Modern world is wrapped in a complex web of human trailways. We can travel by train or by car. We can cross the oceans and airspaces. We can send our products and resources across the globe, to remote destinations. But the world is crowded and its trailways are tangled. Are we able to control our supply chain in the most efficient way?
Luckily, OpenBoxes can!
If you are looking for an effective, functional tool that would deal with supply chain management, OpenBoxes might be the match for you.
OpenBoxes: what is it?
The history of OpenBoxes starts in 2010, after the big earthquake that destroyed a great part of Haiti. During that time Partners in Health, a nonprofit organization focused on fighting healthcare inequity around the world, was very actively engaged in the process of transporting people and resources to Haiti, in order to help local people as quickly and as efficiently as possible. They managed the planes, their capacities, the local warehouses and places suitable for airplane landing. People who took on the responsibility of managing the whole initiative did an amazing job in coordinating so many different aspects and finding the most efficient solutions.
You can read the full story here.
Although the case of Haiti was skillfully handled, the need for an automated supply chain management tool arose. A software that would specialize in guiding the product’s way from its starting point to the final destination. That is how OpenBoxes, an open-source, free-of-charge supply chain management program came to be.
What features does OpenBoxes have?
Inventory Management
Inventory is one of the crucial elements of every supply chain. With OpenBoxes you can manage inventory in an easy and flexible way. This includes inventory tracking, expiry tracking, lot or serial number, bin location, and more. It allows you to manage multiple facilities across multiple regions, to make adjustments to quantity and bin location, to track reasons for adjustment, etc.
Electronic Stock Card
OpenBoxes users have access to Electronic Stock Cards, where all of the stock data is displayed. You can store and view data regarding items’ cost, supplies, manufacturers, category, substitutions, and quantity within each inventory. You can also create custom attributes for items, if you need ones.
Stock Movements
Stock movement is yet another important element of supply chain management. To make it as easy and efficient as possible, OpenBoxes has built intuitive workflows that enable you to perform various tasks enhancing your stock movement, such as basing it on a preset stock list, editing quantity, keeping track of original request, acting on suggested substitutions, picking based on first-expiry-first-out (FEFO) algorithm, packing by pallet and box, and more.
Dashboard
The Dashboard panel provides you with useful indicators. Their purpose is to help stakeholders keep track of the situation and inform them on important decisions that need to be made. On the dashboard there are displayed: stock value, inventory summary, bin location summary, expiring stock summary, fast movers, global search, product tags, recent activities, etc.
Flexible Location Hierarchy
Supply chain management is much smoother if you are well-informed about geographic locations, facilities and storage areas of the supplies, as well as their specific location within the facility. OpenBoxes is a tool that will help you manage this data, divide it into groups and arrange them hierarchically.
Reporting
With customizable reports you will be able to always stay on track with your supply chain and access the crucial information quickly, in a compact form. This includes consumption reports, stockout reports, expiration reports, quantity on hand reports, transaction reports, as well as stock analytics. OpenBoxes’ reports can be also integrated with other softwares, if needed.
Security
Security of your data is OpenBoxes’ team priority. Therefore, you can assign permission levels by role. You can also gain access to automatically created timestamps for all major transactions.
Support for Multiple Languages
You can use OpenBoxes in English, Spanish, and French. It can also be easily translated into other languages. Custom translations can be stored in a local database. They can be applied to certain metadata fields, i.e. location type.
Email Notifications
You can configure email notifications on shipment and delivering, as well as new product creation.
Flexible Deployment Options
OpenBoxes is an open-source system. It means that the code is publicly available for free. Therefore, there is no limit to the number of simultaneous users, nor to the number of stock locations. It provides flexible deployment options, such as cloud hosting and on-premise implementation. OpenBoxes can be used on mobile devices. It can also be integrated with other software systems, with barcode scanners and with RFID receivers. It has minimal hardware requirements. OpenBoxes’ team provides its users with implementation support and supply chain consulting services.
Find more details about OpenBoxes’ features here.
What services does OpenBoxes offer?
OpenBoxes offers a wide range of services that can satisfy different types of customers. These services include:
- installation;
- one-time upgrade;
- support incident/troubleshooting;
- implementation & configuration;
- online training;
- data migration;
- data synchronization;
- custom report;
- custom development;
- integration with other systems.
Further information on services here.
Who can use OpenBoxes?
OpenBoxes was first initiated with a thought of healthcare supply chains and supply chain staff in developing countries. Since then it has greatly evolved to cover other clients’ needs as well. OpenBoxes can be deployed in many different contexts and it has capabilities to adjust to the situation, by utilizing new workflows and functionalities.
It is mostly dedicated to supply chain professionals working in resource-scarce settings where existing infrastructure for electronic inventory management is limited. Thanks to various deployment options, it can be used both by organizations that do not have resources to set up their own server (cloud hosting) and by organizations that can set up their server, but have limited internet connection (on-premise).
OpenBoxes is easily accessible for people speaking different languages, and can be translated to suit the needs of any client.
What are the benefits of using OpenBoxes?
With OpenBoxes you can:
- increase stock visibility;
- eliminate stock outs;
- reduce wastage;
- receive better forecasts;
- adjust the software to your needs;
- improve traceability.
OpenBoxes’clients are satisfied with the easy-to-use, intuitive system. It improves the tempo of work, as many of the necessary tasks are automated. OpenBoxes also helps in gathering more complex and integral data, which results in better understanding of products’ consumption. With better understanding there are also better strategies and higher numbers, as well as more satisfied customers.
Out of the box supply chain management: start today!
If you are looking for a tool that can handle managing supply chains, OpenBoxes might be a great choice for you. It is flexible, adjustable and does not require advanced hardware. Thanks to its intuitive interface, multiple language options and custom attributes, many different types of users can find this software helpful.
We invite you to visit OpenBoxes’ website and start your out of the box supply chain management experience today!
