Expiry date monitoring and alerting

Purpose

1. Automate expiry date monitoring for all inventory items to prevent use of expired ingredients.

2. Automatedly check stock for approaching expiry and automate alerting to inventory staff or managers.

3. Automate compliance with food safety regulations and automate reduction of food waste.

4. Automated creation and delivery of real-time expiry status reports for proactive inventory management.

5. Automate escalation workflows if ignored alerts surpass defined thresholds.

Trigger Conditions

1. Automated scheduled check of item expiry dates (daily, hourly, custom interval).

2. Automate triggers from a new stock entry with an expiry close to or past date.

3. Automation triggered by threshold: e.g., item expiry within X days.

4. Manual trigger through web/dashboard input by staff.

5. API webhook trigger from EPoS or inventory system.

Platform Variants

1. Twilio SMS

• Feature — Messaging API: Automate SMS alerts to staff when expiry threshold is met.
  
• Configuration: Automator posts SMS (“Item X expires in Y days”) via Twilio Programmable SMS API.
  

2. SendGrid

• Feature — Transactional Email: Automate expiry notification emails to managers.
  
• Configuration: Automate sending templated alerts via SendGrid /mail/send endpoint.
  

3. Slack

• Feature — Incoming Webhooks: Automated Slack channel alerts for expiring items.
  
• Configuration: Automate posting JSON payload to channel webhook.
  

4. Microsoft Teams

• Feature — Connector API: Automates expiry warnings to Teams channel.
  
• Configuration: Send POST request with expiry details to Teams webhook URL.
  

5. Google Sheets

• Feature — API: Automate writing near-expiry inventory to spreadsheet for visibility.
  
• Configuration: Automate sheets.spreadsheets.values.update to maintain a real-time list.
  

6. Airtable

• Feature — API: Automate updating “Expiry Soon” status in Airtable inventory base.
  
• Configuration: Automator PATCHes expiry field using AirTable API.
  

7. Zapier

• Feature — Zap: Automates multi-step expiry workflows (e.g., check, alert, escalate).
  
• Configuration: Zap with Schedule trigger, Email/SMS/Slack actions.
  

8. WhatsApp (Cloud API)

• Feature — Messaging API: Automate sending expiry reminder via WhatsApp.
  
• Configuration: Use /messages endpoint to contact specific roles.
  

9. Trello

• Feature — Cards API: Automatedly create a card for expiring stock in an action board.
  
• Configuration: Automate POST to Trello /cards endpoint with expiry info.
  

10. Notion

• Feature — Database API: Automate flagging items (expiry field) and notify team workspace.
  
• Configuration: PATCH “Expiry” property, automate notifications in Notion.
  

11. Discord

• Feature — Webhook API: Automate alert to inventory Discord server.
  
• Configuration: POST expiring details as embed object to Discord webhook.
  

12. Jira

• Feature — Issue API: Automate creation of task/ticket when item is nearing expiry.
  
• Configuration: Create expiry issue with POST /rest/api/2/issue.
  

13. Asana

• Feature — Tasks API: Automated task assignment for expired items.
  
• Configuration: POST expiry alert as new Asana task.
  

14. Monday.com

• Feature — Boards API: Automate item updates and expiry warnings on inventory board.
  
• Configuration: mutate board item status using Monday API.
  

15. Odoo

• Feature — Inventory API: Automate field update and generate expiry warnings within ERP.
  
• Configuration: Call inventory.item.expiry endpoint.
  

16. Shopify

• Feature — Admin API: Automate tagging of products close to expiry for possible promos.
  
• Configuration: POST tag on product via Shopify Admin API.
  

17. HubSpot

• Feature — Tickets API: Automate expiry notification by opening support ticket for restocking.
  
• Configuration: POST expiry ticket with detailed info.
  

18. Salesforce

• Feature — Workflow/Process Builder: Automate expiry lead/task creation.
  
• Configuration: Use flows to trigger new task when item expiry is detected.
  

19. Pipedrive

• Feature — Activity API: Automate expiry tracking by adding activity to pipeline.
  
• Configuration: POST expiry check activity in Pipedrive API.
  

20. Freshdesk

• Feature — Tickets API: Automate expiry alert as internal support ticket.
  
• Configuration: POST expiry subject to Freshdesk Tickets endpoint.
  

Benefits

1. Automates manual checking of inventory, removes risk of oversight.

2. Automation improves food safety, ensuring expired items are never used.

3. Automated workflows streamline communication and escalation.

4. Automates compliance reporting for regulations.

5. Reduces waste and saves costs by automating early action on expiring stock.