Xentral for Inventory Control

SMEs in retail, food companies, and B2B suppliers. You gain full transparency over goods flows, inventories, and turnover rates, and can efficiently manage orders and deliveries.

Yes – if your business is growing and you want to manage processes more efficiently. Xentral is the ERP for retailers who are scaling up: from online shops to marketplaces to brick-and-mortar retail.

Xentral is right for you if you:

• want to bundle orders, inventory, finances and shipping in one system,
• want to replace manual work and isolated applications with automated workflows,
• want to remain flexible – with connections to shops, marketplaces and tools you already use.

In short: if you are a retail company and want to grow, Xentral is the right ERP for you.

For companies that want to scale up and value efficiency, automation, and future-proofing, the use of inventory management software is almost indispensable.

Especially in the growth phase, it ensures that processes do not get out of hand. After all, what still works with Excel today will quickly become a burden as sales grow. The administrative effort increases, errors creep in, and valuable time is lost.

A professional inventory management software creates clear structures, relieves teams, and ensures end-to-end transparency: from purchasing and warehousing to sales. It is also the logical next step for established companies that want to modernize processes and prepare for new requirements. After all, only with automated, scalable processes can you remain competitive and flexible in the long term.

Every company is unique and comes with its own challenges. However, there are patterns: ⁠Xentral is ideal for start-ups, as well as small and medium-sized companies that are active in retail or e-commerce. ⁠This, however, does not exclude larger companies with POS from working with Xentral, as some of our customers do.

⁠The best way to find out if and how your processes can be mapped, structured, and automated with Xentral is to talk directly to one of our experts. You can book an appointment here.

For companies that focus on growth, automation, and flexibility, modern inventory management software is indispensable. The sooner you decide to use it, the more you will benefit from its advantages: from increased efficiency to clear processes.

⁠The good news is that inventory management software can be implemented quickly and easily in the cloud, allowing you to reap the benefits immediately.

⁠Even if you currently manage your business with Excel spreadsheets, as your sales increase, so does the effort involved, and with it the risk of losing track of things. Switching to an inventory management program is also a crucial step for established companies that want to modernize their entrenched processes and position themselves for the future.

An inventory management software provides real relief in everyday business: instead of error-prone Excel spreadsheets, cumbersome interim solutions, and manual processes, you benefit from clear processes, a better overview, and noticeably more time for the essentials.

⁠As the name suggests, an inventory management system only covers one area of your business. It is not a holistic business software that centrally plans, manages, and controls all resources. The result: there is a risk of creating an isolated individual solution that then has to be laboriously connected to other tools, such as accounting or CRM systems.

This creates a patchwork of different programs for different business areas, such as materials management, finance, or customer management. In specialized industries such as food retail, additional industry-specific requirements come into play, for example, batch tracking or compliance with best-before dates.

⁠That's why it makes sense to rely on a central system such as Xentral that bundles all your company data in one place and automates your processes.

The cost of inventory management software can vary greatly depending on the provider and requirements, so it is difficult to make a blanket statement. The following factors, among others, influence pricing:

• Deployment type (cloud solution or on-premise)
• Billing model (monthly subscription or one-time license purchase)
• Size of your company
• Individual requirements and range of functions

In addition to the actual software solution, further investments may be necessary, for example, in POS systems, receipt printers, or barcode scanners. Ongoing operating and maintenance costs should also be taken into account, depending on the provider. It is therefore worth looking at the total cost of ownership (TCO) in order to make an informed decision.

1. Closed inventory management systems

A closed inventory management system combines all central functions such as purchasing, sales, production, and warehousing in a single software solution. It usually works without external interfaces and is designed as a stand-alone solution. The entire merchandise management process is mapped internally; a connection to other systems is usually not provided.

2. Open inventory management systems

In contrast, open systems offer more flexibility. They cover the core functions such as goods receipt and goods issue, and can be expanded with additional software solutions via interfaces. For example, ordering processes or invoicing can be carried out via connected programs. This openness enables the software landscape to be expanded to suit specific requirements.

3. Integrated inventory management systems

Integrated systems such as Xentral combine the best of both worlds: they contain extensive functions within the software and at the same time enable the connection of external services. Interfaces to shop systems, supplier portals, or banks ensure smooth data exchange and seamless collaboration with partners. The result is a networked, future-proof inventory management solution.

The term “inventory management” is often equated with enterprise resource planning (ERP), but the two systems differ in their focus. An inventory management system primarily concentrates on controlling and optimizing the flow of goods within a company. An ERP system, on the other hand, goes much further: it also integrates areas such as financial accounting, human resources, and project management, thus forming a comprehensive enterprise software solution.

As the table shows, ERP systems offer a comprehensive solution for companies. All relevant data from different business areas is consolidated in this software.

An ERP system acts as a central control unit for your company and not only includes inventory management functions, but also areas such as finance and accounting, production, and many more. Depending on the needs of your company, you can flexibly select the functions you require and thus efficiently control the entire management of your company. With an ERP system, you can also integrate a CRM tool to maintain your contact data in the long term, or keep an eye on important key figures for performance monitoring through ERP reporting.

ERP systems offer particular advantages for retail companies by connecting different sales channels such as online shops and marketplaces or traditional brick-and-mortar stores. The smooth processing of orders makes it possible to maintain a clear overview of orders, suppliers, and stock movements, while at the same time integrating financial accounting directly into the system.

Yes, thanks to Xentral's cloud architecture, this is no problem at all, and you can access our merchandise management system from any device.

⁠We even offer an inventory app that allows you to carry out your inventory directly on your cell phone, without the need for a laptop or paper.

Xentral seamlessly sends your products to all integrated channels, or you can transfer them via CSV, API, or transfer module.