Lynn Davis started working for a car manufacturer as an auto mechanic in
March 1960. As the company grew, so did its need for a well-managed inventory.
Due to his hands-on knowledge of auto parts and accessories, Davis was the
right guy for the job.
Davis says that his knowledge of mechanics helps him control the inventory.
"You have to know the difference between the front and the back bumper."
He says knowing your company's product is the first step to managing its
inventory. "It wouldn't hurt to take a short course on basic mechanics, if
you're going this route -- especially if you're someone that hasn't had much
interaction with cars."
A love of numbers, a good grasp of basic math and a well-developed memory
help Davis do his job well. He deals with numbers every single day.
"I work the inventory control daily. Every item we carry has a designated
part number. The numbers are all in the main computer base. You get peak periods
and low periods for certain parts. I print programs that show me the previous
day's sales. I can actually see, for example, that last August we sold eight
of an item. I can identify most of the part numbers, but that's something
that only comes with time. A good memory is an asset."
Davis loves the fact that as an inventory manager, he works with people
and keeps his hands clean.
"I don't have to scrape the grease out of my hands. I have to balance numbers
[and] look at trends in sales history. But it has a lot to do with the people
I work with....You talk to your co-workers, [and] solve [things] through discussion."
Julie Rosanoff manages the inventory at a shop that sells tea in Seattle,
where she works like the Mad Hatter to keep stock of tea, specials blends
and all sorts of tea-time trinkets.
Inventory management, says Rosanoff, is not an individual task. "We all
struggle with inventory control here."
She explains that it is a large and time-consuming task that requires a
group effort in a small business. "It involves ordering the product, overseeing
it when it comes in, making sure that we get what we ordered and keeping track
of back orders.
"We need to know if there's something wrong with a product, if something
is broken or if it doesn't come in at all. We need to make sure that we get
things replaced or get credit. And the other task is keeping track, on a daily
basis, of what's on the floor. What do we have in stock?"
Like most jobs, inventory control has its downside. Rosanoff admits that
this type of work can be boring at times. "It gets tedious. Lots of numbers,
over and over and over again. The same thing, over and over and over again."
On the upside, inventory managers enjoy the unique feeling that comes with
getting a job done. Rosanoff says the most satisfying aspect of her job is
the knowledge that she's completed an important task. "There's a beginning,
middle and an end to each piece of it. You can always get some satisfaction
out of knowing that you got all the orders in and that everything's done.
There's a sense of accomplishment in finishing something."
Rosanoff would argue that inventory control is, quite simply, suitable
for anyone who likes to deal with numbers. "I don't know that all that formal
training is necessary. For the kind of store I run, someone with
a high school degree that is interested in numbers and doesn't mind counting
things would do really well at it."
If inventory control is all about simple math and counting things, why
can't computers manage inventory for us?
"As long as we are accurate, the computer does a pretty good job as a counter,"
says Rosanoff. "But periodically, it doesn't show things correctly. You can't
just assume that the computer is always right. You have to be continually
upgrading it."