App builder

An inventory management app for
every SKU, supplier and PO.

Tell Netiva what you stock and who you buy from. In a live preview, the agent builds a web app that drafts purchase orders, flags items at their reorder point and totals your stock value.

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Starter prompt

Build an inventory management web app for a small online business with 1,200 items across finished goods, packaging and spare parts. Store each item with SKU, category, its counting unit, main supplier, unit cost, on hand and reorder point. Staff sign in to raise purchase orders, email them to the supplier and receive them line by line — each line holds the quantity ordered, the agreed unit cost and the quantity received, and a receipt updates on hand and the weighted average cost. Log stock changes with a reason and who logged them. Show a restock list counting units still on order and a stock value page by category.

Build it in Netiva Paste the prompt into a new workspace and adjust it to your business.
Overview

Who this inventory management app is for

A business carrying a few hundred to a few thousand items often runs stock from a spreadsheet, a folder of supplier emails and memory. That holds until a best seller runs out while its replacement sits on an unsent purchase order, or cash stays tied up in parts nobody has sold for months. With Netiva as your inventory app builder, you describe how you buy and sell, and the agent builds an inventory management app that links your item catalog, suppliers, purchase orders, reorder points and stock value at cost.

Key features

What your inventory management app can do

  • Item catalog by category

    Keep every SKU in one collection with its category, main supplier, unit, unit cost and on-hand quantity, then save a filtered view for each part of the business.

    • Saved views for finished goods, packaging and spare parts
    • The unit you count in — each, box or case — shown wherever a quantity appears
    • Names and categories tidied in bulk by the collection assistant
    • On hand kept honest by a dated log of sales, counts, damage and returns

  • Reorder points that count what’s on order

    Each item carries a reorder point. The app adds on-hand stock to the units still outstanding on open order lines — ordered minus received — so an item only lands on the restock list when you really need more.

    • Restock list grouped by supplier, with what’s on hand and what’s already coming
    • Suggested quantities on every line, editable before the draft order is saved
    • A running total on the draft order, so hitting a supplier’s minimum is easy to see
    • One button turns a supplier group into a draft purchase order

  • Purchase orders from draft to received

    Raise a numbered purchase order per supplier, email it the moment you mark it Sent and record deliveries line by line as boxes arrive, including partial shipments.

    • Statuses: Draft, Sent, Partially received, Received, Closed short or Cancelled
    • The order emailed to the supplier when it’s marked Sent
    • A weekly reminder listing orders past their expected date
    • Each order stamped with the signed-in staff member who raised it

  • Stock value at cost

    Each received delivery updates its item’s weighted average cost, with the order’s shipping and fees prorated across the lines by value, so the stock value page shows your stock at landed cost, by category and supplier.

    • Total value on hand, plus the value still on order
    • Categories and suppliers ranked by the cash tied up in them
    • Cost paid on past deliveries shown on each item page
    • A stock value dashboard anyone on the team opens after signing in
Data model

The collections behind it

Netiva keeps your records in built-in collections. Here’s a starting structure — the agent adapts it to your prompt, and you can change it any time.

Items

Every product, part and supply you stock, with its cost and reorder settings.

  • Name (required) Text
  • SKU (required) Your own item code, one per item Text
  • Category (required) Finished goods, Packaging, Spare parts… Text
  • Main supplier Supplier name — groups the restock list and fills the next order Text
  • Unit (required) Each, box or case — the unit you count, order and cost this item in Text
  • Unit cost (required) Weighted average per unit, recalculated each time a delivery is received Number
  • On hand (required) In the unit you count in; every movement, receipts included, is logged as a stock change Number
  • Reorder point (required) Reorder when on hand plus outstanding order units falls to this number Number

Purchase orders

One order to a supplier, from draft to closed, with the terms and paperwork it carries.

