Towards inventory control excellence: An innovative approach based on a web-based platform

Introduction

Over the past decade, there has been a significant surge in the popularity of web-based systems worldwide, primarily attributed to their intricate nature and ability to facilitate simultaneous user support (Mora, 2011). A notable example is the study by Qin et al. (2021), which implemented a system for reagent chemicals to facilitate searches and instantly know their location, allowing scientists to focus on developing new drugs. Research by Chila and Susi (2019) in the United States also highlighted the importance of information technology (IT) systems in inventory management, finding that supply management was time consuming in interventional radiology patient care. Using Lean principles, which refer to a set of practices and concepts designed to optimize efficiency and eliminate waste in business processes (Kumar et al., 2022), evaluated and improved an outdated process and implemented an inventory control system that resulted in significant time and cost savings.

One of the most prominent types of systems are web systems or applications. According to Molina-Ríos and Pedreira-Souto (2020), these systems are similar to traditional software and require development processes that include requirements gathering and programming in different languages, which can lead to heterogeneity during their development. In addition, the widespread adoption of web systems, driven by their rapid growth and numerous advantages, has significantly impacted e-commerce (Castilla et al., 2020). These systems facilitate direct interaction between end-users and the content of web pages. In addition, research in the UK has developed a machine learning-based computer system that can perform quality control by identifying defective parts and stopping the production process (Papananias et al., 2020).

In the South American country of Peru, many public and private organizations have implemented software to automate their processes (Centrum-PUCP, 2023). This gives them a competitive advantage by allowing them to save resources in terms of money, time and personnel (Wilson & Mergel, 2022). In this regard, Figure 1 shows the sectors of companies that have invested the most in technology, highlighting the following “electricity (42.3%), private education (39.0%), information and communication (37.4%), professional, scientific and technical activities (32.0%), manufacturing (31.4%) and hydrocarbons (30.8%), among the most important” (Instituto Nacional de Estadística e Informática, 2019).

Figure 1. Companies that invest in science and technology, by economic activity.

Note: Percentage of investment in science and technology by company according to economic activity. Source: (Instituto Nacional de Estadística e Informática, 2019) – Reproduced with permission under the terms of the Instituto Nacional de Estadística e Informática's open licensing policy.

In the public education sector, entities are responsible for accounting, controlling and reporting their goods in a responsible manner. These educational institutions are subordinated to the Local Education Management Unit (UGEL), as an example of decentralisation of local government, and depend on the Regional Directorate of Education (DRE) for administrative, normative and technical support (D. S. No 019-2019-VIVIENDA, 2019). Management follows the rules of the National Superintendence of State Goods (SBN), which standardises codes and processes for each public good. Failure or delay in sending this information may result in a call for attention, a memorandum or the withholding of economic resources.

In Ancash, Peru, a web-based inventory management system was implemented in UGEL Aija, resulting in a 43.15% improvement in the supply rate and a 36.3% increase in the inventory turnover rate (Sena, 2021). On the other hand, in Piura with Chiroque (2018), an inventory system was developed and the average times for registering goods, generating reports, searching for an good and ordering an good were improved. Similarly, Ramos (2016) implemented a system in the Telematics Office of the Police Front of Puno, Peru, using the agile methodology Extreme Programming (XP), which, thanks to its flexibility, allowed iterative acceleration and achieved functionalities such as improving the inventory work by 60% of the total.

Currently, according to information provided by officials at public educational institutions in San Vicente de Cañete, Lima, Peru, such as the José Buenaventura Sepúlveda Public Educational Institution, good information is recorded on physical documents and then transcribed into Excel spreadsheets. This has reportedly resulted in disorganized and duplicated records throughout the year, as well as the generation of reports with incorrect or outdated data. Therefore, the aim of this research is to implement web-based software that will improve the inventory control process and provide the institution with a technological advance to meet new educational challenges. In addition, it aims to provide accurate information about the goods, which will allow efficient management of the institution’s resources and indirectly promote quality education for both students and society.

