Product
Define, organize, and enrich your product catalog with flexible attributes and classifications.
Product Management
OpenBoxes supports any type of item including, but not limited to, medications, medical supplies and devices, office …
Product Sources
Track where products come from by linking suppliers, manufacturers, and contract pricing to each product.
Product Classification
Organize products into categories, subcategories, and custom classification schemes.
Unit of Measure
Support multiple units of measure per product for purchasing, storage, and distribution.
Product Catalog
Manage product master data including categories, tags, images, and documents.
Cold Chain
Track temperature requirements and ensure proper handling of cold chain products throughout the supply chain.
Product Associations
Define relationships between products to support substitutions, equivalents, and kitting during fulfillment.
Recall Lots
Quickly identify and isolate recalled lot numbers across all locations to protect patient safety.
Product Documents
Attach images, warranty documents, spec sheets, and other files to product records.
Custom Attributes
Extend product records with custom fields tailored to your organization’s needs.
Reorder Points
Set minimum and maximum stock levels to trigger reorder alerts and automate procurement.
Bill of Materials
Define component lists for kits and assemblies to manage composite products.
Inventory
Track and control stock across locations, lots, and expiration dates in real time.
Inventory Management
Manage inventory at multiple levels: bin location, product, lot/serial number, and expiration date
Stock History
Track every stock movement with a complete audit trail of debits, credits, and balance changes.
Inventory Tracking
Adjust inventory quantity and remove quantity due to expiry and damage.
Cycle Counting
Perform periodic inventory counts to maintain accuracy without full physical inventory.
Expiry Management
Track expiration dates and manage stock removal due to expiry, damage, or recall.
Zones & Bin Locations
Organize warehouse space into zones and bin locations for efficient storage and retrieval.
Stock Transfers
Move stock between bin locations within the same facility.
Bin Replenishment
Replenish forward-pick locations from bulk storage to keep pick bins stocked.
Procurement
Manage the full purchasing lifecycle from requisition through supplier delivery.
Purchase Orders
Create and manage purchase orders to procure stock from suppliers.
Invoices
Track and manage supplier invoices linked to purchase orders and shipments.
Budget Codes
Assign budget codes to purchase orders and line items for financial tracking and cost allocation.
Supplier Management
Manage supplier and vendor master data for procurement and sourcing.
Inbound
Receive, inspect, and put away incoming shipments with lot-level accuracy.
Goods Receipt
Receive inbound shipments against purchase orders or stock transfers with lot tracking and quantity verification.
Putaway
Direct received stock to appropriate bin locations with suggested putaway rules.
Returns
Process returned stock back into inventory with reason tracking and inspection workflows.
Outbound
Pick, pack, and ship stock with workflows optimized for speed and accuracy.
Stock Movements
Intuitive workflows to manage movement of stock from a supplier to depot, from depot to depot, and from depot to …
Stock Lists
Organize items by formulary and assign to stock lists.
Requisitions
Request stock from upstream facilities using stock lists or ad-hoc item selection.
Allocation
Allocate available inventory to outbound orders based on demand priority and stock availability.
Picking
Generate and execute picklists to efficiently pull stock from bin locations.
Packing
Pack picked items by pallet and box with support for packing lists and customs documentation.
Shipping
Manage outbound shipments with carrier tracking and documentation.
Mobile
Run warehouse operations from any device with a mobile-optimized interface.
Mobile App
Access OpenBoxes on the go with a mobile-friendly interface for warehouse operations.
Reporting
Gain visibility into operations with built-in reports, dashboards, and data exports.
Reporting
Supports utilization and request (demand) tracking; Includes out-of-the-box reporting features for planning and …
Dashboard
Useful indicators to help inform stakeholders on important decisions that need to be made and advise users on what they …
Consumption Report
Track consumption and demand data to support forecasting and replenishment decisions.
Forecasting & Demand
Analyze consumption trends and forecast demand to inform procurement decisions.
Stock Alerts
Get notified about low stock, stockouts, overstock, and expiring inventory.
Custom Data Exports
Export data from OpenBoxes in custom formats to support external analysis and integration.
System
Manage users, roles, permissions, and deployment options for your organization.
Security
Assign permission levels by role
Localization
Supports English, Spanish, and French out of the box and can easily be translated into any other language.
