| Softr | |
|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan available, then starts from $49/month |
| Security | Granular user permissions, google authentication, SSO, data stored in Germany |
| Support | Excellent customer support and a very engaged community of users. |
| Onboarding | Seamless, thanks to a set of existing templates and an intuitive interface. |
| Integrations |
Payment (Stripe, Paypal, Gumroad), analytics (Hotjar, Google Analytics), Email (Mailchimp, Mailerlite), and more. Not particularly suitable for ecommerce solutions/p> Native integration with Airtable (thus also access to Airtable automations) and Google Sheets as data sources |
Online reviews |
- 4.8/5 out of 181 reviews (G2) - 4.7/5 out of 55 reviews (Capterra) |
Most notable features | Easy to use, advanced membership features out of the box |
| Zoho Inventory | |
|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan available, then starts from $59/month |
| Security | Ability to create and control access to Personally Identifiable Information (PII) |
| Support | 24/5 support. |
| Onboarding | Some users have expressed facing a bit of a learning curve early on, but the interface will be very familiar with users of the Zoho software suite. |
| Integrations | Ecommerce (Shopify, Ebay, Etsy), Payment (Paypal), and the entire Zoho suite of solutions. | Online reviews |
- 4.3/5 out of 74 reviews G2 - 4.5/5 out of 364 reviews Capterra |
Most notable features | Integrates with the entire Zoho suite such as Zoho CRM, Zoho Books, and Zoho Mail. |
| Katana | |
|---|---|
| Pricing | Starts at $99/month (free 14-day trial available) |
| Security | Use of SSL technology to encrypt data during transmission through public internet, and application-layer security features to further anonymize Personal Data. |
| Support | Online reviews highlight great customer support from the company. |
| Onboarding | While some online reviews mention a learning curve and a long onboarding, most users enjoy the tool’s simple, clean interface. |
| Integrations | Ability to create custom integrations using the platform's open API or to use native integrations with ecommerce or accounting tools. | Online reviews |
- 4.4/5 out of 31 reviews (G2) - 4.7/5 out of 142 reviews (Capterra) |
Most notable features | Large choice of integrations to connect with. |
| Quickbooks | |
|---|---|
| Pricing | Starts from $5.10/month (30-day trial available) |
| Security | Industry-recognised security safeguards to keep all financial data private and protected: SSL certification, TRUSTe Privacy Program, etc |
| Support | Online reviews highlight the great help from customer support and the solution has an online community to answer questions users might have. |
| Onboarding | As the Quickbooks suite has many components, some online reviews have mentioned a learning curve, but that the simple interface helps. |
| Integrations | As Quickbooks Inventory Management is a feature of Quickbooks Online, it integrates with the rest of the Quickbooks suite, much like other inventory management systems like Fishbowl. | Online reviews |
- 3.8/5 out of 16 reviews (G2) - 4.6/5 out of 559 reviews (Capterra) |
Most notable features | A lightweight, straightforward inventory management feature for Quickbooks users. |
| inFlow inventory | |
|---|---|
| Pricing | Starts from $89/month (14-day trial available) |
| Security | 256-bit SSL encryption backed by Microsoft Azure. |
| Support | Online reviews highlight great support, with limited phone availability. |
| Onboarding | Dedicated customer success manager (CSM) and at least 2 hours of onboarding. Additional training available for an extra $99/hour. |
| Integrations | Integrates with other tools from ecommerce (Amazon, BigCommerce) to shipping (DHL) or accounting (Xero), and more. | Online reviews |
4.1/5 out of 35 reviews (G2) 4.6/5 out of 449 reviews (Capterra) |
Most notable features | Mix of software and hardware products |
| Square for Retail | |
|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan available, then starts from $29/month |
| Security | ISO 27001 certified, high level of payment, hardware and oragnizational security. |
| Support | Help center including an FAQ, email and phone support, and a user community. |
| Onboarding | Very straightforward thanks to an easy-to-use, clean interface and minimal visual clogging. |
| Integrations | App marketplace with integrations ranging from delivery, fulfillement, accounting, marketing, ecommerce and more | Online reviews |
- 4.4/5 out of 61 reviews (G2) - 4.7/5 out of 460 reviews (Capterra) |
Most notable features | A complete suite for small retailers to start with, including hardware you can rent. |
| Netsuite Inventory Management | |
|---|---|
| Pricing | Not publicly available |
| Security | Enterprise-grade security including encryption, monitoring, MFA. performance audits, certifications, etc. |
| Support | An extensive knowledge center and a user community are available, even though some reviewers online have mentioned some issues related to customer support. |
| Onboarding | Due to the complexity and scope of the solution, some online reviews have highlighted a complicated onboarding and a steep learning curve. |
| Integrations | Many other tools integrate with Netsuite as it is a leading software provider, but the purpose of the NetSuite Inventory Management is to be used within the larger Netsuite suite. | Online reviews |
- 4.0/5 out of 2342 reviews (G2) - 4.1/5 out of 1201 reviews (Capterra) |
Most notable features | Huge amount of features and add-ons within the Netsuite platform. |
Frequently asked questions about Intranets
Inventory management can be divided into four categories: Raw materials, works-in-process, maintenance, repair, and operations (MRO) goods, and finished goods. Raw materials refer to materials used to build finished products. They can be produced internally or by a third party. For example, for a postcard company, raw materials could be the paper or ink used in the confection of the final products. Works-in-progress is describing the products that are unfinished and not ready to be sold yet. Continuing with the postcard company, this could describe the postcard as the ink and glue is drying out. Maintenance, repair, and operations (MRO) are other products that are used during production but aren’t part of the final product. As an example, this could describe the molds used to seal the wax on envelopes. Finished goods, finally, are the finished products, once production is completed and they can be sold. In our example, the postcards.
To maintain inventory effectively, small businesses need to accurately track and monitor their sales activity. By tracking sales volume and using inventory management software (more info in the post), SMBs are able to gather insights, enabling them to:
- Monitor product performance: What are your top-selling products? What items are underperforming? This will allow you to steer your inventory strategy accordingly.
- Focus on your business: Implementing inventory management software allows you to free up time and energy to focus on what really matters.
- Identify negotiation opportunities: By calculating product margins and sales volume, you’ll be able to negotiate with suppliers.
- Track inventory in real-time: Proper inventory tracking will help you monitor how much of your money is tied up in inventory at any given time.
The two methods of inventory control are manual and perpetual. Manual inventory control (also called physical inventory control) refers to a method of inventory control where you’ll periodically go and count each item in the inventory, comparing your results with previous values to keep track of everyone coming in and out. Perpetual inventory control, on the other hand, continuously keeps track of products in the inventory through dedicated software, and automatically monitors everything that is sold and/or purchased. Note: Neither type of inventory control removes the need to inspect products. You still need to make sure they’re not damaged or haven’t disappeared.
