THE FIELD GUIDE
A low-stock alert and a missing drill are different problems.
Sortly, inFlow Inventory, and Hilti ON!Track illustrate why consumables, purchasing, and equipment custody need different records.
Name the thing you are trying to know
‘Track stock’ can mean how many approved parts remain, where a particular drill is assigned, or whether a purchase order has been received. Those questions overlap but they do not use the same evidence. A tool scan may establish a recorded transfer without proving that the tool is physically present now. A low-stock alert depends on the recorded quantity being current.
This is a workflow comparison based on official product descriptions. We have not tested scanners, tags, coverage, or reconciliation accuracy. The practical first step is to distinguish countable supplies from individually managed assets and incoming orders.
Three different emphases
Sortly describes visual item records, locations or folders, barcode/QR scanning, and low-stock alerts. It is a candidate for a manageable inventory register where staff can keep item movements current. inFlow Inventory describes stock locations, barcodes, purchasing, receiving, and order workflows. It merits closer inspection when the replenishment and receiving process is as important as the count.
Hilti describes ON!Track within its equipment-management offering, including asset visibility and maintenance scheduling. Tracking behavior depends on the hardware and configuration. Do not infer universal live GPS from the word ‘tracking’. Consumable replenishment and equipment custody should remain distinct in your comparison.
Design the smallest reliable record
For supplies, define the approved item identifier, counting unit, location, and movement. Decide whether a box, pack, and individual piece are different units and how conversions are handled. For equipment, add the asset identity, assigned location or custodian, condition, and maintenance state. For receiving, record what arrived against what was ordered, including partial deliveries.
These definitions are operating decisions. A scanner will not resolve two inconsistent names for the same item. Start with a limited set of frequent-use items and a small group of individually managed tools before attempting a whole store or every vehicle.
Run a movement test, not a catalog demo
- Receive a partial delivery and keep the outstanding quantity visible.
- Move a part from a store to a vehicle, then record use on a fictional job.
- Return an unused quantity in a different pack state. Inspect the unit conversion.
- Transfer a tool to another worker or site. Check who can see its recorded custody and when the update appears.
- Record a missing or unavailable tool and an overdue maintenance action. Show the person responsible for the next step.
Make the physical check visible
Reconciliation is not evidence that the system failed; it is how you discover differences between records and the working world. Pick a small repeatable count sample. Record discrepancies, their causes, and the time needed to correct them. Separate a late scan from a wrong unit, an unrecorded transfer, and a receiving error.
Keep order approval with an authorized person during the trial. Check actual stock, pending deliveries, approved specifications, and upcoming work before replenishment. This article does not recommend component substitutions or technical selections. A database description should not become purchasing authority by accident.
Unresolved purchasing questions
Confirm mobile and offline behavior, integration plans, hardware replacement costs, tag compatibility, data export, and how locations are licensed. Ask whether a truck can be modeled as the location you need and whether tool updates are manual, proximity-based, or another method. Compare the complete configured package. A cheaper software seat can still require more staff work; a more elaborate system can create unnecessary maintenance if the record is too ambitious.
Sources & evidence
Official sources reviewed November 3, 2026. Vendor materials establish descriptions, not independently measured performance. Original evaluation criteria are our analysis.