Overselling and underselling your product is a nightmare for businesses of all sizes. No eCommerce store wants to sell the same piece of product twice or has no backorder option for hot-selling items. Optimize and automate your catalog management today; here are our top 5 inventory managing software for your BigCommerce stores.
Why you need inventory managing software for your BigCommerce store
BigCommerce merchants spend days looking for the best social media automation tool or upsell integration apps but neglect to optimize their inventory workflow. It’s surprising to learn that 1 out of 3 businesses will miss a shipment deadline because of poor inventory management. Here are just a few reasons why your eCommerce stores will benefit from inventory management software:
- Prevent spoilage of unsold inventory – vital for stores selling perishable goods.
- Circumvent duplicated orders.
- Fulfill customers’ shipping expectations.
- Avoid excessive materials acquisition for production.
- Cross integrate SKUs and tracking data across multi-channel commerce platforms.
- Optimize operational costs of manual bookkeeping.
Simply put, inventory management is how you organize and allocate your stock. A problem-free inventory management system will be the best detergent against customer dissatisfaction. Today, we will focus on BigCommerce’s best offerings for inventory management software, each designed to solve unique problems you might be facing with your eCommerce venture.
#1. BackOrder
BackOrder allows customers to put in orders for items that are out of stock. It’s ideal for businesses like MDT, whose products have a long production time. By installing BackOrder, your customers won’t have to check for restocks constantly, and you can stay ahead of orders. Additionally, BackOrder sends notifications when order thresholds are reached so you can take control of your inventory.
Delisting an out-of-stock item that was flying off the shelves could be doing your business more harm than good. By allowing customers BackOrder options, you can proactively secure materials ahead of time to produce your bestsellers. Remember, prospective customers won’t wait around if your competitors offer a more straightforward purchasing process. It’s worth knowing that out-of-stock items can cost merchants 8-12% of total revenue.
Your eCommerce storefront will determine the customer’s purchase decision more than any other factor you can control. Make a memorable first impression and let customers see what you have to offer with BackOrder at your fingertips.
#2. Atom8
Information invisibility spells disaster for your eCommerce business. A minor mistake in manually cataloging materials could result in your store having no product for next week! Spreadsheets might help you start inventory management initially, but relying on them to grow is unwise. Atom8 aims to solve the “information silo” problem of inventory management with automation and workflows.
For example, Atom8 sends your shipping data from eCommerce stores directly to logistics, ensuring no wasted inventory sits on the shelve while customers wait. Knowing that the data of the items sold on the storefront is precisely what your backend team is receiving for shipping and cataloging means no more inventory mistakes.
You won’t need an inventory manager for your startup; Atom8 can send real-time notifications to key stakeholders when items are low on stock. Another pre-built workflow can change item storefront availability based on inventory levels, letting you meet the PAR level before ordering new items. Having everyone on the team be aware of shortages and out-of-stock items will help you better coordinate and solve inventory issues before they arrive.
#3. ShipStation
ShipStation is a multi-channel platform that lets your business get a handle on shipping and, in turn, keeps customers’ fulfillment high. From something as simple as knowing which item has or has not been shipped to providing SMS tracking for a better customer experience, ShipStation is the premiere shipping integration platform.
ShipStation can receive and coordinate data from 40 sales channels, making this an excellent choice for businesses with multi-channel storefronts outside BigCommerce. If you’re stressing over shipping commitments, look no further than what ShipStation offers.
#4. Fishbowl
For manufacturers on BigCommerce, Fishbowl provides solutions to maximize production and warehouse inventory workflow. Track inventory across multiple warehouses and avoid double data entry disasters from miscommunication. Fishbowl lets users integrate BigCommerce inventory information into one window for management, perfect for medium to large businesses.
While Fishbowl lacks customer segmentation features compared to its competitors, the application can generate order reports so your team can follow up on high-profile buyers.
#5. Katana
A crucial aspect of inventory management is handling the production process; Katana’s interactive interface makes this simple and even fun to do for BigCommerce merchants. Businesses that produce in bulk or have multi-level manufacturing processes need a dedicated platform to understand the relationship between sales and inventory. Katana lets users make notes on manufacturing orders to ensure no item runs out without proper acknowledgment.
Wrapping up
Finding the ideal inventory managing software for your BigCommerce store is daunting. It’s tempting to keep doing inventory management the old ways: with spreadsheets and passive problem-solving. However, businesses passionate about efficiency and customer satisfaction must find ways to incorporate new technologies into their inventory management system.
We recommend starting with BackOrder for all BigCommerce stores. BackOrder allows you to control inventory on your hottest products and bulk edit stock levels. The application is also IMS/ERP compatible, making it easy to integrate with warehouse and storage for better inventory management.
