What inventory management software should tell you
Inventory management software should tell you, at any moment, what you have, what is selling, what is stuck and what to order next. In Cartix Prime, stock moves with every bill and every purchase entry, so the figure on the screen follows the shelf without a separate register.
Stock is where a shop's money sits. A hardware shop in Nagpur can have ₹15 lakh on its racks, with a fifth of it not sold in a year. Knowing that is the first step to freeing the cash.
Stock in and stock out, without double entry
On every paid plan, from Starter:
- each bill reduces stock, and each return adds it back
- purchase entry adds stock and updates the cost
- expenses are kept alongside, so margins are not guessed
Purchase entry is the boring part, and the part shops skip. Silver adds purchase drafts: take a photo of the supplier bill when the goods arrive and finish the entry later. On Gold, the photo is read and the items fill themselves, so you only check the figures.
Stock counts that end with the right numbers
Software stock and shelf stock drift apart: breakage, theft, wrong entries. A stock count brings them back together. On Silver, you count section by section, enter what is on the shelf, and the stock in the app is set right.
Silver also adds stock health reports, which point you to stock that is not moving. Read our step-by-step guide to stock taking in a retail shop before your first count.
Ordering: what to buy and from whom
Gold turns stock into a buying plan:
- Smart reorder suggestions based on what you sell and what is left
- Purchase orders to suppliers, and goods received notes when they deliver, with a goods check for short or damaged items
- Supplier rates kept for each supplier
- The supplier app, so a supplier can bill your shop from their phone
For a supermarket or a busy wholesaler, this is where the time goes, and where most over-buying happens.
Batches, expiry and serial numbers
Some stock is not just a count. Medicines, packed food and cosmetics have batches and expiry dates. Phones and appliances have serial numbers. On Gold, Cartix Prime keeps stock by batch with expiry, and records serial numbers with warranty. See pharmacy billing software for how batches work at a medical store.
More than one branch
With two shops, the question becomes "is it in the other branch?". On Platinum, the head office sees stock across branches, and stock transfers move goods from one branch to another on record. Van stock for distributors, loaded and unloaded each day, is on Gold. See van sales software.
A simple routine that keeps stock honest
Software does not keep stock right by itself. A few habits do:
| How often | What to do |
|---|---|
| Every day | Enter purchases the day goods arrive, and take every return through the counter |
| Every week | Look at what is running low and what has not sold |
| Every month | Count one or two sections and correct them |
| Every year | A full stock count before the books close |
On Silver, price markup rules can set selling prices from cost, so a new purchase at a higher rate does not leave an old selling price behind.
What it costs
| Plan | 1 computer + 1 phone | Stock side |
|---|---|---|
| Starter | ₹2,499 | Stock with every bill and purchase, up to 1,000 items |
| Silver | ₹4,999 | Any number of items, stock count, stock health, purchase drafts |
| Gold | ₹8,999 | Reorder suggestions, purchase orders, GRN, batches and expiry, serials |
| Platinum | ₹12,999 | More than one branch, head office view, stock transfers |
Prices are for a year, before 18% GST. Phone-only plans run from ₹599 to ₹2,599. Most shops that take stock seriously start on Silver, because the stock count is there.
How to start
- Sign up at the start page. The 7-day trial is on Silver, free, no card.
- Import items from Excel with their current stock. Tally, Busy, Marg and Vasy exports are recognised.
- Count one section of the shop and correct it in the app.
- Print a first bill and watch the stock go down.
Want each item scannable first? Read barcodes for a retail shop.
Questions people ask
Which inventory management software is good for a retail shop?
Choose one that is part of your billing, so stock moves with every sale and purchase. Then look for stock counts, slow-stock reports and reorder help. Cartix Prime has stock from Starter, stock counts on Silver and reorder suggestions on Gold.
How do I keep stock correct in billing software?
Enter every purchase, take returns through the software, and do a stock count every month or quarter to fix the drift. Counting one section at a time makes it manageable in a busy shop.
Can inventory software track expiry dates?
Cartix Prime tracks batches and expiry on the Gold plan, at ₹8,999 a year with a computer or ₹1,899 phone only, before GST. It suits medical stores, packed food and cosmetics.
Can I manage stock for two shops in one software?
Yes, on Platinum. The head office sees stock in every branch, and transfers between branches are recorded. Platinum is ₹12,999 a year with a computer, before GST.
Do I need separate inventory software if I have billing software?
Usually not. Separate stock software means entering every sale twice, and the two soon disagree. Billing software with stock built in, like Cartix Prime, keeps one set of figures for sales, purchases and stock.