We've all been through it. Looking high and low for an item that the computer says is there, but you just can't find it. There are many reasons that there could be a discrepancy. Properly making adjustments to inventory will not only help you maintain good records and reduce wasted time but also keep your staff's sanity in check.
Windward Insider Blog
Inventory is typically one of the largest assets that your business owns. If you keep a large amount of inventory it is important to have an appropriate strategy to keep track of it. This becomes more complex when your business sells new and/or used units, has units for internal use, and services customer-owned units. Implementing an inventory management system that is...
Sometimes your customer's journey requires them to return a product due to failure. As a retailer you have your customers' loyalty top of mind, but also have to balance the potential loss in profit that comes along with such a transaction. On top of that, your suppliers are protective of their own bottom line. So, how can you win the RMA game?
Barcodes are everywhere. They're on the products we buy and sell, and even on our packages in the mail. The barcode has even become somewhat of a cultural icon, appearing in movies, television shows, and literature. But what are barcodes? How do they work? And how are they used in different industries?
Barcodes were first developed in the late 1940s as a way to speed up...
Running a business can be challenging, but with the right tools, you can make it a lot easier. Windward System Fiveis here to help you streamline your invoicing, contracts, and accounts receivable processes, so you can focus on what really matters – your customers.
The lighting industry has always been dynamic, but the pace of change over the past few years has pushed many retailers and showrooms to reassess how they operate. Expanding product lines, more demanding customers, and the rise of hybrid in‑store/online shopping have created new pressures on businesses that were once able to rely on manual processes or basic POS tools.
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Returns are a reality in retail, but for lighting businesses, they can be especially costly. From fragile fixtures damaged in transit to customers purchasing the wrong bulb size or color temperature, returns eat into margins and disrupt operations. Beyond the financial impact, frequent returns can erode customer trust and loyalty.
In the lighting industry, variety is everything. Customers want choice—different bulb types, wattages, finishes, and fixture styles—but for retailers and distributors, this variety translates into thousands of SKUs to manage. What feels like a strength on the showroom floor can quickly become a logistical nightmare behind the scenes. Without the right systems, inventory...
A customer falls in love with a fixture in your showroom and decides to buy it. That moment feels great—until the behind-the-scenes work begins. You need to confirm availability, handle special orders, process payments, and schedule delivery, all while keeping the customer informed. For many lighting businesses, these steps happen in different systems or on scattered...
Lighting retailers face unique challenges—managing large inventories, handling special orders, and keeping customer service seamless across in-store and online channels. In today’s competitive market, relying on outdated systems can slow you down. That’s why more businesses are turning to cloud-based ERP solutions to stay agile and efficient.