While it is true that there are several applications with similar purposes in other sectors (Pereira et al., 2022), it is important to note that the application described in this article has been developed specifically for the education sector, taking into account the particular needs and requirements of an institution that lacks both technological tools and knowledge in the implementation of technology in educational processes. In addition, the application complies with the laws and regulations of the education sector regarding information management. (Chiroque, 2018). It is important to highlight that this tool is innovative in the educational context and represents an important solution to improve the inventory control process of educational institutions. In particular, the application demonstrates how technology can be used to improve public services and promote digital transformation (Castilla et al., 2023). This may be relevant for other institutions that wish to implement digital solutions to improve information management (Ramos, 2016). It therefore represents an innovation in the local context and contributes to the advancement of the implementation of digital solutions in the education sector.

Methods

In this section, we provide a detailed account of the methods employed in the development and operation of our software tool tailored for educational institution inventory control.

Use cases

Preface: Data Initialization

The system data is loaded automatically following the installation steps detailed in the “Readme.md” file found in the repository (Ramos-Miller (b), 2023).

Use case 1: goods search

To demonstrate the software’s functionality, we present a specific use case involving the search for goods within the educational institution’s inventory. In this scenario, a user initiates a goods search by specifying criteria such as the item’s name, category, location, or status. Upon submission, the software retrieves and displays a list of matching goods based on the provided criteria. This practical example illustrates the software’s effectiveness in helping staff quickly locate specific goods within the institution’s inventory, as show in Figure 2.

Figure 2. Goods search.

Input: Search input query: “Computadora”

Output: List of coincidences:

• • MODULO DE MELAMINA PARA COMPUTADORA

  • ○ Description, Status, Inventory Area, etc …

• • COMPUTADORA DE MANO - WORKPAD

  • ○ Description, Status, Inventory Area, etc …

• • MODULO DE METAL PARA MICROCOMPUTADORA

  • ○ Description, Status, Inventory Area, etc …

Use case 2: Statistical reports

In this scenario, we demonstrate how the software facilitates the generation of statistical reports related to goods. Users can select the type of report they require, such as inventory levels, asset depreciation, or goods distribution by category. The software processes the data and generates comprehensive statistical reports, which can aid in decision-making processes and provide insights into the institution’s goods management, as show in the Figure 3.

Figure 3. Statistical reports.

Input:

• • Access the “Dashboard” view

Output:

• • Statistical Report “Goods by acquisition date”

Use case 3: Report generation according to SBN guidelines

In this scenario, we demonstrate the software’s capability to generate reports that strictly adhere to the guidelines established by the SBN. Users can access the Report menu, where they have the option to generate reports based on specific areas or encompassing all areas. The software will compile and format the necessary data to produce reports that precisely meet SBN standards. This functionality ensures that the institution can efficiently fulfill its reporting obligations to regulatory authorities, as shown in Figure 4.

Figure 4. Report generation according to Superintendencia Nacional de Bienes Estatales (SBN) guidelines.

Input:

• • Access the “Reports” view

• • Select the “Inventory Area”

• • Click in “Generate Report” button

Output:

• • SBN Good Report (PDF)

  • • Report Date: Current date

These use cases demonstrate how the software enhances goods management and reporting processes within an educational institution, offering valuable tools for inventory control and compliance with regulatory requirements.

Discussion

The implementation of the web-based system resulted in a substantial enhancement of the inventory control process, significantly optimizing goods and inventory management. As a result of our software implementation, staff had the opportunity to redirect their efforts toward other administrative or teaching tasks that could enhance the educational institution’s overall performance. This is in line with (Chancasanampa-Mandujano et al., 2019), where a warehouse management system was used to reduce the stock of raw materials, thus obtaining a more accurate inventory of inputs. In the same way (Ramos, 2016), reported improved telematics office operations with the implementation of the ISO 9126 standard, resulting in centralized and comprehensive information management. On the other hand, (Chila & Susi, 2019), highlighted that the management of supply inventory in radiology is one of the main causes of wasted time, with a potential negative impact on patient care in interventional radiology. Therefore, using Lean principles, we evaluated an outdated process and implemented an inventory control system with good results, saving time and money. In turn, these results agree with (Tejesh & Neeraja, 2018), where a warehouse inventory control system was developed based on IOT (Internet of Things) architecture, which was designed to track products using their corresponding tags and timestamps for further analysis and accurate verification. The developed warehouse inventory management system was efficient, as it was able to perform real-time search operations from the database and update information with the help of web servers.

