The Best Open-Source Inventory Management Software Of 2024

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July 29, 2024

Tired of the high costs associated with traditional inventory management software? Open-source inventory management software could be the answer to your inventory woes. But what’re the best solutions on the market? Let’s find out!

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Best Open-Source Inventory Management Software

Efficient inventory management is the backbone of any successful business. It helps you streamline operations, optimize stock levels and improve customer satisfaction. When it comes to managing inventory with software, open-source inventory management tools offer flexibility, cost-effectiveness and seamless integrations.

But with various inventory management solutions on the market, how do you determine the best open-source inventory management software? We’ve got you covered! Our analysts have compiled this list of the top ones:

Best Open-Source Inventory Management Software Attributes Comparison

Odoo

Suitable for businesses of any size and budget, Odoo’s open-source nature and robust technical foundation make it developer-friendly, facilitating customization to meet unique requirements. It caters to various business needs, such as website building, sales and operations management, and employee productivity.

The platform’s seamless integration capabilities enable users to work efficiently from a centralized location, saving time.

Odoo Invoicing Module


Create and customize your sales invoice using Odoo. Source

Top Benefits

  • Improved Product Traceability: Effortlessly track the complete history of product movements associated with specific serial or lot numbers.
  • Real-Time Insights: Generate reports based on real-time inventory data monitored by the system to evaluate stock, transfer, outage and other information. Configure dashboards to continuously show up-to-date information on the metrics most important to your inventory processes.
  • Seamless Data Integration: Eliminate the need for redundant data entry, ensuring smooth information sharing across different modules.
  • Customizable Workflows: Create personalized setups for warehouses, movement types and supply routes, catering to your unique operational needs.

Primary Features

  • Inventory Valuation: Supports different methods — FIFO, average cost and standard price — to determine inventory valuation. It also seamlessly integrates landed costs, such as shipping fees, insurance and customs duties, into the overall valuation of products.
  • Traceability: Maintain a comprehensive activity log with a detailed operations summary, including quality control, order picking, delivery and more. Track manufacturer lots using barcodes or serial numbers to precisely monitor product movement and facilitate traceability across transactions such as delivery orders and receptions.
  • Replenishment: Seamlessly manage stock replenishment by creating purchase orders or RFQs based on demand forecasting, ensuring efficient inventory management. It also supports make-to-order processes by facilitating raw material purchasing or product manufacturing specific to orders.
  • Cross-Docking: Streamline the process of swiftly unloading incoming materials and transferring them directly to outbound gates, reducing storage time and optimizing efficiency.
  • Barcode Scanning: Seamlessly integrate barcode scanning into inventory operations such as stocktaking, receiving shipments and packing orders, ensuring rapid and precise scanning and verification.

Limitations

  • Can’t correct or modify stock movements once they have been finalized.
  • Doesn’t offer automated scheduling functionality that takes into account the availability of materials or workstations.
Price:$$$$$
Deployment:
Platform:

Company Size Suitability: S M L

OpenBoxes

With customizable source code access, OpenBoxes is a robust open-source inventory management software. It mostly caters to small and mid-sized businesses. It excels in providing enhanced stock visibility and automated notifications to prevent stockouts. It also enables demand data analysis for improved planning and forecasting.

OpenBoxes Dashboard

Access inventory, analytics and purchases in one dashboard using OpenBoxes. Source

Top Benefits

  • Improved Stock Visibility: Access real-time insights into stock levels, streamline operations and ensure optimal inventory control for improved productivity and customer satisfaction.
  • Reduced Stockouts: Mitigate the risk of stockouts by receiving notifications when inventory levels reach or fall below the reorder and minimum thresholds.
  • Minimized Waste: Monitor expiration dates using FEFO data logged in the app to make sure you’re distributing perishable products before they expire whenever possible, minimizing waste and shrinkage.
  • Enhanced Forecasting: Make informed decisions with accurate forecasting. Optimize inventory levels and stay ahead of customer needs by using valuable insights derived from accessible demand data.

