Communication is a crucial factor when managing inventory. Maintaining effective communication with employees, customers, vendors, and sales managers is essential. With employees and customers, you want to establish a relationship by learning their names and getting to know them on a personal level. This will encourage returning customers to communicate what material they need that day and what material they may need in the future. After installing the same item but from different vendors, customers will let you know whether they preferred items from vendor A or vendor B. This is key because you want to keep those items available and stocked during the “in season” period for when they will be utilizing them.  With vendors, communication is focused on when materials are arriving, any shortages of material they may have, and any sales, special pricing, or promotions.  With sales managers, communication focuses on the projects they are currently working on and future projects, and any material that may need to be delivered to a job site. Knowing these things will give you insight into what materials you have enough of and what materials will be required in the future.