Most flexo shops are still manually managing inventories of supplies and materials like they did in the last century. This outdated approach is costing them money every day. As customers demand faster turnarounds, shorter runs, and unique labels and packages that stand out at retail, print providers face increasing pressure to advise, anticipate, and deliver what their clients need on time and within budget. Sound familiar?

Eliminate Uncertainty with AVMI2

You’ve ramped up your game and delivered quality, but you still find room for improvement. You may recall the moment when your production manager came up with an extra 5,000 feet of label stock that you were certain was on hand but mysteriously vanished. “There must be a way to keep better track of what’s on hand,” you mentioned to your COO, who agreed but provided no solutions.

Worrying about inventory levels is now as obsolete as flip phones. With modern technology, everything you need to run your business—from inks to plate materials, chemicals, and substrates—can be monitored, tracked, and accounted for from the moment it arrives until it’s used or shipped. Each item can be automatically replenished, eliminating the uncertainty of whether you’ll have the necessary materials for the big job starting Monday afternoon. In today’s fast-paced environment, managing your supply chain is one less thing to worry about as you focus on leveraging your team, equipment, and other resources to keep your business moving forward.

VMI to the Rescue

Driving this level of control is Vendor Managed Inventory (VMI), a smart and powerful method for optimizing the usage and ordering of supplies and materials. VMI relies on RFID tags—similar to 2-D barcodes—placed on every item. When an item, such as a packet of plate material, is taken from a specific location, the RFID tag is automatically read, and the change is noted in the company’s 24/7 inventory management system. The system can then alert an employee of the inventory level change and be configured to automatically place an order with a vendor when supplies reach a predetermined quantity. This ensures that your shop’s supplies never fall below the set level, guaranteeing that needed materials are always on hand.

Flexible Configurations

In its simplest form, a “cabinet-based” VMI system can track numerous smaller items stored in a cabinet or closet. A VMI system can also be “room-based,” where RFID tags can be read by large readers positioned in doorways, accurately accounting for larger items like rolls of substrates.

Each VMI system can be customized to fit a printer’s specific needs:

• Internal Notifications: It can connect only to a company’s internal network, alerting designated personnel when inventory levels change for internal ordering management.
• Automated Replenishment: It can notify a vendor of supply levels, triggering automatic replenishment of products as needed.
• Verification Alerts: The system can reach out to designated employees via email for verification and authorization, which is essential for managing one-time or short-term use items that don’t require replacement.
• Cost-Effective Shipping: The smart and sophisticated system can group needed items together to minimize shipping costs whenever possible.

Made to Fit

Anderson & Vreeland, in partnership with an enterprise-class inventory solutions provider, offers intelligent VMI that can monitor agreed-upon product levels and materials, perform check-sum calculations to compare levels with established usage patterns, and notify customer employees when orders are in process. The ultimate goal is to simplify inventory control and management.

The VMI system from Anderson & Vreeland is not a one-size-fits-all solution. Each installation is tailored and tested to meet your individual needs. The process begins with ensuring no electrical or electronic interference in your facility, which could disrupt the RFID tags’ signals. The system is fully tested and adapted to its location before going live, and your staff will receive complete training on its operation. Additionally, each installation is documented to provide employees with an immediate resource as they begin using their new VMI system. Technical support from Anderson & Vreeland is just a phone call away.

Anderson & Vreeland has spent over a year developing and testing its state-of-the-art VMI in various locations. It’s ready for installation and implementation in your shop as soon as you are. Contact your AV Account Manager today for more details on how you can take full control of your inventory and management system with VMI.