In this article, you will learn how to improve communication with your team to increase inventory accuracy, by following these four tips:
- Role clarity and expectation
- Right tools and Channels
- Feedback and Collaboration
- Training and coaching
As you know customer satisfaction is anchored on complete and accurate fulfilment of orders. You’re required to communicate effectively with your team to reach this level of operational efficiency in a complex and fast changing environment
Role clarity and expectation
Defining what is expected from each team member creates a clear line of responsibility for accomplishing a task, which includes the procedure they need to follow and the reporting format. By clarifying this, you reduce the chances of confusion, duplication of tasks and ensure that everyone in the team knows what is required of them at any point in time and why they are doing what. This division has helped managers set clear goals and deadlines for Stock checks, counting, scanning, and updating inventory records as well as assign categories and delineate zones amongst team members.
Right tools and Channels
It important to note that communication is highly effective if you make a good choice of tools or use a suitable channel of communication in a given situation. A good inventory management system makes sufficient provision for both tools and channels. It also outlines how these sub-systems work and the pros and cons. The warehouse management system WMS should always be used to track inventory levels, stock movement and locations while communication gadgets like phone, radios and tablets should be used to give instructions, alerts and provide feedback from the work floor.
However, a basic orientation training should provide the advantages and disadvantages of each tool and channel as well as determine the most appropriate one for the message and audience. It’s important to know that urgent and complex issues should be communicated orally/face-to-face and should not be done by text message or email.
Feedback and Collaboration
Holding regular team meetings or huddle sessions to discuss inventory process improvements and challenges gives a manager the opportunity to solicit feedback and use the feedback to improve the process. The transparency in this process creates a culture of openness and trust, where team members can share their ideas, opinions, concerns, and receive constructive feedback as well as rewards/recognitions. Sometimes, the synergy on the teams give rise to more cross-functional team collaboration on specific inventory projects to foster innovations.
Training and coaching
Communication is most effective when you know exactly what to do and how to it. In effect, training and coaching in inventory control domain are major pillar of learning to build competence and confidence. As inventory professionals they rely on best practises and techniques to do their job, this means they need the necessary knowledge, skills, and tools to perform their tasks accurately and effectively. Maybe it would be a good practise to offer routine refresher training workshops on the following knowledge areas;
- How to use warehouse management systems (WMS).
- How to conduct cycle counts and stock audit.
- How to handle inventory discrepancies.
- How to deal with damages and returns.
- How to communicate clearly and concisely.