Inventory Alerts & Reordering with AI (Owner’s Guide)

• How AI can help you avoid inventory headaches (without replacing your current systems)
• What to track and automate to improve reordering accuracy
• A step-by-step walkthrough to build your own alerts system using Make.com (no coding required)
• Key guardrails and QA tips to keep it reliable
• What success looks like—measurable KPIs to watch

Why Inventory Alerts and Reordering Often Break Down

Many business owners face the same painful inventory issues:

• Relying on guesswork or memory for reordering
• Restocking late due to missing signals or time constraints
• Miscommunication between departments or vendors
• Over-ordering “just in case”—which ties up cash flow
• Under-ordering and losing customers due to stockouts

Manual tracking and spreadsheets simply don’t scale. But AI can help—without replacing the systems you’re already using.

Explore more guides on AI for operations

What AI Actually Does Here (Plain-English Version)

Think of AI not as a replacement, but as a smart assistant. Here’s what it can do:

• Watch your inventory levels from systems you already use (like Shopify, Airtable, or Google Sheets)
• Trigger alerts when stock for any SKU falls below your set threshold
• Send instant emails or Slack messages to your team
• Even draft reorder messages or forms—automatically

No full tech overhaul required. It slides into your workflow quietly and effectively.

Plain-English Setup Overview: What You’ll Need

• A cloud-based inventory tracker (like Google Sheets, Airtable, or Shopify)
• Reorder thresholds or formulas per product (min levels per SKU)
• A no-code automation tool (we’ll demo with Make.com)
• Optional: Slack or email for alerts, and your supplier’s email/order form

See full list of tools we help owners implement

How to Build This in Make.com

You don’t need to code a thing—just follow these steps in your Make.com dashboard. This version will send alerts and draft prefilled emails based on inventory triggers.

1. Connect Make.com to Your Data Source
   • Add Google Sheets, Airtable, or Shopify module
   • Choose “Search Rows” or “Watch Products” depending on your platform
   • Make sure your stock levels are connected and updating live
2. Set a Reorder Trigger
   • Add a filter router: only continue if “Stock Quantity” is less than “Reorder Threshold”
   • Optional: create separate paths by SKU types (slow vs. fast-moving)
3. Create Alert Notification
   • Add Email or Slack module to send a message
   • Message body includes: Product Name, SKU, Quantity on Hand, and Suggested Reorder Qty
   • Optionally tag team member or channel for awareness
4. Optionally Draft a Supplier Order
   • Create a template in Google Docs or PDF Generator
   • Add modules to auto-fill PO with item, qty, and shipping details
   • Auto-send via Gmail or Outlook module to vendor/supplier contact
5. Test Your Flow
   • Run individual test SKUs below the reorder threshold
   • Ensure alerts trigger and reach the correct person
   • Review any errors in Make.com’s execution log

QA & Guardrails

Keep your system accurate, so automation remains helpful—not harmful.

• Exclude discontinued SKUs using filters or tags
• Reconcile alerts with live POS data weekly
• Avoid alert duplication by checking alert logs and unique IDs
• Always test flows when adding new SKUs or suppliers
• Don’t trigger automatic purchases unless your team has verified the logic

Need help stress-testing your flows?

Metrics & ROI

Here’s how you’ll know it’s working—and saving you time and money:

• Stockouts per month: track before vs. after alert setup
• Inventory turnover rate: compare by category or supplier
• Time spent on inventory tasks: estimate pre/post setup savings
• “Just-in-time” vs. “too-late” reorder ratio: improve over time
• Manual reorders: reduce interventions and double orders

What If You’re Not Ready for AI? (No Problem)

You can ease into this with low-tech steps that still save time:

• Add conditional formatting or alerts to Google Sheets for SKU thresholds
• Create a weekly checklist for someone to review manually
• Track when restocks happen “just in time” versus “too late”
• Use Make.com only for alerts first—add auto-ordering later

Want Help Getting This Set Up?

You don’t need to overhaul your systems to get value from AI. We help small business owners start one step at a time—with a focus on outcomes, not tech jargon.

• ☑️ Explore our tailored automation playbooks → /solutions
• 🎯 Get 1:1 guidance to map your systems → /coaching

Make smarter inventory decisions—all while you’re off the floor.