Blog
Practical guides on stock and order management, no filler content.
Reorder points: how to set them without getting it wrong
Too low and you run out of stock. Too high and you tie up cash for nothing. Here's how to get it right.
Isolated or shared stock between departments: how to choose
Kitchen, bar, warehouse A, warehouse B: shared stock or separate stock per department? It's not a single company-wide choice.
How to run a cycle count without closing shop
A once-a-year full inventory blocks the business for hours. Counting a portion of stock regularly changes everything.
How we handle timezones for our international customers
Translating an interface into several languages isn't enough to be ready for international use. Timezone matters just as much: here's how we handle it.
Supplier orders: from draft to receipt, what needs to be tracked
"I sent the order" says nothing about what got confirmed, or what actually arrived. What real order tracking needs to cover.
Why a spreadsheet stock always ends up drifting from reality
A spreadsheet never miscalculates on its own, that's exactly the problem. Why the gap grows over time, almost mechanically.
Managing products with an expiry date: best practices across sectors
Food, cosmetics, pharmacy, chemical products: as soon as a product has an expiry date, the same tracking principles apply.
Multi-site businesses: centralizing stock without losing local autonomy
A separate stock per site hides what's happening elsewhere. A single global stock erases each site's own needs. How to reconcile the two.
Multi-team SMEs: when a shared spreadsheet becomes a risk
A shared spreadsheet works fine with two or three people. Past a certain number of teams, the same limitations show up, in the same order.
Nonprofits: tracking stock when volunteers rotate regularly
In a nonprofit, the people managing stock often change. How to stop each departure from taking the stock knowledge with it.
Supplier not responding: how to follow up without losing patience
An order with no reply for days? What to check before following up, and how to automate it.
What a stockout really costs
The lost sale is only the visible part. What a stockout actually costs, line by line.
Opening and closing service: the restaurant stock checklist
The stock checks to run at opening and closing a service, to avoid an unpleasant surprise.
Managing a nonprofit's stock when the budget is tight
Spreadsheet, notebook, dedicated tool: how to pick a stock tracking method without overspending.
Scanning a barcode without a dedicated scanner: what actually works
Barcode scanner, phone camera, or manual entry: what actually works without dedicated hardware.
Multi-warehouse: centralizing without losing local autonomy
One stock per site, one overview at head office: how to centralize without forcing identical management everywhere.
Stock valuation: the methods, and what a tool calculates day to day
Putting a monetary value on stock matters for cash flow, insurance, and accounting. The reference methods, and what a real-time tool can calculate.
When should you switch from Excel to stock management software?
It's not the number of items that matters, but who touches the stock and how often. The signals that show it's time to switch tools.
ERP or a dedicated stock tool? How to choose
An ERP covers everything, a dedicated tool does one thing. The real question isn't which category is "better", but what your business actually needs.
Overdue equipment loans: how to follow up without thinking about it every time
An overdue borrower discovered by chance, or an automatic reminder as soon as the return date passes: the difference comes down to how the return date is tracked.
Why a paper checklist always ends up forgotten
Posted up in week one, forgotten by week two: what makes a checklist stick over time often has nothing to do with what's on it.
Recipe, kit or bill of materials: what's the difference for your stock?
Three words for the same idea: a product made up of other products. Here's what actually distinguishes them, industry by industry.
Warranty and maintenance: two dates not to mix up on your equipment
A warranty date protects your budget, a maintenance date protects your equipment. Mixing them up gets expensive, either way.
How to choose stock management software: the criteria that matter
Between the price, the feature list and the sales pitch, it's easy to get lost. Here are the criteria that actually make a difference, no marketing jargon.
How much stock do you actually have left? The math behind the stockout date
Guessing how long stock will last gets it wrong half the time. Here's the simple calculation that replaces intuition with an actual number.
Who touched what: why tracing stock movements prevents more conflict than you'd think
A stock discrepancy discovered with no idea who, when, or why quickly turns into general suspicion. Here's what real movement tracing actually changes.