Constant technological development of the nowadays world dictates constant emergence of new trends. One of such trends which the nowadays business world has been familiar with for several decades is the technology called Warehouse Management System (WMS). Warehouse management system has a purpose to automate and refine the management of the inventory in a warehouse, warehouse space, the people who work in the warehouse and the time available to accomplish warehouse tasks (Young 2009). In case of correct and thoughtful implementation this system allows for improved productivity, increased customer service and better level of asset utilization.
Warehouse management system is the substitute for the manual warehouse operations which include
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Therefore, the book industry, and in particular book wholesale industry is still flourishing, since they provide possibility to distribute and resell books in smaller quantities than suppliers do.
The wholesalers whose business is connected only to books, journals and newspapers are generally considered to be speciality wholesalers. Speciality wholesaler is the one that specializes in one product line (or a few product lines) but carries the line or lines in considerable depth (MONASH Marketing Dictionary 2004). This type of wholesaler can have products from various suppliers, but the product type or industry is the same. Since the industry is specialized, such book wholesalers have broad knowledge on assortment, trends, and new releases. They have to maintain relationships with different publishers worldwide in order to achieve access to various printed books required by the customers.
For the wholesalers of books the warehouse or distribution center is the most important asset. The main task of wholesalers is to buy the products from various suppliers and resell them to retailers, other wholesalers, businesses or end customers. Therefore, it is crucial to have sufficient place for storing books and processing the orders.
However, various characteristics of book as a product
Inventory is the biggest investment of the business and the performance of the inventory can determine whether the store succeeds or fails. We have chosen a different supply strategy as a method to save on cost. This method will require our publishers to ship books directly to the store which will save on our shipping expenses.
Staff travel, transport and accommodation- Cost of staff travel and associated costs for sales, etc.;
However, Amazon.com made this chain or supply useless. At amazon.com, unlike traditional bookstores, there are no bookshelves to browse. All contact with the costomer is either through its web site or by email. At the firm’s web site, customers can search for a specific book, topic and etc. Customers can browse, fill up a virtual shopping basket, and then complete the sale by
Wal-Mart currently has one of the most advanced inventory management systems due to their use of RFID tracking capabilities. Every product is equipped with a radio frequency identification tag, which identifies the location and type of product in the warehouse. As the product leaves the warehouses, there are readers in place at the door that automatically recognize which products are leaving and entering the warehouse. The benefit of this is that it limits the use of employees better employed elsewhere and has impeccable accuracy, much more accurate and faster than if employees were to take inventory. The service that our product provides is to take this current technology and to implement it at a grocery stores as well as retail in the
Three key challenges facing the Canadian book publishing industry are the concentration in retail market, the competition for multinationals, and the cost of adapting to new technologies and entering the export market. Policy source 14, Summative Evaluation of the Book Publishing Industry Development Industry Program discusses these challenges.
Staff travel, transport and accommodation- Cost of staff travel and associated costs for sales, etc.;
There is strong rivalry in each of the SBUs, there are many big brands including supermarkets and specialists as well as independent retailers and online retailers. There have been in the recent year's considerable price wars on books in an attempt to maintain market share in an increasingly cramped market.
The bookstore chain has been decreasing in profit in the US over the past 20 years. Most of the books retailers are shutting down their operations and only a few are still operating in the country. Barnes and Noble has become the largest bookseller in the book retailers industry. The firm has integrated its business philosophy into web presence though eBook marketplace. This business strategy assisted the firm to be able to reach a large scale customers and remain as a strongest competitor in the book retailing market.
All retailers have a common goal in mind, and that is to make a profit. Companies earn a profit by first connecting customers with products, which can lead to an exchange of product for money. Without the ability to connect customers with products, no money exchange is possible and no profit is earned. It is, therefore, immensely important for retailers to have the right products, in the right quantities, at the right locations, and at the right time. Inventory Management Systems provide companies like L.L.Bean with the necessary information to achieve just that. L.L.Bean’s advanced inventory management system (IMS) connects customers with products, irrespective of the location of the product or the customer (Hoffsess, 2015).
* Colson and Dorigo, (Liviu lliea, 2009) offer an example of a software tool that is built to measure warehouse activities. The criteria measured includes: storage surface and volume, dangerous items, temperature control, storage area separation, distance to transportation locations, certifications, hours of operation, customs assistance, technology integration, equipment handling, and dock activities.
In the 2015 annual report, the company stated their multiple distribution centers “enable it to maximize available discounts and enhance its ability to create marketing programs with many of its vendors” (“Barnes & Noble Inc.”, 2015, p.12). That is crucial as Barnes & Noble has around 600 publishers. The company also has extensive marketing capabilities to connect with their customers. They created partnerships with Samsung, the producer of the NOOK, to increase marketing funds and be able to customize emails to consumers (“Barnes & Noble Inc.”, 2015, p.16). Therefore, they are capable of reaching a large audience of book readers and enticing them to purchase more items.
When it comes to a person wanting to choose an outlet that they can use to buy or rent books there are a few key factors that come into play. Chris McMullen gave an insight of how authors get their books to sell. He explains that when it comes to customers wanting to buy a book there are certain actions that need to be taken and can potentially help with online business that sell books. Two key point questions that McMullen asked were, “1. What cause(s) people to buy books? And 2. Who is your specific target audience?” (McMullen, 2013). He explains that if knowing the answers can have a great impact when trying to attract customers. When it comes to shopping online the method that is used more than any other, is the 100 bestseller lists. The reason why this method is used the most is because customers look to see what’s popular and trending.
Auto Identification techniques and Warehouse Management systems (WMS) are playing a crucial role in success of supply chains like retail, e-commerce, auto-industry, manufacturing etc. by reducing the transaction process time, efficient inventory control, security and tracking. Barcodes is the most widely used Auto-identification techniques. Recently RFID has gain importance in tracking the objects, paper less good receipts. With major application focus on inventory tracking, security access control, implementation of Auto-ids, replenishment systems, smooth dispatching and integration through ERPs Warehousing Management systems gaining success in reducing the lead time.
Nowadays, in an era that has advanced technology and a place in the world. Everything can be linked only at your fingertips in the times of rapidly developing with the sophisticated technology of today. Therefore, an inventory system is also not lagging behind in introducing a method of keeping an inventory data systematically and safely. The system plays a very important role in improving the competitiveness of a business. Usually, organizations today face too many challenges to achieve the cost, speed and reliability. Efficient inventory system really help in order to make sure the store’s performance and data record is always in good condition and secured from abusers. The system basically to ease the admin to manage the
1-In order for Barnes and Nobles to use the Value Chain and Competitive Force Models they needed to be ingenious with their tactics. First, publishers are on B&N side and they are doing everything to make sure that B&N stay at float because they are basically their “bread and butter”. So B&N is securing supplier intimacy with the publishing companies which will lead to strengthening its loyalty relationship with its customer in the store and digitally. Second they are securing their niche in the market, they are doing this by having the stores advertise and communicate to their customer that a there is a specific book that “is a big deal” and B&N is offering an extensive inventory of physical books and it enhance its core competency. Microsoft announced in 2012 that they would be investing $300 million in B&N Nook tablet, e-reader business and its college division. This will enable them to included Windows 8 operating system in Nooks application; this is a space where it will have a product differentiate.