Top Inventory Software Picks for 2018:
Best Tools
The top inventory software 2018 picks were Odoo, inFlow Inventory, Zoho Inventory, Cin7, and TradeGecko—each earning its spot by helping businesses track stock, manage purchasing, sync sales channels, and cut manual data entry. The right tool depended on business size, industry, warehouse complexity, number of sales channels, and the depth of accounting integration required.
After more than 20 years building Complete Controller into a cloud-based bookkeeping and accounting service for small and midsize businesses, I’ve watched hundreds of clients roll out inventory software—and I can tell you the shiniest tool rarely wins. The platform that works is the one your team actually uses, backed by clean data and reliable financial reporting. Here’s what you’ll walk away with: a smarter way to shortlist tools, a 90-day implementation plan, red flags that cost businesses billions, and the controls that turn software into real ROI.
What were the top inventory software picks for 2018, and how do you choose the right one?
- The leaders were Odoo, inFlow Inventory, Zoho Inventory, Cin7, and TradeGecko—each with distinct strengths across ERP, small-business usability, cloud operations, and multichannel selling.
- Odoo fit businesses wanting integrated, customizable ERP-style systems.
- inFlow Inventory served small businesses and wholesalers upgrading from spreadsheets.
- Zoho Inventory worked for growing companies needing cloud access and app connections.
- Cin7 and TradeGecko suited multichannel, wholesale, and complex operations.
- The best tool matched workflow, controls, budget, and reporting needs—not the longest feature list.
How to Choose Among the Top Inventory Software 2018 Options
The best inventory management software 2018 shortlist starts with business requirements, not brand names. A single-location retailer may only need stock alerts and barcode scanning. A distributor needs purchasing controls, warehouse transfers, batch tracking, and multiple warehouses.
Match tools to business complexity
Evaluate each platform against:
- SKU count and product variations
- Number of warehouses or stock locations
- Sales channels and marketplaces
- Purchase-order and approval workflows
- Lot, serial-number, or expiration tracking
- Accounting and ecommerce integrations
- Mobile and barcode support
Top inventory software 2018 reviews: Separate marketing from fit
Treat “best of” labels with healthy skepticism. Read reviews for patterns: setup difficulty, support responsiveness, reporting limits, integration reliability, and pricing jumps as users or orders grow. A platform earning top ranks for an enterprise distributor may frustrate a five-person boutique.
The accounting test
Before signing anything, confirm the system produces what your bookkeeper actually needs—inventory valuation, cost of goods sold, purchase commitments, shrinkage history, and clean reconciliation reports. Regular reconciliation is non-negotiable, which is why we walk clients through the importance of reconciling accounting statements regularly.
Top Inventory Software 2018: Five Tools Worth Considering
Here’s the shortlist that defined 2018 for most of our small and midsize clients.
Odoo
Odoo earned attention for connecting inventory to sales, purchasing, accounting, and manufacturing in one modular ecosystem. Best for businesses wanting ERP flexibility without full enterprise cost. Watch out for configuration complexity—define your processes before you build them into software.
inFlow Inventory
A 2018 small-business review noted inFlow was used by more than one million businesses across multiple industries. It’s a strong first step beyond spreadsheets for wholesalers and distributors who want structure without an ERP learning curve.
Zoho Inventory
Zoho Inventory offered cloud access, multichannel syncing, and tight integration with the broader Zoho ecosystem. Growing businesses with multiple sales channels found it a practical bridge between simple stock tracking and full operational software.
Cin7
Cin7 shined for multichannel retailers and distributors needing to coordinate inventory across stores, warehouses, and marketplaces. This mattered a lot: a Harvard Business Review Analytics Services study found 75% of shoppers used at least three channels and 73% used multiple channels within a single journey. If your inventory counts don’t match across channels, you lose sales and trust.
TradeGecko
TradeGecko targeted wholesale and ecommerce brands needing centralized product, customer, and order data. Like Cin7, its multichannel visibility addressed the exact omnichannel buying patterns reshaping retail. Confirm compatibility with your accounting system and test how bundles, kits, and partial shipments behave.
