Maintaining and keeping the track of inventory is becoming one of the major problems in industries. Replenishing the containers at the right moment and also knowing the expiry of items is a major concern. The proposed solution of IoT based system is wireless and reliable for any industry.
Traditional bookmarking and record-keeping methods are not only prone to human error but also labor-intensive still a majority of industrialists rely on these traditional methods. Warehouse relies on a workforce and skilled managers for distribution, storage, replenishing, and recording. The management process can become highly inefficient and disorganized as the inventory size increases and items to store become more difficult. IoT-based inventory administration and asset trailing feature will lead to continuous perceptibility into a warehouse by collecting information procured by sensors and tags.
Consequently, industrialists can reduce lead time, avoid unnecessary costs, manage the on-hand inventory, improve allocation timings to machines and equipment, and monitor progress at different sections of storage. An inventory item can be allocated by exclusive identification numbers that are comprised of encoded digital figures about the element. These data can be excepted by tag readers and scanners upon scanning and then spreading to the cloud for processing.
In this process, along with the data about the time and location of the scanning, the seeker also receives ID numbers using which every item and movement associated with it can be traced and thus adds to the security of the management system. Based on these data, the system shows real-time updates to the end solution user, locates the item position, and allows constant surveillance with any handheld device connected to the cloud at any point in time.
The purpose of IoT in inventory management is to collect, process, and further deploy the data extracted by tags and sensors on inventory elements like condition, position, and engagement. For example, a system can forecast a cycle or period within which replenishment is required and can notify the manufacturer to plan the purchase of raw materials based on the availability of a certain type of product in the inventory and referencing it with the current demand in the market. IoT-based service can be of any form: it might be a data packet, tracking signal, or a message to the owner alerting the status goods.
Like any other progressive technology, IoT can efficiently utilize existing frameworks to enhance the functionality of a system without requiring a completely new setup and thus cut costs on expensive investments. IoT-based systems provide an edge over traditional sheets or tabulation-based software. IoT-based system of one department can be merged with another department without any refurbishments. To ensure that the finances of the industry are managed properly, inventory records are essential for accounting records. Therefore, inventory worth can be a major part of an organization’s possessions.
Advancing technology has made everything around us automated with minimizing human intervention, due to this real-time tracking of the inventory has proved to be very methodical and labor-saving. The system is self-sustained and there is no delay caused due to insufficient inventory, as the threshold value is chosen such that the stocks are sufficient till the new stock arrives. The system can be used in industries, hospitals, and restaurants, because of low cost, easy implementation, and efficient design, where limitations are our imagination.