Chemical Inventory Management: 4 Keys to Success
Posted on Wed, Sep 09, 2009 @ 11:55 AM
By Michael Slawson, Chemist
Managing a chemical inventory program may seem like an easy task. The chemicals get delivered, entered into the system, bar-coded, and distributed to their proper location. Easy, right? Not so fast! Managing a chemical inventory program is a difficult assignment where small mistakes can pile up leading to a messy and inaccurate database. How can problems be avoided? Here are four important factors to consider in order to make sure your chemical inventory program runs smoothly and effectively.
1. Team Communication- Communication is perhaps the most important part of maintaining an accurate and reliable chemical inventory system. The management team that interacts with the system each day must make sure they are on the same page when it comes to chemical names, vendors, product numbers, and locations. Inconsistent data entry leads to big problems!
2. Limit Access- It is important that only those who are responsible for inventory management have access to the inventory program. Most inventory software is not too user friendly, and can often be confusing to new or first time users. To avoid unauthorized users attempting to enter their own data or trying to fix a problem they see (which usually leads to more problems), access to the program must be restricted to the management team.
3. Training- Although researchers who are unfamiliar with inventory software should not have direct access to the system, they nevertheless play an important role in the overall inventory program. In order for an inventory system to function properly, bottles which are depleted must be removed from the database. The researchers must not only be trained on what to do with a depleted bottle, but they must also know the reasons why they are doing it. Explain why the inventory system is in place and how it benefits them. Once they are aware of this, they are sure to fulfill their end of the responsibilities.
4. Reconciliation- Let’s face it: we all make mistakes. When managing an inventory of thousands upon thousands of chemicals, errors are bound to be made. By following rules 1, 2, and 3 those mistakes can be minimized, but since we’re only human, inconsistencies in the data will inevitably arise. That’s why it’s vital to perform a chemical inventory reconciliation on an annual basis. This will help to make sure any mistakes or inconsistencies do not pile up, and your database is as accurate as possible.
So next time you are working on or planning a chemical inventory, keep these factors in mind. Not only will your data be accurate and clean, but your mistakes will be limited and your client WOWed!