Lab inventory management for small labs.
Reagents and consumables counted by lot, with expiry dates in view. Instruments on calibration schedules. Reorder points that flag the shelf before it runs dry. TrackFinch is free lab inventory management software, so you can move off the spreadsheet this afternoon.
Free · Every module · No card needed
What is lab inventory management?
Lab inventory management is knowing what supplies, reagents and instruments your lab has, where each one sits, which lot it came from and when it expires, and reordering before anything runs out. It is the unglamorous part of running a lab, and the part that ruins a week when it slips.
In a small lab it usually slips quietly. The antibody you need for Thursday’s run is in the fridge, and it expired in August. Two people order the same buffer because neither could see the other’s order. The balance on bench 4 went past its calibration date a month ago, and nobody noticed until an auditor did.
Picture a small QC lab with about 40 reagents and 10 instruments. Good lab inventory management, with real lot tracking, means that on Monday someone can see that one lot expires next week, that the balance is due for calibration on the 14th, and that pipette tips are below the point where the next box should be ordered. Nobody has to open three binders to find out.
Reagents and consumables
Track every reagent lot and its expiry date
Every delivery becomes its own lot in TrackFinch, so the bottle on the shelf always ties back to the case it came in and the date it goes bad.
- Each lot keeps the supplier’s lot number next to yours. When the case has no date, expiry fills in from the item’s shelf life.
- Scan the GS1 barcode on a supplier’s case with a phone camera and the lot and expiry fill themselves in. Print QR lot labels on standard label sheets.
- Mark an item “hold on receive” and each new lot waits on hold until someone checks the certificate and releases or rejects it. Attach the certificate file to the lot.
- Log what you used against the lot and the shelf it came from, with a reason. Every move lands in the stock history.
- The dashboard lists lots that expire in the next 30 days, and the Lot expiry report exports every dated lot with the days it has left.
Stock and reorders
Lab inventory software that reorders before you run out
Running out is the expensive mistake. A missing reagent stops a run, and rush shipping costs more than ordering on time. Good lab inventory software turns “we’re out” into “we’re low” while there’s still time to wait for the supplier.
- Stock by location: the cold room, freezer 2, the shelf over bench 4.
- Set a reorder point per item. Anything below it shows on the dashboard and on the Planning screen, with a button to draft the purchase order.
- Buy by the case, use by the each (1 case = 10 boxes), with the vendor’s price history on every item.
- Cycle counts: count a few items a week instead of shutting down for a full count.
The same stock tools run every TrackFinch shop. More in inventory management.
Instruments
Lab equipment tracking with calibration due dates
Instruments sit on the same ledger as the reagents, so calibration lives next to the stock instead of in a binder by the door.
- Each instrument carries a next calibration date and an interval. Log the calibration and the next date sets itself.
- Owners and admins get an in-app reminder starting 14 days before calibration is due, and it turns critical once the date passes.
- Calibration and service history stay on the instrument’s record. Attach the certificate PDF to the instrument.
- Maintenance intervals and meter readings for pumps, centrifuges and anything with run hours.
- Shared instruments sign out with a due date and a signature, and several can go out together as a kit.
Go deeper on maintenance schedules and equipment sign-outs.
Laboratory inventory management best practices
These work with a clipboard, a spreadsheet or TrackFinch.
Give everything one home
A named location for every item: freezer 2, shelf B, not “the back fridge”. If it has no home, it gets ordered twice.
Label the lot the day it arrives
Write or print the lot and expiry on the box before it goes on the shelf. Later, nobody remembers which case was which.
Use the oldest expiry first
Put new stock behind old stock and open the lot that expires soonest, so the oldest bottle never hides at the back.
Reorder with lead time built in
Set the reorder point at what you use while the supplier ships, plus a cushion. The reorder point calculator does the math.
Count a few items every week
Small cycle counts on the items that move or expire beat one painful annual count, and catch mistakes while they are fresh.
Put calibration on a calendar
Every instrument gets a due date and an interval, somewhere the whole lab can see it. A binder only works if someone opens it.
Tools for steps 4 and 5: the reorder point calculator and the cycle counting guide.
Still on a spreadsheet? That can be fine.
TrackFinch imports your existing sheet in one pass. And if you're not ready yet, take our free templates — they're the same structure the import expects, so the upgrade is one click when the spreadsheet taps out.
What TrackFinch does in a lab, and what it doesn't
Where TrackFinch says no, the first column names the kind of tool that does it.
| Capability | Use instead |  TrackFinch |
|---|---|---|
| Reagent and consumable lots with expiry | ||
| New lots held until checked | ||
| Reorder points and purchase orders | ||
| Instrument calibration and maintenance | ||
| Sign-outs with a signature | ||
| Sample tracking, freezer box maps, aliquots | A LIMS | |
| Chemical safety and SDS | A chemical inventory system | |
| Experiment records | An electronic lab notebook | |
| Ordering from supplier catalogs | Your supplier’s site or a purchasing tool | |
| Built-in sync with other software | CSV import and export |
Everything a small lab tracks, on one ledger
Also on the floor next door.
Same ledger, other floors. Pick the page that talks like your shop.
All industriesFrequently asked questions
What is a good inventory management system for a laboratory?
One that tracks reagent lots and their expiry dates, tells you when to reorder, and keeps instrument calibration dates next to the stock, all in one place. Just as important, it has to be simple enough that the person doing the ordering keeps it up to date, because laboratory inventory management software that nobody updates is a spreadsheet with a login. TrackFinch covers lots, expiry, reorder points, purchase orders and calibration for small labs, and it leaves samples and experiments to the tools built for them.
Is TrackFinch a LIMS?
No. It doesn’t manage samples, tests, results or experiment records. It manages the physical layer: the reagents and consumables you buy, the lots they arrive in, and the instruments that need calibrating. Labs that already run a LIMS can run TrackFinch alongside it for stock and equipment.
Does it manage chemical inventory and SDS?
No. It tracks the stock and lots of anything you buy, chemicals included, but it does not hold hazard data, safety data sheets or regulatory reporting. If you need those, use a chemical inventory system and keep TrackFinch for counts, lots and reordering.
Can a small lab manage inventory in a spreadsheet?
Yes, for a while. One bench, a few dozen items, nothing that expires and one person ordering is a fine spreadsheet. It breaks when a second person starts ordering, when lots and expiry dates matter, or when someone asks for calibration records. Our free inventory spreadsheet is a good place to start.
How often should a lab count its inventory?
Count the items that move fast or expire every week, a few at a time, and do a full count when the numbers stop agreeing with the shelf. Small, regular counts catch mistakes while someone still remembers what happened. The cycle counting guide walks through it.
Can calibration certificates attach to instruments?
Yes. Log each calibration with its date and notes, and the next due date sets itself from the interval. Attach the certificate file to the instrument, so its history and paperwork sit on one record.
What does lab inventory management software cost?
TrackFinch is free: every module, the whole team, no card. The pricing page explains why.
Can I import our current inventory spreadsheet?
Yes. Items import from a CSV file, and everything exports back to CSV whenever you want it. There are no built-in connections to other software, so CSV is how data moves in and out.
Runs on the same ledger.
Everything in TrackFinch shares one source of truth — start anywhere, the rest is already connected.
Every reagent and instrument, current and accounted for.
Import the spreadsheet, set reorder points and calibration dates, and log the next delivery by lot. TrackFinch is free, every module included.
Free · Every module · No card needed