The UK’s manufacturing sector has been a significant adopter of advanced WMS and inventory management systems, which has helped the country maintain its position as a key player in global manufacturing. In 2023, the UK’s manufacturing output reached £224 billion, making it one of the top ten manufacturing countries globally (Make UK is the new name for EEF).
Manufacturers face the daunting task of managing large customer orders efficiently. The sheer size of customer orders can make manufacturing B2B fulfilment a huge challenge.
Unlike B2C order fulfilment, B2B fulfilment usually deals with bulk orders. These substantial product volumes directly impact storage and management costs and can dramatically increase the risk of errors.
Adopting a warehouse management and integrated order management system is a crucial decision for guaranteeing accurate and timely order processing.
Integrating Technology with Manufacturing B2B Fulfilment
Whether manufacturing is conducted in-house or outsourced, it is vital that the manufacturing process is integrated seamlessly with the warehouse and B2B sales order operations.
The key to mastering manufacturing B2B fulfilment is integrating technology within a single platform, allowing real-time inventory tracking and giving you complete control over your stock. This reduces errors, ensuring accurate and optimum stock levels on all channel and locations. With a focus on automating such processes, this technology enables manufacturing, warehousing and B2B sales to work in harmony and deliver the optimal result – an efficient and error-free fulfilment process.
Accenture’s research indicates that automation, has become a crucial component in B2B manufacturing. By automating repetitive tasks, companies can free up human talent to focus on more complex, innovative work. This results in better decision-making and organisational change, fostering growth and efficiency in the manufacturing sector (Accenture, 2023)Synchronising Manufacturing and Warehouse Processes.
Integrating manufacturing and warehouse processes ensures raw materials are available when needed and finished goods are quickly stored and ready for distribution. Automated scheduling of manufacturing runs can create pick lists for the warehouse team, ensuring smooth production without delays. This real-time connection automates operations, reduces waste and increases productivity.
Once goods are manufactured, they can be received into the warehouse. A robust system should facilitate the recording of variances, yields, reject rates and actual manufactured unit costs. This detailed reporting is essential for maintaining inventory accuracy, identifying areas for improvement in the manufacturing process and ensuring that any issues are promptly addressed.
Financial Management and Auto Cost Updating
Accurate tracking and reporting are vital for financial management. Capturing actual manufacturing costs through reports and dashboards helps businesses understand production expenses and make informed decisions about pricing, budgeting and forecasting.
Auto Cost Updating for B2B Sales
The actual manufactured costs should automatically update the trade pricing for the B2B sales team. This calculation should consider cost price, margin and any other additional costs. By maintaining up-to-date pricing information, the sales team can ensure competitive and profitable pricing strategies.
Real-time updates also help in quickly responding to market changes, customer inquiries and negotiating deals, which enhancing customer satisfaction and helps grow your sales.
Streamlining Operations with Integrated Systems
An integrated system that manages goods-in, whether raw materials or finished manufactured products and connects with B2B sales channels in real-time is essential. This approach not only simplifies the tech stack but also automates processes, reduces human intervention and minimises errors.
By linking all these elements with an accounting platform, businesses can achieve a streamlined operation where financials are always up-to-date, inventory levels are accurate and the sales team always has access to the latest financial and stock data.
This interconnected approach makes better decisions, improved resource management and the ability to scale your business.
Any the Good News is?… Stok.ly does all this!
Stok.ly integrates manufacturing, warehousing and B2B sales all in one system.
By managing both in-house and outsourced manufacturing, Stok.ly ensures a seamless flow of materials and information across all stages, leading to significant operational improvements. With its warehouse management and integrated order management system, Stok.ly simplifies the tech stack, automates processes and effortlessly scales B2B operations – ultimately driving your business growth.
The fulfilment and dispatch operations in the B2B manufacturing sector benefit significantly from advanced WMS and inventory management systems. Features like automated order picking, real-time order tracking, and optimized dispatch schedules are crucial for meeting B2B customer expectations for timely and accurate deliveries. This trend has been particularly highlighted in the 2023 market analysis by Grand View Research (Grand View Research).
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Author: Iain Coplans CEO Stok.ly