Top 5 Open Source Inventory Management

Elise Williams

2024-09-27 19:04:05 • Filed to: Software for Business • Proven solutions

Did you know that the way you manage your inventory can be the difference between having a well-oiled business and not? Yes, inventory management can help you plan ahead, prepare for any sudden changes in sale thanks to the fact that you have historical data at your grasp. An open source inventory management tool can give you some vital stats in the realm of your stocks in the route to meeting customer demands and employee satisfaction. Now, the real hurdle though is finding the right open source inventory management tool that delivers great features tailored for small and medium enterprises. Luckily, we have done some digging for you and compiled a list of 5 free inventory management tools you can try.

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Top 5 Open Source Inventory Management

1. inFlow

inflow is one of the most popular open source inventory management software targeted at streamlining inventory management in small and medium enterprises in a wide array of niches be it wholesale, retail, eCommerce, manufacturing, healthcare, governing and administration etc. This is a tool that can help you fill/disseminate customer orders not to mention that you can also use this tool to reorder what you have in stock, create invoices and inventory related reports. It is more or less a freemium inventory management software where you can use the free features but also paid if your business scales.

Pros:

It is super easy to navigate through even for new users-the tool even comes with shortcuts that smoothen your interaction with the tool
It integrates very well with the likes of Magento and Shopify for ecommerce business
Reports can be easily exported to excel

Cons:

It doesn't integrate with accounting systems thus you may have to export accounting related data from the software manually.

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2. ABC Inventory

ABC Inventory is one of the best free inventory management software a small business can ask for. It is a free subset of the Almyta Control System (ACS) designed to help you handle virtually every aspect of inventory management from the time a purchase order is made to the time a product is shipped to your customer.

Pros:

It is flexible enough to allow you to customize the inventory's modular organization
There isn't a limit on the number of workstations you can install this tool on
This free tool comes with virtually every inventory management feature a small business needs

Cons:

You won't get official support using this tool but you can always take advantage of it's forum for support
You can't link the workstations together

3. Delivrd

If you are looking for a free online inventory management software, then this is one tool you ought to keep an eye on. It covers every bit of order fulfilment mostly for small and medium enterprise in the ecommerce world. You can use it to replace using excel for inventory management or you can go as far as leveraging the free online inventory management tool to help manage complex end to end processes.

Pros:

It integrates well with ecommerce platforms like shopify and WooCommerce
It supports serial number management
You will get email support using this tool

Cons:

It is not meant for highly specialized businesses e. g if you need special equipment in the supply chain

4. Lokad

This is another inventory platform known primary as a business intelligence system for commerce operators. This system will turn your data into essential information that will enhance the way you handle inventory management and even help with detecting fraud. The free version will come with most of the inventory intelligence features like Probabilistic forecasts, Reorder quantities, Order constraints, Inventory performance reports, Data import/export, Script everything, Automation & Scalability, Community support, Integrations etc.

Pros:

It comes in a Standalone, Cloud, SaaS modes
The free version comes with lots of cool inventory features

Cons:

The free version is self-hosted thus you won't get access to support for it

5. Odoo

Odoo is crafted as an ERP and it’s free to use as an inventory management system as long as you self-host it. Talking of inventory management, this app you can take advantage of the warehouse management system and the purchase or point of sale segment.

Pros:

It is fast, easy to learn plus it comes with marvelous inventory management features
It is highly customizable
It supports a multitude of devices including windows, Mac, iOS, Android and the web.

Cons:

The free version is only suitable for small businesses but the transition to the other plans is seamless

Advantages of using open source inventory management software

Now, why do you need an open source inventory management software? Here are some of the reasons why you need to install this tool if you haven’t already:

Supply Chain Visibility-A free inventory software can help you get more details on the entire business operation in the realm of inbound and outbound product flows.
Quality Management-This software can help you track issues and errors related to shipments hence improving quality control mechanisms.
Forecasting-It can also be used to predict your future in terms of things like the capacity your need in stock
Improving Customer Support-It also helps in quenching customer needs faster as you can replenish stock and process shipments easily.
Cost Management-It will also aid in managing stock requirements better hence making the most out of your shelf space a feat that will increase profits.