Shop Inventory Software - Here is what I use

[LeeG]

I have spent a considerable amount of time over the past several years trying to find the perfect software for me to inventory my shop. I write software for a living, and finally resigned myself to having to write my own. I had it pretty much completely spec'ed out and then I found an app called MyStuff2 by Maddysoft. It was pretty close to being exactly what I was going to write, and it was only cost a few dollars. I have been using it now for over three years, and wanted to share what I have discovered.

First, I will tell you that this app is IOS only. If you don't have an IOS device, it will not work. The author has no plans for making a web, desktop, or Android version. The application itself is allows for complete customization, thus it can take a while to set up, but you can be up and running with it quite quickly.

The app is organized around Categories and Locations. A category is a type of thing you want to inventory. Each category has its own fields. Categories can be divided into sub-categories, and sub-sub-categories and so on. Locations are defined the same way.

Here is what my database looks like when I open it.

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The numbers to the right show how many items are in that category (grey) and all sub categories (green). So for Fasteners, I have 5 items listed under Fasteners, and 283 in sub-categories under fasteners.

If I click the arrow on the left of Fasteners, I can see my sub-categories

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Pressing on the Masonry subcategory, I can see all of the fasteners in that sub-category (I added two items between the two screenshots)

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Finally, selecting one of the fasteners in the list will show me all of the fields I have defined for that category.

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If I go back to the previous screen, I can click the Sigma symbol to get a summary of that sub-category.

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The fields in the categories, what gets summed up in the filters, and even the sort and headers are all custom, and you can define several different ones and save them.

Locations are organized similar. Here are my top level locations.

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Each location can be subdivided as much as you want. For example, I have the following location defined.
House->Garage->North Wall->Red Craftsman->Upper Chest->Top Drawer

You can move a location from one place to another, and all of its contents will move with it. You can export reports to excel, or PDF. You can add multiple photos to any item or location. It supports bar code scanning and Amazon lookup. There is an entire set of Action commands that I don't use, but appear to be very versatile.

Typing a lot of data into a phone or tablet can be annoying, although you can import data from excel. The one feature it does not have that I would like is to be able to have a 'thing' also be a location. For example, I use individual toolboxes as locations. It would be nice to not have to enter them in separately to keep track of them. It does take some time to set up a comprehensive database, but I just did it one category at a time, starting with my more expensive items.

Overall, this has been a great asset to me. It allows me to keep track of less commonly used tools, keep track of what consumables I have, and have a more complete list of what I own for insurance purposes.

 

[Homerr]

Takes all the fun out of buying multiples of the same tool because I can't find or forgot about the one I already own!

 

[ishiboo]

Takes all the fun out of buying multiples of the same tool because I can't find or forgot about the one I already own!

Hahaha exactly.

Then the problem is when I clean, I find all the duplicates and keep them together, but then I can't get rid of any because I know in the future I'll loose them again and the spares will come in handy.

Caulk guns especially are multiplying.

 

[mikegt4]

I pretty much know what my inventory is and like most of us I inadvertently have multiples of many items.

What I need is a microchip on each tool that sends a location signal. With 3 possible locations as much as 25 miles apart (borrowed yet unreturned items) it needs to be able to send a powerful signal.

 

[James-W]

I have several clear plastic boxes with covers that I keep "like items" in. For example, I have all sorts of sandpaper in one plastic box. I keep the boxes in one area so when I need sandpaper I can go to that area and I can see the sandpaper because it is in a clear plastic box. It isn't a very sophisticated system, but it works well.

 

[WhoWhatNow]

Can you export the data to a .txt or similar file? I'm thinking if you ever had an insurance claim you would need to easily get the data out of the app and into a format the adjuster could use.

 

[laser3kw]

Takes all the fun out of buying multiples of the same tool because I can't find or forgot about the one I already own!

LOL
I thought the same thing! It doesn't tell you where you put them ( multiple locations)

 

[rslaback]

um, am I missing something?

 

[Max]

Thank you LeeG - I think this is a good topic to discuss. For me, I think it's a bridge too far in organization, as I already have like parts organized in the same place(s). I can see the advantage in not buying extra stuff at the HW store, but I am not sure that compensates for the work to build the database and then keep it current.

Max

 

[turbodave]

I wouldn't have the patience to input or manage that on my phone.

What has worked for me is taking a picture of tool box drawers and the hardware drawers in my vidmar cabinet, that way I can pull up the picture on my phone and see if I need more of x bolt when I'm at the supply store or what-not.

 

[A**holes Garage]

and i thought labeling my storage and tool boxes was enough work...

 

[Falcon67]

I spent years in inventory control. I ain't interested in doing any kind of inventory LOL.

