If there’s one thing we’ve learned over the past year and a half, it’s that e-commerce has become an integral part of every day life. Despite the introduction of multiple vaccines and the opening of businesses across the country, online sales in the U.S. have continued to surge. In fact, e-commerce sales in Q1 of 2021 topped $199 billion, a 39% increase from the year before.

For the average consumer, this means they’ve adopted the convenience of online shopping. However, for the average retail manufacturer, this means they have to be more vigilant than ever concerning tracking their inventory.

In addition to finding a solution to handle their inventory management, businesses have to stay compliant, both with federal and local requirements as well as intercompany mandates on how to track inventory. Of course, resolving these concerns means finding the right solution without complicating the process along the way.

To resolve these challenges, you can depend on MSM Solutions PortalTrack and Zebra RFID printers to make your retail and manufacturing operations much easier and efficient.

Redefining Inventory Management with EPC

One of the most innovative RFID solutions available, electronic product codes (EPC) offer a more accurate and detailed tracking solution. Compared to a universal product code (UPC) which only provides basic data on inventory, the EPC uses a unique identification number via RFID tag to track each individual piece so you can manage your inventory more efficiently.

Used in tandem with asset management software like PortalTrack, you can correlate multiple data points with each EPC so you know everything you need to know about each inventory item such as:

• Manufacturing Facility.
• Received Date.
• Item Details and Description.
• Retail Cost.

Access to this level of data allows manufacturers and retail outlets to have real-time, comprehensive visibility into the inventory from source to shelf. Plus, it helps reduce operational, labor and error costs as inventory counts are more accurate and take less time.

Meeting Compliance and Mandates

Despite the popular belief that in order to be truly successful, you have to be willing to break the rules, meeting compliance regulations and internal mandates is not only a good idea, it’s required.

PortalTrack can easily meet any of your company’s RFID mandates or requirements. Plus, it’s GS1 compliant meaning your inventory tracking is more efficient and has greater visibility across your supply chain.

Plus, PortalTrack is designed with the latest EPC security protocols in mind so your EPC data is safe and secure. Through EPC verification and validation you’ll have better control over:

• Data Integrity.
• Product Fulfilment.
• Gray Market Mitigation.
• Counterfeit Merchandise.

A Simple Solution to a Complex Problem

Adopting new solutions can be a tricky proposition, especially if your team doesn’t jump on board right away. The best way to resolve this is to make the new solution as easy and beneficial as possible.

Deployed from the cloud or on-site, PortalTrack easily integrates into your existing barcode operations, allowing you to customize tags to your unique applications. To make things easier for your team, Zebra RFID printers and encoding devices give you the flexibility to create EPC tags virtually anywhere:

• At the Source.
• In the Store.
• At the Distribution Center.
• At the Service Bureau. 

Compatible with other leading RFID tags and label providers, PortalTrack also gives you the ability to work with EPC tags from a variety of vendors. This helps you manage your inventory on a wider scale.

If you’re ready to gain more control over your inventory management while moving your business processes into the 21^st century, give us a call.