For a long time, inventory has been regarded as an important means to ensure production and consumption safety. However, foreign statistical data show that in order to preserve the value of inventory, its value must increase by nearly 20%. Inventory consumes considerable storage costs of enterprises, and its value tends to depreciate with the change of time, thus forming non-performing assets. It can be seen that inventory has become one of the obstacles restricting the development of enterprises, and inventory reform is imperative.
2. Theoretical understanding of inventory and zero inventory.
2. 1 inventory
The so-called inventory, objectively speaking, is the reserve materials used by enterprises for future sales or use, including raw materials, semi-finished products, finished products and other different forms. According to the definition of management, inventory is "the stagnation and storage of anything with economic value", and its main function is to effectively alleviate the contradiction between supply and demand and make production as unified as possible. Inventory is an important factor affecting the operation and development of national economy. Practice has proved that reasonable inventory will promote the efficient operation of the economy. On the other hand, unreasonable inventory, such as too scattered inventory and overstocked materials, will hinder the rapid development of the economy.
2.2 the meaning of zero inventory and its role in enterprises
Zero inventory is a special concept of inventory. Zero inventory does not mean that there is no reserve or no reserve. The so-called zero inventory refers to materials (including raw materials, semi-finished products and finished products, etc. ) does not exist in the form of warehousing in one or several business links such as procurement, production, sales and distribution, but is in a turnover state. It does not mean that the storage quantity of one or some items in the warehouse storage form is really zero, but that the inventory is minimized by implementing specific inventory control strategies.
The proposal of zero inventory can solve some waste phenomena in inventory management. By realizing zero inventory management, enterprises can reduce the cost of inventory management, reduce the capital occupied by inventory, and avoid a series of problems of warehouse inventory, such as warehouse construction, management cost, inventory maintenance, storage, loading and unloading, handling and other expenses, inventory occupying working capital and inventory aging, loss and deterioration.
Inventory management is the logistics part of the four major streams of enterprise management system. Inventory management manages the incoming, outgoing and outgoing of materials, that is, manages the supply and demand relationship of various materials, so as to achieve the balance between supply and demand and try to keep the inventory of materials at the lowest level, because this will occupy (overstock) valuable working capital of enterprises. By realizing zero inventory management, enterprises can optimize accounts receivable and accounts payable and speed up capital turnover.
Zero inventory strategy shortens the supply time of raw and auxiliary materials and reduces the occurrence of major accidents, so zero inventory management can shorten the production cycle of products and avoid the risk of price reduction and unsalable sales caused by market changes and product upgrades.
3. The development of zero inventory management in foreign enterprises
Zero inventory management, as an advanced management method originated in Japan, has been widely used in Japanese enterprises. Up to 1989, zero inventory management has been widely used in Japanese manufacturing industry. When it comes to the successful application of zero inventory management in Japan, Toyota Motor Corporation of Japan has undoubtedly become the biggest beneficiary and the best proof of zero inventory management. With the successful implementation of zero inventory management in Toyota Motor Corporation of Japan, more and more Japanese enterprises have joined the ranks of implementing zero inventory management. After decades of development, Japan's zero inventory management has already had a group operation team of supply, production and sales, and formed a supply chain system with zero inventory management as the core.
Since 1980s, American enterprises have gradually understood and recognized the theory of zero inventory management. Now, zero inventory management has developed from an initial method into a management philosophy with rich connotations, including specific knowledge, technology and methods.
For example, Dell Computer Company adopts direct selling mode to realize zero inventory of finished products and VMI (Vendor Managed Inventory) to realize zero inventory management of raw materials.
Zero inventory management is widely used not only in Japan and the United States, but also in Europe, Oceania and other parts of the world.
3.2 Foreign enterprises zero inventory management for reference in China.
Although zero inventory has been widely promoted in many countries such as the United States, Japan and Europe, it is full of temptations and risks. Whether zero inventory can really be realized depends on various specific conditions and circumstances, including suppliers, technology, products, customer support and the decision-making level of the enterprise itself. Therefore, it is recommended that enterprises do the following work:
(1) Change employees' ideas and establish all employees' understanding of reducing inventory. Before implementing zero inventory management, enterprises should carry out extensive publicity and education for all employees and targeted publicity for employees of different professions. Make everyone understand the significance of implementing zero inventory management and form a good atmosphere for implementing zero inventory management.
(2) Reasonable selection of suppliers and establishment of cooperative partnership with suppliers. Because zero inventory requires suppliers to provide high-quality raw materials at the required time, it is a key factor for raw material inventory, the distance between suppliers and the choice of transportation mode. At the same time, we pay attention to establishing long-term partnership with suppliers, sharing information, solving problems together and ensuring timely supply of orders.
(3) Establish the concept that output is determined by sales volume. The sales department should devote itself to expanding the sales market and ensuring the stability of sales channels, while the production department should have flexible adaptability and flexible production methods, fully cooperate with the work of the sales department, make the production of enterprises more balanced and help reduce inventory.
(4) Strict reward and punishment system. Under the zero inventory management system, the interdependence of all aspects of production and operation and all production processes has been enhanced as never before. Any mistake in the whole operation of an enterprise will cause disorder or even paralysis of the whole activity chain. Therefore, strict reward and punishment system should be adopted to ensure the smooth progress of production and business activities.