The enhancement in goods search and localization further streamlined the identification and localization of educational institution goods. This is in agreement with (López & Pérez, 2016) who obtained an improvement in the search of technical files thanks to the implementation of the computer system, as well as an improvement in the process of patient care. Similarly (Chiroque, 2018), witnessed changes that greatly benefited institution staff, with goods search, filtering, and reporting processes improving. This work introduced an automated solution to goods management issues, ultimately leading to enhanced inventory management in the institution (Nemeshaev & Fatkullina, 2021), who studied the processes of collecting, recording and analysing data on their inventory system, found that the pilot implementation of the inventory system improved equipment monitoring, reduced labour costs and the number of errors in the preparation of inventory lists. Similarly, the findings of Ho et al. (2021) who developed a blockchain-based system operating under a decentralised accounting mechanism, improved the quality of traceability data and the exchange of reliable information within the spare parts supply chain.

The accuracy and completeness of information regarding educational institution goods significantly improved. The data now remains error-free, unaffected by process distortions, and exhibits consistency between physical and virtual records. Additionally, the software has introduced secure data access mechanisms, granting or restricting personnel access based on their designated roles as administrators or managers. This is in line with (Fajardo & Lorenzo, 2017), who managed to highlight the result of obtaining truthful information to maintain the optimal inventory, thus achieving optimal and accurate customer service, all as a result of the implementation of the web system. Similarly (Bonett et al., 2019), reported a reduction in inventory loss due to stock-outs and increased inventory service levels. Their primary objective was to address stock-out issues in SMEs, which previously lacked such effective tools. Similarly Praveen et al. (2019), show that the development of a model using artificial neural networks to accurately predict demand contributed to sudden customer demand and minimised the mismatch between supply, demand and associated costs, resulting in increased profit margins. In turn, this is in line with (De Giovanni, 2021), where the implementation of an intelligent application allows the supply chain to increase sales and improve the production rate, as more consistent and reliable information was obtained from the managed inventory.

Effective reporting saw significant improvement, facilitating better communication between the educational institution and UGEL 08 Cañete, thereby aiding the objectives of both entities. Moreover, it furnishes UGEL 08 Cañete with precise and high-quality information to make informed organizational decisions with the educational institution’s resources. This is in line with (Rosas & Valecilla, 2019), who pointed out that after the phase following the implementation of a web system in inventory management, operations were optimised in terms of response times for receiving reports and monitoring administrative processes. Similarly (Guevara, 2019), claimed that, after the development of an inventory management system, it was possible to control materials in a more orderly manner, providing timely and reliable reports for correct and appropriate decisions. The results showed a high degree of agreement with the research of (Dennert et al., 2021), where it was demonstrated that the use of a universal inventory system allows the rapid generation of physical inventory reports, which in turn preserves the quality of the sample by reducing redundancy and location time. Inventory information was presented in a more user-friendly manner, allowing it to be easily analysed for statistically significant trends, samples had reliable traceability and data was checked for accuracy.

Conclusions

The web system has significantly improved the inventory control process at the José Buenaventura Fernández Public Educational Institution. After its implementation, the software demonstrated notable enhancements in the three dimensions proposed (search for goods, inventory coverage, and inventory reports). These improvements have greatly benefited the school by optimizing the inventory control process.

Finally, it is recommended that this research be applied in other schools, both public and private, in order to improve and have access to accurate and rapid information on the movable and immovable goods of the institution, since the SBN regulations are applied. At the same time, it is recommended to extend the methods with QR code or barcode, in order to optimise the time of the inventory, and at the same time, this functionality should communicate with the web system of the inventory control process and, for a future stage, consider a connection with the National Goods System of the Ministry of Education.