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Inventory Control Manager

Interviews

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Lynn Davis started working for a car manufacturer as an auto mechanic in March 1960. As the company grew, so did its need for a well-managed inventory. Due to his hands-on knowledge of auto parts and accessories, Davis was the right guy for the job.

Davis says that his knowledge of mechanics helps him control the inventory. "You have to know the difference between the front and the back bumper."

He says knowing your company's product is the first step to managing its inventory. "It wouldn't hurt to take a short course on basic mechanics, if you're going this route -- especially if you're someone that hasn't had much interaction with cars."

A love of numbers, a good grasp of basic math and a well-developed memory help Davis do his job well. He deals with numbers every single day.

"I work the inventory control daily. Every item we carry has a designated part number. The numbers are all in the main computer base. You get peak periods and low periods for certain parts. I print programs that show me the previous day's sales. I can actually see, for example, that last August we sold eight of an item. I can identify most of the part numbers, but that's something that only comes with time. A good memory is an asset."

Davis loves the fact that as an inventory manager, he works with people and keeps his hands clean.

"I don't have to scrape the grease out of my hands. I have to balance numbers [and] look at trends in sales history. But it has a lot to do with the people I work with....You talk to your co-workers, [and] solve [things] through discussion."

Julie Rosanoff manages the inventory at a shop that sells tea in Seattle, where she works like the Mad Hatter to keep stock of tea, specials blends and all sorts of tea-time trinkets.

Inventory management, says Rosanoff, is not an individual task. "We all struggle with inventory control here."

She explains that it is a large and time-consuming task that requires a group effort in a small business. "It involves ordering the product, overseeing it when it comes in, making sure that we get what we ordered and keeping track of back orders.

"We need to know if there's something wrong with a product, if something is broken or if it doesn't come in at all. We need to make sure that we get things replaced or get credit. And the other task is keeping track, on a daily basis, of what's on the floor. What do we have in stock?"

Like most jobs, inventory control has its downside. Rosanoff admits that this type of work can be boring at times. "It gets tedious. Lots of numbers, over and over and over again. The same thing, over and over and over again."

On the upside, inventory managers enjoy the unique feeling that comes with getting a job done. Rosanoff says the most satisfying aspect of her job is the knowledge that she's completed an important task. "There's a beginning, middle and an end to each piece of it. You can always get some satisfaction out of knowing that you got all the orders in and that everything's done. There's a sense of accomplishment in finishing something."

Rosanoff would argue that inventory control is, quite simply, suitable for anyone who likes to deal with numbers. "I don't know that all that formal training is necessary. For the kind of store I run, someone with a high school degree that is interested in numbers and doesn't mind counting things would do really well at it."

If inventory control is all about simple math and counting things, why can't computers manage inventory for us?

"As long as we are accurate, the computer does a pretty good job as a counter," says Rosanoff. "But periodically, it doesn't show things correctly. You can't just assume that the computer is always right. You have to be continually upgrading it."