 

[Fueler]

If you don't have Apple here is what I use to keep track of the important stuff for insurance purposes. Nuts and bolts I don't worry about.
http://www.mycroftcomputing.com/eiown.html

 

[rk_tek]

While I don't really need to keep track of hardware and consumables, I have been looking for a way to inventory all of my tools with model numbers, replacement value, and what I actually paid.

 

[LeeG]

um, am I missing something?

In the fasteners category, there are 5 items that are not in a sub category, and 283 that are in sub categories (8+81+49+68+6+71).

 

[Fueler]

While I don't really need to keep track of hardware and consumables, I have been looking for a way to inventory all of my tools with model numbers, replacement value, and what I actually paid.

Post 13 man. That is exactly what I use this for.

 

[LeeG]

While I don't really need to keep track of hardware and consumables, I have been looking for a way to inventory all of my tools with model numbers, replacement value, and what I actually paid.

I didn't really about small stuff at first. I don't have nearly all my fasteners
and consumables inventoried yet, but of those I do have, the total value is just over $8,000.

If I did have a fire or major claim, I think I'd want all that covered.

 

[b-boy]

I'm a homebrewer. I buy in bulk, so I will have hundreds of lbs of grain sitting around at all times. Before I brew, I need to know what I have, and what I need to order. I setup something like this to track my ingredients like hops, grain, adjuncts, etc.

I spent hours weighing and tagging everything I had to get a complete inventory.

First brew day I screwed up. I forgot to reduce my quantities, plus I bought more stuff and forgot to add it. The whole thing was a mess after 1 day. I came to the conclusion that I'm just not cut out for organization.

This would be a great app for insurance purposes though. Unfortunately, I'm an Android guy.

 

[LeeG]

A funny little story about how I got started keeping track of all the small stuff.

Back in the mid 80's I lived in an apartment complex with no washer/dryer facilities. I'd wait for all of my clothes to be dirty, then take them to the laundry mat (it took the same amount of time to do 10 loads of clothes at it did 1). One day I decided to stop after work to do laundry. I had one basket of clothes that didn't fit into the car trunk so I stuck it in the back seat. When I got out of work, that basket had been stolen. It contained every pair of socks and underwear I owned other than what I was wearing (and nothing else - must have been a desperate thief)

Anyway, by the time I had replaced what was stolen, it had cost most of my 'disposable' income from my weekly paycheck. It got me thinking what would have happened had it been shirts or pants. I started adding up the replacement cost of things that I had slowly acquired over the years, and it is pretty incredible what you have invested in things you only spend a few dollars at a time on.

So, since then, while certainly keep records on big ticket items, I also try to keep track of all the little fiddly bits that add up over time.

 

[rk_tek]

well i went ahead and downloaded the free version. i'll play with it and see if it works for what i need.

The thing that I really like is being able to link files and URLs to an item. I often buy used/old stuff that doesn't come with a manual. first order of business is downloading a manual and saving it in my Google Drive. With the app, I can link the manuals to the item. You could also link a photo to receipts from your purchase for insurance.

While I don't have a shop crammed with tools, I was a carpenter/cabinet maker for some time and have always worked on my own stuff. The tool collection never shrinks and getting it organized now makes the task easier than if i had a 40'x80' shop filled with 10,000 items that need inventoried.

 

[LS6 Tommy]

LeeG, it looked good in your post, so I got the app and cannot figure it out. I'm not dumb, but this thing is convoluted as hell. There doesn't seem to be any relatively easy way to just enter a tool into a cabinet in a location. Even if I get better with the app, I estimate it will take a at least 8 hours to enter my socket set...

Tommy

 

[LeeG]

There is quite a bit of help on his web site.

http://maddysoft.com/iphone/mystuff/tutorials.php

I'll see if I can post a step by step after work tonight.

 

[A**holes Garage]

If you don't have Apple here is what I use to keep track of the important stuff for insurance purposes. Nuts and bolts I don't worry about.
http://www.mycroftcomputing.com/eiown.html

Thanks, just what I was looking for. Simple, basic, PC based inventory tracking software. I've been buying duplicate tools and parts for a long while now and I need some type of software for tracking and insurance purposes as well.

Been playing with the free version of Everything I Own a bit and it seems to fit my needs with a little editing. No monthly fees or phone App.

Will be buying this one.

 

[laser3kw]

serious inquiry:
do these software trackers have a space to enter a location for a given entry?
Knowing we have parts are half the battle - Most of us know we duplicate parts only because we can't remember where they are!

 

[A**holes Garage]

serious inquiry:
do these software trackers have a space to enter a location for a given entry?
Knowing we have parts are half the battle - Most of us know we duplicate parts only because we can't remember where they are!

Yes, and you can edit and add your own locations, Red toolbox, middle shelf, etc.

And you can search produce reports by item name, manufacturer, location, etc.