Aren't you tired of keeping track of stock and creating purchase orders last minute? Probably you did, especially if you use Excel for it. We've compiled the top five inventory replenishment software solutions for you, so you don't have to waste any more time. But, let’s start with understanding what is automated inventory replenishment software.

What is Automated Inventory Replenishment Software?

Let’s start with the definition of inventory replenishment. Inventory replenishment represents an inventory flow where the right product is ordered, received, and delivered to the customer at the right time.

Shopify defines stock replenishment as the process of maintaining a business’s stock levels. The goal of stock replenishment is to ensure that you have enough inventory on hand to meet customer demand and avoid out of stock and overstock.

Inventory replenishment also involves tracking and analyzing sales trends and supplier capabilities to determine how often you should restock. Effective inventory replenishment and restock strategies help you maintain an efficient supply chain, minimize costs, and meet customer demand on time. Automated stock replenishment software facilitates all these tasks by optimizing and automating the replenishment process. Now let’s get into more detail about why you need an automated inventory replenishment software.

Why Do You Need an Automated Inventory Replenishment Software?

Did you know that between 70-90% of stockouts are caused by poor stock replenishment? Stockouts also cause cost retailers around $1 trillion every year. Why? Because a functional & successful product replenishment comes with a lot of benefits. What are those? We can categorize these key benefits under three main headings.

🛒 Less Out of Stock & Overstock Issues: With optimized inventory processes and timely restocking, you ensure you always have the right products in stock, avoiding both out of stock and excess inventory.

• The eCommerce industry is constantly changing, and unexpected events can sometimes lead to out of stock, even if you've chosen the suitable replenishment method or done demand forecasting. But that's okay! With an efficient inventory management tool, you can keep selling by accepting backorder.

😊 Improved Customer Satisfaction: When customers find what they need when they need it, they're happier. A well-managed product replenishment system ensures consistent availability, leading to satisfied customers.

💰Lower Costs & More Profit: Efficient inventory replenishment leads to lower shipping costs and helps in negotiating better agreements with suppliers. It saves money by reducing the need for rush orders and emergency restocking.

📌 Do You Still Use Excel for Replenishment?

If that's the case, you might be making a mistake because Excel isn't an ideal method for replenishment management. Why? Because Excel lacks the automation, real-time data integration, and specialized algorithms that inventory replenishment software offers. Excel spreadsheets require manual data entry, which is time-consuming and prone to errors. ⏳

Additionally, Excel doesn't provide advanced forecasting capabilities or optimization algorithms to determine optimal reorder points and quantities. As a result, using Excel for replenishment management can lead to inefficiencies, out of stock, overstocking, and ultimately, increased costs for your business. 📉 For more detail, you can read Excel Limitations in Inventory Management. 📖

Let’s assume you decided to use inventory management software for replenishment,  but what should you consider when choosing the software? 🤔

What Factors You Should Consider When Choosing Inventory Replenishment Software?

Is it user-friendly? 👌

When choosing inventory replenishment software, consider its user-friendliness. This refers to how easily users can navigate and use the software. A user-friendly interface reduces training time, improves efficiency, lowers error rates, and enhances user satisfaction. Prioritizing user-friendliness leads to better adoption and overall success in inventory management.

What are the additional features? 🛠️

If you have a growing eCommerce company with an increasing variety of products, you will need additional features in addition to replenishment. As an eCommerce business owner, you should be able to create purchase orders in seconds and share them with your suppliers. Tracking incoming inventory, costs, and future inventory levels and making reliable future demand forecasting is an indispensable part of your business. Moreover, having access to accurate analyses and detailed custom reports will be beneficial for your needs. accepting backorders and freight planning are other must-have features that will definitely be effective for your business. That's why you should make sure to have all of them when choosing software.

Is it affordable? 💰

When choosing product replenishment software, it's essential to make sure it fits your budget and gives you good value for what you pay. Look at both the initial cost and any ongoing fees like maintenance or support. Also, check if the software can grow with your business without costing a lot more. This way, you can get software that meets your needs without stretching your budget too far.

Now let’s see the best inventory replenishment apps available for your Shopify store. We've compiled five of them for you. 🌟

5 Best Inventory Replenishment Software in 2024

1. Fabrikatör Inventory Assistant

Fabrikatör simplifies your inventory management with an optimized replenishment process, accurate forecasting, automated purchase orders, and easy backorder & preorder management. It automatically syncs with your inventory data, and your inventory status updates automatically, allowing you to know exactly when to place your next order. This way, you can minimize the possibility of being out of stock.

