Running out of film mid-install is one of the worst operational failures a shop has. Customer is on-site, the car is half-stripped, and you're scrambling for the right shade. Low-stock alerts prevent this with a single configuration.
Step 1 — Make sure your SKUs are tracked
Settings → Inventory → SKUs. Every roll, bottle, can, or part you want to alert on needs a SKU record with:
- Name (e.g., "Suntek CXP 35 Ceramic 40-inch")
- Unit (linear feet, ounces, each)
- Current quantity
- Reorder threshold — the level at which the alert fires
If you don't have SKUs set up yet, see Film roll inventory.
Step 2 — Set reorder thresholds
For each SKU, pick a threshold that reflects your real lead time. Formula:
Reorder threshold = (average daily usage) × (lead time in days) × 1.5 safety factor
Example: a 40-inch ceramic roll you cut from at ~8 linear feet/day, with a 7-day supplier lead time:
8 × 7 × 1.5 = 84 linear feet remaining → alert
So when the roll drops below 84 ft, you get notified.
Step 3 — Configure the alert channels
Settings → Inventory → Alerts. Pick:
- Channel — SMS, email, or both
- Recipients — usually the shop owner, sometimes also the lead installer who orders supplies
- Frequency cap — max alerts per SKU per day (default 1, prevents spam)
Step 4 — Connect to your supplier (optional)
If your supplier supports the SalesThumb supplier API (XPEL, Suntek, and a few others currently), you can wire the reorder action directly to a draft purchase order. The alert SMS includes a "Reorder now" link that pre-fills a PO at your supplier.
For non-API suppliers, the alert is informational — you still place the order manually.
Step 5 — Watch the dashboard
Inventory → Alert history shows every alert that fired in the last 90 days, with:
- SKU and date
- Quantity at alert
- Action taken (PO created, marked ordered, dismissed)
This reveals patterns — SKUs that alert too often (thresholds too high), SKUs that should have alerted but didn't (you forgot to set one), and SKUs that are always low (you should carry more).
Tips
- Start with your top 10 SKUs. Don't alert on every single specialty film. Focus on the rolls you cut from every week.
- Review thresholds quarterly. Usage patterns drift. The threshold that worked in Q1 might be too low in Q3 if your volume grew.
- Set higher thresholds for hard-to-reorder SKUs. Specialty colors, discontinued rolls, niche imports — pad the safety factor.
- Don't alert on consumables you can grab at Home Depot. Squeegees, paper towels, isopropyl — the alert noise isn't worth it.