you. This will ensure that you don’t underperform, and your customers will get exactly what you promised.

2. Monitoring your orders
Once a customer has placed an order, our software will notify us and we will take it from there.

3. Fast pick and pack service
At our fulfilment centre, we pride ourselves on providing high standards services and our expert team will start preparing your orders. This means we take the right item and pack it nicely, using high-quality packaging.

4. Distribution and delivery  
With ADP Distribution, you increase your delivery performance while offering a unique customer experience. Once an order is ready to be dispatched, your customers will get a notification that they should expect their order.

5. Returns
To make things even more accessible for you, we offer a reliable product return service that allows you to have accurate product availability and improve your sales channels.
The difference between businesses with effective stock control and those without it is like night and day. We’re now in an age where technological innovation and digital processes are at the heart of every business.

Customers expect businesses to provide instant solutions to their problems in the form of a product or a service. Profitable businesses are the ones able to meet these demands without having to tie up their cash flow from overstocking their products.

Not being able to match these expectations because of issues relating to inventory management will reflect badly on your brand by making you seem incompetent and untrustworthy, a sure way to stay behind your competitors.

However, a firm grip on the movement of your stock is the secret to having a more agile, responsive and successful business, this is where ADP can help.
Steve Birch is managing director at ADP Distribution