B2B Inventory Management Software: 15 Points to Know

Given today’s world–where supply chains are increasingly challenged and customers’ basic expectations include uncompromising speed and accuracy–B2B inventory management software is a necessity. B2B inventory management software manages one of two things: the retail inventory that a business sells, or the consumable inventory that a business uses in the course of operations.

In this article, we cover the latter. Managing consumable inventory at the point-of-use requires unique B2B inventory management software that takes a more holistic and strategic approach.

For modern industrial distributors trying to supply electrical, HVAC, plumbing, janitorial and sanitation, or MRO inventory to manufacturers and contractors, many challenges arise in keeping items in stock and optimally replenished. Medical distributors also face challenges in keeping medical clinics and surgical centers stocked using good consumable medical supply management.

Outdated methods like tracking and replenishing consumable point-of-use inventory using spreadsheets can’t keep up with these complexities.

B2B inventory management software solves these pain points by providing advanced tech for tracking usage, automating critical replenishment processes, integrating ordering, and offering robust analytics. These functions not only improve operational efficiency but also lower costs, improve inventory visibility, and drive deeper customer satisfaction, making them indispensable for smart operators.

The foundation of this technology is its ability to bridge the gap between operations and strategy. By providing actionable insights and streamlining manual processes, businesses using B2B inventory management software adapt better to market changes, reduce human error, and scale their operations effectively.

For distributors and your customers alike, the benefits go beyond inventory tracking—they uncover opportunities for growth and profitability. Let’s look closely at why you should be using this software and how it drives key outcomes.

4 Key Features of B2B Inventory Management Software

1. Point-of-use Inventory Visibility 

Inventory visibility is no longer a luxury; it’s a necessity for businesses with point-of-use inventory. Maintaining an accurate, up-to-date view of stock levels allows companies to make informed decisions about purchasing, sales, and replenishment. Real-time control prevents the costly consequences of dead stock (excess inventory) and stockouts (inadequate inventory), ensuring that businesses always have what they need, when they need it.

Take eTurns as an example. With our Trackstock SensorBins effortlessly monitoring inventory levels in remote locations with weight sensors and auto-replenishing when weights hit a minimum, improving inventory visibility is easy. Notifications and alerts keep your team(s) updated on low stock levels or discrepancies, allowing them to address potential issues before they escalate.

Inventory visibility and auto-replenishment doesn’t just save time—it builds trust with customers and increases profitability by reducing waste and inefficiencies.

2. Automated Replenishment and Min/Max Tuning

Inventory replenishment feels like a balancing act. Order too much, and you tie up cash in excess stock. Order too little, and you risk stockouts. Auto-replenishment eliminates this guesswork by analyzing historical usage patterns and dynamically adjusting reorder points.

Our Min/Max Tuning Dashboard is a true game-changer. It continuously evaluates inventory levels, usage data, and demand trends to calculate optimal minimum and maximum stock levels for every product.

When inventory drops below the set minimum, the system automatically triggers a replenishment order. This level of precision minimizes waste, reduces carrying costs, and ensures that businesses are always ready to meet customer demand.

3. Virtual Warehousing and Easy Transfers

Imagine managing inventory across dozens of remote locations, from warehouses to service trucks to retail stockrooms. For many B2B companies, this complexity is a daily reality. Virtual warehousing simplifies the process by empowering businesses to treat multiple locations as part of one integrated inventory system.

With eTurns, contractors with multiple service trucks can track inventory usage and automate replenishment, not just in a central warehouse but also across every truck and location they operate. The system allows users to resupply from the nearest warehouse or truck while maintaining complete visibility into stock levels.

Whether tracking plastic disposables in a medical supplies fulfillment center or high-value parts at a wind farm in the remote tundras of Colorado, eTurns ensures our clients have the tools to manage their inventory effectively, no matter where it’s stored or used.

4. Integrated Ordering

B2B transactions at the point-of-use often involve complex ownership and fulfillment contracts (for consigned inventory), remote locations, large purchase orders, transfers and returns. Interfaces like APIs and EDI enables businesses to handle these transactions seamlessly by automating the exchange of order information between systems.

eTurns streamlines distributors’ ability to manage customer replenishment transactions at the point-of-use by integrating with enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems through APIs, EDI or other interfaces. This allows your business to send and receive order data, invoices, and shipping notifications without manual intervention. Our solution produces faster transactions, fewer errors, and a more efficient supply chain.

4 Benefits of B2B Inventory Management Software

1. Improved Inventory Visibility

For B2B companies, real-time visibility into inventory isn’t just a convenience—it’s a competitive advantage. Imagine a distributor with a network of warehouses spread across the country. Without visibility into stock levels at each location, this distributor risks over-ordering for one warehouse while under-supplying another.

Consider the example of an industrial supplier that uses eTurns TrackStock to manage inventory across multiple warehouses and service trucks. With real-time dashboards, they can view current stock levels in every location at any given moment. This allows their team to redistribute excess inventory from one warehouse to another in response to shifting demand, rather than placing costly emergency orders with suppliers.

Your business can benefit from the same systematic approach. By providing a centralized view of inventory across all locations, your business can better forecast demand, avoid stock outs that lead to lost sales, and eliminate the need for guesswork in your procurement process.

