Inventory Management

[lillyandgrace]

We use Square for Retail at our furniture boutique and the entire inventory process just seems way more complicated and time consuming than it should be. I was hoping someone had a guide or tips from their experience with Square to make it run more effeciently? The entire process from creating items from a vendors purchase order, to receiving stock when a shipment arrives, and then printing labels for each item takes SO long. Does anyone have any tips for this? 

I've tried creating a Purchase Order to make things faster & it certainly speeds up receiving of the items but it doesn't help me with printing tags unless I want to print tags for every single item. The checkout process and returns/exchanges/gift cards is excellent and user friendly but all that's stuff done on the back hand of it takes HOURS. I've heard adding a bluetooth barcode scanner can speed up the process, has anyone tried this?

Any advice would be appreciated.

[#2]

Hi Lillyandgrace-  I agree, inventory management is one of the most time consuming things I do. You may do these things but I'll tell you what I do.  I use spread sheets with my square system and find that to be the fastest way to put  items in the system.  I did find that it's best to first run an item list report and then I filter that list in excel to get it to be how I want it(new count of items new prices, etc)  If you change an item it must have a numerical token to get the update correct.  Any item without a numerical token will become a new item and get one assigned creating variations in the system.  ( I couldn't figure out why I got so many variations in my inventory, now I know, hopefully that will help someone else). Then I upload this back into square choosing to alter my inventory not replace it.   I use that excel sheet that I created to make a new excel file for my dymo label maker.  I make a separate line for each number of items two of something gets two lines and so on. I create a label in there - if an item has a barcode on it I use that and scan it into square.  Then I make a tag with only a dollar amount on it.  Otherwise, I use a four digit sku because that is what fits on the dymo label.  I think that inventory is just one of those things that is time consuming and frustrating.  Good Luck !

Leiza

Wild Dove

[Valentina]

I'd like to tag in some Super Sellers to give you a hand here, @lillyandgrace!

But first - can you please let me know if I'm understanding what you'd like some insight into?

It sounds like you are wondering if a Bluetooth-enabled barcode scanner could speed up the return/exchange and Gift Card process. Is that right? If so, what parts of the backend process are slowing you down? Please let me know if this isn't quite what you're asking about!

P.S. Welcome to the Seller Community ✨

[leizawilddove]

Hi Lillyandgrace-  I agree, inventory management is one of the most time consuming things I do. You may do these things but I'll tell you what I do.  I use spread sheets with my square system and find that to be the fastest way to put  items in the system.  I did find that it's best to first run an item list report and then I filter that list in excel to get it to be how I want it(new count of items new prices, etc)  If you change an item it must have a numerical token to get the update correct.  Any item without a numerical token will become a new item and get one assigned creating variations in the system.  ( I couldn't figure out why I got so many variations in my inventory, now I know, hopefully that will help someone else). Then I upload this back into square choosing to alter my inventory not replace it.   I use that excel sheet that I created to make a new excel file for my dymo label maker.  I make a separate line for each number of items two of something gets two lines and so on. I create a label in there - if an item has a barcode on it I use that and scan it into square.  Then I make a tag with only a dollar amount on it.  Otherwise, I use a four digit sku because that is what fits on the dymo label.  I think that inventory is just one of those things that is time consuming and frustrating.  Good Luck !

Leiza

Wild Dove

[lillyandgrace]

Thank you!