Email Notifications
Configure email notifications for users
Deployment
OpenBoxes is a web-based system that can be hosted in the cloud or on-premise; there is no need for a license, so there …
Integrations
Integrations
Connect OpenBoxes with third-party systems to streamline your supply chain workflows.
REST API
Build your own mobile app and integrate with third-party systems using our REST API.
Webhooks
Subscribe to real-time event notifications to trigger actions in external systems.
Integration Platforms
Connect OpenBoxes to hundreds of apps using integration platforms like n8n, OpenFn, and Boomi.
Crowdin
Manage translations collaboratively through Crowdin’s localization platform.
DHIS2
Integrate with DHIS2 to share health commodity data with national health information systems.
Barcode Scanning
Scan barcodes with handheld scanners or mobile device cameras to speed up warehouse operations.
Configuration
Tailor OpenBoxes to your operations with flexible location hierarchies, data imports, and settings.
Location Hierarchy
Organize and manage stock within multiple facilities, thousands of bin locations, receiving and staging area, supply …
Data Imports
Import products, inventory, locations, and other master data from spreadsheets and external sources.
Label Printing
Generate and print barcode labels for products, bin locations, and shipments.
User Management
Manage user accounts, roles, and location-based access control.
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Product Management
OpenBoxes supports any type of item including, but not limited to, medications, medical supplies and devices, office supplies, and building materials. In addition, the software can be used to track the location of fixed assets like automobiles, IT equipment, and hospital furniture.
View documentation- Store metadata about each item, including cost, suppliers and manufacturers, category/classification, and substitutions.
- Create custom attributes for temperature requirements, hazardous material class, and import/export requirements (e.g. for controlled substances).
- View quantity on hand within each inventory location by bin location, lot/serial number, and expiration date
- View stock history including debits, credits, and inventory adjustments
Product Sources
Track where products come from by linking suppliers, manufacturers, and contract pricing to each product.
- Associate multiple suppliers and manufacturers per product
- Record supplier product codes and manufacturer codes
- Track contract pricing and lead times by source
- Set preferred sources for purchasing
Product Classification
Organize products into categories, subcategories, and custom classification schemes.
- Hierarchical category and subcategory structure
- Assign products to multiple classification groups
- Filter and search inventory by classification
- Support for custom classification schemes (e.g. ABC analysis, commodity codes)
- Use classifications to drive reporting and replenishment rules
Unit of Measure
Support multiple units of measure per product for purchasing, storage, and distribution.
- Define multiple UOMs per product (e.g. each, box, case, pallet)
- Set conversion factors between units of measure
- Purchase in one UOM and distribute in another
- Display quantities in the appropriate UOM per workflow
- Support for fractional and whole-unit conversions
Product Catalog
Manage product master data including categories, tags, images, and documents.
- Organize products by category and classification
- Tag products for filtering and search
- Upload product images and documents
- Track product substitutions and equivalents
Cold Chain
Track temperature requirements and ensure proper handling of cold chain products throughout the supply chain.
- Define temperature zones (frozen, refrigerated, ambient) per product
- Flag products requiring cold chain handling during picking and shipping
- Track temperature-sensitive lot numbers and expiration dates
- Monitor cold chain compliance across storage locations
- Alert when cold chain products are stored in non-compliant locations
Product Associations
Define relationships between products to support substitutions, equivalents, and kitting during fulfillment.
View documentation- Link substitute products for use when primary items are out of stock
- Define product equivalents across manufacturers
- Associate components for kit and assembly management
- Act on suggested substitutions during stock movement workflows
Recall Lots
Quickly identify and isolate recalled lot numbers across all locations to protect patient safety.
- Search by lot number to find all affected stock
- View quantities and locations holding recalled lots
- Initiate stock removals directly from recall results
- Maintain audit trail of recall actions
Product Documents
Attach images, warranty documents, spec sheets, and other files to product records.
- Upload product images for easy identification
- Attach warranty documents and certificates
- Store spec sheets, SDS, and compliance documents
- Support for multiple file types (PDF, images, Word, Excel)
- View and download documents from the product detail page
Custom Attributes
Extend product records with custom fields tailored to your organization’s needs.
