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Optimizing Ecommerce Inventory and Performance in 2024

As technology continues to improve, more and more businesses are turning to automated solutions to manage their inventory. In our latest report, we partnered with Worldwide Business Research, collecting data from 100 SMB Shopify merchants to understand their key challenges and how they plan to implement inventory software and AI to overcome them.

Download the report

Summary

This report uses proprietary data collected via surveys conducted by the WBR Insights research team, comprising 100 ecommerce leaders in the US and Canada. These respondents are exclusively Shopify sellers who handle physical inventory and do not participate in dropshipping.

According to the analysis, adopting user-friendly inventory management systems and integrating artificial intelligence (AI) into business operations will be pivotal strategies for ecommerce businesses in 2024.

About the report

Key trends and observations from the report

According to our research, 83% of SMB Shopify merchants struggle with maintaining synchronized inventory, manufacturing, and accounting data due to operational obstacles. Download the report to learn how embracing user-friendly inventory management systems and incorporating AI into business processes will be essential strategies for ecommerce enterprises in 2024.

How SMBs mitigated rising costs from external factors

Prices have skyrocketed due to inflation, supply chain disruptions, and other events. 73% of businesses are using technology to ease financial pressures. This reflects the significance of digital tools in modern inventory management and signals a rising preference for innovative, tech-driven solutions to tackle conventional business obstacles.

Businesses planning to implement AI into their operations in 2024

Almost all ecommerce merchants are adopting AI to enhance operations. They use AI for customer service, inventory management, marketing, and productivity tracking. AI will break customer communication barriers, improve immediacy, and drive data-driven decision-making while optimizing processes.

Katana Cloud Inventory Software

Getting your products to customers faster

Katana supports your workflows no matter your industry with the features and seamless integrations you need to manage your business how you want.

Katana inventory management system showing item table with stock, committed, expected quantities, and highlighted 143 in-stock badge with location filter

Take control of your inventory in real time

Katana’s Smart Inventory provides live, connected insights across all channels and locations — helping you maintain the correct stock levels. Track items in real-time, forecast demand with confidence, and manage costs without end-of-month surprises.

  • Real time visibility
  • Barcode workflows
  • Expiry dates
  • Batch/lot and serial number tracking
  • Automated stock movements
  • Multilocation support
  • Omnichannel order sync
  • Planning and forecasting
  • User permissions
Purchasing widgets including stock row, purchase order card, and status selector to balance supply with demand and avoid overstocking

Stay ahead with demand-led purchasing

Track everything that’s purchased and trace its journey from supplier to production. Katana maintains a comprehensive record to support compliance, simplify audits, and facilitate prompt responses to recalls, strengthening trust in your company.

  • Multicurrency support
  • Purchasing insights
  • Reorder recommendations
  • Receiving
  • Contract manufacturing
  • Multilocation support
Katana manufacturing system showing production order table with tasks, deadlines, and statuses plus task card view to track shop floor progress in real time

Manufacturing you can see, control, and deliver

Gain complete visibility into your entire production process. Plan capacity, allocate resources, and ensure materials are ready when needed. Live shop floor updates enable you to identify and resolve issues promptly, keeping production on track.

  • Shop Floor App
  • Insights and planning
  • Contract manufacturing
  • BOM and subassemblies
  • Barcode scanning
  • Manufacturing cost calculations
  • Real-time inventory management
  • Role-based access
  • MTS and MTO workflows
Order management software interface showing product stock levels, purchase orders, and real-time updates for seamless multi-channel fulfillment

Manage orders seamlessly across all of your channels

Connect sales channels, such as Shopify, Amazon, or WooCommerce, to Katana to ensure that all orders sync automatically. Eliminate worrying about double entries, lost orders, or messy spreadsheets — just accurate, up-to-date data across every channel.

  • Return management
  • Kits and bundles
  • Partial order fulfillment
  • Sell goods and services
  • Omnichannel sales order sync
  • Custom fields and internal notes
  • AI-powered assistant
Katana warehousing UI elements showing stock table, purchase order widget, and status menu to manage receiving, picking, and packing

Reliably move stock in and out of warehouses

Supply your team with mobile access to real-time tasks, barcode scanning, and role-based views. The Warehouse App ensures that receiving, picking, packing, and transfers are completed accurately and on time, keeping inventory reliable and customers happy.

  • Warehouse app
  • Bin locations
  • Barcode scanning
  • Multilocation support
  • Pick and pack
  • Receiving and partial receiving
  • 3PL & WMS support

Get visibility over your sales and stock

Wave goodbye to uncertainty with Katana Cloud Inventory — AI-powered for total inventory control