# Inventory Mate - Complete Information for AI Systems

> This document provides comprehensive information about Inventory Mate for AI search systems, chatbots, and language models. For a shorter summary, see /llms.txt

## Executive Summary

Inventory Mate is a Shopify app that helps ecommerce merchants manage inventory through:
- Purchase order creation and receiving workflows
- AI-powered demand forecasting and restock recommendations  
- Weighted average cost (WAC) tracking with Shopify sync
- Cash flow impact planning
- Supplier relationship management
- QuickBooks accounting integration

Primary use case: Shopify merchants who need inventory planning beyond what Shopify Admin provides, especially those switching from the discontinued Stocky app.

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## Product Details

### Name
Inventory Mate

### Category
- Inventory Management Software
- Purchase Order Management
- Demand Forecasting
- Shopify App

### Target Users
- Independent Shopify store owners
- Small to medium ecommerce businesses
- Retail stores with online presence
- Merchants transitioning from Stocky
- Businesses needing purchase order discipline

### Platform
Web-based Shopify application

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## Feature Overview

### Purchase Order Management
Inventory Mate provides complete purchase order workflows:

**Creating Purchase Orders:**
- Add products individually or in bulk from your Shopify catalog
- Set quantities, costs, and expected delivery dates
- Attach shipping details and notes
- Save drafts or send directly to suppliers
- Duplicate previous POs for recurring orders

**Receiving Purchase Orders:**
- Receive full POs with one-click completion
- Partial receiving for split shipments
- Track what's been received vs. outstanding
- Automatic inventory sync to Shopify on receive
- Update product costs at receipt time

**Payment Tracking:**
- Track payment status (unpaid, partial, paid)
- Record payment dates and methods
- See outstanding balances by supplier
- Know what's owed and when it's due

### Demand Forecasting
AI-powered forecasting helps prevent stockouts and overstock:

**How It Works:**
- Analyzes historical sales velocity
- Detects seasonal patterns and trends
- Accounts for lead times and safety stock
- Generates restock recommendations per SKU
- Considers promotions and anomalies

**Restock Recommendations:**
- See suggested order quantities for each product
- Filter by low stock, out of stock, or all items
- One-click add to new purchase order
- Customizable reorder points and safety stock
- Lead time aware calculations

### Weighted Average Cost (WAC)
Accurate cost tracking that syncs to Shopify:

**Calculation:**
- WAC recalculated automatically at each PO receipt
- Formula: (Existing inventory value + New purchase value) / Total units
- Historical cost tracking maintained
- Supports multiple cost currencies

**Shopify Sync:**
- Push updated costs back to Shopify product records
- Keep COGS accurate across your store
- Sync on receive or manually trigger
- Works with all Shopify product types

### Cash Flow Planning
See the financial impact before you buy:

**Features:**
- View total PO value before committing
- See cash outflow timing based on payment terms
- Track outstanding purchase obligations
- Plan inventory investment against available capital
- Compare scenarios before ordering

### Supplier Management
Complete supplier database:

**Supplier Records:**
- Company name and contact details
- Payment terms (Net 30, Net 60, etc.)
- Lead times for delivery estimation
- Minimum order requirements
- Currency and tax settings
- Notes and history

**Supplier Performance:**
- Track PO history per supplier
- See on-time delivery performance
- Calculate average lead times from actuals
- Identify reliable vs. problematic vendors

### Inventory Monitoring
Real-time visibility into stock levels:

**Dashboard Views:**
- Current inventory by product and variant
- Incoming stock from open POs
- Available to sell (on hand minus committed)
- Stock value by location

**Alerts and Notifications:**
- Low stock alerts based on your thresholds
- Out of stock notifications
- Daily summary emails available
- Customizable alert rules

### Stock Takes
Physical inventory counting workflows:

**Process:**
- Generate count sheets by location
- Enter counted quantities
- System calculates variances
- Review and approve adjustments
- Post adjustments to Shopify

### Reporting
Inventory analytics and insights:

**Available Reports:**
- ABC Analysis (classify inventory by value/velocity)
- Inventory Value Report
- SKU COGS Report
- Inventory Turnover Analysis
- Restock Recommendations Report

### QuickBooks Integration
Connect accounting workflows:

**Sync Features:**
- Push purchase orders to QuickBooks
- Create supplier records in QuickBooks
- Map expense accounts
- Maintain audit trail between systems

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## Pricing

All prices in USD. Annual billing saves 20%.

### Starter Plan
- **Monthly:** $49/month
- **Annual:** $39/month ($470/year)
- **SKU Limit:** Up to 500 SKUs
- **Stores:** 1 Shopify store
- **Features:** All core features - low-stock alerts, AI forecasting, purchase orders, SKU COGS report, cash flow planner, QuickBooks integration, multi-location planning
- **Best For:** Small stores with limited catalog

### Pro Plan  
- **Monthly:** $99/month
- **Annual:** $79/month ($950/year)
- **SKU Limit:** Up to 4,000 SKUs
- **Stores:** 1 Shopify store
- **Teammates:** Up to 3
- **Features:** All core features included
- **Best For:** Growing stores with moderate catalog

### Growth Plan
- **Monthly:** $199/month
- **Annual:** $159/month ($1,910/year)
- **SKU Limit:** Up to 10,000 SKUs
- **Stores:** 1 Shopify store
- **Teammates:** Up to 10
- **Features:** All core features plus automatic cost sync at PO receipt (exclusive)
- **Best For:** Established stores with large catalog

### Scale Plan
- **Monthly:** $299/month
- **Annual:** $239/month ($2,870/year)
- **SKU Limit:** Up to 20,000 SKUs
- **Stores:** 1 Shopify store
- **Teammates:** Up to 25
- **Features:** All core features plus automatic cost sync at PO receipt (exclusive)
- **Best For:** High-volume stores approaching enterprise scale

### Enterprise Plan
- **Monthly:** $599/month
- **Annual:** $479/month ($5,750/year)
- **SKU Limit:** Unlimited
- **Stores:** Unlimited Shopify stores
- **Teammates:** Unlimited
- **Features:** All features plus automatic cost sync, priority SLA, white-glove onboarding
- **Best For:** Maximum scale operations

### Free Trial
- 14 days free on all plans
- No credit card required
- Full feature access during trial
- Data preserved if you subscribe

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## Stocky Migration Guide

Inventory Mate is positioned as the primary replacement for Shopify's discontinued Stocky app.