  • PO number (required) Numbered in sequence, such as PO-1042 Text
  • Supplier (required) Who the order goes to; matches the main supplier on its items Text
  • Order contact email (required) Where the order is emailed the moment you mark it Sent Text
  • Status (required) Draft, Sent, Partially received, Received, Closed short or Cancelled Text
  • Expected date The date you expect it, entered when the order is sent; late orders are flagged Date
  • Shipping and fees Prorated by line value as each delivery arrives, so unit cost is a landed cost Number
  • Supplier invoice File
  • Raised by (required) Filled in from the signed-in staff member Text

Order lines

One line per item on an order: what you ordered, at what cost, and how much has arrived.

  • Order (required) The order this line sits on Relation to Purchase orders
  • Item (required) Relation to Items
  • Quantity ordered (required) In the item’s unit, at the pack size you buy in Number
  • Agreed unit cost (required) What this order pays per unit, before shipping and fees Number
  • Quantity received Raised by each delivery; ordered minus received is what counts as on order Number
  • Line state (required) Open, Partially received, Received or Closed short Text

Stock changes

Every movement of stock: units sold, counted, damaged, returned or received, each one dated and named.

  • Item (required) Relation to Items
  • Change type (required) Sold, Counted, Damaged, Returned or Received Text
  • Quantity change (required) Negative for units leaving stock; on a count, the difference from what the app showed Number
  • Date (required) Date & time
  • Reason A job number, a count reference or what went wrong Text
  • Recorded by (required) Filled in from the signed-in staff member, or the sync that wrote the line Text
  • Order line Set on a receipt, so a delivery traces back to the line it filled Relation to Order lines
  • Unit cost paid Agreed cost plus its share of shipping and fees; updates the weighted average Number

Required field. Types are Netiva collection field types.

Screens

Pages and screens to start with

A typical first version. Ask the agent for more, or annotate the preview to change any of them.

  • Items

    Every item with SKU, category, unit, on hand, on order, reorder point and unit cost, filterable by category and supplier, with low items marked.

    Signed-in users

  • Item detail

    One item’s on hand and on order in its own unit, with its SKU, supplier, open order lines, the cost paid on past deliveries and its dated stock changes.

    Signed-in users

  • Stock changes

    Where staff log units sold, counted, damaged or returned with a reason, next to the lines that receiving writes; each is dated, names who recorded it and moves on hand.

    Signed-in users

  • Restock list

    Items at or below their reorder point once outstanding units are counted, grouped by supplier, with suggested quantities and a button that drafts the order.

    Signed-in users

  • Purchase orders

    Every order with its supplier, status and expected date, late ones flagged, searchable by PO number; open one to receive against its lines and attach the invoice.

    Signed-in users

  • Stock value

    Total inventory value at cost, split by category and supplier, next to the value of units still on order.

    Signed-in users
How it works

From prompt to a live inventory management app

  1. Describe how you buy and sell

    Tell Netiva roughly how many items you carry, your main categories, who your suppliers are and where sales happen. The agent drafts linked collections for items, purchase orders, order lines and stock changes.

  2. Load your item catalog

    Enter items in the spreadsheet-like grid or ask the collection assistant to draft rows, fill missing categories and tidy names across many items at once. Then set units, unit costs and reorder points.

  3. Run a test purchase order

    In the live preview, raise an order for one supplier, mark it Sent, receive half a line and log a sale against the same item. Check that on hand, unit cost and the restock list change as expected, and annotate anything that needs fixing.

  4. Publish and invite your team

    Publish in one click, on your own domain from the Starter plan, and have staff sign in. Teammates can also join the workspace to build with you, and every change is checkpointed.

Why Netiva

Netiva vs a traditional build

Building an inventory management app with Netiva compared with a traditional build
Criterion With Netiva Traditional build
Deciding what to reorder A restock list that counts the units still outstanding on open orders, grouped by supplier with a draft-order button Scanning a spreadsheet for low numbers, then searching emails to see what’s already on order
Knowing what stock is worth A stock value page at cost that updates each time an order line is received Multiplying quantity by cost in a spreadsheet at month end, after prices have moved
Getting started Describe what you need in chat and watch it take shape in a live preview Hire developers, or stitch together templates, plugins and a hosting plan
Content and data Built-in collections with nine field types, bound straight to your pages Set up and connect a separate database or CMS
Making changes Ask the agent; every change is checkpointed and reversible File a ticket, wait for a sprint, redeploy
Hosting and domain Global hosting and automatic SSL; connect a custom domain from the Starter plan Buy hosting, then install and renew SSL certificates yourself
Code ownership Clean production code you own and can export Locked into a template, plugin or agency setup
Examples

Ways teams use it

  • An online shop stocking up for a season

    One purchase order covers six months of a best seller. The restock list nets those incoming units against the reorder point, so the item stops being suggested while the pallet is in transit, and the stock value page shows how much cash the buy has tied up.

