Inventory management is a critical part of any business. When stock runs low, it can spell disaster for a company. Unfortunately, there are times when products go on backorder and leave businesses with an inventory shortage. So, is backorder bad for inventory management? Let’s take a closer look.
Understanding backorders
The category of the backorder and the quantity will have an impact on how long it will be before the consumer receives the product they bought. The demand for an item rises with the number of back-ordered products. Backorders are any quantity of stock that customers have ordered from a company but have not yet received since it is not currently in stock.
Companies can nevertheless function on backorder even if they don’t have enough inventory to do so. In reality, businesses can continue operating even if they don’t have any inventory. Back-ordering products may increase demand, keeps and gains customers, and adds value to the company’s goods.
Backorders play a significant role in a company’s inventory management analysis. How many things are out of stock and how long it takes to fill client orders can reveal how effectively a business maintains its inventory. A manageable volume of orders and a quick turnaround time for order fulfillment typically indicate that a business is doing well. On the other side, extended wait times and huge backorders could present issues.
Is Backorder bad for inventory management?
Advantages of backorders
The cost of storage space, which is necessary to maintain a huge inventory, adds to the overall cost. Meanwhile, businesses without their own storage facilities must pay for services to keep their inventory. But it is less expensive and eliminates the need for excess/extra storage to keep a small portion of the goods on hand while placing the remainder on backorder.
These cost savings can be passed on to customers, who are more likely to return as a result of a company’s low costs. This is accurate when there is a high level of demand and sales for a certain good, particularly for recently released, extremely well-liked products.
Backorders draw attention as well, and some people might be persuaded to learn more about things that have been sold out by them. Is backorder bad? Backordered merchandise may have negative implications for some people, while it may be positive for others
Popular, in high demand, challenging to obtain, and sometimes seen as a status symbol are back-ordered products.
Problems with backorders
If a company constantly has things on backorder, it could be interpreted as a sign that its operations are far too lean. It might also imply that the business is suffering from a lack of demand for the things it produces.
When an item is back-ordered, a consumer could search elsewhere for an alternative, particularly if the expected wait period before the product becomes available is excessive. Formerly loyal and dedicated clients may have the time to try the goods of other businesses and probably change their commitment as a result.
In order to manage backorders and customers who are waiting for their orders, additional resources may be needed. A business must also take into account managing responsibilities, coordinating logistics, and notifying individual customers when their product is ready in addition to merely keeping inventory and selling it to clients.
In Conclusion,
Is backorder bad? While backorders might seem like a bad thing, they can actually be a good way to manage inventory and improve customer satisfaction. BackOrder – BigCommerce’s only backorder application – makes it easy to keep track of products that are on backorder and ensure that your customers are always happy.
Try out BackOrder today and see how it can help you streamline your inventory management process by allowing you to manage inventory and edit stock and back order threshold on one single interface.