Inventory software can track the numbers, but clean books make them useful. Complete Controller helps turn inventory data into accurate financial reporting and smarter business decisions.
Inventory Software for Small Business 2018: Features That Matter Most
Small companies don’t need every feature—they need dependable controls that prevent stock errors and simplify month-end close.
Start with the essentials
Prioritize SKU standards, stock receipts, purchase orders, reorder alerts, barcode support, user permissions, basic valuation, and data export. If a tool nails these, you’re 80% of the way there.
Build one source of truth
A real stock control system answers five questions fast: What do we have? Where is it? What’s available to sell? What’s on order? What’s committed to customers? If staff maintain parallel spreadsheets and warehouse notes, you don’t have one system—you have conflicting versions of reality. Pair this with a paperless office approach and you remove entire categories of error.
Warehouse Management, Barcode Scanning, and Real-Time Tracking
Inventory software becomes genuinely valuable when it mirrors how products physically move. Map receiving, put-away, picking, packing, shipping, returns, and cycle counts before you configure anything.
Warehouse management software with barcode scanning
Barcode scanning inventory reduces keying errors—but only when barcode rules are standardized across cases, packs, and units. The GS1 barcode standards are a good starting point for consistency.
Real-time inventory tracking without losing financial control
Real-time dashboards reflect only the transactions people enter. Build controls that protect your data:
- Unique user logins and role-based permissions
- Approval requirements for inventory adjustments
- Reason codes for shrinkage and damage
- Scheduled cycle counts
- Monthly reconciliation between inventory and the general ledger
- Separation between purchasing, receiving, and payment approval
The stakes are enormous. IHL Group estimated that out-of-stocks and overstocks cost global retailers roughly $1.1 trillion each year. Those losses live in sloppy counts, missed reorders, and phantom inventory—exactly what strong controls prevent.
A 90-Day Implementation Plan for Top Inventory Software 2018
Choosing software is step one. Implementation decides whether you get reliable information or expensive confusion.
Days 1–30: Clean and define
- Build a master SKU list and kill duplicates
- Standardize units of measure
- Count physical inventory
- Document purchasing, receiving, and returns procedures
Days 31–60: Configure and test
- Set users, permissions, and reorder points
- Import approved product data
- Connect accounting and sales channels
- Run sample purchases, sales, returns, and transfers
Days 61–90: Launch and control
- Train each user by role
- Pilot carefully, then reconcile opening balances
- Review exception reports weekly
- Conduct a post-launch physical count
Where implementation commonly fails
Most failures aren’t software defects—they’re data and process failures. Target’s 2013 Canadian expansion is the cautionary tale: shoppers found empty shelves while the system showed stock. The retailer ultimately took a $5.4 billion writedown and reported roughly $2 billion in losses tied to supply chain and inventory breakdowns. Software didn’t save them. Clean data and disciplined process would have.
Calculating True Cost and ROI
Software cost is more than a monthly subscription. Add implementation, data cleanup, scanners, integrations, training, support, and ongoing administration. Then estimate benefits—fewer stockouts, lower shrinkage, less manual entry, faster month-end close. Use conservative numbers. For tighter financial oversight pairing software with process, our team at Complete Controller specializes in efficient business finance management that makes inventory data actually useful to decision-makers. For a plain-English refresher on how inventory shows up on financial statements, the SEC’s Investor.gov glossary is a solid resource.
Final Thoughts: Choose the System You’ll Actually Use
The top inventory software 2018 picks—Odoo, inFlow Inventory, Zoho Inventory, Cin7, and TradeGecko—each solved real problems, but success came from matching the tool to your workflow, your team, and your financial reporting needs. Simple beats sophisticated every time if sophisticated gets bypassed.
