# Cloud-Based Inventory Management for Shopify | SKUSavvy

> Cloud-based inventory management for Shopify: real-time counts by bin, par levels, purchase orders, and transfers synced to Shopify. 30-day free trial.

# Cloud inventory management that reaches the warehouse floor
Cloud-based inventory management keeps your stock counts in one hosted system, synced to Shopify in real time. SKUSavvy adds the part most inventory apps skip: the bin each unit sits in and the scan that proves it moved.
[Start 30-day trial](https://app.skusavvy.com/register)
[See the full WMS](https://www.skusavvy.com/warehouse-management-software)
![SKUSavvy 3D bin map that ties cloud inventory counts to shelves and bins](https://res.cloudinary.com/deoyetsee/image/upload/v1791431805/6a1e978ebd0d95e1314f179c07268b25.png)
## What is cloud inventory management?
Cloud inventory management is software that tracks stock levels on the vendor's servers instead of in a spreadsheet or a desktop program. You open it in a browser, every location and sales channel reads the same count, and changes sync as they happen.
For a Shopify brand, the question is not whether your count lives in the cloud. Shopify already does that. The question is whether the count matches the shelf.
### Hosted, not installed
Open it from any browser on a desktop, phone, or tablet. No servers, no installs, no nightly file exports.
### Synced as it happens
Orders and products arrive from Shopify in seconds through webhooks, and Available goes back to Shopify the moment it changes.
### Counted where it sits
SKUSavvy tracks On Hand by bin, subtracts what is committed to open orders, and sends Shopify the Available number.
## Where count-only inventory breaks on the floor
Most cloud inventory tools stop at the number. These are the four places that number drifts from reality.
### Right in Admin, lost on the shelf
Shopify says you have 12. Nobody can find them, because they went into overflow without a bin.
### New pickers guess
Without bin locations and scan checks, the newest person on the floor grabs the wrong size, and nobody knows until the return.
### Transfers drift
Stock moves between the warehouse and retail stores, and the counts lag behind the boxes.
### Spreadsheet bin lists go stale
The sheet is right the day you build it. One skipped put-away later, it is not.
## How SKUSavvy keeps cloud counts true to the shelf
Two screens do most of the work: the bin map and par levels.
![SKUSavvy warehouse heat map coloring bins by activity, with a ranked list of the busiest bins](https://res.cloudinary.com/deoyetsee/image/upload/v1791431806/7625ee346f8cc88dcca753a401023f81.png)
### Every unit gets a bin address
Areas organize the warehouse, and only bins hold inventory. Receiving, put-away, picks, moves, and counts all post against a bin with a scan, so the cloud count is the sum of what is actually on the shelves.
The heat map shows which bins move the most, so you can slot fast movers near the pack station and spot bins nobody touches.
![SKUSavvy Replenish Inventory table listing each item with its vendors, sales per day, on hand, committed, and incoming quantities, and a bar showing stock against the item's min and max levels](https://res.cloudinary.com/deoyetsee/image/upload/e8ae0acc98770b8de063111c0921184e.png)
### Par levels turn counts into replenishment
Set a minimum and maximum per product and Low Stock shows what needs ordering. SKUSavvy suggests par levels from sales velocity and lead time, with lead times learned from your purchase order history or set by hand.
The math stays visible. Reorder point: lead time × daily sales velocity, plus safety stock. Reorder quantity: target days of stock × daily sales velocity.
## Cloud inventory management features
Use this as a checklist when you compare cloud-based inventory software. Each card says what the feature does and what it changes for you.
### Real-time Shopify sync
Webhooks bring in orders and product changes, and SKUSavvy pushes the Available count back to Shopify.
**Your storefront sells what is really on the shelf.**
### Multi-location counts
Unlimited warehouses, each mapped to a Shopify location, including POS stores.
**One count across the warehouse and the stores.**
### Bin-level locations
A count per bin, not just per warehouse.
**Pickers walk to the bin instead of searching the aisle.**
### Barcode scanning
Phone camera, Bluetooth, or USB scanners for receiving, picking, and counts.
**No dedicated handhelds needed to start.**
### Reorder points and par levels
Min-max per product, with suggested levels from sales velocity and lead time.
