Inventory Control Excel Template (Free Google Sheet Tool)
Managing inventory is one of the hardest challenges for e-commerce and Shopify merchants. Stockouts lead to lost sales, overstock ties up cash, and spreadsheets often become chaotic and unreliable. Many operators search online for an Inventory Control Excel template because they want a simple, structured way to record stock movements and track quantities in one place.
To solve this, we’ve created a free Inventory Control Template in Google Sheets — built specifically for modern operators who need clarity without needing specialist software. It helps you track SKUs, movements, reorder points, inventory value, and supplier information — all with automated formulas and a clean, intuitive layout.
This article explains what people really want from an inventory control spreadsheet, walks through how the template works, and shows why Verve AI is the natural next step for automated inventory forecasting and purchasing.
Why Inventory Control Matters for E-Commerce
Inventory is almost always the largest cost centre for product businesses. Yet most operators struggle with:
Knowing true stock levels
Tracking sales, receipts and adjustments in one place
Identifying when stock needs replenishing
Understanding the value of their inventory
Preventing over-ordering (cash trapped in slow-movers)
Preventing stockouts of fast-sellers
A good inventory control spreadsheet provides:
Structure
Accuracy
Auditability
Reorder visibility
A single source of truth
That's exactly what this template delivers.
What People Typically Want in an Inventory Control Excel Sheet
Through analysing templates and user demand, people searching for Inventory Control Excel usually want:
✔ A simple table to record all products
SKU, product name, category, supplier and reorder point.
✔ Automatic stock calculations
Stock on hand shouldn’t be manually edited — it should calculate from transactions.
✔ A transaction/movement log
Receipts, sales, returns and adjustments should update inventory automatically.
✔ Reorder alerts
Colour-coded flags for:
Out of stock
Below reorder point
Healthy stock levels
✔ Inventory value
Stock on hand × unit cost for each SKU, plus a total.
✔ A clean dashboard
Total SKUs, total stock value, units on hand, low-stock items and top SKUs by value.
✔ Something easier than full inventory software
Merchants want a simple template that can scale with them.
Our template includes all of these features.
What’s Included in the Inventory Control Template
This template includes six integrated tabs, each designed for clarity and ease of use.
1. Stock List (Master Data + Live Stock Levels)
This is where you store:
SKU
Product name
Category
Supplier
Unit cost
Reorder point
The sheet automatically calculates:
Stock on hand (from transactions)
Total stock
Inventory value
No manual stock editing needed — formulas handle everything.
2. Transactions (Movement Log)
This is where every inventory movement is recorded.
Movement types include:
Receipt (restocking)
Sale
Adjustment (damage/write-off)
Return
Positive numbers increase stock, negative numbers decrease it.
This keeps the entire system accurate and auditable.
3. Inventory Summary (Dashboard)
A clean, visual overview showing:
Total SKUs
Total units on hand
Total inventory value
Low-stock & out-of-stock counts
Top 5 SKUs by stock value
Plus optional charts for:
Stock by category
Inventory value over time
Great for team updates and planning.
4. Reorder Alerts
A powerful, operator-friendly table that highlights:
SKUs below reorder point
SKUs out of stock
SKUs in healthy range
With traffic-light formatting:
Red = Out of stock
Amber = Below reorder point
Green = Sufficient stock
This is one of the most useful tools for day-to-day planning.
5. Formulas & Methodology
Clear documentation explaining:
How stock levels are calculated
What each formula does
How to add new SKUs
How to customise reorder points
How to maintain an audit trail
This removes guesswork and makes the template easy to hand off internally.
6. Verve AI CTA (Next Step for Automation)
A short explanation of how Verve AI automates:
Stock tracking
Variant-level forecasting
Reorder point calculation
Supplier lead-time modelling
Purchase order recommendations
And removes the need for manual spreadsheet updates entirely.
How to Use the Inventory Control Template
Step 1 — Add your products
Go to the Stock List tab and enter your SKUs, product names and costs.
Step 2 — Set reorder points
These help determine when stock needs replenishment.
Step 3 — Log your movements
Every time stock comes in or goes out, record it in the Transactions tab.
Step 4 — View your stock levels
The Stock List automatically updates your real-time stock on hand.
Step 5 — Check the dashboard
Use the Inventory Summary tab to see total value, low-stock items and trends.
Step 6 — Action your alerts
Go to Reorder Alerts to see exactly which products need attention.
This keeps your operations running smoothly and prevents costly mistakes.
Download the Inventory Control Excel Template (Google Sheets Version)
Fully editable, customisable and shareable with your team.
Why Most Inventory Spreadsheets Break — and How Verve AI Fixes It
A spreadsheet works great when you have:
A small SKU count
Simple inventory flows
A limited number of transactions
But as your business grows, manual systems become unreliable.
Common failure points:
Forgetting to log movements
Human error in formulas
Reorder points not updated
Inventory not aligned with demand forecasting
Stockouts from fast-moving variants
Slow-moving stock draining cash
This is where Verve AI becomes essential.
A Better Way: Automated Inventory Control with Verve AI
Instead of depending on manual entries, Verve AI:
Pulls real-time data from Shopify
Tracks stock at variant level
Forecasts demand using AI models
Includes supplier lead times
Calculates reorder points dynamically
Generates purchase orders for you
Highlights stock risks automatically
Helps you avoid both stockouts and overstock
You get a live inventory system without the manual work.
Automate Inventory Management with Verve AI
If you find value in this spreadsheet, you’ll love what Verve AI can do automatically.
👉 View Verve AI on the Shopify App Store
Verve AI takes the guesswork out of demand planning and purchasing — giving operators a clean, accurate and automated inventory control system.