In today’s hunger-stricken world, 40 percent of food in the United States goes to waste! Mismanaged inventory is the top factor contributing to this enormous statistic of the food world. Although efficient inventory management is every business’s lifeblood, stock management poses unique challenges in agriculture. Farmers today have to tackle tough challenges, such as seasonality, weather changes, and the perishable nature of goods.
Thus, dealing with such complexities can be daunting, and efficient stock management is vital for the success of your agribusiness. Gone are the days when we relied on manual counting of stock levels. Perpetual inventory systems have come into play to prevent food from being wasted at any stage!
A perpetual inventory system is an advanced solution for maintaining the best stock levels by tracking every item in real-time. Thus, you no longer have to rely on periodic checks, and there are no surprises due to mismatched stock levels.
As an agriculturist, you must understand how to implement perpetual inventory to your advantage and how to integrate it with your ERP system to boost operational efficiency.
What is Perpetual Inventory?
So, a perpetual inventory system continuously monitors inventory levels. The system updates inventory records in real-time whenever a transaction is made, such as a purchase, sale, or loss due to spoilage.
This is contrary to traditional methods that count stock levels after pre-defined periods, such as weekly, monthly, or annually. In a perpetual inventory system, you have the most updated and latest data.
This strategy empowers you by providing continuous, consistent, and updated information. This is highly beneficial in agriculture, where unpredictable demand shifts can occur.
Core Principles and Functions
The perpetual inventory method is based upon a few fundamental principles:
- Real-Time Updates: As discussed earlier, inventory levels are updated instantly after every transaction.
- Sales and Purchasing Integration: Every sale, purchase, or restock automatically updates stock levels, eliminating the need for manual updates.
- Visibility: The perpetual inventory system journal entry maintains detailed records of all movements, enabling accurate tracking and leading to better forecasting and fewer errors.
- Integration with Other Business Systems: The perpetual inventory system integrates easily with other systems of your business, such as procurement and sales. Each transaction is shown in the system, leading to smooth coordination between departments and flawless decision-making.
A simple perpetual inventory system example is seed stock management. If 100 kilograms of seed are purchased and immediately used to plant crops, the system deducts the stock in real-time, letting farmers see precisely how much is left.
Unique Challenges in Agricultural Perpetual Inventory
The agricultural sector has to tackle unique challenges unknown to other industries. Implementing an inventory system that handles these obstacles can lead to better outcomes for farmers and consumers.
1. Seasonality
The agricultural industry relies directly on seasons and weather conditions. Crops are planted, harvested, and sold at different times of the year, thus requiring varying input demands.
Under a perpetual inventory system, it becomes easier to predict and proactively respond to these shifts. For example, the system can help forecast when a restock is required before peak planting or harvesting seasons.
A report by Business Wire shows the increasing adoption rate of automated systems like perpetual inventory. The global market for agricultural inventory management software is expected to grow by 8.9% annually between 2020 and 2027.
2. Weather Variability
Unpredictable weather patterns can immensely affect farm output. Inventory systems like the LIFO (Last in First Out) perpetual inventory management method enable farmers to manage inventory by tracking the oldest stock first. In case of any unexpected weather event, it’s always better to be aware of the stock at hand. This can prevent over- or under-stocking.
3. Perishable Products
Handling perishable goods, including crops and livestock products, is one of the critical factors associated with agriculture. The FIFO perpetual inventory method (First In, First Out) guarantees that the oldest stock is sold or used first, thus reducing spoilage.
For example, the system tracks every harvest and ensures that products harvested first are also shipped first. In a perpetual inventory system, perishable items like milk or fresh produce are prioritized based on their shelf life.
Benefits of Perpetual Inventory in Agriculture
The perpetual inventory system comes with a myriad of benefits for agriculture, such as the following:
1. Improved Inventory Management
The ability to track items in real time means farmers have more power and control over their stock. Real-time data lets them plan and manage resources.
Using a weighted average perpetual inventory system, you can divide the cost of the available goods for sale by the number of units left to be sold. This calculation gives the weighted average cost per unit, which can then be used to associate a cost to ending inventory and the cost of goods sold. Thus helping you plan your inventory better.
2. Reduced Waste
Waste reduction is another benefit of perpetual inventory management. Farms can reduce over-purchasing by keeping an accurate and updated record of perishable and non-perishable goods.
By employing powerful ERPs such as AgriERP, which comes with features like farm operations management, you can automate this process, preventing waste due to overstocking.
3. Enhanced Production Planning
It’s become a breeze to schedule production with the help of continuous updates. The crop management software in AgriERP lets you plan in detail based on current stock levels, leading to better allocation of resources and timely production decisions.
Pros and Cons of Perpetual Inventory SystemsHere is a table highlighting the pros and cons of perpetual inventory management:
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Best Practices for Perpetual Inventory in Agriculture
To reap the fruits of a perpetual inventory system, it’s important to follow these best practices.
1. Technology Integration
Integrating your perpetual inventory system with a powerful ERP solution like AgriERP is mandatory. AgriERP’s all-encompassing suite includes farm financial management, inventory tracking, and modern AI features that predict trends accurately and improve efficiency.
2. Barcode Scanning
Modern perpetual inventory systems use barcode scanning to track inventory movements. This technology minimizes errors due to manual data entry. The perpetual inventory record for each item is updated instantly, ensuring that stock levels are always accurate.
3. Regular Inventory Audits
Although the perpetual inventory method equips you with real-time data, periodic audits are still important to verify the system’s accuracy. These checks help detect discrepancies arising from human error or technical issues.
Future Trends and Developments
As we progress with rapidly advancing technology, the future of perpetual inventory in agriculture looks promising. Various new trends will lead to a rapid transformation of inventory management.
Internet of Things (IoT)
IoT technology will play a key role in the future of inventory systems. IoT-enabled devices, such as soil sensors or GPS tracking, can collect real-time data about stock levels and environmental conditions.
This data can then be integrated into the perpetual inventory system to further increase accuracy in stock management.
Artificial Intelligence (AI)
AI can enrich inventory management by predicting demand patterns and giving suggestions for the best stock levels. The advanced AI features in AgriERP are developed to provide insights regarding stock usage and trends, letting farmers plan accurately.
Blockchain
Blockchain technology is another upcoming trend gaining popularity in agriculture that could improve inventory management. This is especially applicable to areas like food traceability and security.
Using blockchain, each transaction in a perpetual inventory system can be recorded securely, offering transparency and preventing fraud.
Conclusion
In conclusion, perpetual inventory systems are revamping farm inventory management. They encapsulate various elements such as real-time stock tracking, waste reduction, and better planning.
These systems are indispensable for any farming operation. By integrating these systems, farmers can improve their operations, minimize inefficiencies, and make better decisions.
The future of agriculture is becoming highly reliant on technology. The latest technologies, such as AI, IoT, and blockchain, will further improve the capabilities of perpetual inventory systems. Now is the best time to adopt these solutions and prepare for a bright future in farming.
Whether you’re already using a perpetual inventory system or thinking of adopting one, powerful tools like AgriERP can help you maximize the benefits of your farming endeavors!