**You buy before you run out, not after.**
### Purchase orders and receiving
Vendor POs, scanned check-in, and put-away to bins.
**Received stock is countable the moment it is shelved.**
### Transfers
Transfer orders move stock from the warehouse to a store: picked at the origin, received at the destination. Retail locations can request replenishment.
**Store counts keep up with the boxes.**
### Cycle counts
Count bins continuously while orders keep shipping.
**No annual shutdown to trust the numbers.**
### Lots, expiry, and serials
Capture lot and expiry at receiving, and turn on serial numbers for the variants that need them.
**You can trace a batch when someone asks.**
## What changes when the count lives in the bin
The short version, for the person who signs off on the switch.
### Shopify matches the shelf
Available is On Hand by bin minus what open orders have committed, pushed to Shopify the moment it changes.
### Fewer mis-picks
Bin and product scans stop the wrong item before it is packed. Bunker 27 credits scan-to-pick with cutting their mis-ships.
### Faster training
New hires follow the bin and the scan on a phone instead of learning the shelves by memory.
### Buying from real sales
Suggested orders come from sales velocity and lead time, not a guess at the end of the month.
## AI inventory management with a person in charge
SKUSavvy uses AI to size purchase orders and to answer questions about your stock. It suggests and explains. You decide what gets ordered or changed.
![SKUSavvy Place Purchase Order screen with Suggestions on and a Last 90 Days sales range, one item expanded to show its unit cost, in-warehouse, committed, and expected quantities, and average daily sales](https://res.cloudinary.com/deoyetsee/image/upload/9af94188157cccb9df6c2705c2b2eb34.png)
### AI-powered purchase suggestions
Build a purchase order with suggestions on and Suggest All sizes each line from sales velocity and lead time, with inventory, committed, and expected quantities next to every item and sales from the date range you pick.
You confirm the order. When the shipment arrives, check it in by scan and put it away to bins. Received POs can create bills in QuickBooks (paid add-on).
[**See purchase order management**](https://www.skusavvy.com/purchase-order-management)
![SavvyBot assistant open beside the SKUSavvy dashboard with suggested questions about flagged batches, shipping services, and inbound delivery times](https://res.cloudinary.com/deoyetsee/image/upload/beaa0c8734bcd9c1f76abbc059499a60.png)
### Ask SavvyBot about your inventory
SavvyBot is the assistant in the SKUSavvy sidebar. Ask a plain-English question and it looks up live inventory and order data, builds a chart or a CSV export, finds the right screen, or searches the docs.
It can take actions in your account only after you explicitly approve them. SavvyBot runs on AI credits, bought in packs.
### A GraphQL API for inventory agents
Inventory, bin-level stock, forecasts, bin replenishments, and orders sit behind one GraphQL API, with API calls included in every plan.
[**Why it suits an inventory agent**](https://www.skusavvy.com/blog/the-best-api-for-your-inventory-agent)
### Pick routing on the real layout
When the count turns into picking, SKUSavvy plans each pick path against your actual warehouse layout.
[**See the full WMS**](https://www.skusavvy.com/warehouse-management-software)
## Cloud inventory with Shopify: who owns what
Clean sync starts with one owner per type of data. Here is how SKUSavvy splits it.
| Data | Owner | How it syncs |
| --- | --- | --- |
| **Products and variants** | Shopify | Create in Shopify. SKUSavvy pulls variants, barcodes, images, weights, and dimensions. |
| **Orders** | Shopify | Webhooks deliver new orders within seconds. |
| **Inventory quantities** | SKUSavvy, after go-live | Available is pushed to Shopify as soon as it changes. |
| **Vendors, costs, and POs** | SKUSavvy | Managed in SKUSavvy. Received POs can sync as bills to QuickBooks (paid add-on). |
| **Fulfillment and tracking** | SKUSavvy | Pick, pack, and label in SKUSavvy. Tracking flows back to the Shopify order. |
After go-live, inventory edits made in Shopify do not flow back. That is on purpose: one system owns the count, so the two never fight. If Shopify goes down, your team keeps picking and packing, and the sync catches up.
## Need full warehouse management software?
Cloud inventory gets you the count. Warehouse management software adds where each unit lives and how your team picks, packs, and ships it. If you have a floor to run, that is the next step.
