Inventory & Purchasing
Know What You Have, and What You Need to Order
Stock counts drift, reorder points live in someone's head, and purchase orders get approved over WhatsApp. I build inventory and purchasing systems with SKU-level tracking, real reorder rules and an approval flow that leaves a record - sized for a business that outgrew the spreadsheet but does not want a full ERP.
Key takeaways
- SKU-level tracking is the dividing line. Counting by category feels easier and is what makes stock numbers untrustworthy.
- Reorder points beat intuition, but only once someone owns them and the system reminds them to review.
- An approval flow is worth building for the record it leaves, not for the approval itself.
- Full ERP is the right answer at a certain size. Below it, a focused system costs far less and fits how you actually work.
What I build
- SKU-level stock tracking across locations
- Reorder points, low-stock alerts and supplier lead times
- Purchase orders with a multi-step approval flow and an audit trail
- Goods receipt, partial deliveries and discrepancy handling
- Supplier catalogue, price history and cost tracking
- Integration with your accounting system and ERP where one exists
Projects I built
How it works
A short scoping call
What hurts today, what you already use, and what "done" looks like.
A written fixed-price quote
Scope, price and timeline in writing, approved before any work starts.
Built in stages, on your real data
You see a working first version early, not a demo at the end.
Handover with documentation and monitoring
You own the code and the data, and a support window follows launch.
Working with me from the US or Europe
- Most of my client work is for companies in the US, UK, Germany, the Netherlands and Australia.
- Calls are in English and scheduled in your time zone. My working day covers most of the European one and the US East Coast morning.
- A fixed price in US dollars, agreed in writing before any work starts.
- Pay me directly, or hire me through Upwork if you prefer to work through a platform.
- You own the code and the data, with documentation and a support window after launch.
Guides on this
Practical guides from real client work.
Custom Software vs Off-the-Shelf: When a Small Business Needs a Custom System
Custom software vs off-the-shelf is rarely about features. I break down when SaaS is right, when you have outgrown it, and a clear build vs buy framework.
From Idea to MVP: How to Build an MVP (And What It Costs)
A practical guide to how to build an MVP: scoping must-haves vs later, realistic MVP development cost and timeline, and how AI now ships your idea in weeks.
Hiring a Developer to Build Your MVP: Freelancer vs Agency vs In-House
Hiring a developer to build your MVP? A practical comparison of freelancer vs agency vs in-house on cost, speed, risk, and control, plus red flags and how to structure the deal.
Signs Your Business Has Outgrown Spreadsheets (Time for a Custom App)
Has your business outgrown spreadsheets? The concrete signs it is time to replace spreadsheets with a custom app, the real cost and timeline to build one, and how AI made it affordable.
No-Code vs Custom Code for Building Your App or MVP
No-code vs custom code for apps: what each is good at, real cost and speed early vs total cost of ownership, the no-code ceiling and lock-in, and when to pick which.
How to Validate Your Idea Before You Build It
How to validate a startup idea before building: why validation saves money, talking to real customers, the smoke test, pre-sales, a manual concierge version, and the signals that justify building.
What Is an MVP, Really? Common Mistakes Founders Make
What is an MVP, really? A clear definition of minimum viable product, what an MVP is not, good vs bad examples, and the most common mistakes founders make.
How to Choose the Right Tech Stack for Your MVP
How to choose a tech stack for your MVP without overthinking it: the principles that matter, a sensible default stack, when to deviate, and what not to optimize for too early.
Is Vibe Coding Production-Ready? A Developer's Honest Take
Is vibe coding production-ready? An honest developer's take on what vibe coding is great at, where it breaks, and a prototype-vs-production checklist.
Frequently asked questions
Do we need this if we already have an ERP?
Usually not for the stock records themselves. Where it still helps is the layer around the ERP - a purchasing screen your team will actually use, an approval flow the ERP does not model, or a warehouse interface that works on a phone. That is integration work rather than a replacement.
How do we get the current stock in?
A one-time import from whatever you have now, then a physical count to set the opening balance honestly. Importing numbers you already suspect are wrong just moves the problem into a nicer interface.
Will it work on the warehouse floor?
That is a design requirement, not an extra. Counting and receiving screens are built mobile-first, with big targets, offline tolerance where the connection is bad, and barcode scanning through the phone camera.
Sources
Official documentation you can verify the claims on this page against.
Let us scope your project
Tell me what you need and I will give you an honest scope, price, and timeline.