Most business owners find out they are out of stock when a customer has already placed an order. Sometimes products go missing without anyone noticing early enough. In some cases, businesses keep restocking items that barely sell while fast-moving products finish quietly in the background.
Poor inventory records cost many SMEs across Africa money every week through missed sales, damaged stock, duplicate purchases, and inaccurate numbers.
With BrandDrive, your inventory stays connected to your sales, invoices, and stock movements in one place. You can track what’s available, know when to restock, and keep cleaner records without updating spreadsheets every evening.
In this section, you’ll learn how to:
– Add a simple product
– Set up your product catalogue
– Add product variants like size, colour, and batch
– Import products in bulk using CSV
– Track stock levels and reorder alerts
– Record restocks, transfers, and write-offs.
Adding Your First Product
Products are what you sell. Before you can track stock, record sales, or generate accurate reports, your products need to live in BrandDrive.
Here’s how to add your first one.
Step 1: Open the Product Section
From your dashboard, scroll to the quick access buttons in the middle of the screen.
Click Products.
Step 2: Create a New Product
Once you’re inside the Product section, you’ll see two options at the top:
– Export
– + Create New Product
– Click Create New Product.
This opens the product setup page.
Step 3: Enter the Product Name
In the first field, enter your product name.
This is what appears on invoices, receipts, sales records, and customer transactions, so make it clear and specific.
For example:
– Purple Ankara Gown
A detailed product name makes it easier for your staff to identify products quickly, especially when your inventory grows.
Step 4: Add a Product Description
Next, add a product description.
This gives extra context about the product and helps your team distinguish similar items from each other.
You can include:
– Material
– Size
– Product details customers usually ask about. e.t.c
Example:
Purple Ankara gown with long sleeves and a zip closure.
Step 5: Select a Product Category
Choose a category from the dropdown menu.
Categories help you keep your inventory organized and make your reports easier to understand later.
For example, if your business sells:
– Clothing
– Electronics
– Groceries
– Beauty products
You’ll want each product grouped properly so you can quickly track which category performs best
Step 6: Choose the Product Type
Next, select the product type.
BrandDrive gives you three options:
Single Product
Use this for one product in one version.
If you have 50 units of the same purple gown in the same size and color, that’s a single product. One entry. One stock count.
Grouped Product
Use this for products sold together as a package or set.
Example:
– Back-to-school packs
– Combo meal packages
– Gift boxes
Variable Product
Use this when the same product comes in different versions, like:
– Sizes
– Colors
– Styles
– Variations
For example:
If your purple gown also comes in blue and red, or in S, M, and L sizes, this is the option to use.
Step 7: Add the Product Barcode (Optional)
If your product already has a barcode, you can enter it here.
This makes checkout faster during sales and reduces the chances of selecting the wrong item at the POS.
It’s especially useful for supermarkets, pharmacies, fashion stores, and businesses with large product catalogs.
Step 8: Select the Product Unit
Choose the product unit from the dropdown menu.
This is the unit of measurement for the product.
Examples include:
– Baskets
– Bags
– Cartons
– Bottles, etc.
If the unit you need isn’t available in the list, you can create a new one directly inside BrandDrive.
Branches & Outlets
On the right side of the product form, you’ll see the Branches & Outlets section.
If your business operates from multiple locations, you can select several branches here and add the product to all of them at once.
This saves time and keeps your inventory setup consistent across locations.
Pricing Step 9: Enter the Cost Price
Enter the cost price if you want to track your profit margin.
This is the amount you paid to acquire or produce the product.
Example:
– Selling Price: ₦15,000
– Cost Price: ₦9,500
Step 10: Enter the Selling Price
Next, Enter the amount customers will pay for the product.
Example:
– ₦15,000
– GH₵250
– KSh 3,500
BrandDrive automatically calculates your estimated profit using both figures, so you don’t have to calculate margins manually every time.
Still inside the Pricing & Stock Control section, you can also add an expiry date for products with expiration timelines.
This is useful for:
– Food items
– Cosmetics
– Drugs
– Beverages
– Perishable goods
Managing Inventory Step 11: Turn On Inventory Tracking
Toggle on Manage Inventory if you want BrandDrive to track stock levels automatically.
Once enabled, your stock count updates anytime:
– A sale is recorded.
– Products are restocked.
– Inventory movements happen.
This gives you a live view of what’s available in your store without manually updating spreadsheets.
You can also set a low stock alert level. This is the quantity at which BrandDrive will notify you to restock. Set it to 10, for example, and the moment your stock drops to 10 units, you get an alert. This feature is currently available on the web version.
Step 12: Upload a Product Image
Click Upload Image and select a photo from your device.
Clean product images make products easier to identify during sales and inventory checks.
They also improve how your products appear in your online store and catalog.
When you’re done, click Save.
Your product is now added to BrandDrive and ready for:
– Sales
– POS transactions
– Online store listings
– Invoicing
– Inventory tracking
Setting up your product categories
As your business grows, your product list gets crowded fast. Without categories, finding a product takes longer, reports become difficult to understand, and stock tracking becomes harder than it needs to be.
Categories help you organize your inventory in a way that makes sense for your business. Instead of scrolling through one long product list, you can group products properly from the start.
For example:
– Fashion
– Groceries
– Electronics
– Beauty Products
– Building Materials
This becomes especially useful when checking sales reports or trying to see which category brings in the most revenue.