[**See warehouse management software for Shopify warehouses**](https://www.skusavvy.com/warehouse-management-software)
## Cloud inventory management FAQ
Answers for Shopify brands moving their counts off spreadsheets.
### What is cloud-based inventory management?
Inventory software hosted online instead of installed on one computer. Stock counts, purchase orders, and transfers live in a shared system you reach from a browser, and your sales channels read from it in real time.
### Is Shopify's built-in inventory enough?
For a small catalog in one location, often yes. Shopify tracks quantities by location and handles light purchase orders. It does not track bins, direct put-away, or verify picks with a scan, which is where floor accuracy breaks.
### How does SKUSavvy sync inventory with Shopify?
Products and orders come from Shopify through webhooks in seconds. After go-live SKUSavvy owns inventory and pushes the Available quantity, which is On Hand minus committed, to Shopify whenever it changes.
### How long does the first sync take?
Typically 5 to 15 minutes for under 500 SKUs, 30 to 60 minutes for 500 to 5,000 SKUs, and one to four hours above 5,000. Importing historical orders is optional and only feeds reporting.
### Can I manage inventory across multiple locations?
Yes. Warehouses are unlimited, each Shopify location maps to a SKUSavvy warehouse, and transfer orders move stock between them. Several Shopify stores can share inventory or keep it separate.
### Does it work with Shopify POS?
Yes. Map the POS location to a warehouse, and POS sales deduct inventory there. POS orders count toward your monthly order total.
### How are reorder points calculated?
Multiply lead time in days by daily sales velocity, then add safety stock. For the order size, multiply your target days of stock by daily sales velocity. Lead times come from your purchase order history, or you can enter them.
### Does SKUSavvy offer AI inventory management?
Yes, with a person in charge. AI-powered forecasting suggests purchase order quantities from sales velocity and lead time, and you confirm the order. SavvyBot answers questions about your stock, builds charts and CSV exports, and makes changes only after you approve them.
### Can an AI agent read my inventory?
Yes, through the SKUSavvy GraphQL API. It covers inventory, bin-level stock, forecasts, orders, and locations, and API calls are included in every plan.
[GraphQL API for inventory agents](https://www.skusavvy.com/blog/the-best-api-for-your-inventory-agent)
### What happens if Shopify goes down?
Your team keeps picking, packing, and shipping in SKUSavvy. Changes queue and sync once Shopify is back.
### Does it track lots, expiry dates, and serial numbers?
Yes. Record lot and expiry on receive, and require serial numbers on the variants that need traceability. Both are optional.
### What does SKUSavvy cost?
$179 a month includes your first 249 orders, then a per-order rate that falls as volume grows. Seats and warehouses are unlimited, plans are month to month, and the 30-day trial needs no credit card.
[SKUSavvy pricing](https://www.skusavvy.com/skusavvy-pricing)
### Do I need a WMS or just inventory software?
If one person ships from a few shelves, inventory software can be enough. Once you have bins, more than one picker, or stock moving between locations, you need the floor controls of a WMS.
[Warehouse management software](https://www.skusavvy.com/warehouse-management-software)
### Related pages
#### Warehouse management software
The full cloud WMS for Shopify floors: bins, picks, packing, and reorder.
[Explore the WMS](https://www.skusavvy.com/warehouse-management-software)
#### Shopify inventory management
Manage stock and stock locations for everything you sell on Shopify.
[See inventory management](https://www.skusavvy.com/shopify-inventory-management)
#### Shopify global inventory
Keep inventory in sync across multiple Shopify stores.
[See global inventory](https://www.skusavvy.com/shopify-global-inventory)
#### Stock replenishment levels
Set up replenishment levels and see what needs to be purchased.
[Read the replenishment guide](https://www.skusavvy.com/docs/guides/warehouse/stock-replenishment)
#### Common Shopify inventory problems
Pitfalls with orders, fulfillment, and inventory, and how to fix them.
[Read the fixes](https://www.skusavvy.com/blog/common-shopify-inventory-management-problems)
#### SKUSavvy pricing
Order-based pricing with unlimited seats and a calculator for your volume.
[Open pricing](https://www.skusavvy.com/skusavvy-pricing)
## Make the cloud count match the shelf.
Start a 30-day free trial, or see how the full WMS runs the floor.