Cin7 Core is an advanced cloud-based inventory management system that makes it easy to synchronize your inventory data with sales channels, suppliers, and warehouses across your supply chain. This comprehensive solution offers robust features for manufacturing, accounting, and product management. Putting everything together into one system will make it easy to access real-time data about your business and make accurate forecasts for future supplies and sales.
Of course, the most challenging aspect is migrating your current inventory management system’s data to the Cin7 Core system. In theory, this should be straightforward because it only requires you to export your current data into a CSV spreadsheet file and import it into the Cin7 Core system with the help of the templates. This data import process is crucial for ensuring a smooth transition.
However, you need to know and consider some things before officially switching from your old inventory management system to Cin7 Core. That is what we will dive into further in this article.
Key Considerations
Migrating to Cin7 Core requires much planning and analysis. It should never be a move you make on the dime without considering the benefits it can offer your company. Will it improve your manufacturing processes, enhance your inventory visibility or streamline your order management? These are the kinds of questions you must answer.
We have identified the following six key considerations to think about before making the switch to Cin7 Core.
1) Figure Out How It Benefits Your Business
The first thing you need to know is to learn more about Cin7 Core and what it offers businesses. The software is specifically designed for companies that deal with inventory in some way, such as retail businesses, wholesalers, manufacturers, and e-commerce businesses. It provides comprehensive solutions for product management, stock control, and warehouse management.
An increasing number of e-commerce and manufacturing businesses have switched to Cin7 because it makes it easier to manage their product listings on multiple e-commerce platforms, such as Amazon, Shopify, eBay, and Walmart. Cin7’s centralized inventory management system can enable you to track the stock levels in your inventory across several different sales channels and warehouses, providing excellent inventory visibility.
All new orders automatically integrate with shipping carriers and update inventory stock information in the relevant e-commerce platforms for your business. Cin7 Core can save you and your team time and money if you depend on selling and acquiring inventory products. The best part is obtaining real-time data and analytical reporting to gain informative financial insights for your accounting needs.
Would something like this improve the efficiency of your business? If you sell products to retailers or individual consumers, or if you’re involved in manufacturing, the answer is likely yes. In that case, you should develop a comprehensive plan to transition to Cin7 Core and make your business more efficient.
2) Plan When and How You Will Migrate to Cin7
Migrating to Cin7 Core is not something that can be done in one day. If you don’t plan the migration carefully, it could cause significant disruptions to your business operations, including manufacturing and fulfillment processes. The data migration between inventory management systems takes some time, so you might not receive updated information from your e-commerce stores during this process. That could cause problems if you’re low on inventory or need to fulfill orders because you won’t learn about them until the migration is completed.
For this reason, it would be wise to plan when and how you will migrate your inventory management operations to Cin7 Core. One idea is to prepare the migration for a low-demand period where customers don’t usually make too many purchases. It would be the opposite of the high-demand “peak” periods when customers often buy more often than usual. If fewer customers make purchases during the migration, you have less risk of dissatisfying too many customers.
Businesses with frequent sales and customers will slowly migrate their inventory data over several weeks and months. Meanwhile, they will securely backup their inventory data if something goes wrong during the migration process. This approach ensures continuity in order management and purchasing activities.
3) Audit Your Inventory Data for Discrepancies
Auditing your inventory data is a wise thing to do before the migration process. You’ll want to review the data for discrepancies or inaccuracies to ensure it is updated, validated, and consistent. That way, you can start your new Cin7 Core inventory management system with a clean slate of quality information for seamless integration and improved inventory tracking.
Some common inventory data discrepancies include inaccurate stock levels, product descriptions, customer contact information, supplier contact information, and SKUs. You should also delete duplicate records and remove obsolete data to reduce clutter in the system.
Resolve all data discrepancies and inaccuracies before the migration process. If you comprehensively analyze the discrepancies, you should be able to pinpoint why they occurred. For instance, they might occur due to data entry errors, theft, or unintentional stock misplacements. In most cases, a data entry error is the likely reason for the discrepancies.
4) Compatibility with Third-Party Applications
Does your current inventory management system integrate with third-party applications? If so, are these third-party applications compatible with Cin7 Core? The good news is that Cin7 Core offers numerous integrations with popular third-party business applications you probably use to operate your business.
For example, Cin7 is compatible with e-commerce platforms like Walmart, eBay, Amazon, and Shopify. As for accounting applications, it is compatible with Xero, NetSuite, and QuickBooks. Of course, Cin7 Core has accounting features, but you might prefer a different software application to handle your accounting records. Other notable integrations compatible with Cin7 Core include shipping and logistics businesses like UPS, FedEx, DHL, and ShipStation and point of sale systems like Lightspeed, Vend, and Square.
If you currently use other third-party applications, verify their compatibility with Cin7 Core. The last thing you’d want to happen is to find out they are incompatible after the migration. On the other hand, if you find an incompatibility before the migration, perhaps you could consider switching to a different third-party application compatible with Cin7 Core.
5) Prepare for Common Problems and Challenges
No migration is ever perfect. You will probably encounter at least one problem or setback as you migrate data to your new Cin7 Core inventory management system. The most common migration problems include data errors, system downtime, integration failures, inventory synchronization issues, and employee resistance.
Following the advice about reviewing and validating the data before the migration, you can avoid importing outdated or flawed data. You should have also confirmed third-party application compatibility, too. However, if you still have a problem with the integration process, hire a digital integration consultant or specialist to assist you with data configuration and import.
System downtime requires a contingency plan because you cannot always anticipate when it might occur and for what reason. It can happen due to software malfunctions, power outages, and hardware failures. So, having a backup system or power supply on standby can help you overcome these problems and maintain real-time data access.
Inventory synchronization issues often occur. One small mistake in the synchronization process could be devastating for your business, especially if it prevents you from fulfilling customer orders. That is why reconciling the inventory data between accounts is critical to ensure the accuracy of the data across all accounts, including your B2B portal if applicable.
6) Employees Need to be Trained on How to Use It
Don’t forget about your employees during the migration process. They might already be accustomed to using a different inventory management system to run your business. Switching to a new system could make them resist the idea, especially if they have never used Cin7 Core.
Therefore, try to make the migration as easy as possible for your employees to avoid hurting their morale in the company. This process could include training your employees to use Cin7 Core so they feel comfortable when the migration finishes. Then, employees are less likely to make mistakes using the software after the migration concludes.
Some companies issue user guides and video tutorials to train employees. Others might even hold educational meetings with in-person training to help employees better adapt to the transition. Cin7 Core software is already easy to navigate and operate, so employees shouldn’t take long to learn how to use it. They simply need someone to give them a rundown of its user interface and functions so that they can better adapt to it and effectively use features like product management, supplier management, and inventory tracking.
Request Professional Assistance with the Migration
Do you need a professional digital consultant to advise you on switching to Cin7 Core? Bluehub is a digital supply chain consultancy firm specializing in Cin7 migration for businesses of all sizes across multiple industries and sectors, including manufacturing and retail.
The consultants can guide you throughout the migration process by ensuring a flawless switch to Cin7 Core without any problems. They can also train your employees to use Cin7 Core to avoid common new user mistakes. These training options could include in-person training sessions and providing onboarding resoCurces to streamline their transition.
Contact Bluehub for more information on how they can help you leverage Cin7 Core for improved inventory visibility, streamlined order management, and enhanced scalability in your business operations.
