The actual design of the inventory system should be done inside Airtable. You can use miniExtensions Form to scan products to check them in and out. Have a look at the video above for a full explanation of this system and its capabilities. Our customers usually let their employees use the form as a barcode scanner, but this system can also be built inside a portal with user authentication to keep track of which employee checks items in and out of inventory.

How to Set Up a Basic Inventory Management System

In this guide, we’ll walk you through how to build a simple inventory management system using Airtable and miniExtensions — including how to set up barcode scanning, track product details, and log inventory changes automatically.

You can use two different forms for different purposes:

A Product Details Form that lets you scan a product barcode (or QR code) and view or update its details.
An Inventory Log Form that records every stock movement (additions and removals), also with barcode/QR code scanning support.

🧩 What You’ll Need

Before starting, make sure you have:

An Airtable base with at least two tables:
- Products – stores your items (each with a SKU or barcode).
- Inventory Log – keeps track of each stock movement.
A miniExtensions account connected to your Airtable base.

⚙️ Step 1: Set Up Your Airtable Base

1. Create a “Products” Table

Each product should have:

SKU (or barcode value) – used for scanning
Product name
Brand
(Optional) Company logo or other details
Linked field to Inventory Log

Example structure:

Field Name	Field Type	Description
SKU	Single line text/Barcode	Unique identifier (barcode)
Name	Single line text	Product name
Brand	Linked record	Links to “Brands” table
Current Inventory	Rollup	Sums up quantities from “Inventory Log”
Inventory Log	Linked record	Links to inventory log entries

2. Create an “Inventory Log” Table

Each record represents one inventory change.

Suggested fields:

Field Name	Field Type	Description
Product	Linked record	Links to “Products”
Type	Single select	“Add” or “Remove”
Quantity	Number	Amount to add or remove
Adjust Inventory By	Formula	Converts quantity for “Remove” operations to negative values

Formula for Adjust Inventory By:

IF(Type = "Add", Quantity, -Quantity)

3. Create a Rollup in “Products”

To calculate the current inventory, create a rollup field:

Roll up the “Adjust Inventory By” field from the linked “Inventory Log” records.
Use the aggregation formula:
```
SUM(values)
```

This keeps your inventory totals automatically updated.

📱 Step 2: Create the Product Details Form (Barcode Lookup)

This form allows users to scan a product barcode and view its details.

1. Create a New Form

In miniExtensions:

Click Create Extension → Form with Login
Select the Products table
Name it something like “Product Details”

2. Enable Barcode Scanning

Hover over your SKU field
Click the ⚙️ gear icon
Toggle Allow users to scan barcodes and QR codes
(Optional) Turn off the magnifying glass icon (used for manual selection of records from a list)

When users open the form on mobile, it will automatically activate their camera for scanning.

3. Customize the Login Page

Go to Login Page Options
Set a title like “Product Details”
Remove or edit the default description text

4. Configure Visible Fields

You can hide or show specific fields:

Keep key fields like Name, Brand, and Current Inventory
Hide unnecessary linked fields (like “Inventory Log”)
Set fields to Read-only if you don’t want users editing them

5. Test the Form

Try scanning a barcode — the form should automatically pull up the product’s details.
You can update information (like product name) and submit to see changes reflected instantly in Airtable.

📦 Step 3: Create the Inventory Log Form (Record Stock Movements)

This form logs every stock movement — adding or removing inventory — and updates totals automatically.

1. Create a New Form

In miniExtensions:

Choose Create Extension → Form (without login)
Select the Inventory Log table

2. Turn On Barcode Scanning

In the Product field settings:

Click Record Finder Options
Enable Barcode/QR Code Scanning

By default, the camera will open when you click “Find” and automatically link the scanned record.

3. Set Required Fields

Make these fields required:

Product
Type
Quantity

4. Enable Record Expansion (Optional)

To display product info while scanning:

Turn on Expand Records
Edit the expanded product view to include relevant read-only fields like:
- Product name
- Brand
- Current inventory

This way, when a barcode is scanned, users will see a quick summary before logging an inventory change.

5. Test It

Try scanning a product, select “Remove,” and enter a quantity.
After submitting, check Airtable — a new inventory log entry should appear, and the current inventory in the Products table will automatically update.

🧠 Why Set It Up This Way

Product Details Form: For quick lookups and product updates — ideal for mobile use in warehouses or shops.
Inventory Log Form: For accurate stock tracking — ensures every movement is logged for accountability.
Rollup Formula: Keeps inventory totals automatically synced without manual input.
Barcode Scanning: Removes human error and speeds up item identification.

✅ Optional Improvements

Add Field Validation on the “Quantity” field to prevent removing more items than are available.
Customize form design with your company’s theme color and logo.
Use filters to only show in-stock items
Set up this workflow within a portal to authenticate users and track which staff member made stock adjustments