In my two decades leading Complete Controller, I’ve watched clean master data, disciplined reconciliation, and the right-sized tool outperform expensive software every single time. Document your workflows, test realistic transactions, calculate the full cost, and bring your bookkeeper into the conversation before you sign. Ready to connect inventory records with reliable financial reporting? Visit Complete Controller and talk with our team.
Frequently Asked Questions About Top Inventory Software 2018
What was the best inventory software in 2018?
There was no single winner. Odoo suited ERP needs, inFlow served small businesses and wholesalers, Zoho Inventory supported cloud operations, and Cin7 and TradeGecko handled multichannel and wholesale complexity.
What is the best inventory software for a small business?
The one your team uses consistently and that supports purchasing, stock, sales, reporting, and accounting workflows. inFlow Inventory and Zoho Inventory were strong starting points in 2018, depending on required integrations.
What’s the difference between inventory and warehouse management software?
Inventory software tracks products, quantities, orders, and valuation. Warehouse management software focuses on physical movement—receiving, bin locations, picking, packing, transfers, and shipping.
Does inventory software support barcode scanning?
Most platforms do, but capabilities vary. Confirm support for your barcode types, scanners, mobile devices, product units, and warehouse locations before buying.
How does inventory software improve cash flow?
By reducing overordering, surfacing slow movers, preventing stockouts, and sharpening purchasing decisions. The software won’t fix cash flow on its own—management has to act on what the data reveals.
Sources
- Complete Controller. (2018, March 21). “Top 5 Inventory Software of 2018.” https://www.completecontroller.com
- Audacy Small Business Pulse. (2018, February 15). “Best Inventory & Order Management Software for Small Businesses.” https://www.audacy.com
- Zoho. “Case Study on Inventory Management.” https://www.zoho.com/inventory
- Forbes Advisor. “10 Best Inventory Management Software.” https://www.forbes.com
- Geekflare. (2021). “17 Best Inventory Management Software [Reviewed and Compared].” https://geekflare.com
- Harvard Business Review Analytics Services. (2017). “A Better Way to Map Customer Journeys.” https://hbr.org/2017/11/a-better-way-to-map-customer-journeys
- IHL Group. (2015). “Out-of-Stocks, Overstocks and Phantom Inventory Cost Retailers $1.1 Trillion.” https://www.ihlservices.com/ihl-best-practices-research/2015/3/23/out-of-stocks-overstocks-and-phantom-inventory-cost-retailers-11-trillion
- Lu, Vanessa. (2015, January 15). “Target Canada exit: Retailer takes $5.4-billion hit.” Toronto Star. https://www.thestar.com/business/target-canada-exit-retailer-takes-5-4-billion-hit-blames-shortfalls-on-supply/article_4fc4d1f0-f7f8-11e4-a51c-5fcbf68e1630.html
- Complete Controller. “Importance of Reconciling Your Accounting Statements Regularly.” https://www.completecontroller.com/importance-of-reconciling-your-accounting-statements-regularly/
- Complete Controller. “Efficient Paperless Office Solutions.” https://www.completecontroller.com/efficient-paperless-office-solutions/
- Complete Controller. “Efficient Business Finance Management.” https://www.completecontroller.com/efficient-business-finance-management/
- U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. “Inventory.” Investor.gov. https://www.investor.gov/introduction-investing/investing-basics/glossary/inventory
- GS1. “Barcodes Standards.” https://www.gs1.org/standards/barcodes
About Complete Controller® – America’s Bookkeeping Experts Complete Controller is the Nation’s Leader in virtual bookkeeping, providing service to businesses and households alike. Utilizing Complete Controller’s technology, clients gain access to a cloud platform where their QuickBooks™️ file, critical financial documents, and back-office tools are hosted in an efficient SSO environment. Complete Controller’s team of certified US-based accounting professionals provide bookkeeping, record storage, performance reporting, and controller services including training, cash-flow management, budgeting and forecasting, process and controls advisement, and bill-pay. With flat-rate service plans, Complete Controller is the most cost-effective expert accounting solution for business, family-office, trusts, and households of any size or complexity.
Brittany McMillen
Brittany McMillen