Sell Better with DigiKey Marketplace: The Importance of Real-Time Inventory Levels

A customer clicks “Submit”, and the order is officially in the books. Homerun, right? But get this: the number one reason for lost orders at this stage is inaccurate inventory levels. Incorrect stocking numbers lead to "bearer of bad news" emails, order cancellations, and inaccurate inventory levels that make it hard to reinstate trust with the customer.

The DigiKey marketplace program gives focus to stocking items, so it is crucial to show the full inventory quantities. Offers that go down to a zero-stock level become inactive and can easily be filtered out by customer searches and third-party advertisements. If that product is on your shelf, make sure it is being marketed for sale on the DigiKey site by simply updating the quantity in your portal.

Inventory should be updated at minimum on a weekly basis. Maintaining accurate inventory in our system can be done via manual process, an offer sheet upload, a flat file, or an Application Programming Interface (API). API integration is strongly recommended as this simplifies your shop management and ensures accurate inventory levels. It can be done with any level of inventory and will provide daily updates to your stores. Learn how to set up API here.

If you have questions about inventory management, DigiKey’s Supplier Success team is available to help answer and guide you to the best approach for your store. They can be reached at [email protected].