- Define custom attributes per product category or globally
- Support for text, numeric, date, and list field types
- Use attributes for regulatory compliance, handling instructions, or internal classification
- Display custom attributes on product pages, reports, and exports
- Filter and search products by attribute values
Reorder Points
Set minimum and maximum stock levels to trigger reorder alerts and automate procurement.
- Configure min/max quantities per product and location
- Dashboard alerts when stock falls below reorder point
- Overstock warnings when quantity exceeds maximum level
- Inform purchase order quantities based on reorder levels
Bill of Materials
Define component lists for kits and assemblies to manage composite products.
- Define multi-level bill of materials for kits
- Assemble kits from component inventory
- Track component availability and shortages
- Automatic inventory deduction on kit assembly
Inventory Management
Manage inventory at multiple levels: bin location, product, lot/serial number, and expiration date
- Manage multiple facilities across multiple regions
- Manage bin locations and bulk storage areas within each storage facility
- Make adjustments to quantity and bin location during inventory activities
- Track reasons for adjustment (i.e. expiry, damage, loss)
- Export suggested cycle count for each location based on last inventory date
- Remove quantity from inventory due to expiry, damage, or recall
Stock History
Track every stock movement with a complete audit trail of debits, credits, and balance changes.
- Full transaction history per product and location
- Debits and credits with running balance
- Filter by date range, transaction type, or lot number
- Trace stock movements back to source documents
Inventory Tracking
Adjust inventory quantity and remove quantity due to expiry and damage.
View documentation- Track lot/serial number and expiration date through workflows, including automation based on FEFO during picking
- Easily identify affected inventory in the event of a recall
- View and export dashboard reports on expiring stock
- Access information about incoming shipments and pending outgoing shipments for each item by location
Cycle Counting
Perform periodic inventory counts to maintain accuracy without full physical inventory.
- Generate suggested cycle counts based on last inventory date
- Count by bin location, product, or zone
- Record variances and adjustment reasons
- Export cycle count worksheets
Expiry Management
Track expiration dates and manage stock removal due to expiry, damage, or recall.
View documentation- Dashboard alerts for expiring and expired stock
- Automated FEFO picking to minimize waste
- Bulk removal of expired inventory
- Recall tracking by lot number
Zones & Bin Locations
Organize warehouse space into zones and bin locations for efficient storage and retrieval.
View documentation- Define zones for receiving, staging, bulk storage, and cross-docking
- Manage thousands of bin locations within each facility
- Assign preferred bin locations per product
- Track inventory quantity by individual bin location
Stock Transfers
Move stock between bin locations within the same facility.
- Transfer inventory between bin locations
- Bulk transfers for warehouse reorganization
- Track transfer history and reasons
- Mobile-friendly transfer workflow
Bin Replenishment
Replenish forward-pick locations from bulk storage to keep pick bins stocked.
- Automatic replenishment triggers based on min/max levels
- Generate replenishment tasks from bulk to pick locations
- Prioritize replenishment by demand or stockout risk
- Track replenishment history
Purchase Orders
Create and manage purchase orders to procure stock from suppliers.
View documentation- Create purchase orders against approved suppliers
- Track order status from placement through delivery
- Support for partial deliveries and backorders
- Link purchase orders to inbound shipments on receipt
Invoices
Track and manage supplier invoices linked to purchase orders and shipments.
View documentation- Create invoices from purchase orders or shipments
- Match invoice line items against received quantities
- Track payment status and due dates
- Export invoice data for accounting systems
Budget Codes
Assign budget codes to purchase orders and line items for financial tracking and cost allocation.
- Assign budget codes to purchase orders and line items
- Track spending against budgets and funding sources
- Filter purchase history by budget code
- Support for GL account codes and cost center mapping
- Export budget reports for reconciliation with accounting systems
Supplier Management
Manage supplier and vendor master data for procurement and sourcing.
- Maintain supplier contact information and addresses
- Associate suppliers and manufacturers with products
- Track supplier pricing and lead times
- Link suppliers to purchase orders
Goods Receipt
Receive inbound shipments against purchase orders or stock transfers with lot tracking and quantity verification.
View documentation- Receive against purchase orders and stock transfers
- Capture lot numbers and expiration dates on receipt
- Partial receiving with backorder tracking
- Print receiving labels
Putaway
Direct received stock to appropriate bin locations with suggested putaway rules.
