The retail industry, eCommerce, and warehousing rely heavily on inventory management. Without proper maintenance and checks of stocks and assets, businesses can lose customers and warehouses could lose clients forever.
Inventory management software is the best way to make sure you always have the right product levels at the right place at any given time.
Now, searching for the right eCommerce inventory management software can be just as tedious as managing inventory manually. So, we have decided to help you out on the hunt for the best inventory management software.
But before we proceed ahead, let’s begin by clearing the basics and getting to know the fundamentals of inventory management.
What is Inventory Management?
You’ll see hundreds and thousands of pairs of shoes when you click into a shoe online store. There are probably more shoes in their stores in different sizes and colors.
Inventory management and tracking are crucial in this case, of course. The store can then determine which types and models of shoes are running out, selling well, need to be replaced, and have run out of stock.
Inventory management is an essential function that is in constant demand. Goods, stocks, and assets need to be controlled and tracked at every stage, from initial purchase to manufacturing and storage to sales. This is what fuels the growth of eCommerce inventory management technologies.
Features of Inventory Management Software
In your search for the best eCommerce inventory management software, keep in mind that you are looking for a solution. Tracking and controlling goods will be much easier and faster with a software solution for inventory management.
As we mentioned earlier, the inventory management software should be able to track and update the status of every good, from initial purchase, production to sale. Even if a product is unfinished or in the process of manufacturing, it should still appear in the status updates of the software.
Forecasting inventory levels of stocks and assets is always a plus. If the inventory management software that you select predicts when particular goodwill run out of stock, this will give you a chance to order more of the same good. Real-time updates and alerts on overstocking and assets running out-of-stock also come as a huge advantage.
Next, you want to see what technology is your software compatible with: barcode or RFID. Both of these technologies are basically the same, in which they save you from data errors and the software gives you automation features.
But what most eCommerce businesses deem as the essential factor to judge the suitability of an inventory management software is its integration capabilities. The eCommerce inventory management software that you have chosen should ideally be able to integrate itself with other systems such as accounting or data software.
Best eCommerce Inventory Management Softwares
The following list was compiled after a thorough review of the features and functions of each option.
Our goal is to highlight the important and attractive features each of the free eCommerce inventory management software has. After that, you will be able to make the final decision based on the features you find most attractive.
1. Fishbowl
If you are looking for the ideal inventory management software to streamline the growth of your brand and eCommerce business, then you have to consider: Fishbowl. Work orders, as well as asset management, become near-effortless, thanks to its tracking, automation, and real-time reporting features.
Fishbowl fully integrates with market-leading tools and major accounting software such as Quickbooks and Salesforce CRM. The software tool is only available in English, so non-English speakers and readers may find it difficult initially to get around using this tool.
During the setup process, you will become familiar with how the software tool works, thanks to its training resources and support guides from the get-go. There are online tutorials as well as in-house experts to resolve any query that you have regarding its functioning.
2. NetSuite
Jumping from one software to another in efforts to integrate and look for accounting and marketing updates is a tedious task. NetSuite is an eCommerce inventory management software tool that gives you the ability to multitask in one platform.
Yes, all of the three – promotion, book-keeping, and inventory management in one single software tool.
eCommerce businesses can greatly benefit from the single-dashboard cloud-based feature of NetSuite. The customized panel gives you space to create, update and share data on order management, product identification, supply chain, and more.
3. Cin7
Looking for an eCommerce inventory management tool that is a user-friendly, comprehensive, and integrated interface? Try out Cin7 – a software tool that is famous for its proficient order processing and constructive arrangement system.
This is only possible because of the ability to sync with physical and online channels such as Barcode, RFID, FIFO, batch, and more.
Wondering if Cin7 is a free eCommerce inventory management software or not? Well, not really. You get three pricing plans to choose from. The lowest plan is $299 per month, which by all measures, is inexpensive compared to others in the market.
4. Zoho Inventory
Zoho inventory is an eCommerce inventory management software solution that integrates with and provides multi-channel assistance for every major eCommerce platform. You name it: Amazon, eBay, Shopify, and more.
Moreover, with Zoho Inventory, you get to create deals, inventory reports, orders, and invoices. The software solution has four pricing plans. And yes, it is a free eCommerce inventory management software with limited features.
You can unlock them by choosing one of the priced premium plans. You also get free set-up help when you first start using the tool.
5. Katana
Shopify has become the go-to place for small and medium scale business owners to open the web store, cultivate brand recognition and reach out to more customers. And the inventory management software that makes the whole process faster and more efficient is the handy Shopify-accredited tool called Katana.
Securing profits becomes guaranteed when you use Katana for order and inventory management, especially its sales, orders, and inventory tracking and update syncing features.
6. Stitch Labs
Looking for free software to make tracking, controlling, and management of goods and assets more straightforward? Stitch Labs is the perfect tool that comes as a solution to all your inventory management problems.
Operational demands, integration requests, and controlling inventory become much easier to manage and address with this tool. This ultimately leads to a boost in business growth. Stitch Labs is the perfect inventory management solution for medium-sized and small businesses that want to meet customer needs and build a market for their brand and product.
7. Ecomdash
Ecomdash is a tool that has a customizable admin panel. And what you can do from this panel is create and manage inventory, shipping, and orders of goods.
Ecomdash is a cloud-based software system that provides multi-channel integration such as WooCommerce, Amazon, eBay, and more. You can try the free eCommerce inventory management software version of this for 14 days before deciding to buy the premium plan.
8. Captain Biz
Want to make your business operations trouble-free, so you can focus on generating the most profits? Try Captain Biz. It is a software solution that tracks inventory in real-time and gives you updates and alerts to predict the nature of availability of a specific good or asset.
Captain Biz also generates invoices, helps you manage customers and suppliers from one single platform, integrates with multiple platforms, monitors banking transactions, and is adaptable on both Android and iOS phones.
9. Sellbrite
If you have a warehouse and eCommerce business, you know both overstocking and running out-of-stock can be a big problem for the business. But you know what can predict and prevent such problems from arising? An inventory management software called Sellbrite.
Sellbrite has a user-friendly interface that provides real-time data as well as forecasts on the status of availability of a good. The stock control feature also enables you to have total control over trade-ins, distribution channels, and centers.
10. inFlow Inventory
Are you on the hunt for a competent free eCommerce inventory management software that gives you accurate status updates and presents you proficient records in mere seconds? Then, your quest ends here because the inFlow Inventory management tool does all that more.
From generating reports to management of clients and supplies, you can depend on inFlow. The customizable dashboard is the perfect platter to create and input every set regarding the purchase, sales, and inventory and you can expect quality output to generate from it.
Conclusion
The best eCommerce inventory management software is the one that addresses all your warehouse and eCommerce inventory management requirements. To figure out which software works best, you can either use a trial and error method by trying most of them.
Otherwise, if you want to save time, do an in-depth analysis of the features, pricing, and terms and conditions of the software that piques your interest. Make sure your team of employees such as inventory or warehouse managers are proficient with using the inventory management software that you have chosen.
In case any one of the software solutions does not work out well for the eCommerce business, there is always another one to choose from.
