Digital inventory with the ROQQIO instore app reduces costs and effort

Next item on the to-do list of traders and companies who are required to prepare accounts: the annual inventory. The last business day of a financial year, usually December 31, is the key date for the annual balance sheet, but it may be brought forward by up to three months or postponed by up to two months into the next year. Meanwhile, all sales are stopped, branches are closed and goods movements are halted in order to document the exact actual stock on that day. “The inventory is usually very time-consuming for our customers in terms of planning, preparation and implementation: Employees are assigned to separate inventory teams, and time, process and personnel plans are drawn up days in advance. If not every item is to be brought to the checkout for inventory, expensive mobile scanners must be purchased in advance. Employees upload the files manually to the scanner and read them back into the merchandise management system after the inventory,” explains Vanjo Wandscher, Managing Director of the software manufacturer ROQQIO, the tedious key date inventory.

“However, any smartphone or tablet, whether Android or Apple, is sufficient to download the instore app. Even private devices can be used according to the “bring your own device” principle. This reduces inventory costs enormously. With no additional hardware costs, many more devices can be used simultaneously in the store and inventory can be completed in a much shorter time. The software is also much easier to use as an app than the previous, special scanner software. The ROQQIO instore app thus simplifies the entire process and minimizes downtime.”

Once the app is installed, the inventory can begin: When logging in, the employee connects to a branch server via a configuration entry for data exchange, for example by scanning a QR code with the camera. Then the actual inventory starts: Employees can precisely capture barcodes with a smartphone or tablet with iOS, Android or Windows operating systems - either with an additional scanner, via the camera that is already integrated in the mobile device or by manual entry. In this way, location and space barcodes are recorded quickly and easily. Finally, the data is automatically passed on to the backend. However, the device does not have to be online for the inventory to be taken - all data is stored locally until it is transferred. “With this digital inventory, the manual transfer of the data to the merchandise management system is no longer necessary, the accuracy is increased and the susceptibility to errors is reduced,” says Wandscher.

The application offers further support when advising buyers, since employees have access to all product and customer information via the ROQQIO instore app. Information such as availability, article number and designation through to sales prices, sizes and colors as well as article images are displayed within seconds. The app integrates additional features: The control of branch processes such as goods receipt, price changes or insight into the article stocks from other branch locations.

About ROQQIO

ROQQIO offers software solutions and concepts for the implementation of the customer journey in omnichannel retail. The portfolio includes systems for merchandise control, POS and the enterprise SaaS application ROQQIO Commerce Cloud. This manages different sales channels and controls complex backend processes, including order management, payment and logistics. The combination of these stationary and online technologies enables a seamless omnichannel experience. Processes such as Click & Collect or the exchange of goods bought online in the branch work smoothly. More than 1,500 companies already trust in the services and solutions of the commerce experts from ROQQIO.