Unique Use of Inventory Management Software: Horticulture

Every business has inventory, so it shouldn’t come as a big surprise that there are a lot of interesting ways that companies put inventory management software to use. In the past few weeks I have discussed companies that produce bacteria to improve crop health, conveyor belts for poultry producers, and devices to scan human hearts for defects. This week I’ll talk about something a bit simpler, yet still really cool: plants.

Planting Seeds of Success

Hancock Horticulture Services, Inc. sells a variety of plants through 27 large retailers, including Home Depot. According to their website, “We are a wholesale plant nursery specializing in Azaleas, Rhododendron, Subbery, Trees, Flowering Plants, Ornamental Grasses and other specialty plants.” Headquartered in Kodak, Tennessee, Hancock Horticulture buys many of its potted plants from growers out west and sends them to retailers on consignment. Consignment means that retailers don’t actually purchase plants from them. They merely house them, and only when a plant is sold does Hancock get paid. This can be a risky proposition for wholesalers because they don’t have complete control over their own products when they’re out on consignment. It’s extremely important for them to have a powerful inventory management solution to help them know where their products are and what their status is. As a wholesale distributor, Hancock Horticulture uses Fishbowl Warehouse to keep track of their inventory, reorder products when they get low, track shipments, and much more. And, of course, Fishbowl’s consignment features come in especially handy for them.

More Examples on the Way

Fishbowl has hundreds and thousands of customers, so I’ve still got quite a few to share with you. Expect to find many other examples of diverse uses for inventory management software in the coming weeks right here on the Fishbowl Blog.