Inventory & supply chain
Inventory and supply-chain visibility for a distributor
How we would give a growing distributor one accurate view of stock across warehouses, with reordering, supplier management and sales-channel sync.
A look at how Grocito approaches improving inventory and supply-chain visibility for a distributor: the usual challenge, our approach and what to expect.
Challenge
A distributor or retailer with more than one warehouse or sales channel often cannot answer a simple question quickly: how much of this item do we actually have, and where? Counts live in spreadsheets, orders arrive from several channels, and reordering depends on someone noticing a shelf is empty. The result is stock-outs on popular items, cash tied up in slow movers and time lost reconciling numbers.
Our approach
We start on the warehouse floor, not in a screen mock-up. We learn how goods are received, stored, picked and shipped, and what identifiers the business already uses.
- Multi-warehouse tracking. One stock record per item per location, with transfers between warehouses recorded properly.
- Barcode scanning. Receiving, picking and stock counts using scanners or phones, to reduce typing errors.
- Purchase orders and suppliers. Purchase orders raised from the system, with supplier details and order history in one place.
- Low-stock alerts and auto-reorder. Reorder points set per item, with alerts or draft purchase orders when stock runs low.
- Batch, serial and expiry tracking. For goods that need traceability or have shelf lives.
- Sales channel sync. Stock levels updated across the online store and other channels so the business does not oversell.
- Rollout. Importing item and supplier data, a physical stock count to set a trusted starting point, a pilot in one warehouse, then wider launch and training.
Solution
The result is our Inventory & Supply Chain Management Tool, configured to the business's items, locations and processes, and connected to its sales channels. Managers get a live picture of stock and open orders; warehouse staff get simple scanning workflows; buyers get reorder suggestions. Where reporting is needed, we can connect it to dashboards, as described in our analytics and BI dashboard work. The approach suits businesses in logistics and supply chain and in manufacturing and distribution.
What to expect
A project like this typically aims to make stock numbers trustworthy, reduce stock-outs and overstock, and shorten the time spent reconciling counts. Accurate data depends on discipline at the warehouse: if goods move without being scanned, the system cannot know. The starting stock count and staff training matter as much as the software.
Technology
- Next.js and React for web and mobile-friendly interfaces
- Node.js and TypeScript for the backend and APIs
- PostgreSQL for data storage
- Shopify or WooCommerce integrations for sales channel sync
- Power BI, Metabase or Tableau for reporting where required
- Cloudflare and AWS for hosting and delivery
- Zapier or n8n for lightweight automations
