{"id":307,"date":"2019-12-04T22:35:59","date_gmt":"2019-12-04T22:35:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.shipbob.com\/uk\/blog\/erp-inventory\/"},"modified":"2026-03-17T13:13:42","modified_gmt":"2026-03-17T13:13:42","slug":"erp-inventory","status":"publish","type":"blog","link":"https:\/\/www.shipbob.com\/uk\/blog\/erp-inventory\/","title":{"rendered":"ERP Inventory Management: Benefits of Automating the Fulfilment Process"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Table of Contents<\/p>

** Minutes<\/p><\/div><\/div>\n

What is ERP inventory management?<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

What are common ERPs for ecommerce stores?<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Who uses an ERP system?<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

What is an ERP inventory system used for?<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

5 benefits of ShipBob\u2019s tech-enabled fulfilment solution<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Is your business ready for ERP inventory management?<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Key Takeaways<\/h2><\/span><\/div>
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1<\/p><\/div>

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ERP inventory management systems integrate and automate inventory tracking, stock level management, and data analysis across multiple sales channels and locations.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

2<\/p><\/div>

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These systems help large ecommerce businesses optimise supply chain operations, reduce manual errors, and centralise real-time reporting for better decision-making.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

3<\/p><\/div>

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Common ERP solutions like NetSuite, SAP, and Oracle offer comprehensive features, while alternatives such as Skubana and BrightPearl provide enterprise-level inventory management at a lower cost.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

4<\/p><\/div>

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Tech-enabled fulfilment providers like ShipBob offer built-in inventory software, automated order processing, and scalable solutions that can integrate with ERP systems through open APIs.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Finding the right inventory management solution is one of the most important things you can do for your <\/span>ecommerce business<\/span><\/a>, especially as you expand into different channels and markets.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Keeping track of accurate stock levels and controlling stock<\/a> across different channels can impact not only how quickly orders are fulfilled and shipped, but also other aspects of your business, such as operations and finances. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

That\u2019s why many ecommerce businesses choose to implement an ERP inventory system to reduce the margin of error and improve efficiencies. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

What is ERP inventory management?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

ERP is short for Enterprise Resource Planning. ERP inventory management is an integrated operational approach used to manage and track inventory across multiple channels, including both wholesale<\/a> and retail or B2B distribution<\/a>. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

What are common ERPs for ecommerce stores?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

There are several ERPs on the market. Depending on features and functionality, you can choose an ERP system that\u2019s right for your business. Some of the more robust ERPs, such as NetSuite, SAP, Oracle, and Fulfil.io<\/span>, provide a full suite of applications that go beyond just inventory management. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re not ready to make that type of investment, you may want to consider alternatives like Skubana<\/a> and BrightPearl that offer enterprise-level features at a more affordable cost.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Who uses an ERP system?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

\u201cE\u201d is for Enterprise. An ERP system is an enterprise tool that\u2019s built for large ecommerce businesses operating on an <\/span>omnichannel<\/span><\/a> level. If you\u2019re shipping at least 50,000 orders per month and sell across multiple channels, then an ERP system may be worth the investment. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, if you\u2019re shipping around 500 orders per month, there are alternatives to an ERP software that can help you better manage inventory on a smaller scale. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

What is an ERP inventory system used for?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

An ERP inventory system is a robust technology solution that helps optimise the entire supply chain<\/a>, automate and optimise <\/span>inventory management<\/span><\/a>, and centralise data and reporting all in one place. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here are some of the key features that an ERP inventory system provides: <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Track inventory<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The more inventory you have, the more you need to keep track of. An ERP inventory system comes with <\/span>inventory tracking<\/span><\/a> software, so you know exactly how much inventory you have on hand in every location where it\u2019s stored. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

You can also track inventory that\u2019s currently on route from your supplier, returns coming in from customers, and damaged goods that are unsellable. That way, you know exactly how much sellable inventory you have, where it\u2019s stored, and where it\u2019s coming from. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Record and manage stock levels<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

An ERP solution makes it easy to view, record, and manage stock levels at any given time. You can optimise inventory levels<\/a> by SKU and gain better insight into inventory performance across all stores. You can easily keep <\/span>inventory carrying costs<\/span><\/a> down without spending too much time on <\/span>inventory control<\/span><\/a>. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Collect and analyse data<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

An ERP inventory solution centralises all order and inventory data in real time, so you can automatically run accurate reports on order trends, <\/span>inventory forecasting<\/span><\/a>, and more to find patterns in order behaviour (like which SKU<\/a> is driving the most demand). <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Automated warehouse processes<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

An Enterprise Resouce Planning<\/a> inventory system can significantly improve <\/span>warehouse or fulfilment centre<\/span><\/a> operations by automating labour-intensive tasks, such as manual inventory counts. Automating warehouse processes comes with several benefits, such as increasing productivity, minimising human error, and maximising warehouse space.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

5 benefits of ShipBob\u2019s tech-enabled fulfilment solution<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

While ShipBob is not a traditional ERP system, we offer many of the essential capabilities highlighted above to easily manage orders and track inventory \u2014 especially for small to mid-sized ecommerce businesses. (Note: <\/span>ShipBob also partners with ERP systems and has an open API to connect similar solutions.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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