How nexTrack Helps Welding Teams Monitor Inventory and Reduce Downtime

Running out of welding gas or consumables in the middle of a production run creates chaos. Your crew stands around waiting while someone scrambles to find a supplier with stock available for same-day delivery. Rush fees eat into your margins. The schedule you promised your customer starts slipping. All because nobody noticed the gas cylinder inventory was running low until it was too late.

Most fabrication shops track inventory the same way they did 20 years ago. Someone walks around with a clipboard counting cylinders, or they wait until a welder complains about running out. This approach worked when labor was cheap and customers were more forgiving about delays. Neither of those things is true anymore.

Real-Time Visibility Into What You Actually Have

Our nexTrack system gives you accurate inventory data without relying on manual counts or guesswork. You can see exactly how many cylinders of each gas type are on site, which ones are in use, and which are sitting empty waiting for pickup. This visibility extends across multiple locations if you’re running several shops or job sites, so you’re not managing each facility in isolation.

The system updates automatically as cylinders get delivered or returned, which means you’re looking at current information instead of last week’s count. When your argon supply drops below the threshold you’ve set, nexTrack alerts the appropriate person so they can schedule a delivery before you actually run out. No more emergency calls to suppliers or welders killing time because someone forgot to reorder.

Connecting Inventory Data to Production Planning

Knowing what’s on hand only matters if you can use that information effectively. nexTrack integrates with your production schedule so you can verify you have the materials needed for upcoming jobs before they hit the shop floor. If a large project starting Monday requires 50 cylinders of mixed gas and you only have 30, you’ll know on Thursday instead of finding out Monday morning.

The data also reveals usage patterns you might not notice otherwise. If certain gases consistently run low faster than expected, that might indicate leaks, improper storage, or inefficient welding practices that need attention. Some customers have discovered they were ordering more gas than necessary because their usage estimates were based on outdated assumptions rather than actual consumption data.

Reducing the Administrative Burden

Managing cylinder inventories creates paperwork that nobody enjoys. Tracking rental periods, reconciling delivery tickets with what actually arrived, chasing down cylinders that got moved to a different location without anyone updating the records. nexTrack handles most of this administrative work automatically. Deliveries get logged into the system without manual data entry. Rental tracking happens in the background. Our team brings expertise and expert KnowHow™ in setting up tracking systems that match how your operation functions. When it’s time to review your account or handle billing questions, the information is already organized and accessible. 

Moving Past Reactive Inventory Management

The shops that grow and win competitive bids are the ones that operate efficiently. Running out of materials, paying rush delivery fees, and dealing with production delays because of poor inventory management puts you at a disadvantage against competitors who have their supply chain figured out.

nexTrack gives you the tools to manage inventory proactively and helps you Forge Forward with confidence that you’ll have what you need when production demands it. Contact us to learn how we can set up inventory tracking that fits your operation and eliminates the downtime and frustration that comes with running out of critical supplies.