Distributed Stock Monitoring
When comparing Internet penetration against mobile penetration in South Africa, you’ll find that while broadband Internet penetration is restricted to developed cities and towns only (about 25% of the populate), mobile penetration is roughly 80%. This makes an SMS gateway the perfect communication tool for distributed stock monitoring.
For large distribution networks, keeping an accurate and up-to-date database of all stock is a must. But keeping that database can be both costly (phone calls, expensive infrastructure outlay for areas where broadband Internet is not available, financial loss from bad customer experiences due to downtime).
Rather than outlay large amounts of capital for infrastructure and delay expansion and flexibility because of the need to develop that infrastructure, why not centralise your information system and allow SMS interaction from various sources with an SMS gateway.
Let’s say Bob has an HQ with a server and Internet access. He also has 4 stores in rural areas that each need to keep stock and sales up to date with the HQ server’s database. The obvious approach would be to install Internet connectivity to the local stores and deploy software on a local computer. However rural areas rarely have stable infrastructure available and rural stores would probably need to rely on dial-up which is expensive to operate and slow. Add to that the need to maintain and update any computers deployed to the local stores and you’ll find your expenses start climbing.
A simpler solution would be to deploy an SMS system using Clickatell’s SMS Gateway. Using a customized code system any store can update their stock/sales or any other important information without outlay for infrastructure or equipment. Simply register a collection of mobile numbers to each of the stores and allow them to send stock update information directly to the HQ database.
A good example of this would be arrival of new stock. The local manager would oversee the arrival of new stock (let’s say 1,000 KG of canned peaches). He would record the bar-code number off the box and SMS it along with the quantity of the stock to a predefined number.
To: xxx-xxx-xxxx (HQ mobile number)
Message: Received:[BARCODE]:[QUANTITY]
Clickatell would then receive the SMS and perform a callback to the HQ server software. The software would pick up the message, validate it, determine which shop it came from and update the stock in the database. The software would then reply by sending another SMS (through Clickatell).
To: xxx-xxx-xxxx (original senders’ mobile number)
Message: Update for Aunt Hilder’s Canned Peaches (250g) received. Stock total should now be 540 units.
Total cost for that transaction would be roughly 90c.
This distributed stock monitoring SMS system can be used for stock taking, recording daily tallies and various other simple everyday record keeping tasks. It can also be expanded to delivery companies to track package deliveries or even on-the-ground salesmen who need to record orders and bookings when they don’t have immediate access to the Internet.
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