Inventory planning is only useful when the buying team can explain and act on its recommendations. This checklist helps you evaluate Inventory Planner against your Shopify workflow. It is an evaluation method, not a report of a Botapolis store test.
Start with the decision you need to improve
Write down the current problem: ordering takes too long, popular items run out, or slow stock ties up cash. Pick a measurable baseline, such as hours spent preparing the weekly purchase order or days a key SKU is unavailable. Avoid choosing software solely because it offers a forecast.
The official product pricing page describes multi-location planning and integration with sales channels and inventory systems. The Shopify listing confirms a quote-based offering. Sources checked September 20, 2026; capabilities and terms should be confirmed for your proposed configuration.
Reconcile a small sample of products
Choose products that expose different problems: steady demand, seasonal demand, a recent launch and a long supplier lead time. Include a multi-location item if relevant.
For each item, compare the planning view with Shopify and your purchasing records. Check the variant identifier, location, available stock, incoming stock, sales history and returns. Document how bundles, discontinued items and stock transfers are represented. Resolve discrepancies before judging the forecast.
Check the assumptions behind a reorder
Ask the vendor to walk through one recommendation from its inputs to the proposed quantity. Review supplier lead time, minimum order quantity, pack size, safety stock and the period the order should cover. Ask how promotions and days with no available stock affect the forecast.
A useful demo answers: if a shipment is delayed by two weeks, which recommended purchases change, and can the buyer see why? Keep a human approval step until the team understands the outputs.
Measure the full workflow
Time the process from fresh data arriving to an approved purchase order. Track manual corrections and record whether the recommendation would have arrived early enough to avoid the stockout. Compare the result against the same process in your current spreadsheet.
Do not infer performance from one unusually good week. Separate improved data quality, changed buying rules and the software’s contribution. Keep a record of what changed so later results remain interpretable.
Resolve commercial terms
Free to install on Shopify is not free ongoing service. See our Inventory Planner pricing worksheet for current source evidence and a comparable quote request. Ask about setup, data history, integration scope, cancellation and export before deciding.
For a small catalog with simple replenishment, first document which task your existing Shopify workflow cannot handle. For a more complex operation, prioritize reliable inputs, explainable recommendations and buyer adoption. Compare options in the inventory tools shortlist against those requirements.