The Significance of a Back Office System

Convenience stores are tricky retail spaces to manage. In one sense, you have all the complexities and diversity in products on offer as most big-box retail operations. On the other hand, you’re having to manage all of those products in a space a fraction of the size of big-box retail. You have constantly shifting inventory levels, with significant levels of seasonal and promotional materials coming and going. 

You’ve made the point of automating the inventory management systems and integrated all of this into your POS system. You’ve automated your inventory and ordering processes. But now that you have product coming in on a regular basis, it’s time to make sure that you’re managing the most important space in your retail operation: your back office storage space. This is easily accomplished by installing a back-office system.

Have a System and Stick (A Label) To It

Just as your sales floor has a schematic that maximizes traffic flow and ensures enough shelf space for products to be displayed for guests, your storage area has to have the same level of organization. 

Using your back office software and pricing book, determine your major product categories and organize the storage area around these categories. Once you’ve established a schematic, you should label the shelving, allowing for some flex space, and most importantly, follow your layout. An organized space maintains product on-hand accuracy and ensures your inventory controls remain effective.

Organize with Flow of Product in Mind

When laying out or revamping your storage space, it’s best to do so with data on hand as to sales volume of products, so that not only can you follow the normal stock level rules, such as heavy items on lower shelves for ease of access, but you can also adhere to the most important rule of stock organization: items with a high volume of sales should be stocked closest to the entrance to your retail space for ease of access and restocking.

Perform Regular Inventory Audits To Ensure Accuracy

Automation in your inventory system can be great, but it can also be tricky. It’s important to schedule a regular calibration count, especially on high sales volume items, or items considered to have a high risk of being stolen or damaged. This ensures your actual on-hand counts match the on-hand counts in your automated inventory system, eliminates human error, and prevents “garbage in, garbage out” orders flooding your back of the house with unnecessary products or product shortages.

Back Office System Solutions For All Occasions

Inventory management at all levels of your operation is a practice that owners and managers must master in order to maximize profitability and prevent losses and waste. While back-office software solutions help with the ordering and inventory controls, they can also be great tools to ensure your back office area remains organized and properly stocked to meet customer demand.

Other Back-Office Solutions We Offer

  • Smokin’ Rebates® Tobacco Rebates Program & Service
    • Smokin’ Rebates® is a seamless data reporting service that helps retailers take advantage of numerous tobacco rebate programs. 
  • ePB™ Suite
    • Choose the level that is right for you and discover how ePB™ can make your store run effortlessly with added functionality to your back office.
  • ItScans®
    • Now you can use your phone or tablet for all your scanning needs!
  • ItsLoyalty™
    • Reward your most frequent customers and stimulate an increase in revenue by offering loyal customers exclusive promotions. 
  • ItsRealTime® 
    • Add real-time functionality to the ePB™ family of cloud-based, back-office systems by capturing, managing, and controlling stores’ POS sales data
  • ®
    • The most comprehensive way to manage your lottery category. Our dynamic and flexible cloud solution will enable you to maintain control on what is likely your most loss-prone and labor-intensive category. 
  • PriceCheck® 
    • Compare wholesale prices currently offered to other retailers and gain access to SKU-level pricing information, so you know that you are receiving the best deal from your supplier. 

Success Systems® provides several forms of inventory management software packages that support exactly this philosophy. Learn more about our products and what sets us apart from other convenience store solutions providers. 

Have questions about our capabilities or what the installation process looks like? We’ll be happy to answer any questions you may have and set up a demo so you can see firsthand how updating your back-office solutions will directly impact the profits of your convenience store. 

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