Inventory Management Articles

While schools don't have traditional customers they do carry a large investment in resource inventory and can benefit through some simple inventory management practices.

One might think the last institution that would need automated inventory organization would be a high school or university. Isn't the old chalk and blackboard and pen and paper system adequate? There are no "sales" in school, so what would be the purpose of entering in inventory?

You might be surprised at how many schools already use some sort of inventory managing system. The more you realize just how expensive running a school can be, the more you will value the idea of inventory management software, an investment in organization - not sales. After all, every school keeps track of fixed assets, training materials, items for students, and other stock that must be accounted for so that finances can be accurately tracked. Furthermore, keeping track of all these numbers and items would be a very complex and time-consuming project if it were done by hand - and particularly if all of this information was recorded only on pen and paper.

Why Automating Helps

Having a complete picture of your finances and your assets in inventory helps a manager to better organize and maintain a company. In the case of a school, you're oftentimes dealing with other people's money and so accounting for every dollar and cent is essential. Keeping a computer-calculated budget (complete with simple and customizable reports) allows you to maximize your savings and immediately control debt. You can even use a software program like iMagic to project costs for future purchases. You will have quick and easy access to the most important information that is always being requested by government workers, private investors, and students.

Also consider that many schools do remote business, and may actually operate out of a few different campuses. Managing inventory in this case would be impossible unless there was a system capable of managing several locations at once and yet still able to generate district-wide reports on all of these items, advanced software like iMagic offers this level of sophistication.

Convenience Makes the Investment Worthwhile

Automated software cannot only store this entire inventory, but also can assist you in improving administrative productivity and maintenance, and reduce instances of lost inventory. When everything is tracked, nothing "disappears". You can also track items by receipts, transfers, and adjustments.

One of the modern conveniences of software like iMagic is the barcode system, which allows you to store and track items by simply scanning the barcode or manually entering the set of numbers printed on the code. Additional tasks the software can handle includes sending supplies based on set allocation for classrooms, managing incoming requests, and automatically ordering new supplies and tools whenever stock levels shrink.

Remember that an investment in software is an investment in optimal time management. How many times will a school be asked to quickly provide information on finances from auditors or a superintendent? The iMagic system doesn't just record the cost and placement of school inventory, but can even report on its usage: that is, who had the item last, its current tracked location, and what condition it is in after each and every move.

This is a manager's tool, a virtual assistant that can ensure the school's items are organized and accounted for every day of the week. If you have authority over a public or private institution, then you are responsible for controlling costs and keeping track of all assets. Don't take a chance, keep management tightly controlled so that your school can be exemplary in organization and prompt in communication.