- Suggested putaway locations based on product configuration
- Split putaway across multiple bin locations
- Mobile-friendly putaway workflow
- Putaway confirmation and audit trail
Returns
Process returned stock back into inventory with reason tracking and inspection workflows.
View documentation- Receive returned items against original outbound shipments
- Track return reasons for reporting and analysis
- Inspect returned stock for damage or expiry
- Restock or dispose of returned items
Stock Movements
Intuitive workflows to manage movement of stock from a supplier to depot, from depot to depot, and from depot to consumption location.
- Ability to base a stock movement on a preset stock list (i.e. monthly replenishment)
- Ability to edit quantity in stock movement based on availability of stock
- Ability to keep track of original request to inform forecasting
- Ability to act on suggested substitutions during stock movement workflow
- Automated picking based on first-expiry-first-out (FEFO) algorithm
- Ability to export and print picklist
- Ability to pack items by pallet and box
- Ability to add stock movement metadata including date, tracking number, comments
- Ability to export packing lists and customized customs clearance documentation
- Ability to upload and store other documentation
Stock Lists
Organize items by formulary and assign to stock lists.
- Ability to organize items by formulary or catalog
- Ability to assign items to a stock list by location to standardize and automate stock requests
Requisitions
Request stock from upstream facilities using stock lists or ad-hoc item selection.
- Create requests based on preset stock lists
- Ad-hoc requisitions for non-standard items
- Approval workflows for requisition review
- Track requisition status from request to fulfillment
Allocation
Allocate available inventory to outbound orders based on demand priority and stock availability.
- Automatic allocation based on FEFO or FIFO rules
- Manual allocation overrides when needed
- Visibility into allocated vs available stock
- Allocation across multiple lot numbers
Picking
Generate and execute picklists to efficiently pull stock from bin locations.
- Automated picklist generation based on FEFO algorithm
- Print and export picklists
- Mobile-friendly picking workflow
- Substitution suggestions during picking
Packing
Pack picked items by pallet and box with support for packing lists and customs documentation.
- Pack items by pallet and box
- Generate and print packing lists
- Customs clearance documentation
- Attach and store shipping documents
Shipping
Manage outbound shipments with carrier tracking and documentation.
- Assign tracking numbers and carrier information
- Generate packing lists and shipping documents
- Customs clearance documentation for international shipments
- Track shipment status from dispatch to delivery
Mobile App
Access OpenBoxes on the go with a mobile-friendly interface for warehouse operations.
- Mobile-optimized picking and putaway workflows
- Barcode scanning with device camera
- Real-time inventory lookups
- Receive and ship from mobile devices
Reporting
Supports utilization and request (demand) tracking; Includes out-of-the-box reporting features for planning and warehouse management; Customized reports and integration with other software can be developed
View documentation- Dashboard Indicators
- Consumption Report
- Stockout Report
- Expiration Report
- Transaction Report
- Stock Analytics
- Quantity On Hand Report
Dashboard
Useful indicators to help inform stakeholders on important decisions that need to be made and advise users on what they neeed to work on next.
View documentation- Stock value
- Inventory summary
- Bin location summary
- Expiring stock summary
- Fast movers
- Global search
- Product tags
- Recent activities
Consumption Report
Track consumption and demand data to support forecasting and replenishment decisions.
View documentation- View consumption by product and location
- Analyze monthly consumption trends
- Export consumption data for external analysis
- Support demand-based forecasting with historical data
Forecasting & Demand
Analyze consumption trends and forecast demand to inform procurement decisions.
- Historical consumption analysis
- Demand trend visualization
- Identify fast-moving and slow-moving items
- Inform reorder quantities and timing
Stock Alerts
Get notified about low stock, stockouts, overstock, and expiring inventory.
- Configurable reorder point and max level alerts
- Daily email digests for stock exceptions
- Dashboard indicators for items needing attention
- Stockout and overstock reports
Custom Data Exports
Export data from OpenBoxes in custom formats to support external analysis and integration.
- Export inventory, transaction, and consumption data to CSV
- Build custom export templates for recurring reporting needs
- Schedule automated data extracts
- Integrate exported data with external BI and analytics tools
Security
Assign permission levels by role
- Auditing of user actions, includes automatic created & updated timestamps for all major transactions
- Multiple roles available (Superuser, Manager, Read-only)
- User access can be restricted by location
- Ability to authenticate using directory service (i.e. LDAP)
- Configuration of user roles and permissions (coming soon)
Localization
Supports English, Spanish, and French out of the box and can easily be translated into any other language.
