Development of an Inventory Management Application

AGF Du-For now has an extensive inventory of several hundred articles, comprising more than 5,000 different items, spread over six separate sites (Montréal, L’Assomption, Québec, Trois-Rivières, Oakville (Ontario) and Dartmouth (Nova Scotia)). Therefore, as you can imagine, the yearly inventory can be quite laborious!

In order to facilitate the 2013 year-end inventory process, a new computer application, based on Microsoft Access, was developed in collaboration with Sylvie Beaudoin, Technical Writer at Hydro Mobile. Based on an application designed by and for Hydro Mobile, the AGF Du-For application was developed in three months. The project was managed jointly by AGF Du-For Finance and Procurement departments.

The application comprises a common database that is accessible to all sites and a user-friendly interface. The tool integrates all the inventory processes, such as tag management, data entry, verification of input, as well as the production of a series of reports that help complete the variance analysis during the inventory.

We are proud of that application, and are able to conclude that this first experience was a true success. Indeed, in addition to having been greatly appreciated by users for the simplicity of use and practical functions, the application has allowed to subtract two days from the time required to complete the inventory process.

The application system continues to evolve and hence, we are presently working at improving general performance when a large number of users are simultaneously using it. That should help complete the inventory process even faster!