With customizable reports and dashboards, Fabrikatör facilitates data-driven replenishment strategies, ensuring timely stock replenishment and optimal inventory management. It also seamlessly integrates with Klaviyo, ShipHero, and your Shopify store, streamlining replenishment operations for improved inventory management. Fabrikatör has 3 different plans and pricing ranges from $99 to $350 per month. You can now install this 5/5-rated Shopify app and try it for 14 days for free.

Best for the Shopify businesses that are growing and have a wide range of products, Fabrikatör would be the right call.

2. Notify! Back in Stock | PreOrder

This Shopify app is a restock, or replenishment, tool designed to help merchants manage their inventory effectively. You can integrate "Notify me" or “PreOrder” widgets across product, home, and collection pages and receive automated notifications via email, text, or push notifications.

You can also customize settings according to your needs, benefit from AI suggestions and gain valuable insights with lost sales reports and reminders. Notify offers preorders with discounts, notes, and partial payments with automated restock alerts and seamless integration with any theme.

Perfect for Shopify stores just starting out and those with a smaller product range. This 4.9-rated app offers pricing ranging from $7.96 to $27.60 per month, with a free version available for beginners. Learn more now.

3. Back in Stock | Restock: Krtbite

Krtibite is a 5/5-rated Shopify app, specializes in restock and replenishment, offering a comprehensive solution for recovering lost sales. With features like Restock Alerts and Out of Stock Waitlist, it ensures that customers are promptly notified when items are back in stock.

Price Drop Alerts further enhance customer engagement by informing them of discounts. Additionally, Krtibite facilitates the growth of your mailing list by automatically syncing with customer information for email marketing. Customizable notification templates add a personalized touch to your communications. Prices range from $5 to $19 per month, with a free plan available as well.

Ideal for Shopify stores with few products and newcomers to sales. For more information, visit the Shopify App Store.

4. Inventory Planner

You can use Inventory Planner as a comprehensive replenishment solution for your Shopify store. It offers accurate forecasting and analysis, empowering merchants to make smarter restocking decisions. By analyzing past sales and vendor delivery times, it predicts future demand and improves inventory management.

With customizable reports and alerts, Inventory Planner streamlines replenishment processes and saves time creating purchase orders. Keep in mind that this app requires an investment in the integration process. Its Shopify rating is 4,3, with prices starting at $249.99 per month. Learn more now.

📌 If you want to make a comparison, we already did it for you. You can read Compare: Fabrikatör and Inventory Planner.

5. Katana Cloud Inventory

Katana's Cloud Inventory Platform is a manufacturing-focused real-time inventory app. With Katana, you can manage your replenishment and restock processes for your Shopify. store The platform offers real-time inventory insights, enabling you to eliminate stockouts and overstock situations effectively.

By issuing purchase orders based on precise material requirements and reorder points, you can ensure that your inventory levels remain optimized at all times. Katana also centralizes and monitors data from every sales channel in one place, allowing you to manage incoming orders seamlessly and track products available for sale in real time.

Katana, which has a rating of 4,2, offers four different plans with prices ranging from $199 to $1999 per month. For more information, visit the Shopify App Store.

Choose the Best Shopify Inventory Replenishment App for Your Shopify Store!

As your Shopify store continues to expand and your product range grows, managing inventory becomes increasingly challenging, doesn't it? Choose the right inventory management tool now and reduce your inventory workload!

Explore how Fabrikatör can streamline restock processes and optimize your Shopify store's performance! 🌟

With Fabrikatör, managing Shopify inventory is easy, beneficial, and seamless. While improving your replenishment process, Fabrikatör also provides additional features to enhance your overall inventory management efficiency!

✨ Replenish promptly! Reorder for ideal stock levels on time. Ensure your data is automatically updated with Fabrikatör’s seamless integration with Shopify.

✨ Forecast Ahead! Precise demand forecasting with smart planning.

✨ Master Purchase Order! Streamline PO creation - quick and hassle-free.

✨ Accept Backorders! Keep your sales flowing, even when your stock is temporarily out-of-stock.

✨ Use Analytics! Reach deep insights into your inventory & sales.

and so much more!

Would you like to learn more? Feel free to schedule a demo now for our 5/5-rated inventory planning tool!✨