  • A repair shop with parts and accessories

    Spare parts used on repairs and accessories sold at the counter sit in separate categories. Staff log parts used on a job as a stock change, and the stock value page shows how much cash is held in slow-moving parts.

  • A small wholesaler buying from overseas

    Suppliers with lead times of six weeks or more get higher reorder points. Each purchase order carries an expected date, and a weekly email lists the orders running late so the buyer can chase them.

Good to know

Before you build

  • Sales data needs a source

    On-hand quantities only drop on their own if your store platform, marketplace or POS provider offers an API you connect. Otherwise staff log what sold, or a recount, on the stock changes screen, and every line carries a reason and a date.

  • Your books use their own cost method

    The app’s stock value is a working figure for buying decisions. Your accountant decides how inventory is valued in your financial statements and tax return; IFRS allows FIFO or weighted average cost, and US tax rules also describe LIFO.

  • Reorder points need honest inputs

    A reorder point is only as good as the sales rate and lead time behind it. Revisit them when a supplier slows down or a season changes, starting with the items you sell most.

  • Your catalog goes in by hand

    Netiva doesn’t import an existing item list or connect to accounting software. Enter your highest-value items first in the collection grid, or have the assistant draft them. Pick one unit per item before you load it, and convert case buys into that unit as you receive them.

FAQ

Questions about building an inventory management app

Is an inventory management app worth it for a few hundred items?

Often, yes, once more than one person buys or sells stock. A spreadsheet holds quantities, but it doesn’t know what’s already on order, which supplier is slow or what the shelves are worth at cost. The app keeps items, purchase orders and their lines together, so the restock list and stock value change as deliveries are received. You can start with your top sellers and add the rest later.

How should I set a reorder point for each item?

A common starting point is average daily sales multiplied by the supplier’s lead time in days, plus safety stock to cover late deliveries or busy weeks. An item that sells four units a day from a supplier with a 10-day lead time and 12 units of safety stock would reorder at 52. You can type the number yourself or ask the agent to add a daily sales field and suggest one.

How does the app calculate total stock value?

The stock value page multiplies each item’s on-hand quantity by its unit cost and totals the results by category and supplier. Unit cost can be a weighted average that updates every time a delivery is received, and you can ask the agent to spread an order’s shipping and fees across its lines so the figure is a landed cost. Treat the total as an operating number; your accountant chooses the cost method used in your books.

What happens when a supplier ships only part of a purchase order?

Each order line holds the quantity ordered and the quantity received, so an order can arrive in several shipments. Every receipt is logged as a stock change against its line, raising on hand as the boxes turn up. The order stays Partially received until every line is complete, and only the units still outstanding count as on order. If the supplier can’t fill the rest, mark it Closed short and those units drop off the restock list.

Can stock go down automatically when I sell online?

It can if your store platform, marketplace or POS provider offers an API. Netiva apps can call REST APIs with keys stored securely, so you can ask the agent to fetch new orders on a schedule and subtract the units sold from each item, matched by SKU. Check the provider’s API documentation first. Without an API, staff log what sold, or a recount, on the stock changes screen.

Can I add new reports or purchasing rules after the app is live?

Yes. Keep chatting with the agent to add a report, change how suggested quantities are worked out or add a supplier field, with no code required. If you or a developer prefer, the code is clean and framework-standard, so it can be edited in the editor or exported whenever you like. Every change is checkpointed, so you can compare versions and roll back a rule that doesn’t work out.

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Drafted with AI assistance from Netiva’s product pages and reviewed by the Netiva team. Example data models, screens and prompts are illustrative starting points, not customer projects.

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