Industrial, retail, and healthcare inventory management are very different from one another. It’s so distinct that teams will have to execute them both differently. Understanding their difference is key to efficiently working with these projects.
Monarch Inventory Services operates three distinct practices: industrial, retail, and healthcare. Each practice supports different types of projects, and the travel model, staffing plan, and pre-inventory preparation change based on the site and the shutdown schedule.
How Monarch Organizes Three Practices
Retail is Monarch’s Long-Established Foundation
Monarch started about 40 years ago with the retail practice, and it remains the company’s bread and butter. The retail practice is Kansas City-based, and it performed well enough that Monarch created an entity in St. Louis using the same model that worked locally.
That foundation supports consistency across the business and helps Monarch scale into other practice areas without reinventing the process each time.
Healthcare Expanded After a February Acquisition
Monarch has done some healthcare work in Kansas City and then took a larger step by acquiring a healthcare team in February. That team is doing well and is predominantly based on the East Coast.
The healthcare team travels similarly to Monarch’s industrial team. That shared travel model matters because it affects how Monarch staffs jobs and how early planning needs to start.
Key Takeaway: Monarch runs retail locally, and both healthcare and industrial travel for jobs. Travel impacts staffing, equipment needs, and the planning timeline.
How Industrial Inventory Projects Get Staffed and Completed
Industrial Jobs often Require Travel, Tech, and Flexible Staffing
The industrial team is based in Kansas City, but most industrial jobs are nationwide, so the team travels. Monarch also takes the technology needed for the job wherever the team goes.
Industrial counts can require 20 to 30 people on site, but the industrial team may only have seven to 10 available. When that happens, Monarch borrows from the healthcare team or runs hybrid programs with the customer.
Hybrid Programs Use Customer Counters with Monarch Verification
In a hybrid program, the customer provides enough people to perform the count, and Monarch’s team completes the verification afterward. That staffing approach changes job to job, and Monarch plans each project based on what the site requires and what the customer can support.
Need expert help with industrial and healthcare inventory planning? Contact Monarch Inventory Services for a free consultation.
What Monarch Plans Before the Count Starts
The Plan Starts with Shutdown Timing and Inventory freeze
The planning process often starts weeks in advance. Monarch aligns internally and with the customer on when the facility will have a shutdown. The customer also needs to freeze inventory so Monarch can count it accurately.
Time allowed on site drives staffing decisions. If a customer only allows two days and the inventory volume is high, Monarch may need a large combined workforce. If the customer allows seven days, Monarch can send a smaller team and still work long shifts, including 12-hour days.
Preparation Includes Safety, Training, and Where to Start
Monarch builds a game plan before sending a team out. That includes who is going where, where to start inside the facility, PPE requirements, safety regulations, and any training that must be completed. Those steps prepare the site and the team so the count can run on schedule.
Why Monarch’s Process Produces Confident Results
Hiring Focuses on Detail-Driven, Investigative People
Monarch targets highly detail-focused people and screens for that mindset during hiring. The work requires finding the individual item that is not in the correct location, and the team keeps searching until they find it or confirm it is not there.
Monarch treats the work like an investigation because the customer’s records say what should be there, and Monarch is responsible for finding what is missing during the count.
Verification and Reconciliation Close the Job Correctly
After counting, Monarch verifies with a second person and then completes reconciliation with the customer. The team searches the full facility, including back closets and “crunchy areas” where items get pushed aside.
If Monarch cannot find an item after searching the entire facility, the customer can move forward knowing the inventory count reflects what is actually on hand. Contact Monarch Inventory Services to plan your next project and choose the right approach for industrial vs healthcare.
