For small and medium-sized business (SMB) owners, a cluttered product list is more than just a nuisance—it can lead to shipping errors, lost stock, and wasted time. Whether you are managing a boutique, a repair shop, or a small warehouse, the ability to categorize items instantly is critical.

Using tags to organize your inventory allows you to move beyond simple lists and create a dynamic system where you can identify item conditions, promotional categories, or supplier groups in seconds. This guide will walk you through the three essential phases of implementing a tagging system to streamline your operations.

Phase 1: Creating Your Custom Tags

Before you can label your items, you need to establish a standardized set of tags. Defining these in your settings first prevents the creation of duplicate or inconsistent labels (e.g., having both “Refurbished” and “Refurb” tags), which would break your filtering process.

  1. Access System Settings: Tap the Settings gear icon located in the bottom right corner of the main screen.
  2. Open Tag Management: Select the green Tags button at the bottom of the settings page.
  3. Initiate New Tag: Tap the plus (+) icon in the bottom right corner of the tag list.
  4. Define Tag Details: Enter a clear name for the label (e.g., Refurbished, Sale, or Fragile). Assign a coordinating color to the tag to make it visually distinct when scanning your product list.
  5. Save Configuration: Tap the checkmark icon in the upper right corner to save the tag.
  6. Verify and Exit: Ensure the tag appears in your list, then tap the back arrow to return to the main settings.

Use high-contrast colors for critical tags—such as red for “Damaged” or “Out of Stock”—to ensure your team notices them immediately during a quick scroll through the inventory list.

Phase 2: Assigning Tags to Products

Once your categories are defined, you can link them to your items. This step transforms your inventory from a flat list into an organized database.

  1. Navigate to Inventory: Tap the Items icon (the second option on the bottom navigation bar) to open your product list.
  2. Select a Product: Tap the specific item you wish to categorize.
  3. Open Tag Assignment: Locate and tap the Tags field in the lower center of the product detail screen.
  4. Apply the Label: Choose the relevant tag (e.g., Refurbished) from the pop-up menu.
  5. Confirm Selection: Close the pop-up window to return to the product page.
  6. Save Product Changes: Tap the checkmark icon in the upper right corner to commit the changes to that product.

If you have a large volume of items to update, look for “Smart Scanner” or bulk-edit features in your tools to apply tags to multiple scanned barcodes without opening each product page individually.

Phase 3: Filtering Your Inventory

The real power of using tags to organize your inventory is realized during the retrieval process. Filtering allows you to hide irrelevant data and focus only on the items that matter for the task at hand.

  1. Open Filter Menu: From the product list screen, tap the funnel icon in the upper right corner.
  2. Select Filter Criteria: Tap the Select Tag option within the Tags field.
  3. Choose Target Tag: Select the specific tag you wish to isolate.
  4. Apply Filter: Confirm your selection and close the pop-up window.
  5. Review Results: Your screen will now display only the products associated with that specific tag, effectively hiding everything else.

Summary

Efficient inventory management is built on clear, consistent categorization. By defining custom tags, assigning them to products, and leveraging the filter tool, SMB owners can eliminate manual searching and significantly reduce errors in order fulfillment. This structured workflow, combined with broader inventory management strategies by business type, ensures that you and your staff can instantly distinguish between different product conditions or categories, leading to faster operations and total stock visibility.