You’re standing in front of your shelf, you know what’s there, yet your inventory management still takes more time than it should. What many people don’t realize: you don’t need to organize everything perfectly before starting with BarTrack. You can simply begin right where you are. In this blog, you’ll discover three practical ways to set up your inventory with BarTrack, tailored to your situation.

Why starting from your shelf works

Many companies delay getting started because they think their warehouse first needs to be “perfect.” In practice, that actually works against you. By starting right away:

• You work from reality
• You see immediate results
• You prevent it from becoming a long-term project
  

You simply build your inventory structure as you go.

Important preparation

Before you start linking items, it’s smart to get two things in place first:

• Connect your wholesalers
  
• Add your locations (cabinets, shelving, van, etc.)
  

You can do this most efficiently via BarTrack for Web or BarTrack for Desktop. After that, you can continue on the shop floor using the app.

Method 1: Start directly with your existing setup

If your inventory is already logically structured, you can go live quickly. Here’s how:

1. Connect your wholesalers and add locations (via Web or Desktop)
2. Request a starter list from your wholesaler, so you don’t have to browse the full assortment
3. Open the BarTrack app and go to the inventory manager
4. Search for your items and link them to the correct location
5. Print and stick inventory labels on the products

Result:

• You gain immediate insight into your inventory and can easily place orders by scanning.

Method 2: Set up and optimize at the same time

If you know what you have but your layout could be improved, this is the perfect moment to do it properly. Here’s how it works:

1. Connect your wholesalers and request a starter list, so you don’t have to search the full assortment
2. Place temporary order stickers on empty positions
3. Link items to these stickers
4. Add your locations in BarTrack
5. Put everything back in a logical place
6. Scan the temporary sticker and assign the correct location
7. Print the final inventory labels

Result:

• A clear and efficient inventory structure that helps you work faster and reduces errors.

Method 3: Start with existing labels

If you already have labels from suppliers like Technische Unie or Fabory, you can get started right away without relabeling. Here’s how it works:

1. Connect your wholesaler
2. Add locations (via Web or Desktop)
3. Open a location in the app
4. Scan existing labels and add items

Result:

• You quickly build up your inventory in BarTrack without extra work.

What can you do with your inventory afterwards?

Once you’ve finished setting up, that’s where the real benefits begin. Every inventory label you’ve placed becomes part of your daily workflow:

• Scan a label and immediately order the right item
• See what’s in stock per location
• Work faster because you no longer need to search
• Reduce errors and missed items
• Gain insight into your usage and reorder moments

Your inventory is no longer just set up, it becomes an active part of your work process.

Which method should you choose?

The best method is the one you can start with today.

• Everything already in order → start immediately
• Structure could be better → optimize right away
• Already working with labels → scan and add items

You can also combine these methods.

Summary

With BarTrack, you can easily get started with inventory management straight from your shelf. You prepare your wholesalers and locations via Web or Desktop, and then set up your inventory using three methods: start directly, optimize, or use existing labels. Once you’re done, you use inventory stickers to place orders easily and always keep insight into your online stock. The key is simply to start while you’re standing in front of your shelf.