Choose a salon inventory management system that tracks your stock in real-time and integrates with your current software

Picture yourself in this situation: A regular client is visiting your salon for a luxurious styling session. You watch their cares melt away as you massage their scalp and rinse their hair. You reach for the shampoo — and find the bottle completely empty. You go to grab another one from the shelf only to find the cupboard bare.

Now imagine what would have happened with a good piece of salon inventory management software. There’s a full bottle of shampoo at hand, with another one waiting in the back bar. The client buys some styling gel on their way out, which you ring up by simply scanning a barcode. Your system tells you to restock this gel, and even suggests you order more than usual this time of year.

From tracking stock at multiple locations to interfacing directly with your point of sale (POS) software, a salon inventory management system can keep your shop running smoothly while surfacing opportunities for increased profitably. Look for a program with the following features, and you’ll be on the right track.

Smart purchase orders

The most basic salon inventory software simply tells you which items you have in stock, with numbers that tick down as you sell things. When it’s time to resupply, you have to review each item manually and choose what to reorder. If you forget something, you need to start a whole new purchase order — and you might run out of stock while you’re waiting for the shipment. Instead, look for a program that automatically populates your purchase orders with low-stock products. You’ll get what you need in every order and save time while you’re at it.

Real-time reporting

The ability to generate weekly, monthly, or yearly reports is a key feature in any salon inventory app. The best salon inventory management software can also give you reports in real-time. You should be able to check your inventory and see accurate, up-to-the-minute listings for every item you stock or sell. If a particular product starts to sell unusually fast — perhaps because it’s gone viral on social media — you’ll know about it in time to get a quick reorder in.

Barcode scanning

Inventory management systems with barcode scanner integration help you save time twice. First, when you get shipments in, you can simply scan the new stock to update your counts. That’s not just faster and less tedious than entering the info manually, it’s also less prone to error. Second, selling supplies to clients takes seconds with a barcode scanner. Just scan the code,  salon inventory management software instantly tells you the price and adjusts your stock count. No more having to look up prices or, worse, tag everything on the shelves.

Supplier integration

Between your client appointments and your salon back bar inventory, you need a lot of different products, from a lot of different vendors, at a lot of different times. Supplier integration lets you set up new shipments right from your inventory management software rather than having to open a separate email client or contact database every time. That means less software to manage — and less time between needing a restock and actually getting one.

Multi-location tracking

If you own or manage multiple salons, tracking supplies becomes more complicated. You need to know the stock levels for each location, and have to reorder different products at different times. Items that fly off the shelves in one neighborhood may sit around for months in another. Make sure your salon inventory management system supports multi-location tracking to save you the hassle of coordinating reports from more than one shop. 

Usage forecasting

Salons go through busy and slow seasons. Modern inventory management software takes these trends into account and makes recommendations. Rather than simply telling you to reorder a product, a good program should tell you that you may need to order more — or less — to meet demand at a certain time of year. You’ll need at least a few months’ worth of data for this feature to work properly, but it can save you a lot of money in the long run.

POS compatibility

If your POS and inventory management systems are separate, you’re creating a lot of unnecessary work for yourself. Suppose a client wants to purchase a bottle of specialty hairspray after an appointment. You ring them up with your POS system — then you have to manually adjust your product count in your inventory management software. You have better things to do.

Just like barcode scanning and supplier integration, POS compatibility takes the guesswork out of inventory management. Every time you sell something, your software has already adjusted the numbers for you. That gives you peace of mind, as well as more time to focus on the next client of the day.

How to choose salon inventory management software

If you need help deciding between multiple salon inventory management software options, consider these questions:

• Does it work with my booking system? One piece of software that manages booking, inventory management, and POS features is better than three separate programs that don’t communicate with each other.

• Is it compatible with the software I already use? You already use software to manage your staffing, finances, and social media accounts. Your inventory management software should work with them.

• How easy is it to set up? Look for software providers that offer personalized demos and readily available customer service. That way, you’ll know exactly what you’re getting, and you’ll be able to fix any issues quickly.

Once you find the right inventory management software for your salon, you’ll be able to spend less time micromanaging your supplies, and more time providing unforgettable experiences for your clients.