4. Ways and methods for enterprises to realize zero inventory management.
The meaning of "zero inventory" management is that the quantity of some kinds of goods in the form of warehouse storage is "zero", that is, regular inventory is not maintained. It is a special mode of supply on the premise that materials are fully guaranteed by social reserves. At present, enterprises implement "zero inventory" management, and its specific implementation methods are:
4. 1 No stock reserve
Non-stock reserve is actually reserved reserve, but it does not take the form of inventory, thus achieving zero inventory. In some countries, aluminum, which is not easy to lose, is left as a sound barrier and roadblock, just in case, for example, it is no longer stored in a warehouse.
4.2 Entrust the business warehouse to store and keep the goods.
Commercial warehouse is a kind of specialized and socialized warehouse. Entrusting such a warehouse or logistics organization to store goods, from the phenomenon point of view, is to store the goods owned by users in a highly specialized warehouse, which will keep and send the goods on their behalf, and the users will pay the service fee to the trustee according to certain standards. By storing and keeping goods in this way, in general, users don't need to store too much materials themselves, and they can even set up a separate warehouse to engage in activities such as the maintenance and keeping of goods, so as to realize zero-inventory and non-inventory production in a certain range.
4.3 Cooperative subcontracting mode
It is mainly an industrial structure of manufacturing enterprises. Through flexible production of several enterprises, the supply inventory of the main enterprise is zero, while the centralized sales inventory of the main enterprise makes the sales inventory of some subcontracting services and sales enterprises zero.
4.4 Adopt timely and appropriate production methods.
Timely and appropriate production mode, namely JIT(JustInTime) production mode, namely "when necessary". Produce the required products in the required quantity. This is an advanced management mode developed on the basis of the production mode of Toyota Company in Japan. It is a management mode aimed at eliminating all ineffective labor, realizing the optimal allocation of enterprise resources and comprehensively improving the economic benefits of enterprises. Kanban mode is a simple and effective mode in IT(JustInTime) production mode, also known as calling card system or card system. Using kanban method, cards with fixed format are required as vouchers between enterprises or between enterprises or between manufacturers and suppliers, and the next link distributes materials to the previous link at its own pace and against the direction of production process. Its main purpose is to synchronize the manufacturing plan, purchasing plan and supply plan under the coordination of Synchronous supply chain planning. In the specific operation process, inventory can be controlled by increasing or decreasing the number of kanban.
4.5 Make-to-order production mode
Under the pull production mode, enterprises only start production after receiving customer orders, and all production activities of enterprises are purchased, manufactured and distributed according to orders. Warehouse is no longer a warehouse for storing materials in the traditional sense, but a "hub" in the process of material circulation and a post station in logistics operation. Things flow according to the requirements of order information, so the dull materials are fundamentally eliminated, thus eliminating the "inventory".
4.6 Implement a reasonable distribution method.
Generally speaking, the production and distribution business is more sensitive to the delivery time without buffer inventory. Whether it is production materials or finished products, logistics distribution affects its inventory to a certain extent. Therefore, enterprises can deliver goods produced according to orders to users in time by establishing a perfect logistics system and implementing reasonable distribution methods, and in the process, reduce their inventory by transporting goods in transit and distribution processing. Enterprises can realize zero inventory by adopting standard zero inventory supply operation mode and reasonable distribution system, so as to realize the storage of goods in transportation.
(1) Deliver goods to users in the mode of "multiple batches, fewer batches".
Enterprises focus on the needs of each user, make overall arrangements and implement vehicle transportation, increase the number of delivery times, reduce the delivery volume of each user and each batch, and improve transportation efficiency. Distribution enterprises can also directly transport goods to workshops and production lines, thus making production enterprises in a state of zero inventory.
(2) Distribution of goods to users through centralized inventory.
By distributing goods to users through centralized inventory, increasing inventory is both goods and quantity, forming scale advantage and reducing unit product cost. At the same time, with the support of this guaranteed distribution service system, users' inventory will naturally weaken day by day.
(3) Deliver goods to users by means of "immediate delivery" and "on-time delivery".
In order to meet the special requirements of customers. In the way of distribution, enterprises use "instant delivery" and "on-time delivery" to distribute goods to users. "Instant delivery" and "just-in-time delivery" have the characteristics of flexible and stable delivery time and large supply elasticity coefficient, so as producers and operators, this way can greatly reduce the inventory pressure. Even enterprises will choose to cancel inventory and achieve zero inventory.
5. Conclusion
Zero inventory is the ideal state of inventory management in today's era and the embodiment of comprehensive management strength. The realization of zero inventory needs to be linked in purchasing, production, logistics, sales and other business activities. There are still some obstacles in the process of realizing zero inventory. The risk brought by zero inventory to enterprises can not be ignored, and its feasibility is worth studying from both positive and negative aspects. Moreover, any management means and technology need costs and costs. As a wise enterprise, the input must be less than the output, because enterprises always have to make profits to survive. Therefore, enterprises should actively think and improve when implementing zero inventory management, and cannot blindly practice it.