Warehouse operators are increasingly interested in using artificial intelligence, but few are currently using the technology, according to a new report from Canadian inventory software company inFlow Inventory.
The State of Inventory Management 2026 report, based on a survey of 400 operations professionals across 33 industries, found that 81 per cent of respondents want to implement AI in their inventory or warehouse operations, while only 11 per cent currently use an AI tool in their day-to-day work.
The most sought-after AI application is demand forecasting and automated replenishment, with operators looking for software that can recommend what to reorder and when based on sales history.
“The interest is real, but it is waiting for the right capability to catch up,” said Jared Plumb, lead content creator at inFlow. “Operators aren’t asking for general intelligence. They’re asking for a tool that tells them what to buy and when, and most systems they use today still can’t do that.”
Cost was identified as the biggest concern when adopting new technology, cited by 62 per cent of respondents. By comparison, concerns about return on investment ranked last at 21.5 per cent.
The report also found that spreadsheets remain a primary inventory management tool for 85 per cent of respondents, including 53 per cent of companies with at least 500 employees.
Despite 92 per cent of operators reporting satisfaction with their current inventory management approach, 49.5 per cent identified inventory accuracy as their top area for improvement. In addition, 44 per cent said they experience stockouts at least once a month, while 52 per cent cited supplier reliability as their biggest challenge.
Cost pressures were spread relatively evenly among product and material costs at 23 per cent, freight and shipping at 23 per cent and labour at 22 per cent. The report also found that 84 per cent of respondents buy inventory ahead of time at least occasionally to hedge against uncertainty.
The survey was conducted by inFlow in partnership with research firm OvationMR in March 2026. Respondents were full-time professionals working in warehouse, inventory, supply chain or operations roles, and the survey covered 38 questions across six topic areas.
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