Primary Features

  • Inventory Management: Enable efficient inventory control at multiple levels — bin location, lot/serial number and expiration date. Streamline operations across multiple facilities and regions while adjusting quantities and bin locations in real time. Generate cycle counts and handle expirations, damage and recalls seamlessly.
  • Electronic Stock Card: Store and track item metadata, including cost, suppliers and manufacturers. Monitor stock levels by location, bin, lot/serial number and expiration date. Gain insights from comprehensive stock histories, including debits, credits and adjustments. This helps you identify trends, reconcile discrepancies and make informed decisions based on historical data.
  • Inventory Tracking: Track lot or serial numbers and expiration dates to ensure compliance, manage recalls, and optimize shelf life. Automate picking with the FEFO method to minimize waste. Gain insights through an intuitive dashboard and manage shipments for efficient stock control and customer satisfaction.
  • Reporting: Gain valuable insights for planning and warehouse management with advanced reporting capabilities. Customize and generate reports such as dashboard indicators, consumption analysis, stockout analysis, expiration tracking and real-time quantity on-hand reports. Integrate with other systems to centralize data and optimize reporting.

Limitations

  • No sales order functionality.
  • Limited customization options for creating specific roles in its authorization mechanism.
Price: Free
Deployment:
Platform:

Company Size Suitability: S M L

ERPNext

With its comprehensive suite of tools and functionalities, ERPNext is an open-source management software that helps businesses optimize their operations, enhance inventory management and strengthen customer relationships. One of its notable features is the multilingual website builder, which allows you to manage content and meet eCommerce requirements.

ERPNext Accounts Dashboard

From total expenses to annual profitability, access account information in one dashboard using ERPNext. Source

Top Benefits

  • Improved Inventory Management: Maintain optimal inventory levels by automatically generating material requests when stocks are low. Mitigate the risk of stock depletion and ensure timely stock replenishment.
  • Enhanced Customer Management: Efficiently handle credit limits, receivables and billing data to make informed decisions and improve customer relationships.
  • Simple Customizations: Tailor forms with custom fields, fetch values and hide irrelevant information based on user roles. Access vendor and client data easily for a personalized experience.
  • Comprehensive Retail Management: Register new branches and monitor expenses, stock movements, profit or loss for a comprehensive view of business profitability.
  • Automated Routine Tasks: Assign leads automatically with load balancing, empowering sales teams to meet deadlines and respond to customer inquiries promptly.

Primary Features

  • Financial Management: Effectively manage finances using the robust accounting module. Keep track of income and expenses, receive timely notifications, and gain insights into cash flow. Create invoices for different currencies, manage transactions and access detailed financial reports.
  • Customer Relationship Management: Track and manage customer interactions from initial lead capture to post-sales support. Use digital marketing tools to attract leads and effectively communicate with customers through emails and calls. Assign leads among team members using automated assignment rules to improve efficiency.
  • HR Management: Simplify HR processes by seamlessly managing recruitment activities, posting job openings, reviewing candidates and storing relevant documents in a centralized location. Streamline expense tracking, travel requests and employee advances through configurable workflows.
  • Sales and Purchasing: Streamline your sales tasks, including material requisition, quotate generation, order processing and delivery tracking. Keep track of inventory levels and manage suppliers, shipments and deliverables efficiently. Gain real-time visibility into sales and purchase activities through intuitive dashboards and reports.
  • Project Management: Enhance project efficiency by organizing, scheduling and tracking project activities. Break down complex projects into manageable tasks and assign them to team members, facilitating collaboration.

Limitations

  • No built-in features for managing product warranties.
  • No dedicated success manager to offer personalized guidance and support to users.
  • Limited support for large databases.
Price:$$$$$
Deployment:
Platform:

Company Size Suitability: S M L

Flectra

Flectra is a customizable open-source solution that streamlines order management and enhances customer engagement. It offers multi-location support, dynamic product management and data-driven inventory optimization. It also provides flexible hosting options between cloud hosting and on-premise solutions.

