Inventory software built for everyday operational needs

WHAT IT DOES

• Items carry a "condition" — New, Used, General, Rework, or Scrap
• Return reasons captured at the point of return to Used, Rework, or Scrap
• Used-before-new — dispense used items ahead of new stock, where applicable

THE PROBLEM IT SOLVES

Consumable items that can be reworked or recycled are often thrown away by default, because there's no system tracking their return status — and no credit captured for the ones that could have gone back to a supplier.

• Example: capturing recyclable carbide inserts on return for supplier credit, instead of scrapping them by default

Where it applies: Metalworking, automotive, aerospace

WHAT IT DOES

• Serial number tracking for individual tools and equipment
• Inspection triggers based on maximum minutes in use, maximum uses, or maximum units produced
• Active inventory — a live list of every tool currently checked out, outside the machine
• Last withdrawal — shows which user currently has a tool withdrawn

THE PROBLEM IT SOLVES

Calibrated tools and gauges that go out of compliance without anyone noticing create quality and audit risk — especially when inspection is supposed to happen after a certain amount of use, not just on a calendar schedule.

• Example: enforcing calibration compliance on gauges and measuring equipment based on actual usage, not just time elapsed

Where it applies: Quality control, aerospace, automotive

WHAT IT DOES

• Tracks serialized devices individually
• FIFO logic dispenses the most-charged device first
• Charges devices when they not in use

THE PROBLEM IT SOLVES

Handheld devices like scanners are easy to lose track of, and even easier to leave uncharged — which shows up as a dead device at the start of the next shift, right when it's needed.

• Example: ensuring handheld scanners are charged and ready for the next shift in a distribution center, without manual tracking

Where it applies: Logistics, warehousing, distribution centers

WHAT IT DOES

• Limit the quantity of an item a user or user group can withdraw within a set time span
• Define which items a specific user or user group has access to at all

THE PROBLEM IT SOLVES

Without quantity or access limits, consumable spend has to be policed manually — after the fact, once the cost has already been incurred.

• Example: limiting PPE withdrawal to 2 pairs of gloves per user, per day, without a supervisor manually enforcing it

Where it applies: Manufacturing, construction, oil & gas

WHAT IT DOES

• Up to 5 individually configurable categories — for example Jobs, Machines, Departments
• Fixed allocations assignable per user
• Item restrictions can be linked to specific allocations
• Reporting broken out by category

THE PROBLEM IT SOLVES

Without a way to tag a withdrawal to a job, dept, etc, consumable cost gets lumped into a single overhead line instead of being attributed to what actually drove it. These fields are optional and set by administrators — every additional required field adds a step to the transaction, and in high-volume moments like shift change, that can create queues at the machine. VendTel lets an organization dial categorization up or down per site, per user group, or even per shift.

Where it applies: Contract manufacturing, machine shops

WHAT IT DOES

• Mulitiple SKUs supported in one compartment (eg Locker door/Modulo drawer)
• Several different items can be stored in one compartment; the user indicates how many they're withdrawing, with a prompt to confirm the remaining quantity

THE PROBLEM IT SOLVES

Where space may be a constraint or item control requirements are low, the ability to support multiple SKUs in one compartment maximizes available space.

Where it applies: Manufacturing job shops, Crib & storeroom environments

WHAT IT DOES

• Captures the lot or batch number an item is associated with, at time of transaction

THE PROBLEM IT SOLVES

When a manufacturer issues a recall on a specific lot or batch, an end-user or distributor needs to identify exactly which items in circulation are affected and remove them — without lot tracking, that's a manual, error-prone search.

• Example: a carbide insert manufacturer recalls specific lot numbers due to a metallurgical defect risk (e.g. premature chipping); lot tracking lets an operation immediately identify and pull the affected inserts

Where it applies: Metalworking (e.g. carbide insert batch recalls); broadly applicable across industries with lot-tracked consumables

WHAT IT DOES

• Expiration date captured at restock, on an item or pack basis
• VendTel blocks dispensing once the date has passed
• Administrators can pull a report of expired items for physical retrieval

THE PROBLEM IT SOLVES

Safety-critical items with a shelf life can end up in service past their expiration date if there's no system actively blocking that dispense — a paper-based or manual process relies on someone remembering to check.

• Example: a respirator with a replaceable cannister that has an expiration date — VendTel won't dispense it once expired, and flags it for retrieval

Where it applies: PPE (e.g. respirator cartridges), medical, food-adjacent

WHAT IT DOES

• Create and track stock locations outside the machine itself
• Assign items to those external locations
• Transfer stock between locations or machines directly within the software
• Built-in tool to generate barcode labels based on item number

THE PROBLEM IT SOLVES

Not every item an organization needs to control can be placed in a machine — equipment stored elsewhere falls outside a system that only tracks what's physically dispensed.

Where it applies: Facilities, multi-site operations

WHAT IT DOES

• Common crib transactions — withdraw, restock, and more — can be performed directly on the handheld, at the point of work in the crib, not just at the desk-based workstation
• Example: a full receiving/put-away workflow — scan the part number on an incoming order, select the matching purchase order, identify the packing list if applicable, then restock/put away the item, all without returning to the workstation

THE PROBLEM IT SOLVES

Tying crib transactions to a single desk-based workstation forces attendants to either walk back and forth or do the work from memory after the fact — introducing delays and errors that don't exist when the transaction happens exactly where the item is being handled.

Where it applies: Crib & storeroom environments (via StoreTel)

WHAT IT DOES

• Manage items that are stored in an external locked location
• Users (with appropriate permissions) select the item and the compartment with the key opens

THE PROBLEM IT SOLVES

Items that are not suitable for storing/managing in a machine (eg; chemicals, hazardous items, liquids etc) can still be controlled and inventoried

Where it applies: Oil and gas, chemical, manufacturing