Inventory Monitor
Catch stockouts early, reorder in one click.
Inventory Monitor
Operations & E-commerce
- RuleDone:
The morning run reads stock, open orders and demand.
- RuleDone:
Rules work out demand, safety stock and reorder points per item and location.
- RuleDone:
It flags stockout risk, excess, expiring stock and late POs.
- RuleDone:
It suggests transfers first, then order quantities within your spend limits.
- RuleDone:
A daily digest goes out with plain-language reasons for each line.
- PersonWaiting for approval:Waiting for you
The buyer approves per supplier; it re-checks stock, then creates the requisition or draft PO.
For example: A three-store home goods retailer on Shopify gets a 6 a.m.
Waiting for you. Nothing has changed yet.
Review for important actions. Customer-facing and record-changing actions are reviewed first.
What is Inventory Monitor?
In shortInventory Monitor is an AI automation for Operations & E-commerce teams that works with Gmail, Microsoft Teams, NetSuite, SAP S/4HANA, Shopify and 2 more apps. Finds likely stockouts, excess and expiring stock per item and location each morning, and gives buyers a ready purchase suggestion to approve. It is built for owner or purchasing manager, material planner and inventory controller.
Last reviewed
Key facts
- Department
- Operations & E-commerce
- Starts when
- Every morning after your stock refresh, every 2 hours for top items, and when Shopify stock levels change
- Works with
- Gmail, Microsoft Teams, NetSuite, SAP S/4HANA, Shopify, Slack, WooCommerce
- Run modes offered
- Shadow, Draft, Assisted and Auto
- Human control
- Review for important actions
- Status
- Available now
The problem today
Someone exports stock to Excel each week and compares it to old minimum levels. They forget open POs and in-transit stock, and order too much or too late. Today: 3–6 hours a week, and stockouts are found when a customer complains.
What it does
Every morning it reads stock, open POs and requisitions, in-transit stock and demand for each item and location. Clear, explainable rules work out safety stock, reorder points and order quantities, and spot stockout risk, excess stock, expiry risk and late POs. It suggests transfers between locations first when that is faster. Buyers approve a suggestion per supplier in one click. It then creates a purchase requisition (SAP, NetSuite) or a draft PO document and supplier email draft (Shopify, WooCommerce).
How does Inventory Monitor work?
How it works- Rule you set
- AI step
- A person decides
- Step 1Rule
The morning run reads stock, open orders and demand.
- Step 2Rule
Rules work out demand, safety stock and reorder points per item and location.
- Step 3Rule
It flags stockout risk, excess, expiring stock and late POs.
- Step 4Rule
It suggests transfers first, then order quantities within your spend limits.
- Step 5Rule
A daily digest goes out with plain-language reasons for each line.
- Step 6Person
The buyer approves per supplier; it re-checks stock, then creates the requisition or draft PO.
What you get
Key features- Per item and location, with A-class items checked every 2 hours
- Plain-language reason for every line, with numbers taken only from the calculations
- Transfer-first suggestions between your own locations
- Respects MOQ, case packs and open requisitions
- Hard spend limits per line, per day and per supplier per week
- Seasonality and lumpy-demand caveats
How much does it do on its own?
Run modesPick a mode to see what Inventory Monitor would do at each step.
Every automation starts in Shadow. Move it up when you are ready, and back down at any time. How run modes work
Inventory Monitor in Shadow
Runs on real data and shows what it would have done. No app is changed and no message is sent.
- Rule
The morning run reads stock, open orders and demand.
Watches for it
- Rule
Rules work out demand, safety stock and reorder points per item and location.
Runs on real data, read only
- Rule
It flags stockout risk, excess, expiring stock and late POs.
Runs on real data, read only
- Rule
It suggests transfers first, then order quantities within your spend limits.
Runs on real data, read only
- Rule
A daily digest goes out with plain-language reasons for each line.
Runs on real data, read only
- Person
The buyer approves per supplier; it re-checks stock, then creates the requisition or draft PO.
