L265 · AI at work · 3 min
Inventory checks with a spreadsheet
A simple stock sheet plus one AI-written formula tells you what to reorder before the shelf goes empty.
01 · The idea
Many small shops keep stock in their head until a regular asks for her usual brand of fish sauce and it is gone. A free Google Sheets or Excel file with five columns is enough: item, unit, in stock, lowest you allow, and supplier.
Describe those columns to a chatbot and ask for a formula that marks each row "Order" when stock falls to the lowest level. It can also write a formula to count how many items need ordering today.
Once a week, count the shelf and update the stock column. It takes ten minutes, and the sheet does the thinking. Over time you can add a column for how many you sell per week to set better minimum levels.
Test any formula on three rows you can check by eye before trusting it. If something looks wrong, paste the formula back and ask the chatbot to explain it line by line.
02 · Think of it like this
It is like the fuel light in your motorbike. You do not watch the tank all day, the light comes on when it is time to fill up.
03 · Do it now
04 · Quick check
Words in this lesson
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