Inventory valuation and management have become a challenging job nowadays. Due to recent change in the way of operations this task have become a critical factor to us. The management of the way of business which call the Change Management, becomes questionable. Have we really been capable to this change management.
Number of reasons made this inventory management, a critical and time consuming effort. Wrong or incorrect data upload into the ERP Systems is mainly responsible for this, as I think. It should have a better and acceptable to validate all the Inventory Data before uploading them into the System. But, unfortunately, the Management did not ask the inventory reconciliation team or never discussed with the team before uploading them. As a result, this have become more stiff job. The Change Management strategy is now proven as out of managerial capacity.
Managing Change is not so easy as change managers thought to be. The upload team has given enormous incorrect data with respect to Pack Size, Unit of Measurement, Line of Business, inventory organization, Item Type ,Quantity and so on. Now, after upload of data, many of the parameters can not be changed in the ERP system due to un-editable flexfield. What to do now? Now, Inventory Valuation and Reconciliation team sits every afternoon, to correct the data. Why did they (inventory team) were out of the scene before data upload?
I believe this, as the ignorance of Warehouse team and Change Managers. They, as I believe, are the only responsible persons. Why should they not be asked? Even, if asked now; what is the remedy? This the lesson for the Management about effective Change Management, as I guess!
My suggestion to a company who intends to implement the ERP System for the ease of reporting job which is financial in nature: please make a team of both warehouse team and valuation team (for example Accounting Department) to agree in terms of quantity and valuation before uploading. Lest the ERP System will be tuned into an extra burden for all. Change Management will be disordered.In my view leadership and change management is interrelated.
