When you’re on the hunt for inventory management software, it’s easy to think of all the things you want. But at the end of the day, it may be the things that you don’t want that actually make your software perfect. Sure, being able to change the themes and colors in your software is fun, but is it actually useful? Not typically, no. So let’s not talk about what you need — let’s talk about things to avoid, a.k.a. the red flags.

#1 – Gimmicky Features

Don’t let a good salesperson distract you with gimmicky features. Think about the big day-to-day impacts, like saving time and creating efficiencies. Don’t let some cutesy, nice-to-have feature distract you from your main business goals. If they’re throwing those at you like confetti, that’s a red flag. Instead, look for features that will make your processes run more smoothly, like the ability to create customized attributes to better describe your items or to easily send out customized quotes to your clients.

#2 – Support — For a Price

We’ve said it before, if they’re charging for support, how hard are they trying to make the software easy for you to use? While this may not always be the case, it’s a red flag and signals you need to read some user reviews. Goodshuffle Pro offers free unlimited support, which keeps us focused on keeping things simple for you.

#3 – No Integrations

If an inventory management software doesn’t have any integrations, you’ll be spending a lot of time on data entry. Goodshuffle Pro clients often tell us how much time their QuickBooks Online Integration saves them and how much faster they get paid with our Stripe Integration. But even if there isn’t a native integration, there should be easy mobility between softwares and apps. Ask how it might feed another system or work alongside it. For example, in Goodshuffle Pro, you can easily export the emails of everyone who booked with you last holiday season and pop those into your marketing email provider, like MailChimp or Constant Contact. These solutions ensure everything in your toolbelt works alongside each other, even if they’re not listed as a native integration!

#4 – It Chains You to Your Desk

Event professionals are busy, on-the-go people. They need to be able to search their inventory, create quotes, and accept payments from wherever they are. While some event companies may have dedicated office staff, many are involved in the whole event planning process, so they need software that can be wherever they are. A big reason Goodshuffle Pro went with a cloud-based system was so that we could provide on-the-go features, like the ability to add inventory items or to create projects and quotes from anywhere with an internet connection.

#5 Poor Warehouse Management Capabilities

You need trustworthy Conflict Detection from your inventory management software — it’s a basic feature, in our opinion. Without it, you have a high risk of overbooking. A big benefit of having a cloud-based software is the ability to see updates in real time. For example, Goodshuffle Pro’s Pull Sheets update in real time as the salespeople make changes with your clients, so the whole team can know what still needs to be done. If a software doesn’t offer these kinds of features, skip it.

Your inventory management software shouldn’t inflict pain and frustration on your day. Just say no to confusion and pseudo-features, and instead seek out a software that actually does what it claims: easily manages your inventory. Decide in advance what you need, what you want, and what’s nice to have. Having an idea of future goals and what you’ll need to accomplish them won’t hurt, either. With your lists and goals in hand, you’re ready to go shopping — and not even the best sales person will be able to distract you from your business goals.

#6 Research How People Really Feel

Okay, so this isn’t something to avoid so much as some general advice. People tend to be really honest in reviews, so check out websites other than the company’s testimonials page.

While our customers have said that Goodshuffle Pro “takes away the headaches” and is “a game changer,” we don’t want you to just take our word for it; go check out our reviews on 3rd party sites!