# Easiest inventory management solution for a non-profit?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/easiest-inventory-management-solution-for-a-non-profit/675436>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [December 4, 2013, 3:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/easiest-inventory-management-solution-for-a-non-profit/675436 "2013-12-04T03:26:53Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![brickbacon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/898d66/32.png) [@brickbacon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brickbacon)\
**Post date:** [December 4, 2013, 3:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/easiest-inventory-management-solution-for-a-non-profit/675436/1 "2013-12-04T03:26:53Z")

</div>

I work with a non-profit that needs an inexpensive inventory solution. Essentially, we would like to have a handheld scanner that can scan items with bar codes or something similar on them. We would also need a program that could download that info, and allow us to keep track of how many packages go in and out. There is no money involved, so it’s really just a matter of keeping a count of what is going in and what is going out. Can any suggest a good solution? Thanks in advance.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\
**Post date:** [December 4, 2013, 3:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/easiest-inventory-management-solution-for-a-non-profit/675436/2 "2013-12-04T03:57:36Z")

</div>

You can get smart phone apps that do this. A friend was looking to develop one and discovered it is already a mature market.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![brickbacon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/898d66/32.png) [@brickbacon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brickbacon)\
**Post date:** [December 4, 2013, 4:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/easiest-inventory-management-solution-for-a-non-profit/675436/3 "2013-12-04T04:22:31Z")

</div>

I know they have apps, but its a fairly high volume of stuff, and I worry it will be too slow. Do you know of any that are as fast and reliable as a supermarket scanner (for example) would be?