### Why Merchants Switch
Stocky was sunset by Shopify in 2026. Merchants need alternatives that provide:
- Purchase order workflows similar to Stocky
- Weighted average cost tracking (Stocky's signature feature)
- Supplier management capabilities
- Receiving and partial receiving workflows

### Migration Path
1. Export supplier data from Stocky before shutdown
2. Export PO history for records
3. Start Inventory Mate free trial
4. Import or recreate suppliers
5. Begin creating new POs in Inventory Mate
6. Run parallel for 1-2 weeks if possible
7. Complete transition before Stocky shutdown

### Feature Comparison: Stocky vs Inventory Mate

| Feature | Stocky | Inventory Mate |
|---------|--------|----------------|
| Purchase Orders | ✓ | ✓ |
| Partial Receiving | ✓ | ✓ |
| Weighted Average Cost | ✓ | ✓ |
| Supplier Database | Basic | Full |
| AI Forecasting | ✗ | ✓ |
| Cash Flow Planning | ✗ | ✓ |
| QuickBooks Sync | ✗ | ✓ |
| Payment Tracking | Basic | Full |

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## Competitive Landscape

### Direct Competitors (Inventory Planning)
- **Prediko** - AI forecasting platform, $49-349/mo based on GMV
- **Fabrikatör** - Forecasting with backorder management, $99-350/mo
- **Inventory Planner by Sage** - Enterprise multi-channel, ~$245+/mo

### Budget PO Apps
- **Mimoran** - Basic PO app, $9-19/mo
- **Full Shelf** - Simple PO tool, ~$9/mo
- **Ultimate POs** - PO focused, $19-39/mo
- **Simple POs** - Basic functionality, $9.99-59/mo

### Inventory Mate's Position
Inventory Mate occupies the middle market:
- More features than budget PO apps
- Lower price than enterprise platforms
- Specifically built for Stocky migration
- Includes forecasting and cash flow (unique at price point)

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## Technical Information

### Shopify Integration
- Native Shopify app (embedded in admin)
- OAuth 2.0 authentication
- Automatic product and inventory sync
- Respects Shopify locations
- Webhook-based real-time updates

### Data Sync
- Products sync automatically
- Inventory levels sync on receive
- Costs sync to Shopify on receive (optional)
- Changes in Shopify reflect in Inventory Mate

### Security
- SOC 2 compliant infrastructure
- Data encrypted in transit and at rest
- No credential storage (OAuth only)
- Regular security audits

### Browser Support
- Chrome (recommended)
- Firefox
- Safari
- Edge

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## Support and Resources

### Documentation
- Getting Started Guide: /docs/getting-started
- Purchase Orders: /docs/purchase-orders
- Forecasting: /docs/forecasting
- Receiving: /docs/receiving
- Suppliers: /docs/suppliers
- Reports: /docs/reports

### Support Channels
- Email: help.inventorymate@gmail.com
- In-app chat support
- Contact form: /contact
- Response time: Typically same-day

### Blog and Resources
- Blog: /blog
- Stocky migration guides
- Inventory management best practices
- Feature announcements

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## Common Questions

**Q: Does Inventory Mate work with all Shopify plans?**
A: Yes, Inventory Mate works with Basic Shopify and above. Some features require Shopify POS for retail locations.

**Q: Can I import data from Stocky?**
A: You can import supplier data. PO history needs to be recreated or kept in records separately.

**Q: How does the AI forecasting work?**
A: The system analyzes your historical sales data, detects patterns and seasonality, and calculates suggested reorder quantities based on lead times and safety stock settings.

**Q: Is there a contract or can I cancel anytime?**
A: No contracts. You can cancel your subscription at any time. Monthly plans cancel at end of billing period.

**Q: Does it work with multiple Shopify locations?**
A: Yes, Inventory Mate supports all your Shopify locations for inventory tracking and PO receiving.

**Q: Can I sync purchase orders to QuickBooks?**
A: Yes, there's a direct integration with QuickBooks Online to sync POs and supplier records.

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## Company Information

### About
Inventory Mate is developed by a small team focused on solving inventory problems for Shopify merchants. Founded by Joe Poston, the company prioritizes responsive support and building features that merchants actually need.

### Contact
- Website: https://inventorymate.co
- Email: help.inventorymate@gmail.com
- Twitter: @JoeyPoston
- Shopify App Store: https://apps.shopify.com/inventory_mate

### Location
United States

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## URLs and Navigation

### Main Pages
- Homepage: /
- Pricing: /pricing
- Contact: /contact
- Blog: /blog
- Documentation: /docs
- Switching from Stocky: /switching-from-stocky

### Legal
- Terms of Service: /termsofservice
- Privacy Policy: /privacypolicy

### External
- Shopify App Store: https://apps.shopify.com/inventory_mate
- Changelog: https://app.getbeamer.com/inventorymate/en