2. Cost Savings

Every piece of inventory sitting on a shelf represents tied-up capital that could be better spent elsewhere. Overstocking not only locks up cash but also increases carrying costs, including storage, insurance, and potential obsolescence. On the other hand, stockouts can result in costly rush orders, expedited shipping, or even losing customers to your competitors.

For example, the emergency medical services (EMS) provider Lakes Region EMS saw significant cost savings by implementing automated replenishment. Before, they conducted replenishment based on what their gut told them.

eTurns’ Min/Max Tuning Dashboard dynamically adjusted stock levels based on point-of-use usage data, reducing their overall inventory by 73%. This allowed their team to free up thousands of dollars in working capital while still meeting patient demand.

By automating replenishment and optimizing inventory levels, your business can also strike the perfect balance: reducing waste while maintaining the ability to serve customers effectively.

3. Streamlined Fulfillment

Efficient order fulfillment is a cornerstone of customer satisfaction, especially in the B2B space where delays disrupt entire supply chains. Manual processes—like scanning inventory, creating purchase orders, and rekeying data into systems—are time-consuming and prone to errors.

Consider a Florida-based contractor that transitioned to eTurns TrackStock. Previously, their staff spent hours each week manually keying in SKUs for every part used, causing only 35-40% accuracy across their service trucks.

After they had digitized their entire fleet of 100 trucks in only five months, the process became as simple as scanning items with a mobile phone and tapping a button to update inventory data. This streamlined workflow increased inventory accuracy by 45% and reduced truck inventory by 30%, allowing them to operate with confidence on a daily basis.

By eliminating manual steps, B2B inventory management software not only accelerates fulfillment but also reduces labor costs and minimizes errors that can lead to shipping delays.

4. Improved Customer Satisfaction

In the B2B world, meeting customer expectations means delivering the right product at the right time, in the right quantity. Failing to do so—regardless of the reason—erodes trust and damages relationships, sometimes making those professional connections impossible to recover. 

Imagine a distribution company supplying materials to construction contractors. With tight project deadlines, these contractors depend on timely deliveries. Using eTurns, the distributor ensures they always have the right materials in stock by tracking usage in real-time and automating replenishment based on actual consumption patterns. This proactive approach means their customers never experience delays due to missing inventory.

Having the freedom to track inventory across multiple locations through multiple means of collection like radio frequency identification (RFID) towers, electronic shelf labels, weight sensors, and phone scans is crucial. Instead of relying on handwritten records that may easily be lost or damaged, you offer customers top-tier service knowing all your info is as accurate as possible.

Customer satisfaction isn’t just about delivering what’s promised; it’s about doing so consistently and transparently. With features like real-time stock updates, automated reordering, and accurate tracking, B2B inventory management software empowers businesses to exceed customer expectations, fostering loyalty and repeat business.

4 Challenges and How B2B Inventory Management Software Solves Them

1. Lack of Visibility to Inventory Data

Manual inventory processes often rely on outdated reports, leading to inaccurate replenishment and inefficient operations. eTurns solves this with near real-time tracking and usage monitoring, giving your business up-to-the-minute insights.

2. Manual Inefficiencies

Spreadsheets and manual order processing don’t cut it on busy stockroom floors and worksites. Automated reordering apps like eTurns streamline replenishment processes, freeing your employees to focus on higher-value work.

3. Supply Chain Disruptions

Delays, shortages, and supplier issues wreak havoc on inventory levels. By optimizing min/max settings and maintaining safety stock, eTurns helps businesses prepare for and mitigate these disruptions.

4. Balancing Costs and Expectations

Carrying costs strain your budget, but failing to maintain adequate stock also damages customer relationships. Data-driven optimization tools from eTurns strike the perfect balance, ensuring your business meets customer needs without unnecessary overhead.

How to Choose the Best B2B Inventory Management Software

1. Key Factors to Consider

• Scalability: Ensure the software can grow with your business.

• Integration: Look for seamless compatibility with existing systems like enterprise resource planning (ERP) software and accounting software like QuickBooks.

• Customization: Choose a solution that adapts to your unique workflows.

2. 3 Must-Have Features

1. Technologies like scanning apps, sensors and e-labels for tracking usage and getting analytics.

2. Auto-replenishment with dynamically optimized min/maxes.

3. Electronic data interchange (EDI)/application programming interface (API) capabilities for integrated ordering.

3. Why eTurns Stands Out

eTurns TrackStock B2B inventory management software provides an unparalleled combination of functionality and ease-of-use that distributors and their customers need to order, count, transfer, receive, auto-replenish, and optimize consumable inventories. For vendor-managed (VMI) or customer-managed (CMI) inventories, TrackStock auto-replenishes point-of-use inventories with optimized min/max settings. Offering a range of technologies such as a scanning app, SensorBins weight sensors, RFID towers, or electronic shelf labels, eTurns TrackStock is the ideal solution for businesses looking to improve their inventory replenishment.

Take the Next Step with eTurns

Ready to revolutionize your point-of-use inventory management? eTurns is your go-to solution for counting, tracking, auto-replenishing, and optimizing your consumable supplies while getting advanced analytics. Start your 30-day free trial now and see how integrated point-of-use inventory management transforms your operations.