Every business has a stockroom to take care of. However, not every business will take care of that stockroom effectively. It might feel OK to throw things in and take them out when they’ve been bought and ordered, but you’re going to lose stock, waste resources, and eventually run out of money when doing so. 

That’s why you need to know about the most common and disruptive stockroom issues before you’ve really built one. Your business can thrive off of well organized stock shelves, but without a bit of time and effort developing your system, that will never be able to happen. So, let’s make sure you’ve got your eye on the ball and make stockroom management easier. 

You Need a Reliable Inventory List

Inventory should be taken at least once a month. If you can, once a week would be better, but we know time is money in the business world. But what you’re really looking for here is a schedule that ensures you always know what’s in your stockroom, in what quantity, and how much you paid for it all. 

This way you’ll keep proper track of what you’ve invested and what you’re likely to lose if that stock doesn’t sell, goes bad, or gets forgotten about. Make sure you also note down when things were ordered, so you can rotate stock to ensure the oldest goes first. 

It May Become Overcrowded

A busy stockroom is a business owner’s worst enemy. Your stockroom needs to be neat and orderly, and if there are boxes all over the floor and no labels on the shelves, it’ll never quite be that. Organization needs to start in your supply chain. 

Don’t let your inventory become overcrowded. You’ll never find anything and you’ll end up overstocking. You’ll also spend far too many weekends in there trying to arrange things to suit your purposes better! 

It Could Take Too Long to Refill Your Supply

Supply chain issues plague any and all businesses at times, but some can suffer more than others. Indeed, on the average high street, it’s the boutique shops that tend to struggle with an issue like this the most. Vintage stores, antique shops, and clothing retailers alike can all have a hard time sourcing new items to sell, and each will have to take a unique approach to the problem. 

The latter can invest in wholesale dresses, other casual pieces, and accessories from a reliable supplier – of course, as long as they can find one. But any business owner who has a ‘limited supply’ will need to do plenty of research, attract incoming items from passing clients, and attend events like auctions as often as possible. However, this will take a lot of time out of the schedule and will need plenty of pre-planning! 

If you’re not careful, your stockroom could end up a real mess. Make sure you have a proper inventory to follow, work with a timely supplier, and don’t ever let overcrowding occur.