Shown to you as a suggestion
Shadow vs Auto for Inventory Monitor
Auto is the most it can do on its own. Here is each step side by side.
| Step | Shadow | Auto |
|---|---|---|
| In short | Runs on real data and shows what it would have done. No app is changed and no message is sent. | Runs without approval, with limits, alerts and a kill switch. Unlocks after a trial period in Assisted. |
| Step 1The morning run reads stock, open orders and demand. | Watches for it | Runs on its own within your limits |
| Step 2Rules work out demand, safety stock and reorder points per item and location. | Runs on real data, read only | Runs on its own within your limits |
| Step 3It flags stockout risk, excess, expiring stock and late POs. | Runs on real data, read only | Runs on its own within your limits |
| Step 4It suggests transfers first, then order quantities within your spend limits. | Runs on real data, read only | Runs on its own within your limits |
| Step 5A daily digest goes out with plain-language reasons for each line. | Runs on real data, read only | Runs on its own within your limits |
| Step 6The buyer approves per supplier; it re-checks stock, then creates the requisition or draft PO. | Shown to you as a suggestion | Within your limits; anything outside them goes to a person |
| True in every mode | Every requisition or draft PO needs buyer approval in every mode. | |
What it will never do on its own
Safety & human control- Every requisition or draft PO needs buyer approval in every mode.
- Never creates or releases a PO, and never sends anything to a supplier.
- Never changes master data, stock or prices.
- Lines over spend limits go to "needs manual decision" and are never quietly reduced.
- Approvers must match your approval authority matrix; approval log kept 7 years.
- You approve before it acts
- Your data stays yours
- It knows its limits
- Stop anytime
What will you see on your dashboard?
Results you can trackTargets are quality goals the automation is built to reach. Estimates are calculated from your own volumes.
- Target
Stockout rate trend (target: down 30% in 90 days with no rise in excess stock value)
A goal it is built to reach
- Tracked
Stockouts avoided
Measured on your own data
- Tracked
Excess stock value and expiring stock value
Measured on your own data
- Estimate
Buyer hours saved (dashboard estimate)
Worked out from your own volumes
- Target
Stockout-risk recall (target: ≥ 95%)
A goal it is built to reach
- Target
Suggestion precision (target: ≥ 75%)
A goal it is built to reach
- Target
Spend limit breaches (target: 0)
A goal it is built to reach
A three-store home goods retailer on Shopify gets a 6 a.m. digest. A best-selling lamp covers 6 days of sales but the supplier takes 14. The buyer approves the suggested order, and a draft PO with a supplier email draft is ready to send.
Who is Inventory Monitor for?
- Owner or purchasing manager
- Material planner
- Inventory controller
Industries: E-commerce & retail, Manufacturing & distribution, Logistics, Hospitality & restaurants, Healthcare & clinics
Also useful for: Finance & Accounting
Connects to the apps you already use
Works withApp names are trademarks of their owners. Charviam connects to them; it is not a partner or reseller.
- Gmail
- Microsoft Teams
- NetSuite
- SAP S/4HANA
- Shopify
- Slack
- WooCommerce
What do you need to set it up?
Setup- Connect your ERP or store and the digest channel
- Choose locations, approvers and approved suppliers
- Set spend limits (defaults: 5,000 per line, 25,000 per day, 15,000 per supplier per week, in your currency)
- Load the item master: supplier, price, lead time, MOQ, rounding
- Load daily exchange rates for foreign-currency prices
Typical setup
- 01Connect your apps
- 02Configure the rules
- 03Run a watch-only trial
- 04Go live
Not included
- Creating or releasing purchase orders, or replacing SAP MRP or NetSuite planning
- Machine-learning demand forecasting
- Bin-level warehouse stock, price negotiation and supplier selection
Questions about Inventory Monitor
FAQSee Inventory Monitor on your own data
WalkthroughIt starts in Shadow, where it only watches and suggests, so nothing changes in your apps until you say so.