1 Introduction

This chapter provides a functional introduction to Store Operations Cloud Service (SOCS).

Overview

SOCS is a cloud service mobile UI which requires Enterprise Inventory Cloud Service (EICS) as a pre-requisite. It executes operational inventory transactions related to a store. The application itself is a fat client developed on Oracle's Mobile Application Platform (MAF).

The UI can be deployed on iOS, Android and Windows 10 mobile units, be it handheld scanner of a tablet. SOCS supports the following functions:

Scanning of barcodes (GS1, VPN, item, container ID) to identify a SKU or container
Container, item and supplier lookup
Inventory adjustment with appropriate reason codes
Direct Store Deliveries with Purchase order (PO), without PO and against an ASN
Creating, accepting, picking and rejecting transfer requests
Accepting Return to Vendor (RTV) request, creating RTVs and shipping to a vendor
Shipping to another warehouse, store or external finisher
Receiving from warehouse, store or external finisher
In Store Replenishment from backroom to shop floor
Management of inventory on shop floor and backroom
Adhoc, unit, problem line and unit and amount Stock counts
Customer order pick, pack and ship

Business Value

This section describes the business values of using SOCS.

Improved Customer Satisfaction

SOCS allows a user to execute store inventory transactions and provide inventory positions to a customer across multiple stores. This means that no time is required to walk over to a fixed station since anyone with a mobile unit can answer inventory and location positions of an item in the store. It is even possible to look up inventory in other stores within the same workflow.

Real-Time Inventory

SOCS sources its data from a centralized point which is continuously updated with sales, receipt, shipping and adjustment data. This allows for a real-time cross enterprise inventory view.

Streamlined Inventory Processes

All the processes in the SOCS UI follow a similar pattern which means that learning to operate a single workflow allows a user to intuitively and quickly learn how to operate other workflows.

Improved Corporate Control

SOCS can be configured through the use of over 200 permissions and configurations. It is for example possible to restrict the UI from manual entering quantities, or receiving processes can be configured to require a secondary person to approve the receipt.

Full Transaction Views

The SOCS UI does not only serve as a mechanism to scan items and record them against transactions, but it also serves as a management application by allowing managers to look up transactions, view item lists and even edit or change (within a timeframe) receipts.