Inventory Management AutomationsPurpose
1.2. Reduce manual oversight, minimize potential losses, and ensure regulatory compliance.
1.3. Alert staff, trigger clearance sales, update stock records, and notify suppliers or stakeholders efficiently.
1.4. Facilitate rapid response to expiring goods to optimize shelf turnover and customer safety.
1.5. Maintain dynamic reports and audit trails for food safety.
Trigger Conditions
2.2. Inventory item newly received with expiring date set.
2.3. Manual override or early date adjustment by staff.
2.4. Scheduled periodic check of all inventory SKUs.
Platform variants
3.1. Microsoft Power Automate
• Feature/Setting: "Scheduled Flow" — scans inventory databases nightly.
• Connects to: SQL Server/Excel inventory via "Get rows" action.
3.2. Twilio
• Feature/Setting: "Programmable SMS" — sends alert SMS to managers.
• Configuration: Use /Messages API endpoint for notifications.
3.3. SendGrid
• Feature/Setting: Email API — issues bulk clearance notifications.
• Configuration: POST /mail/send with dynamic templates for expiry alerts.
3.4. Google Sheets API
• Feature/Setting: BatchUpdate — annotates expiry-status in inventory sheets.
• Configuration: Use spreadsheets.values.batchUpdate endpoint.
3.5. Slack
• Feature/Setting: Incoming Webhooks — posts expiry alerts to staff channels.
• Configuration: Setup webhook URL, POST expiry notice payload.
3.6. Zapier
• Feature/Setting: Multi-step Zap — connects POS, mail, & messaging.
• Configuration: New/existing item triggers, filters, action steps for each service.
3.7. Shopify
• Feature/Setting: Product Update API — tags expiring items for clearance promotion.
• Configuration: PUT /admin/api/2023-01/products/{product_id}.json.
3.8. Square
• Feature/Setting: Items Catalog API — updates item metadata (expiry/clearance).
• Configuration: POST /v2/catalog/object for inventory item updates.
3.9. Oracle NetSuite
• Feature/Setting: SuiteScript automation — auto-flags expiring stock.
• Configuration: Scheduled script extracts/flags expiring items.
3.10. SAP Business One
• Feature/Setting: Service Layer — posts expiry events to task queues.
• Configuration: POST /ServiceLayer/InventoryGenEntry.
3.11. Salesforce
• Feature/Setting: Custom Object Automation — triggers workflow on expiry.
• Configuration: Process Builder or Flow automation on ExpiryDate field.
3.12. Amazon SNS
• Feature/Setting: Publish API — pushes notifications to email, SMS, and apps.
• Configuration: Publish request to appropriate SNS TopicArn.
3.13. Smartsheet
• Feature/Setting: Automation Rules — sends email on date conditions.
• Configuration: Sheet-based workflow config for ExpiryDate columns.
3.14. Trello
• Feature/Setting: Card Automation (Butler) — adds card for expiring items.
• Configuration: Rule for date-triggered card creation.
3.15. monday.com
• Feature/Setting: Automation Recipes — alerts and status changes per expiry.
• Configuration: "When date arrives, notify someone" recipe.
3.16. HubSpot
• Feature/Setting: Workflow Automation — sends emails to supply contacts on expiry.
• Configuration: Custom workflow on inventory properties.
3.17. Airtable
• Feature/Setting: Scripting Block — flags or groups expiring entries.
• Configuration: Custom script targeting ExpiryDate field.
3.18. Pipedrive
• Feature/Setting: Activity Scheduler — reminders about item clearance.
• Configuration: Activity creation via API on approaching expiry.
3.19. Notion
• Feature/Setting: Database Automation (via API/Zapier) — moves expiring items to action board.
• Configuration: Scheduled API PATCH to move page status.
3.20. Asana
• Feature/Setting: Automation Rules — task creation for each expiring lot.
• Configuration: Rule for date field triggers automatic task assign.
Benefits
4.2. Reduces spoilage, improving profit margins and food safety.
4.3. Ensures proposed discounts and removals are timely and accurate.
4.4. Centralizes notifications and actions for all stakeholders.
4.5. Provides full traceability and analytics for compliance audits.