Multi-currency software: The key to going global

According to the World Trade Organization (WTO), world merchandise exports increased by 22% in 2010. Per the UK’s Office for National Statistics, as of Oct 2011, exports were valued at £25.5bn, up 0.6% from July and the highest level since monthly records began in 1998 Every day US$1.4 billion of bilateral trade crosses the U.S.-Canada border, according to [...]

Track serial numbers easily & with great flexibility

The ability to track serial numbers & lot numbers is important for manufacturers & distributers who need to track items for variety of purposes including quality control, service management, warranty management, product recalls and as a theft deterrent.   What is a serial number & a lot number? A serial number is a unique number assigned to [...]

How I learned to play with the Big Boys! (and make money at it)

These days it appears that the entire world is pushing us to do more and more on the internet.  Many small businesses feel as if they are being dragged kicking and screaming to levels of technology that is too expensive, too complicated, and too difficult to manage.  Perhaps. In today’s world, however, there are solutions [...]

Better customer service in a downturn: Managing customer loyalty

Well, now it is official.  Everyone is convinced that we are in a down period of the business cycle.  What are the things that we should be doing so that we ride this out? It is never easy to manage a distribution business.  Prices up and down, employee problems, spiraling costs, vendor relations, and customers [...]

Turning inventory into cash: Inventory control is cash in the bank

My friend, Mike Glover, has told me many times, “Cash is cash and everything else is something else.” That may seem like an odd quote for an inventory management blog, but if you are like most inventory intensive companies, much of your cash is tied up in inventory.  The good news is that with a [...]