Virtual Inventory: Real Time Inventory Visibility and Supply Chain Agility

When it comes to Virtual Inventory, GEODIS strives to offer unique recommendations based on origin management services. Because Virtual Inventory includes all stock on hand – whether in stores or at a GEODIS warehouse close to your suppliers – we concentrate our efforts on the origin. Our inventory management solutions are designed to provide visibility and control over every stock keeping unit (SKU) and ship it anywhere, anytime, right on schedule.

GEODIS knows from experience that traditional purchase orders and operations often limit further optimization in terms of margin and cost efficiency. Sometimes, if demand for required quantities unexpectedly rises, buyers realize they are running short on an ordered item in the middle of transportation or at a store location.

An omni-channel solution for increased control and real-time visibility

Managing goods from origin offers more control over inventory. We create an omni-channel solution that provides the best access to information, as well as the flexibility you need to move any item anytime, anywhere, using Sea, Air and Road.

GEODIS offers real-time inventory visibility and maximum supply chain agility for both e-commerce and brick & mortar retail channels. We don't pick up the quantities from your vendors on a PO basis, but instead pick them up when they are ready, across borders, while also conducting customs clearance after pre-staging and consolidation at a GEODIS warehouse. This offer comes with our usual warehousing value-added services such as labelling, quality check, hang tag re-labelling, and kitting. We also manage returns.

Most Retail suppliers are based in Asia, so we have constructed a wide array of solutions in this specific region. For instance, our dedicated cross-border trucking service was designed to replace intra-Asia airfreight and ocean freight. Of course, you can trust our specifically-designed air consolidation program anytime your products need to leave Asia.

We also hold bonded and non-bonded warehouses specialized in origin management services in the same Campus, such as our warehouse Yantian Port in China, where we fully optimize container load plans. We can deal with multiple vendors, SKUs and sites, and we can receive, sort, prepare and ship, after quality control. Different modes of shipping are also available using a Control Tower overview, with goods being prepared for direct delivery to stores.

Key benefits

Virtual Inventory can reduce your warehousing footprint and required resources at destination. At the same time, it can increase speed-to-market and facilitate multi-channel flexibility, as inventory is available at origin at the press of a button. You decide what stock has to go where and when. This will save working capital while reducing shortages and storage costs, giving you a clear competitive advantage as you get your products on the shelves as accurately and as quickly as possible.

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