Step 1: Open the Categories Tab
Inside the Products section, click the Categories tab at the top of the page.
This opens the category management page, where you can create and manage all your product categories.
Step 2: Enter the Category Name
On the right side of the screen, you’ll see the Create New Category panel.
Enter the category name in the Name field.
Keep category names simple and easy to understand so your team can assign products correctly without confusion.
Examples:
– Women’s Fashion
– Soft Drinks
– Mobile Accessories
– Skincare
Step 3: Select a Parent Category (Optional)
If the category belongs under a broader category, select a parent category from the dropdown menu.
This allows you to create subcategories and keep your inventory more organized.
For example:
– Fashion → Women’s Fashion
– Electronics → Phone Accessories
– Groceries → Beverages
If the category stands on its own, leave this field empty.
Creating a Parent Category
To create a parent category, enter the category name in the Name field and leave the Parent Category dropdown empty.
This tells BrandDrive the category is a top-level category and not connected to another one.
You can also upload an image if you have one, then click Save.
Examples of parent categories:
– Fashion
– Electronics
– Groceries
These become your main categories, while other related categories can sit under them.
Creating a Subcategory
To create a subcategory, enter the new category name first.
Then open the Parent Category dropdown. You’ll see a list of all the parent categories you’ve already created.
Select the parent category the new category should belong to.
Example:
– Parent Category: Fashion
– New Category: Women’s Shoes
Once saved, BrandDrive automatically maps Women’s Shoes under Fashion.
This keeps your inventory cleaner and easier to manage as your product catalogue grows.
Step 4: Add a Category Description
Add a short description for the category.
This helps clarify what products belong there, especially when multiple team members manage inventory.
Example:
Women’s clothing, gowns, skirts, and fashion accessories.
Step 5: Upload a Category Image (Optional)
You can upload a category image by clicking the upload area at the bottom of the panel.
Supported formats include:
– SVG
– PNG
– JPG
– GIF
This is useful for businesses running:
– Online stores
– Product catalogues
– Visual inventory systems
Step 6: Save the Category
Click Save when you’re done.
The category will now appear in your category list and can be assigned to products while creating or editing them.
As your inventory grows, properly organized categories make everyday tasks much easier, especially when:
– Searching for products
– Generating reports
– Managing stock
– Tracking sales performance by category
Stock Management
Adding products to your catalog is just the starting point. You also need to know what is available, what is running low, what has been damaged, and what has moved between branches.
That is what stock management is for. Your stock records stay connected to your sales, inventory updates, and branch activity, so you always have a clear picture of what is happening across your business.
One important thing to note: a product will only appear inside the Stock Management section if you turned on Manage Inventory while creating it. Once that is on, BrandDrive starts monitoring your stock levels automatically.
Setting Up Inventory Tracking
When you toggle on Manage Inventory during product creation, additional stock fields open up. This is where you enter the product’s starting stock information.
Initial Stock — Enter the quantity you currently have available. If you have 100 cartons of noodles in your shop right now, enter 100. This becomes your opening stock balance inside BrandDrive.
Damaged Stock — If some items arrived damaged and should not count as sellable stock, record them here straight away. For example, if 5 cartons were damaged during delivery, enter 5 in this field. This keeps your stock reports accurate from the start.
Unit Cost Price — This is the amount you paid per item. BrandDrive uses this alongside your selling price to calculate your profit margin automatically.
Example: Cost Price ₦5,000 · Selling Price ₦6,500. BrandDrive handles the margin calculation for you.
Retail and Wholesale Pricing
Inside the same section, you will find both retail pricing and wholesale pricing options. This is useful if you sell at different price levels; one price for walk-in customers and another for bulk buyers.
Inside the Wholesale Pricing section, you can set the bulk stock quantity, the wholesale selling price, and a discount percentage or amount. This lets you manage bulk pricing without creating separate products for wholesale customers.
You can also set your Stock Level Alert here. Once your stock falls below the number you set, BrandDrive sends you an alert. For fast-moving products, this helps you restock before you run out completely.
Updating Stock
Inside the Stock Management tab, you can monitor all stock activity across your products. The stock table shows the product name, stock history type, quantity before the update, quantity added or removed, the current quantity after the update, and the branch location.
This gives you a clear history of every stock movement in your business. When new products arrive or you restock existing ones, you can update the quantity directly from here.
Transferring Stock Between Branches
If your business runs more than one location, you can transfer stock between branches directly inside BrandDrive. For example, if your Ikeja branch is running low on a product but your Lekki branch has enough, you can move inventory across without recording anything manually.
This keeps your branch stock records accurate and prevents duplicate counting.
Image Library
The Image Library keeps all your product images in one place. Instead of uploading the same photo every time you create or update a product, you upload it once and reuse it whenever you need it.
This is especially useful when you are managing a large product catalog, running an online store, operating across multiple branches, or uploading products frequently.
When adding a product, you can either upload a new image from your device or browse the image library and pick one you have already uploaded. Both options are available from the same screen.
Inventory Dashboard Insights
Inside the Products section, below the Create New Product and Export buttons, you’ll see your inventory overview dashboard.
This dashboard gives you a quick snapshot of what is happening across your inventory without needing to open each product individually.
From here, you can quickly monitor:
– Total inventory value
– Products running low on stock
– Available stock quantities, etc.
This makes it easier to spot issues early before they affect sales, so you can make faster decisions and keep your inventory under control.