Inventory Overview in Flectra

Gain a complete inventory overview with internal transfers, manufacturing, receipts and POS order details using Flectra. Source

Top Benefits

  • Customizable Workflows: Customize inventory workflows to your specific requirements so you have complete visibility over stock levels and control over stock replenishment.
  • Real-Time Engagement: Use the live chat feature to connect with website visitors. Help provide instant information and enhance customer interactions to drive engagement and satisfaction.
  • Streamlined Helpdesk Operations: Manage customer issues with the system’s helpdesk functionality. Track productivity, add unlimited agents to the cloud-based system and deliver exceptional customer support.
  • Enhanced eLearning Initiatives: Enhance learning and development initiatives within your organization with eLearning solutions. Enable workforce engagement through informative content, daily tests, self-paced courses, robust analytics and built-in assignments.

Primary Features

  • Order Management and Fulfillment: Effectively manage all orders and track shipments from a centralized console, ensuring efficient order processing and timely deliveries.
  • Multi-Location Support: Seamlessly schedule inventory transfers between different stores or warehouses to replenish stock at high-demand locations and quickly address urgent needs. Simultaneously place restocking orders to maintain optimal inventory levels.
  • Product Management: Categorize products based on various attributes such as name, SKUs, tags, types, variants, sizes and suppliers. Create bundles and discount deals to enhance product offerings and drive customer satisfaction.
  • Inventory Optimization: Use advanced analytics to optimize inventory levels based on order data and trends. Make informed decisions to streamline inventory management, reduce carrying costs and avoid stockouts.

Limitations

  • No native iOS mobile app.
  • Limited country-specific accounts reports.
Price:$$$$$
Deployment:
Platform:

Company Size Suitability: S M L

PartKeepr

PartKeepr is a user-friendly, open-source inventory management solution that optimizes daily operations. It helps you sort, filter and categorize parts. You can customize the interface and seamlessly integrate with external systems. With its barcode scanner compatibility, data entry becomes easy and helps save time.

Managing and Setting Part Paremeters using PartKeepr

Set part parameters and edit part data using PartKeepr. Source

Top Benefits

  • Rapid Part Search: Locate components based on various criteria such as stock levels and order numbers. Experience seamless search performance, even with large inventories, ensuring quick access to the required parts.
  • Enhanced Parametric Search: Define and input any part parameters as required and use the data entered to easily find similar parts, enabling quicker and more accurate search results.
  • Optimized Stock Management: Seamlessly track stock changes and maintain a record of all additions and removals from inventory to optimize stock management.
  • Streamlined Data Exchange: Interact with external systems effortlessly by using the system’s CSV and Excel export/import capabilities, enabling smooth data exchange.
  • Reduce Manual Input: Save time and improve productivity with barcode scanner support. Helps retrieve part data swiftly without the need for manual input.

Primary Features

  • Part Search: Effortlessly search for parts using a wide range of fields, including stock levels, order numbers, manufacturers and distributors. Quickly locate the required components, saving time and boosting efficiency.
  • Part Data: Enter and manage detailed part information, including distributors, manufacturers, attachments and customizable units. This data forms the foundation for upcoming parametric searches, enabling you to find similar parts with ease.
  • Stock Tracking: Track additions and removals from your inventory accurately. Monitor quantities, users and prices and add optional comments. Gain insights into the entire stock history with the global stock history view, ensuring transparency and accountability.
  • Reordering: Simplify the reordering process by filtering parts that fall below the minimum stock level. Identify items that require replenishment effortlessly, streamlining your procurement and maintaining optimal inventory levels.

Limitations

  • Lacks direct integration.
Price: Free
Deployment:
Platform:

Company Size Suitability: S M L

Next Steps

Open-source inventory management software helps you embrace scalability and allows you to take better control of your inventory.

When choosing an open-source inventory solution, always explore your options and compare the features and benefits of various software providers.

Our free comparison report can give you an in-depth look at leading solutions on the market. Check out some of these products and compare them with others to see how they stack up against paid alternatives.

Have you used open-source inventory management? What’s your take on adopting the flexibility of open-source inventory management software to customize your inventory operations? Let us know in the comments below!

Amrita ChakrabortyThe Best Open-Source Inventory Management Software Of 2024

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