Salon stock-checking: should you be keeping better track of your stock?

Have there been times when you’ve gone to retrieve something from the stock room only to find that you’re all out? That’s a sign of poor stock control, and the disgruntled customer who cannot receive the treatment or product they want is just one of the reasons why it is so important that you change the way you approach your inventory. Keeping track of your stock will not only enable you to ensure that you always have everything you need to service your clients, but it will also help you to order your stock more cost-efficiently. It is not uncommon to misplace stock every now and again, but frequent miscalculations can prove costly over time. Stock management software can help you to keep an eye on any products that are selling well whilst saving you from over-ordering those that aren’t. By knowing exactly which stock items are coming in and what’s going out, you can run a smooth, successful business in future. Here’s how you can begin to keep better track of your stockƒ

Assign a dedicated stock controller

Often, mistakes happen when jobs are constantly being assigned to different people and handovers are not carried out efficiently. By assigning that job to the same person or people each time, they can keep better track of the stock and rely on their own past reports to make better calculations. If you are using salon management software to better manage your stock, the assigned person need only ensure that they check the automated reports regularly to notice any patterns or changes in the way the stock is selling. Your stock merchants are also likely to appreciate only having to liaise with one person, enabling you to build a better business relationship with them in future.

Don’t over-order

You might have noticed while using the stock management tool included in your salon management software that a product is selling particularly well. It can be tempting to over-order at this juncture, but while you may not run out of popular products this approach also has its disadvantages. Many salon products have a limited shelf life and you wouldn’t want to risk them going out of date before you get a chance to use them, while the valuable items may depreciate with time. So, rather than over-order, just use your salon software to notify you in good time when stocks are running low and it is time to order more.

Keep an eye on your reports

One of the key benefits of salon management software is that it automatically creates stock reports for you. With such intelligent software, you needn’t worry about having to create reports manually _ with a few clicks you can view reports that highlight exactly which products are selling well, which will soon need replacing and which you should leave for the time being. The reports will also help you to recognise whether stock sales improve at certain times of the year and encourage you to investigate why.

Random checks

Although you can rely on your salon management software to provide you with accurate stocktaking results, it is always wise to physically check on the stock yourself every now and again. Some of the products in your stock cupboard are likely to be expensive, so you wouldn’t want them to fall into the wrong hands. Performing random stock checks will ensure your staff take good care of the stock and that those who are in charge of managing it do so efficiently.

Salon management software will ensure that the process of managing your stock is made far easier than when doing so manually. If you would like to find out more about the benefits i-Salon software can offer your business, don’t hesitate to get in touch today.