Manchester’s business scene is thriving. With over 240,000 businesses registered in the city as of 2023 and a birth rate for new businesses at 11.6 % (second only to London’s 12.6 %), Greater Manchester is one of the fastest-growing hubs in the UK for entrepreneurship.
Unfortunately, longevity isn’t a guarantee. Only 30% of businesses in the North West make it to their fifth year, lagging behind the UK average of 40%. Manchester businesses need every advantage to overcome these odds.
Inventory management can easily make or break new and growing businesses. But with the majority of Manchester businesses relying on spreadsheets and outdated software, few business owners are prepared for the realities of managing more inventory.
Camera-based inventory tools remove friction from the inventory management process. While they might sound like a high-tech option reserved for enterprises, many local businesses have started using the technology to get a real-time view of their inventory. Learn how this technology works and what you need to know before making the switch.
Why Inventory Tracking Is Moving Beyond Spreadsheets and Scanners
Old paper logs and barcode tracking systems don’t fit how we do business today. These solutions worked with low inventory turnover and few SKUs, which just isn’t a reality for growing businesses.
Camera-based inventory tracking tools are a complete (and welcome) departure from legacy tracking options. Instead of simply bolting a new feature onto outdated software, this is a completely new way of working that aligns with how your teams actually get work done.
Tracking inventory with a camera instead of a barcode scan may sound like a small change, but it offers a slew of benefits, including:
- Improved accuracy: Traditional data capture is slow and error-prone, and that has real consequences for Manchester businesses. In fact, inaccurate inventory data costs the UK economy up to £1 billion every year. Digitizing this process reduces the headaches and expenses of human error.
- Flexible mobile setup: Camera-based tracking happens where employees actually do their work, whether that’s on the shop floor or on site. There’s no need to ferry items back to a scanning station or pay for expensive handheld scanners.
- Reduced administrative load: With intelligent capture, there’s far less manual data entry and fewer opportunities for mistakes. This approach frees your team to focus on their core tasks rather than updating records.
Manchester is a thriving city for entrepreneurs, but you still need the proper tools to build a business that lasts. Unless you get organised now, that chaos will follow you as you scale up, making it harder to maximise profits.
How AI ‘Sees’ and Understands Your Assets
AI image recognition allows software to “see” and understand what’s in a photo. For inventory tracking, this means a single photo can capture multiple items at once.
Instead of scanning assets individually, a user photographs a shelf or storage area, and the system analyses the image to identify distinct items within the frame. Machine learning models recognise shapes, labels, and packaging, which allows the software to distinguish one asset from another.
After it identifies the items, AI pulls in relevant details like:
- Item type
- Condition
- Location
- Manufacturer
However, it’s important to remember that AI needs to learn about your business at first. Over time, the system will improve as it sees more examples, making it more accurate with repeated use.
Blending AI With QR Codes
Image recognition is a great way to enter inventory details in your tracking software, but you still need a way to reference these items in your software. Your team may not need to add new items every time; they might need to update statuses or change owners.
That’s why Manchester businesses add QR codes to their items. QRs act as URLs, linking each asset to a unique web address. That means anyone can scan the QR code using a standard phone camera and instantly access the item’s information in a browser. There’s no need to download a dedicated app, either.
Video Recognition Speeds Up Inventory, Too
Plenty of businesses are now using image recognition to speed up inventory management. However, video recognition is a newer feature that takes this technology one step further. Instead of stopping to take individual photos, teams can simply record a short video as they move through a workspace and let the system handle the rest.
As it processes the video, the AI analyses each frame to identify inventory in real time. It takes around one minute to process the data, but it can build a complete inventory from a single walkthrough. This setup is particularly helpful if you don’t have the time to manage inventory manually.
Some newer platforms, like Scanlily, already use video recognition to improve organisation. It combines video capture with browser-based access to asset information, creating a system that works the way you prefer rather than forcing you into specialist software.
Where Camera-Based Tracking Offers the Most Value
Image and video inventory tools aren’t a universal fix for all inventory issues in your business, but they can make a big difference. While any business can benefit from better tracking, camera-based tracking leads to the biggest improvements for businesses with:
- High inventory turnover: If stock or equipment moves frequently in your business, spreadsheet-based trackers won’t be able to keep up, but image- and video-based solutions will.
- Mobile teams: If you have staff working in the field or across different locations, desk-based inventory systems will be hard to maintain. Camera-based tools allow changes to happen on the spot and keep your information up to date at all times.
- Shared equipment: Pooled equipment is difficult to track when your entire team has access to it. Visual tracking simplifies ownership transfer, keeping your team accountable while improving data accuracy.
The upside is that visual inventory tracking tools are easy to implement and more affordable than legacy systems. Even if your organisation is still small, embracing camera-based tracking will help you plan for the future without the growing pains.
Clarity Beats Complexity
Manchester rivals London with its thriving business scene, but growth isn’t everything. You need a stable foundation to support that growth – otherwise, you risk losing it all in just a few years. Inventory management is an important but often overlooked part of organising a business, but it’s crucial for managing costs and supporting productivity.
Camera-based inventory tools help you get (and stay) organised at scale. While the technology itself gives you a competitive edge, the real benefit is clarity. Knowing what you have, where it is, and when it’s in use helps you make better decisions. Adopting simpler, more flexible approaches like these will better position you to grow without being held back by rigid tools or old ways of thinking.
