Automating Purchase Orders in Lightspeed Through Unleashed
Introduction: Optimizing Your Retail Supply Chain
Tired of playing “Guess That Stock Level”? Automating purchase orders in Lightspeed through your Unleashed Software Subscription is the short answer to smoother, smarter inventory management. It slashes errors, saves time, and keeps shelves full. Want fewer headaches and faster ops? Keep reading—we’ve got you sorted.
And here’s the good news: You don’t have to stop at automation. With TIDE, you can take this system to the next level by integrating your multi-channel sales platforms with Unleashed—giving you full control over inventory, forecasting, and supplier sync in real-time. Explore TIDE and see what a fully connected workflow can do for your retail operations.
The Inefficiencies of Manual Purchasing
Manual purchasing is messy. Retailers often juggle spreadsheets, emails, and sticky notes just to stay on top of stock levels. Orders slip through the cracks, double-ups happen, and supplier lead times get missed. That kind of chaos chips away at your profits and your team’s morale.
Automating this process reduces the noise and lets your team focus on growth, not grunt work.
Unleashed and Lightspeed: Driving Automated Reordering
Pairing Lightspeed with Unleashed creates a seamless data pipeline. Sales from the POS system feed directly into your inventory manager. Unleashed uses this data to trigger smart purchase orders based on real-time demand.
Adding TIDE into the mix gives you a powerful trio. It connects other platforms (like Shopify, Amazon, or TikTok Shop) into Unleashed, ensuring all channels are synced. You get consistent inventory data, no matter where the sale happens.
Unleashed as the Brain for Purchasing Automation
Centralized Inventory and Sales Data
Unleashed acts as mission control, pulling together everything from Lightspeed, online stores, and more.
Consolidating Sales from Lightspeed (and E-commerce)
Thanks to TIDE, Unleashed doesn’t just talk to Lightspeed. It consolidates sales from multiple channels into one dashboard. Whether it’s your brick-and-mortar shop or online store, every transaction flows into one system.
Accurate Stock Levels from All Locations
Real-time visibility means you can trust what’s in stock. No more late-night calls between branches to double-check stock before dispatching an order.
Demand Forecasting and Reorder Point Calculation
Forecasting doesn’t have to be a guessing game.
Leveraging Sales History to Predict Future Needs
Unleashed reviews your past sales to help predict what you’ll need next month or during busy seasons. You can avoid over-ordering and be ready for customer demand.
Setting Minimum and Maximum Stock Levels
You can set stock thresholds and let Unleashed handle the rest. When levels drop, the system knows it’s time to reorder.
Automated Purchase Order Generation
Let the system do the heavy lifting.
Unleashed Suggests or Creates POs Based on Reorder Points
When stock hits the minimum level, Unleashed automatically suggests or creates a PO—no more reactive ordering.
Consolidating Orders for Suppliers
It also bundles items from the same supplier into one PO, saving you shipping fees and admin effort.
The Role of Lightspeed in the Automated PO Workflow
Capturing Sales Data for Unleashed
Lightspeed is where the customer action happens.
Every Sale in Lightspeed Feeds Unleashed’s Data
Each transaction updates Unleashed in real-time. This keeps reorder logic accurate and stock insights sharp.
Receiving and Stocking Goods
Closing the loop is simple and quick.
Receiving POs in Unleashed Upon Arrival
Once goods land, they’re received in Unleashed and checked against the PO.
Updating Inventory Levels Which Sync to Lightspeed
Stock levels update automatically across all systems, including Lightspeed and any online platforms connected via TIDE.
The Automated Purchase Order Workflow
1: Sales occur in Lightspeed (and other channels)
2: Unleashed processes sales, decrements stock
3: Unleashed identifies low stock items based on reorder points
4: Unleashed automatically (or with approval) generates Purchase Orders
5: POs sent to suppliers
6: Goods received in Unleashed, stock updated
7: Updated stock syncs to Lightspeed POS (and online stores via TIDE)
This hands-off cycle means you stay stocked and efficient without the chaos.
Key Benefits of Automated Purchasing
Optimized Inventory Levels
Reducing Overstocking and Stockouts
Smart thresholds prevent lost sales or slow-moving stock.
Minimizing Holding Costs
Less idle stock means more cash flow and less wasted space.
Time Savings and Reduced Manual Effort
Automating Tedious PO Creation
Fewer admin tasks = more time for strategy and customer service.
Improved Cash Flow Management
Ordering Only What’s Needed, When It’s Needed
You stay lean and responsive without tying up money in excess inventory.
Better Supplier Relationships
Consistent and Timely Orders
Suppliers appreciate reliability. Automated orders mean fewer errors and delays.
Enhanced Reporting and Analytics
Clear View of Purchasing History and Costs
Unleashed and TIDE give you insight into what’s working and where to improve.
Conclusion
Driving Efficiency from Sales to Stocking
With Lightspeed capturing sales, Unleashed managing inventory, and TIDE bridging platforms, you get a retail workflow that’s smooth, automated, and scalable.
Future-Proofing Your Retail Supply Chain
This trio gives your business an edge. It helps you plan better, act faster, and grow with confidence.
Start small by automating purchase orders. Then explore how TIDE can unify your entire ecosystem. The smarter retail journey starts now.