- Easy to translate into other languages
- Ability to store custom translations in local database.
- Custom translations for certain metadata fields (i.e. location type)
Email Notifications
Configure email notifications for users
- Shipment event notifications (shipped, received)
- New product creation
- Stock alerts (coming soon)
Deployment
OpenBoxes is a web-based system that can be hosted in the cloud or on-premise; there is no need for a license, so there is no limit to the number of simultaneous users
- Web-based system that can be hosted in the cloud or on-premise.
- Requires consistent internet connectivity for cloud-based system
- Requires human resources and hardware to support on-premise system with offline capability
- There are no limits to the number of users who can use the system at one time
- There are no limits to the number stock locations you can manage
- Can be accessed from mobile devices
- Can be integrated with third-party software systems through REST API (as of v0.8.0).
- Can be integrated with barcode scanners and RFID receivers
Integrations
Connect OpenBoxes with third-party systems to streamline your supply chain workflows.
- Integration with ERP systems
- Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) support
- Barcode scanner and RFID integration
- Webhook-based event notifications
REST API
Build your own mobile app and integrate with third-party systems using our REST API.
- Uses standard HTTP GET, PUT, POST and DELETE methods
- Supports JSON input and output
- Basic Authentication leaves much to be desired (Bearer Token, OAuth 2.0, JWT coming soon)
- Check out our REST API docs for more information.
Webhooks
Subscribe to real-time event notifications to trigger actions in external systems.
- Subscribe to inventory, shipment, and order events
- Configurable webhook endpoints per event type
- Retry logic for failed deliveries
- Event payload includes full resource details
Integration Platforms
Connect OpenBoxes to hundreds of apps using integration platforms like n8n, OpenFn, and Boomi.
- n8n — open-source workflow automation with an OpenBoxes node
- OpenFn — integration platform purpose-built for health and humanitarian systems
- Boomi — enterprise iPaaS for connecting cloud and on-premise applications
- Combine the REST API and webhooks with any iPaaS to build custom workflows
- Sync data between OpenBoxes and ERP, LMIS, or reporting systems
- No-code and low-code options for non-technical users
Crowdin
Manage translations collaboratively through Crowdin’s localization platform.
- Crowdsourced translation management
- Sync translations directly with OpenBoxes
- Support for 20+ languages
- Community-driven translation contributions
DHIS2
Integrate with DHIS2 to share health commodity data with national health information systems.
- Push stock and consumption data to DHIS2
- Map OpenBoxes products to DHIS2 data elements
- Scheduled and on-demand data synchronization
- Support for aggregate and tracker data models
Barcode Scanning
Scan barcodes with handheld scanners or mobile device cameras to speed up warehouse operations.
- Support for handheld barcode scanners
- Mobile camera-based barcode scanning
- Scan to receive, pick, putaway, and count
- RFID receiver integration
Location Hierarchy
Organize and manage stock within multiple facilities, thousands of bin locations, receiving and staging area, supply closets, etc
View documentation- Location Groups (geographic region)
- Location (facility, storage area, room, closet, locked cabinet, crash cart)
- Internal locations (bin location, receiving area, staging area, cross-docking, bulk storage)
Data Imports
Import products, inventory, locations, and other master data from spreadsheets and external sources.
View documentation- Products — bulk import products and categories via CSV
- Product Sources — import supplier and manufacturer associations
- Inventory Levels — import quantity on hand and bin locations
- Locations — import locations and organization hierarchy
- Preferred Bin Locations — assign default bin locations per product
- Formulary Lists — import stock lists with category fields
- Receipts — import receipt data from Excel
- Outbound Stock Movements — import outbound shipment data
- Purchase Orders — import PO line items and actual ready dates
- Validation and error reporting on all imports
Label Printing
Generate and print barcode labels for products, bin locations, and shipments.
- Product barcode labels with lot and expiry information
- Bin location labels for warehouse organization
- Shipping and packing labels
- Support for standard label printers
- Create and manage user accounts
- Assign roles with granular permissions
- Restrict user access by location
- LDAP and directory service authentication