Lost Pine’s Outfitter’s (LPO) has come to my company to ask for help in clearing up discrepancies in

their inventory systems as well as speed up the processing of orders via the computer in the warehouse.

Attached you will see a visual aid that will show you the current situation for LPO. I will also go over my

ideas on how to make LPO’s systems more fluid and organized.

Currently LPO’s system is such that the LPO’s retail location is drawing directly from the warehouse that

also happens to serve LPO Online. All of the LOP’s retail location purchases are tracked through LPO’s

point of sale system and at the beginning of each week, the manager of LPO’s retail store collects

information from retail sales and updates inventory in LPO’s warehouse database. However, the

company’s CEO has noticed that there are frequent discrepancies between LPO’s inventory database and

the inventory tracking system at the retail store. Seeing as information is not regularly communicated, the

buyer(s) is unable to regularly purchase inventory while having the most up-to-date information.

However, there is one thing that LPO retail store does that sets them apart from other’s in this field is that

the associates working in LPO’s retail stores also send cards and coupon offers to members of LPO’s

loyalty program, which is only offered in their retail store.

So, because the store’s inventory is not updating as frequently as it should thus problems arise with

buyers not being able to make purchases due to not having a full and up to date inventory to choose from.

In order to make this system more proficient and to set up a real time system the company would need to

do the following. Because the store uses for tracking purchases via a point of sale to also include

software that sends that information to the warehouse which automatically updates the inventory system.

This system would send the inventory information via a VPN link to the warehouse. Also, it would be a

good idea to have the cash registers to send purchase information every time a purchase is made at the

register so as to keep the inventory up to date at the warehouse and in the retail stores systems. By doing

this the buyer will have current and up to date information anytime they need to make a purchase. This

would be done by accessing the same server that the warehouse and retail store would use and access that

same VPN to send the information to the warehouse’s inventory system.

Meanwhile the warehouse has been having issues with efficiency. They have a single computer on which

ALL the workers utilize throughout the day thus slowing down the ability of the workers to process

orders. I would recommend that the warehouse would get more computers. These computers would each

run all the same programs as the original computer had. By doing this multiple people will have access to

any of the programs that they would have originally only had access to on a single computer. These

computers, in turn, will all be connected to the server that is located in the warehouse. The computers

would send all information to the server, so that as with the retail and inventory computers, it would allow

everyone to have access to all the same inventory information. Doing this would cut down on delays in

processing orders because there would be more access, as a whole, within the warehouse due to more

accessibility.

My professional opinion is that as this company grows it needs to expand its technology in order to keep

up with the demand that will be on their inventory. By doing this they will have a much smoother process

in ordering, receiving and processing inventory.

Having multiple computers at the warehouse that all run the same programs and update the same server

would help out the warehouse workers immensely. Having a computer system at the retail center that not

only does the point of sales inventory but updates real time the inventory from the store to the warehouse

directly, will allow buyers to know what is in stock in the store at all times. There would be no second

guessing as there is now. Also, having the registers track the store inventory as purchases are made will

allow the warehouse to know what the store will need and allow them to have the potential order for the

retail store ready and on hand for when it is needed.

 Items in
Inventory
Inventory for
Retail site

Store
Purchases are
tracked
WAREHOUSE
through a
Point of Sales
(POS) system
Incoming
Orders

Department
(where items RETAIL LOCATION
are needed)

Pull Inventory
Fulfilment
Package Items Associates
for shipping send cards and
through USPS coupon offers
and assigned to member of
tracking LOP͛s Loyalty
number program
Associate (Offered in
manually associate Retail store
checks tracking sends a card, only)
number and thanking them
updates for their
delivery status purchase and
requesting
they leave a
review of the
item and their
experience
Customer shopping with
Receives Order Lost Pines
Outfitters