Arda Manager Guide

The Arda Manager owns the replenishment loop from the moment a card is scanned to the moment the item is back on the shelf. This guide covers the eight areas that define world-class inventory management on the Arda platform.

1. Understand Your Role

You are the connective tissue between the shop floor and your suppliers. Workers signal demand by scanning cards. You translate those signals into orders, track deliveries, and confirm receipt. Nothing in the loop completes without you.

2. Set the Cultural Standard

The system works when everyone follows the same process. Your job is to make that easy:

Frame Arda as a support tool, not a monitoring system. The card is what frees people from having to remember and improvise.
Lead by example. Scan your own cards. Follow the process visibly.
Reinforce the one rule that matters: see Never Order Without a Card.

3. Set Up Your Facility

Before adding items, structure your facility in the platform:

Define departments and item types. See Item Types and Categories.
Define storage locations and sub-locations. See Locations and Sub-Locations.
Print shelf labels for every storage location before placing items.

4. Categorize Your Inventory

Use the Three Types of Inventory model to decide how each item is managed:

Type 1 (Always in Stock): Managed with Kanban cards at fixed locations. Automatic reorder on scan. This is the core of the system.
Type 2 (Infrequently Needed): Binder-based order cards or project-based purchasing. Used for expensive, bulky, or seasonal items.
Type 3 (One-Off Orders): Tracked in the Order Archive. No permanent card or shelf space needed.

Start by getting Type 1 fully covered. That is where most of your operational leverage comes from.

5. Enforce Card Discipline

No scan, no order. This is not negotiable. If orders are placed outside the card system, the loop breaks and visibility disappears. Make the card process faster and easier than any workaround.

6. Run the Daily Restocking Loop

Each day:

Monitor the Order Queue for newly scanned cards.
Process open orders with suppliers — consolidate where possible.
Track outstanding deliveries.
Verify receipt of incoming shipments and check quantities.
Return cards to their shelf positions once items are restocked.

7. Conduct Weekly Floor Walks

Once a week, walk the floor and check:

Card condition. Replace damaged or faded cards before they cause missed scans.
Card placement. Verify each card is at its correct reorder point.
Coverage gaps. Look for items in active use that do not yet have cards.
Minimum quantities. Adjust reorder points that are consistently too high or too low based on observed consumption.

8. Measure System Health

Track four metrics:

Metric	What It Tells You
Stockout incidents	How often items run out before a replacement arrives
Scanning compliance	What percentage of orders go through the card system
Lead time accuracy	Whether supplier lead times match your card settings
Loop closure rate	How many scanned cards complete the full cycle to restocked

If stockout incidents are rising, review minimum quantities and lead time buffers. If scanning compliance is low, investigate whether cards are visible and scanning is convenient.